It’s Pride Month and with an estimated 99,000 youth in Mississippi (13+) being a part of the
LGBTQ+ community, it is essential that all of these youth feel supported, included, and heard.
It is especially important that our LGBTQ+ youth within the foster care system feel all of these things. Not having these things is a common reason for these youth to be put into the system in the first place.
Challenges these youth face within the system include, improperly training staff, difficulty finding a forever home (due to gender identity and/or sexual orientation), and even more abuse. It should also be noted that there are limited resources available to LGBTQ+ youth within the foster care system. This leads to a feeling of not being included or properly advocated for. It is also to be noted that LGBTQ+ youth have a attempted suicide rate much higher than that of heterosexual youth (estimated 1.5 to 3 times higher), with an estimated 5 to 10 percent of them having attempted suicide.
Here at CASA, we are looking to lead the way in further helping the LGBTQ+ youth community with our “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan”. From gathering data on topics such race, gender, and sexual orientation, to requiring DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) specific training hours of all board, staff, and volunteers, we are truly committed.
LGBTQ+ resources:
National Domestic Violence Hotline Hotline - Domestic Violence (800) 799 -SAFE (7233) 24 hours a day, seven days a week
The Nine Line Hotline - For Homeless and Runaway Youth (800) 999 -9999 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Alcohol Hotline Hotline - Substance Abuse Information (800) 252 -6465 24 hours a day, seven days a week
For HIV and AIDS Information: National HIV/AIDS Information Line (800) CDC -INFO (232 -4636) 24 hours a day, seven days a week
GLNH: Youth Talk Line Support line (800) 246 -7743 (PRIDE) The Dandelion Project Support, Advocacy, Crisis Intervention MS (601) 283 -8090
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 LGBT National Hotline: 888-843-4564
Sources:
https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/profile_state/MS
https://www.sprc.org/
Blog written by:
Dreamer, 19-year-old foster youth
*we have changed this youth's name to protect their identity
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