This week, PGN marks its first-ever supplement written specifically for and by LGBT and ally youth, an exciting development that aims to show our future leaders that they are valued, valuable contributors to our community — and that age should be seen as an asset, not an inhibitor, to leadership.
For several years, PGN has happily noticed that the crowds at community events such as Pride, OutFest and Equality Forum’s SundayOUT! are younger and younger. High-school students feel comfortable to walk hand-in-hand with their boyfriend or girlfriend and eagerly go from table to table, collecting information about their community and its myriad resources. While the burgeoning LGBT acceptance among younger generations is refreshing, it can also create hurdles for LGBT-serving organizations and outlets like PGN. The high-school and college-aged LGBT community may share some experiences with older generations — bullying in schools, discrimination in work settings, lack of governmental backing — but they also confront issues older members of the community may not have during their coming-out experiences: cyber harassment, the ever-growing complexities of social media’s impact or the dichotomy between growing societal acceptance and familial rejection.
So how do we learn about the issues our youth are confronting and how to remedy them? Writing is a natural outlet for many at PGN, so we thought, Why not let our youth tell us what’s important to them in their own words?
We contacted a host of youth leaders and youth-serving agencies, requesting recommendations of LGBT and ally youth who have an interest in writing and who would want to get involved in this new project. We didn’t require résumés or writing samples; the only eligibility requirement was a desire to explore the community’s issues through writing (and an appreciation for deadlines didn’t hurt, either). Each youth was asked if he or she preferred to submit a news, arts, creative-writing or opinion piece, and PGN worked with each to identify a topic. Drafts came in, editing revisions were sent back and the final touches were put on the works. We were blown away by the quality of writing, and the level of enthusiasm, these young writers exhibited.
Apart from being a practical experience for aspiring writers, this project will ideally inspire young LGBTs to recognize the potential of their own skills, and to embrace their potential in the community. It’s never too early, or too late, to pursue one’s passion — whether it’s writing or another area — and it’s also never too early, or too late, for LGBTs and allies to take active roles in our community. Our community will one day be led by the young men and women walking our high-school halls and college campuses, and they deserve to know their community supports and wants to hear from them.
In that vein, PGN will run the LGBTQ Youth Supplement three more times this year: May, August and October. Email [email protected] to get involved. PGN and our community would love to hear from you.