Born This Way Foundation, in partnership with Hopelab, Bard Early College, CenterLink, We Embody Lab at the University of New Haven, and the Nebraska Evaluation & Research Center, created Support LGBTQ+ Young People: A Guide for Families to Listen, Learn, and Act to help families better support the LGBTQ+ young people in their lives.
This guide is grounded in research and insights directly from LGBTQ+ young people and adult experts, including educators, mental health professionals, researchers, and LGBTQ+ center leaders. It offers practical, affirming steps that families can take to build safer, more supportive environments, especially when it comes to identity, mental health, and online communities.
What’s inside:
- Key insights from our national research on LGBTQ+ youth and online spaces
- Actions families can take today to foster safe, affirming environments
- Real-world advice on active listening, identity affirmation, and repairing relationships
- Resources like PFLAG support groups, the Trevor Project’s The Coming Out Handbook, and our very own Be There Certificate, created in partnership with Jack.org.
Why we created a guide for families to listen, learn, and act:
- 29% of transgender young people report high levels of family support compared to 43% of cisgender young people.
- 28% of LGBTQ+ young people with access to in-person spaces that supported their identity had lower rates of depressive symptoms compared to those without access to supportive in-person spaces (28% vs. 53%).
- 63% of LGBTQ+ young people perceive online friends as supportive compared to 33% of LGBTQ+ young people who perceive family as supportive.
- Families have the power to close this gap with small, intentional acts of care
To dive deeper into the research that inspired this guide, you can also explore the full report created in partnership with Hopelab.
Click to download the guide or find the guide here: