One of the questions I hear people ask is "What can I do?", and that's been on my mind as well. Talking about the new policy and it's impact is important, but taking tangible action to back up our words is important as well. I can say all day long that I love my sisters and brothers, but I need to show them as well.
So, what else can we do to help?
1. PFLAG Salt Lake City posted on Facebook that the Utah Pride Center is in need of donations.
"The Utah Pride Center is OUT of warm clothing for the homeless youth that stop in. They have wet cold kids/young adults stopping by and have nothing to give them. If you have extra coats, hats, long sleeve shirts, pant, and SOCKS, please drop them off. 255 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT, 84111 is the street address.The entrance is on the north side of the building. From 300 East, drive up the rainbow ramp to the parking lot. Tuesday through Friday, 3pm to 8pm are their posted public hours."They also posted that it is possible to make a financial donation via this url. Even for those of us not local to SLC, we can help this cause by donating financially. And, of course, share the post for others on your friends list. Homelessness among LGBTQ youth is a Mormon problem since far too many LDS parents take the road of kicking their children out of the house and onto the streets when their children come out of the closet. I worry about the impact the latest policy will have on this issue that is already a concern.
In 2013, Marian Edmonds did a post titled Homeless Youth in Utah for Rational Faiths addressing this topic. Marian said
"At OUTreach Resource Center, we work with about 350 youth from all over Utah some from Idaho, with 30% reporting to us that they are homeless. They make it to our center for food and supplies, to use the Internet, and sometimes for the classes we offer. But even more important, they come to our center because they are human and we are human, and that is what they crave more than anything we can give them.The majority of the youth we work with identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Statewide, the numbers are about half who call themselves LGB or T, and that means the number is higher. Youth often don’t self-identify as LGBT for fear of bullying or worse. Of those roughly 50% LGBT homeless youth, 60% report that they are from Latter-day Saint homes. At OUTreach, the vast majority of the youth we serve are from Mormon homes, and far too often the reason they are living on the streets, in a camp, car or couch is because their parent said to them, “Pack your backpack and be out before dawn. Come back when you have “straightened up” or don’t come back at all.”For these youth, some as young as 14, they are left to fend for themselves. What usually happens is that as soon as they hit the street with their backpack or suitcase, a “helpful” adult offers them a ride and a couch to sleep on. The youth’s trust is misplaced when she or he is assaulted at night, or perhaps injected with drugs while she sleeps, and then enters into a life of addiction and trauma that lasts until true help is found, or too often, in tragic death. There are no numbers for homeless youth suicides, but what we do know is that one of their camps in the canyon near Salt Lake City is called Suicide Rock. Every youth I meet knows one, two or several youth who have lost their life to suicide. The epidemic of LGBT youth homelessness and suicide in Utah is inextricably linked."
Which leads to...
2. Support OUTreach Resource Centers. From their website,
"OUTreach Resource Centers is a non-profit collection of youth resource centers dedicated to transforming communities and saving lives through comprehensive programming, community advocacy, and training designed to promote positive outcomes for underserved populations."Visit their website for more information on how to donate and/or volunteer.
3. Get involved with The Trevor Project. From their website,
"The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people, ages 13-24."You can head to their website to find out how to get involved and/or donate, as well as get more information about their lifesaving work.
4. Donate to Trans Lifeline. Their website lists their mission as this:
"We are Trans Lifeline. We provide culturally competent services to Trans and gender nonconforming people in crisis; We work with stakeholders within and without the Trans community to end the plague of Trans suicide; We empower Trans people to help other Trans people in the darkest moments of their lives."You can visit the Trans Lifeline website to get more information about donating and/or volunteering.
5. Find a crisis line or homeless center helping LGBTQ people that's local to you and see how you can help locally.
The organizations listed here are only a few of the organizations out there doing vital lifesaving work. If you're looking for a fundraiser or service project for a group you're involved in, including youth groups (church, 4-H, etc.), you might consider contacting organizations like this to see if your group can help. If you're planning to remain a member of the Church but are looking for an alternate recipient of your tithe, you might consider sending your tithe to one of these organizations instead of to the Church. There are many ways we can make a tangible difference. Whether it's donating money, clothing/material needs, or time, we have many ways to get involved. There is a great deal of pain right now coming at the hands of the LDS Church. It seems only fitting to me that those of us who say we are upset put our money where our mouth is and back up our words with action.
Jesus gave us a commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, and the story of The Good Samaritan - as well as many of the stories of Christ's interactions with people - show us quite clearly that He meant to love everyone, no restrictions. So let us love our neighbor and love God through our actions and our finances. Love and support make a difference and save lives.
What other organizations do you recommend? Feel free to comment or message MWS4A on Facebook with suggestions.
*Disclaimer: MWS4A has no affiliation with any of these organizations.
