The Intersections of Faith and Sexual Orientation Many people, young and old, struggle with the issue of whether or not you can be OUT and be a member of a faith community. For everyone out there who doesn’t know if this is possible or anyone who has questions about the ability to be an authentic faith-filled person while keeping yourself accountable to your identity, let me tell you it is possible! Read the feature here! “It's one, two, three strikes, you're out, at the old ball game” A day in the life of a young queer person of color Every day I wake up, stretch my arms, kick my blanket off my body, take a look in the mirror and the first thing that comes to mind is, oh yeah I’m a person of color and then it hits me that I am also part of the queer community and finally I’m a youth. Starting off every day with three strikes against me leaves me with the feeling that I am, indefinitely, “out”. Read the feature here! Perpetual FearHow Society Makes Queerphobia Acceptable and EverlastingPart one: Where's the "T" in LGB: The gender binary explained About a year ago a young man approached me at a conference for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) youth and their allies. While he wasn’t much younger than me he freely admitted he was new to queer activism and had a lot to learn. As an experienced activist I had over time raised my consciousness and tried to develop a full understanding of the issues, so I was surprised at the assumptions and bias that went into his question to me. But I understood his confusion at first encountering these complex issues. His question was simple enough: Why do people consider transgender folks to be a part of the lesbian, gay and bisexual community? Read the feature here! Coming Out to Your Parents: Questions to Think AboutFor gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth, coming out to parents is a decision with potentially life-altering consequences. While most all youth hope for their parents’ acceptance, many fear rejection. Read more here! Queering GenderINDICATE EVERYTHING USEFUL ABOUT YOU WITH ONE MARK: Harper, a YouthResource peer educator, examines some of the assumptions we make about sex and gender. What exactly does "genderqueer" mean? The difficulty of defining genderqueer is that it still means something different to everyone. Read the feature here! Rural GLBTQSan Francisco. New York City. Known, perhaps, as the queer hubs of America. Truth is, though, lots of queer folks don't live in these big cities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth grow up and live in smaller towns and out in the country... just like the majority of America. And since these places don't have the resources or support groups that larger areas, the issues we face growing up queer in rural areas are quite different. Sexual Assault IssuesSexual assault is a serious concern among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. This feature series discusses the many issues that surround sexual assault, recovery, and becoming a survivor. Same-Sex Domestic ViolenceDomestic violence looms over the GLBT community like a shadow, with many members of the community failing or refusing to acknowledge its existence. As a result, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people who suddenly find this problem confronting them in their own relationships also find that they don’t know where to turn for help. Find out here! Healthy RelationshipsWe all have relationships with many people in our lives and all of these relationships are different. Read this section for tips on how to have a healthy relationships with the people in our lives. Talking to Your Partner About Safer SexCheck out our tips on partner communication.
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