Category: Youth

*Note: This article was originally published on Pride Pocket prior to merging with MyUmbrella* America is what a lot of people would consider a progressive country, but does it really have the best interests for LGBTQ+ youth? A good portion of LGBTQ+ youth will face some kind of mental disorder: most commonly depression, which can lead to self-harming and even suicide. Is there a reason why LGBTQ+ youth are so depressed and is there anything parents and schools can do to help them? According to the Trevor Project1, suicide for youth is, “the 2nd leading cause of death,” and “1 out of 6  students nationwide (grades 9-12) seriously considered suicide in the past year.” These statistics alone are a problem that schools and society need to start taking more seriously.

*Note: This article was originally published on Pride Pocket prior to merging with MyUmbrella* The facts of the matter, laid bare by an educational document produced by The National Alliance to End Homelessness, are grim:  Homeless youth are typically defined as unaccompanied youth aged 12 to 24 years. The National Alliance to End Homelessness’ typology of homeless youth includes four major categories: runaway (fleeing youth), transitory or episodic (couch surfing youth), unaccompanied homeless youth (shelter hoppers), and street dependent youth (squatters and travelers).In 1999, the Second National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway and Thrownaway Children (NISMART II) was published. The study determined that 1.7 million adolescents experienced at least one episode of homelessness each year.Seven different studies of homeless youth in the U.S. have concluded that approximately 20 percent

*Note: This article was originally published on Pride Pocket prior to merging with MyUmbrella* You are not alone. Nation-Wide Resources are Available Now: LGBTQ + focused Housing & Medical + Support Services https://truecolorsfund.org/location/ LGBTQ+ Safe Housing  https://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-shelters/ Youth Housing  https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/grants/fysb-grantees Housing  https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/ Medical Services  https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center http://www.needymeds.org/medical-clinics https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/ http://www.nafcclinics.org/find-clinic Thinking of Running Away + Trying to get Home https://wwwrunaway.org Know Your Rights: Foster Care + Juvenile Justice System https://www.lambdalegal.org/know-your-rights/article/youth-info-for-lgbtq-in-out-of-home-care Food https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/foodbanks/ https://www.foodpantries.org/ Online Emotional Support https://www.talkspace.com/online-therapy/lgbt/ https://www.7cups.com/lgbtq-chat-room/ http://www.e-therapycafe.com/online-counseling-services-lgbt https://support.therapytribe.com/lgbt-support-group/ Did you enjoy this story? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to find out when new stories are published. [hubspot portal="4679048" id="962ea2a6-7b06-442a-90fd-58a7c8a4ecc9" type="form"] Learn how to join our Writers Cohort here. Want to continue building community? Download our iOS app.