Vigil Tonight in Ridgewood, NJ
Join Garden State Equality in Ridgewood, New Jersey to commemorate Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University student who committed suicide after his roommate posted a webcam video of him having sex with another man.
Corey Bernstein, 15, will be speaking at the event about his experiences with bullying as a gay youth. Corey, who will be profiled on We Are the Youth next month, spoke with us this morning.
All throughout elementary school I was different and didn’t fit in. I was teased and bullied. Once I started middle school it put me at the bottom of the food chain. The bullying got worse. I wasn’t out at this point in my life, even to myself. In 7th grade I was fed up with it. I tried to avoid the situation,” Corey said. “It was just a bad situation for me to be in. I became depressed and came very close to having the same fate as Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown and all those other boys we’re hearing about this month. I was admitted to a hospital for a couple of weeks.
Corey then came out, changed schools and is now using his past experiences to tell other young people not to give up.
For anyone else who is feeling alone and depressed, reach out and you’ll be surprised how many people will help you pull through. Find yourself that one person you can feel safe with. Whether that’s a friend, sibling, teacher. Even The Trevor Project or someone you don’t know. It seems like you’re the only person out there who is gay. But thousands and thousands of people are gay. There are resources.
Join Corey at the vigil tonight at 7 p.m. at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and check back next month to learn more about Corey.
The Rewards Have Arrived!
The postcards and magnets have arrived and are being sent to all those that gave on Kickstarter! Thanks again and look for them in November. If you’re jealous of all the people getting these sweet treats, hit us up, THEY’RE FOR SALE! Or kindly donate through PayPal and help us keep the project going strong!
(*$10 donation gets you a magnet!)
Grant Update
As we mentioned a few weeks ago, We Are the Youth was selected as a DoSomething Growth Grant winner! In the light of recent events, sharing the stories of gay youth seems more important than ever and we are honored to receive support from such a great organization helping us to do that. Thanks again!
Gay Teen Takes Life
13-Year-Old Asher Brown committed suicide last week after anti-gay bullying at his Texas middle school. The suicide came after Asher’s parents notified school administrators that their son was being taunted. No action was taken and the school now claims that they never received any calls.
Unfortunately, this story is far too common. Help make a difference by supporting programs such as The Trevor Project, a confidential hotline focused on crisis and suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. You can reach The Trevor Project 24 hours a day at 866-4U-TREVOR (866-488-7386)
THANK YOU!
Our Kickstarter campaign has come to an end and we are thrilled to announce that it was a success! We raised over $2,000 and will be using that money to travel to Atlanta, GA on October 24th. We’ll be spending a week in the South, driving around Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, photographing and interviewing queer youth!
The rewards are being ordered as we type, so expect them in November/December! Again, thanks to everyone who donated, your support means the world to us and we couldn’t have made it this far without you!
*For those that donated $50 or more, please email: hello@wearetheyouth.org to discuss your print order!
Dan Savage, cool dude.
Exciting Weekend News!
We are excited to announce that We Are the Youth has been selected as a Do Something Growth Grant Winner!!! Do Something is a great organization that leverages communications technologies to enable young people to convert their ideas and energy into positive action. We’re super grateful for this funding which will help us achieve our 2010-2011 goals!
Let the Fun(ding) Begin!
A few months ago we were contacted by Noah, the president of Mercer University’s Gay Straight Alliance.
Before I left for school my parents told me you shouldn’t tell anyone at school you’re gay. So the first thing I did was find out who was in charge of the Gay Straight Alliance and join it, Noah said when we interviewed him.
As the first step in expanding our project nationwide, we’d like to travel to Georgia to meet with Noah and his classmates and then take a few days to drive around the Southern states, photographing and interviewing other LGBT youth.
We’re hoping to raise a minimum of $2,000 in 35 days through Kickstarter, a website dedicated to funding creative projects. The catch with Kickstarter is that the $2,000 goal needs to be met in order to get any of the money (clever, right?).
So, we’re asking for your help! No amount is too small (or too large). We know times are tough, but even $5 will make a difference (Kickstarter is all about small donations. Plus, you’ll get fun prizes when you donate!
Check out our Kickstarter page here!
Magda
I was born in Poland, and I’ve lived in Williamsburg most of my life. There used to be nothing here but factories. I used to hate it. But now there’s so much going on, I don’t want to leave for college next year.
I’m going to Poland this summer to stay with family for six weeks. I definitely won’t tell them I’m gay. Poland is one of those places being gay is really not tolerated. My mom’s really cool about it though.
I came out to myself my sophomore year, and to my mom recently, two months ago. I wasn’t really worried about telling her because I knew she’d accept me. But I just didn’t feel like I needed to tell her before that. (more…)
A great write-up for We Are the Youth!
A lovely article posted on Change.org this morning! Thanks Maia!
Gay Prom 2010: The Red Carpet
There have been a lot of gay prom stories in the news as of late. Some happy. Some sad.
In Westchester county, LGBTQ youth have another option in addition to the typical high school dance. This Friday night, Center Lane is holding its 15th Annual Gay Prom. Over 200 people are expected to come as they are; well, a more fabulous version of themselves, since the theme is “The Red Carpet.”
We Are The Youth will be there to photograph the occasion. We’ll bring you the full wrap-up next week!
The event is sponsored by Center Lane (a WJCS program), Westchester’s only community center for LGBT adolescents. It will be held at the Polish Center in Yonkers, NY on June 18th, from 8pm-midnight. If you need more information call 914.358.1006
