Lifelong friends Laurel Golio and Diana Scholl began profiling LGBTQ teens for their photo project "We Are the Youth" in 2010, and, according to Refinery29, they've now interviewed more than 80 teens. The series captures the stunning diversity of the young LGBTQ community.
"We hope [readers] will relate to some of the stories, think about the world in a different way, and come away from the book with a more complete view of a community on the brink of change," Scholl told The Huffington Post.
Scholl added that they started the project to share stories about LGBTQ youth so others wouldn't feel alone. "We Are the Youth addresses the lack of visibility of LGBTQ young people by providing a space to share stories in an honest and respectful way," the pair wrote on their website.
The interviews and photos have been compiled in a book, also called We Are the Youth, which is available on Amazon. Read some of the touching stories below.
1. Audri, 15, Mississippi
I want to stay in Mississippi for college. There's gay flight in Mississippi because everyone thinks it's so horrible, so they leave. And nothing ever changes when all the gay people leave. Conservative people will never be used to a butch lesbian holding another girl's hand or two guys holding hands, if they don't see it. There's lots of work that needs to be done and it really makes me happy to get to do it.
2. Blake, 18, North Carolina
Becoming homecoming king is kind of the only normal teenage dream I've had. I was really surprised, though, that I was nominated. I didn't think it was attainable because I'm trans, but now I feel like I could get it. I'm taking the steps that need to be made for progress among the transgender community. I'm just trying to make the T in LGBT not so silent.
Being a black trans man is an especially unique experience. When you transition from any gender to another gender, that affects you. I went from a black woman to a scary black guy. My white trans guy friends say they get all these great privileges. I've had a lot of experiences where people look at you differently. It's scary.
Ed. note: Blake died of suicide on March 23, 2015. You can read more about his life and LGBT activism here.
3. Carter, 19, California
I don't know what I could do to make me seem gayer. Even last night, I was talking to a girl I've known for a while. I said something about some girl, and she was like, "Oh, are you bisexual?" She jumped to thinking I was straight to thinking I was bisexual. I'm like, "No, I'm pretty fucking gay."
4. Hot Sause, 17, New York
I go to Rockland County Day School. I'm not sure if there are any queer-identified people besides me. That's what a Gay-Straight Alliance should be for. It kind of upsets me that they don't have one. They should have a queer-safe and friendly place. I'd love to talk to other people like me, and maybe they could introduce me to people. It's kind of hard for me to date. I'm kind of shy when it comes to talking to other girls. There aren't a lot of people I can talk and relate to. I can't just walk up to a girl and know what her preference is.
5. Jaydee, 16, Nebraska
I switched schools because of bullying. There was a lot of harassment and people calling me a lot of names. Fag, dyke, tranny. Nobody would do much about it, even my principal. I was like, Screw this, I might as well go to a different school.
There's more LGBT-friendly people at this school. I'm the only trans kid at school. It kind of gives me a little more pressure. What people see from me they kind of expect from other trans people. At the same time, it's pretty awesome. I feel like I have to set an example in a way.
6. Jazz, 12
I'm proud to be a girl and proud to be a transgender girl. I wouldn't change myself at all. Being transgender makes me who I am: a strong person, a confident person. Being transgender gives me my personality.
I'm the youngest of four siblings and the baby of the family. My family just treated me like anyone else growing up. They taught me that everyone has a special and unique trait about them, and that mine is that I have a girl brain and a boy body. I knew I was a girl from the time I was a toddler, and my family always taught me that being transgender was OK and I should be proud of who I am.
7. Julius, 19, Nevada
I was 2 years old when I came to the United States. My visa expired, and I didn't know I was undocumented. I only realized once I saw all my friends had their driver's license, and I couldn't get one. I'm working on getting my work permit so I can finally work. I don't let it bring me down whatsoever.
8. Mahlon, 20, California
My family's always been very supportive of me. I came out to my family when I was 14, but I wouldn't really consider it a coming-out; I just confirmed it. I've been a feminine boy forever. It was good they had already realized it. I was just like, Oh, that makes it even better. We don't have to talk about it. On to the next subject then.
9. Mars, 18, New York
When I told my friend I wasn't comfortable with my birth name, my friend was like, "If you're going to change it, you have to make it something cool like Mars." And I usually use gender-neutral pronouns, which is terribly awkward. I generally say I can be called anything that's not female. If someone I haven't met before uses female pronouns, I don't get that upset. It's only people I've told several times — that's when it bothers me. My friends seem to feel bad when I correct them, but they don't put any effort into changing it.
10. Natasha, 15, Iowa
On the attraction level, I'm way more attracted to girls. Once in a while, I will be attracted to a guy, but it would be really hard for me to date one with the things that have happened to me and stuff like that. It used to be to the point where I couldn't even hug guys because it felt so horrible to me. I was sort of abused by someone in an unusual way with lots of sexual overtones. And it just makes me feel really bad that I'm just proving people right; people always say queer girls were abused and stuff like that. It makes me feel like I'm proving a stereotype.
11. Riley, 21, Pennsylvania
After her mom kicked us out, my girlfriend went to school in Philadelphia. I went and I tried to stay in a homeless shelter and hated it. It was really difficult with my gender or lack-there-of expression. The shelter wasn't individualized for different gender expressions. And in order to apply for a job you had to go to these job classes, and I already knew how to do those skills. They wouldn't see me at the place I was at. I was like, This is dumb. I wanted to go back on the streets.
12. Starfire, 18, Nevada
My partner and I have been together a year and three months. He identifies as straight, and it doesn't bother him that I identify as queer, genderqueer, and polyamorous. My preferred pronouns are ze, zem, and zer. It's not so much that I'm gender-neutral. I mix up how I dress all the time. I just put together clothes. I don't want to put myself in a box, like I have to wear boys' clothes or I have to wear girls' clothes. I'm also super fabulous.
13. Trevor, 20, Alabama
When I was young and naive, I thought I'd be a judge advocate general. Then I realized I'm way too individualistic to be in the military. I'm just a protester at heart. I don't want to stand in line just because people tell me to.
14. Zeam, 19, Minnesota
Last year, I was dealing with my depression and my eating stuff. I used to cut every day and had an addiction from cutting. One day, I had lost a lot of blood the night before and having to remember what bathroom to go to was so overwhelming, I just broke down and cried. I went to a teacher that identifies as genderqueer and said, "I'm just so tired."
Ever since I was a baby I would ask other people, "Don't you forget you have a chest?" or, "Don't you forget what bathroom to go to?" I wanted to know I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Then my teacher gave me the language for it. I didn't realize not everyone had to remember the gender they were forced to identify with at birth.
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Mylan Torres is Cosmopolitan.com's Photo Editor/Producer, where she curates the site's visuals for daily and long form stories, does photo research and produces photo shoots. Sometimes she even picks up a camera.
