Youth
When you’re young and LGBTQ+, coming out is only half the battle. Learn more about the issues affecting LGBTQ+ youths and what can be done to change their reality.
Dee
Who is Dee?
Hi! I’m here to help you learn more about what it means to be young and LGBTQ+. If growing up is hard, growing up LGBTQ+ can be harder. LGBTQ+ youths are trying to find their place in the world, as they grapple with unique challenges, dangers and systemic problems. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get started.
Coming home
What would happen if you couldn’t come home? Explore the staggering statistics and harsh realities of being young, homeless and LGBTQ+.
On the street
Homelessness among LGBTQ+ youths isn't just an issue; it's a full-blown epidemic.
A good man
The day Bryan Wilmoth’s father discovered he was gay was the last day Bryan spent in his family home.
Mind the gap
Digging into the issue of mental health has revealed disturbing trends among LGBTQ+ youths. And biology isn't to blame. Learn more about the complex factors behind the mental health challenges faced by many LGBTQ+ youth.
It's complicated
Being LGBTQ+ is more accepted now than ever before. So why do mental health issues continue to run high in this population?
“I watched her die inside”
When DeShanna Neal’s son began to dress and act like a girl, she saw the impact of societal shunning firsthand: “I watched her die inside.”
Bullied for being gay
The children at 13-year-old Tyrone Unsworth's school told him relentlessly to take his own life. So one day, Tyrone did.
Unintended consequences
Conversion therapy touts itself as a way to turn gay kids straight. But the effects can be far more damaging.
Under attack
Being different has always made people vulnerable to violence--whether that be a difference of race, religious beliefs or political views. The same goes for differences in sexual and gender identities. Explore the violence facing LGBTQ+ youth and what factors could change the statistics.
Safety, in numbers
Cyber bullying gets a lot of attention these days. But among LGBTQ+ youths, physical violence is still a very real threat.
Missing in action
Teachers are supposed to look out for all students. But for LGBTQ+ youths being bullied, some teachers seem to be coming up short.
Lasting Impact
For LGBTQ+ youths, the effects of bullying at a young age can last well into adulthood.
Beyond the schoolyard
Angie Zapata, a transgender woman, was just 18 years old when she met the man who would end her life.
Getting accepted
Explore the impact of support over rejection among LGBTQ+ youth.
A new place to call home
When Dylan Lewis's mother kicked him out for being gay, he found a new home — in the Deep South.
“My dad is the greatest ever”
There are positive stories of coming out to family and friends — like this one from Morgan Marsh, who has "the greatest dad ever."
Letting go
When their daughter came out as transgender, the Pizer family had to navigate the difficult journey toward acceptance.
“I had to do whatever it took to not be gay”
When a love letter from a boy came addressed to Nathan Hoskins, his mother drove him out to the country, a shotgun in her hands.
'I'm way more angry than sad.'
8-year-old Joe Maldonado was kicked out of the Boy Scouts for being transgender. Find out what happened next.
A way forward
The studies and stories highlighting the issues impacting LGBTQ+ youth are also showing us solutions--a way forward. Learn more about the work being done to change the status quo and turn the tide for LGBTQ+ youth.
Home court advantage
When young people come out as gay, bisexual or transgender, having the support of their families makes all the difference.
Getting schooled
Schools can be intimidating places for LGBTQ+ youths. But research shows the solution is simple — and it starts with this toolbox.
A network of support
LGBTQ+ youths have a lot of very specific needs, and yet, of the programs in place to help this population, few are designed to actually fill those needs.
The Stats
Learn about the demographics of LGBTQ+ youth in the US
Current estimates of lgb teen population in the US
It was just a few years ago that the CDC released the first nationally representative study of the health risks of LGB youths. Here's what the researchers found.
Current estimates of US teens who are transgender
The research on transgender youths has only just begun. Here's how the numbers break down across the U.S.
Unsafe at school
LGBTQ+ youths routinely face greater risks at school than their straight counterparts. Learn what the CDC found in a national survey on youth risk behavior.
At risk for suicide
Surveys have unlocked a dangerous trend: lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers are at significantly higher risk for suicide than their non-LGB peers.
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Citations & Sources
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