Parenting a young person who is LGBTQ+ can be challenging. You’ve got all of the usual challenges of parenting, but on top of it, you want to help them build the resilience necessary to ward off the stress from the stigma and discrimination that our culture still unfortunately throws at them. But most parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ youth are themselves heterosexual and cisgender (cisgender is someone who has a gender identity that matches their sex assigned at birth) and may have little, if any, experience or understanding of how to deal with the homophobic and transphobic aspects of our society.
We know that the stress of stigma and discrimination can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and worse. Fortunately, we also know that LGBTQ youth who have supportive families have higher resilience (Trevor Project). But young people also need and want social support from others who are like them. And as parents and caregivers, we can’t be their friends, nor can we create an identity-based community out of thin air. The internet has been a boon for LGBTQ+ folks because it enables folks to find each other. LGBTQ+ youth are active users of the internet and are already accessing resources and building community online. But as a parent and caregiver, we may worry about the wild west aspect of the internet.
As a founder of Q Chat Space, a safer space online for LGBTQ+ teens, I am here today to share with you a few resources from CenterLink, the organization I work for, that you can share with the LGBTQ+ youth in your life.
And since we know that you too need support as a parent/caregiver, here are some resources for you.
Deborah S. Levine is the Chief Program Officer at CenterLink, the Community of LGBTQ Centers. She has spent virtually her entire career in the nonprofit world. She began at CenterLink as the Director of YouthLink, working with staff of youth programs at LGBTQ centers across the country to ensure that best practices and current research were applied to best meet the health and developmental needs of youth, before becoming the Chief Program Officer supporting YouthLink, HealthLink, and ActionLink. Immediately prior to her work with CenterLink, Deborah spent a decade working at Planned Parenthood Federation of America as the Director of Online Health Education. Prior to her stint at the national Planned Parenthood, Deborah worked at a local Planned Parenthood providing professional development for youth serving professionals and managing a peer education program. Earlier in her career, she taught high school American history. Deborah obtained a bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology and minored in women’s studies as well as a master's degree in social work and a Master of Arts in teaching.
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