LGBT Youth Basics / Mentoring Partnerhips of New York Breakfast Forum

Effective Support for Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender and
Questioning Youth
Presented by Nicole Avallone, LMSW
The Mentoring Partnership Breakfast
December 6, 2012

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &
Transgender Community Center
 1983
 The Center is founded
 The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual &
Transgender Center provides
a home for the birth, nurture and
celebration of our organizations,
institutions and culture;
cares for our individuals and
groups in need;
educates the public and our
community;
and empowers our individuals
and groups to achieve their
fullest potential.
NYC LGBT Community Center

Mission Statement: The YES program exists to provide
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning young
people with community support to foster healthy
development, in a safe, affirming, sex-positive, alcohol and
drug-free environment. At YES we are guided by our goal of
creating a Community of Inclusion for everyone who comes
to the program.
Started in 1989
Today
• Over 1000 youth annually
• 90% youth of color
• 60% under the age of 19
Youth Enrichment Services

 Define LGBT-related terms
 Identify current challenges & strengths
 Review Affirming approaches for
working with LGBTQ Youth & Families
 Identify resources for additional support
Goals for Today

To be effective working with LGBTQ youth and
families.
All you need is:
 Some basic information
 A willingness to show that you care
 A willingness to keep learning
You don’t have to be LGBT…

Starting with language…

Refers to who we are attractions to emotionally,
physically, spiritually
Some identities people may use include
 Lesbian – woman attracted to woman
 Gay – man attracted to man
 Bisexual – attraction to both men & women
 Asexual – no attraction
 Pansexual – attraction to people across the gender
spectrum
Sexual Orientation

Refers to the sex assignment given to us at birth,
usually by a healthcare provider based on genitalia,
organs, and assumptions about our chromosomes
Sex assignments include
 Male
 Female
 Intersex
Assigned Sex

Refers to how we self-identify our gender.
 This doesn’t always match our assigned sex.
Some identities people may use include
 Male
 Female
 Transgender – an umbrella term
 Trans-man/Man of transgender experience
 Trans-woman/Woman of transgender experience
 …Others
Gender Identity

Refers to how we present ourselves in terms of dress,
posture, roles. Different cultures have their own
definitions of what is considered “normative”
Examples include
 Masculine
 Feminine
 Androgynous
Gender Expression

Genderbread Person

Traditional Gender Model
Assigned Sex Male Female
Hormones, genitalia,
secondary sex
characteristics
Gender Expression Masculine Feminine
Dress, posture,
roles, identity
Sexual Orientation Attracted Attracted
to Women to Men

Inclusive Gender Model
(adapted from Samuel Lurie; VT Dept. of Public Health)
Assigned Sex
Hormones,
genitals, secondary
sex characteristics
Male Intersex Female
Gender Identity
Sense of self and
experience;
Man “Trans” Woman
Gender Expression
Dress, posture,
societal roles
Masculine Androgynous Feminine
Sexual Orientation Women Neither Both Men

This is not just specific to LGBT people
 We all have a SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH
 We all have a SEXUAL ORIENTATION
 We all have a GENDER IDENTITY
 We all have a way we EXPRESS OUR GENDER
This is personal

Exploring our identities
The Genderbread Person

 Anything that stood out for you?
 Anything that surprised you?

The problem is not our kids. The
problem is our culture not
accepting kids.
-Sarah, parent of a Gender Variant Child

LGBT risk factors
Variables associated with an increased health risk or concern
 Multiple oppressions
Poverty, Racism, HIV/AIDS
related issues and/or other
concerns
 Lack of social spaces
Reliance on LGBT bar scene
for socialization and identity
affirmation
 Disconnection from family and
other institutions
Family, religious and social
intolerance of LGBT
lifestyles
 Violence
The threat and/or experience of
anti-gay or anti-trans violence
 LGBT-related stigma
Discrimination in housing,
education, employment, health
care access…

LGBT Youth: Targets of Violence
In a recent survey of over 7000 LGBT middle and high
school students…
 Eight of ten had been verbally harassed at school;
 Four of ten had been physically harassed at school;
 Six of ten felt unsafe at school; and
 One of five had been the victim of a physical assault at
school
From Kosciw JG, Greytak EA, Diaz EM, Bartkiewicz MJ. The 2009 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Youth in Our Nation’s Schools. New York: Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network; 2010. Available at www.glsen.org/binary-
data/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/000/001/1675-5.PDF .

LGBT youth and the YRBS
(Youth Risk Behavior Survey)
 Approximately two to five times more likely than their
[straight] peers to report skipping school because of
feeling unsafe during the past month
 Twice as likely to report bingeing on alcohol at least once
in the past month
 Twice as likely to report smoking cigarettes
 Nearly twice as likely to be a teen parent

LGBT youth and suicide
Studies have found that LGB youth are
 One to three times more likely to report suicidal ideation
 One and a half to seven times more likely to report having
made a serious suicide attempt
There is little current research to
help us understand experiences
of transgender youth.
Suicide Prevention Resource Center. (2008). Suicide risk and prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Newton, MA: Education Development
Center, Inc. This publication is available for download: http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf

Young MSM and HIV
By age in NYC, 2001-2007

It may be getting better, but we
still have a long way to go.

Protective factors with LGBTQ Youth
Conditions associated with increased
positive outcomes
 High family connectedness
 Caring adults
 High self esteem
 Family acceptance
 Safe school environment
 Positive peer and adult role models

Why talk about this in
mentoring programs?

Affirming Approaches

Health Youth Development
 Includes
 A sense of competence -
being able to do
something well
 A sense of usefulness -
having something to
contribute
 A sense of belonging -
being part of a community
 A sense of power - having
control over one's future
 A sense of Pride in Identity
– knowing and liking who
you are
LGBT youth, like all youth, need
support, guidance, and
opportunities
 Especially during periods
of rapid growth and
change
 Coming out
 Gender transition
 Personal health threat,
such as HIV diagnosis

Keys to Positive Youth Development
 Caring & Trusting Relationships
 High Expectations
 Engaging Activities
 Opportunities to Contribute
 Continuity
 Recognition of unique identity developmental needs
of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth

 They don’t tell you the whole story
 They may skip meetings, or not show up at all
 They engage in more risky behaviors
Everyone should feel free of stigmatization. If we are
consciously or unconsciously creating those kinds of
conditions for students, we have the obligation to do
better.
When youth don’t feel accepted…

The Family Acceptance Project
Video Clip
http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/family-videos

LGBT youth adults with low levels of family acceptance
were over three times more likely to report suicidal
thoughts and attempts compared to peers with high
levels of family acceptance
High Family Acceptance contributed to…
 Reduced suicidal behavior, depression, and substance
use
 Higher self-esteem, social support and general health
New Research:
The Family Acceptance Project
http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/home

Using inclusive language
 Reflect back the language a
young person uses with you
 Use gender-neutral language
when talking about relationships
 Ask about preferred names and
pronouns
 Revise forms to be inclusive of all
genders and sexualities
 Work to avoid assumptions

Consider all options that reduce isolation and increase
community
 LGBTQ-specific supports
 family & individual support groups
 drop-in programs
 Phone and Online support
 For youth: Trevor Project hotline, Trevor chat
 For families: The Family Acceptance Project, PFLAG-NYC
Reduce Isolation

 LGBT Community Center’s in all 5 boros, NJ, Long Island
 LGBT Community Center Youth Enrichment Services –
www.gaycenter.org/youth
 Hetrick-Martin Institute, Home of the Harvey Milk High
School - www.hmi.org
 Trevor Project – www.trevorproject.org
 Trevor Hotline, Trevor Chat, searchable database of LGBTQ
youth resources by zip code around the country
LGBTQ Youth Support Programs

Is increased family support an option?
 Ask youth if they think their family would be open to
getting support
 Consider everyone they may consider to be “family”
 Work to connect families to resources
Help Families with Acceptance

 Maintain an “asking stance”
 Allow your young person to be your guide
 Reach out to colleagues
 Seek additional information and training
No one is expected to have all the answers. Know that
if you demonstrate a willingness to learn, it will show.
When in doubt…

 Teaching Tolerance
http://www.teachingtolerance.org
Many articles and lessons around LGBTQ issues.
 Welcoming Schools
http://www.welcomingschools.org/resources/
LGBTQ-inclusive approach to addressing family diversity,
gender stereotyping, bullying and name-calling in K-5
learning environments.
Resources for Lesson Planning

My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis
About a boy who likes pink and enjoys wearing tiaras
and other princess clothes. The boy is accepted for who
he is and how he likes to dress.
10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert
Bailey, dreams about beautiful dresses and longs to
make them and wear them.
Gender-related Books (K-6th)

 Coming Out, Coming Home: Helping Families Adjust
to a Lesbian or Gay Child by Michael C. LaSala, Ph.D.
 Oddly Normal by John Schwartz
One Family’s Struggle to help the Teenage Son to Come to Terms with His
Sexuality
Books about Coming Out

Additional Resources
GLSEN 2009 National School Climate Report
http://www.glsen.org/binary-data/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/000/001/1675-2.pdf
Report Includes Analysis of 10 Years of Data, Finds Little Change in Victimization
The Family Acceptance Project - http://familyproject.sfsu.edu
Sexual Identity, Sex of Sexual Contacts, and Health-Risk Behaviors Among Students in Grades 9–12 — Youth
Risk Behavior Surveillance, Selected Sites, United States, 2001–2009 . MMWR – June 2011
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6007.pdf
A systematic review of parental influences on the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth:
time for a new public health research and practice agenda. Journal of Primary Prevention. 2010 Dec;31(5-
6):273-309. Bouris A, Guilamo-Ramos V, Pickard A, Shiu C, Loosier PS, Dittus P, Gloppen K, Michael Waldmiller J.
A Review of Positive Youth Development Programs That Promote Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive
Health. Journal of Adolescent Health. Volume 46, Issue 3, Supplement , Pages S75-S91, March 2010. Loretta
E. Gavin, M.P.H., Ph.D., Richard F. Catalano, Ph.D., Corinne David-Ferdon, Ph.D., Kari M. Gloppen, M.P.H., Christine M. Markham, Ph.D.

Nicole Avallone, LMSW
Director of Youth Services
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center
208 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011
646-358-1739
navallone@gaycenter.org
www.gaycenter.org/youth
Thank You!

LGBT Youth Basics / Mentoring Partnerhips of New York Breakfast Forum

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