I have tended to shy away from academic theory in this blog. While sitting at the Fourth Annual LGBTQIA+ Youth Conference, I could not help myself but remember one psychologist whose theories resonated with me. Erik Erikson looked at our life span in terms of how we navigate through “conflicts” that each developmental stage presents. The […]
What an honor it was to be at the opening reception of the “Student Creative Expression Exhibit of 2017”. It was the culmination of work of students throughout the Hudson Valley; they worked on pieces expressing “Celebrating Kindness”. For me, the event was both an education and a true celebration! I learned from Rob Conlon, […]
Among the many programs that JFS Orange offers is a program, “Teens Connect.” It is there that we partner with GSA’s throughout the county, supporting youth who identify as LGBTQ and their allies. What are GSA’s? They are after-school clubs; GSA stands for “Gay Straight Alliance.” We are proud to have the support of the […]
The statistics are alarming. 34% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. Of this population, 60.8% experience at least one type of victimization while homeless including being: threatened robbed assaulted sexually assaulted raped With an increase being victimized, there is an increase of depressive symptoms and Post Traumatic Stress symptoms. Thankfully, with all of this devastating […]
“Where do I go if I want help?” “When did you know that you were ready to come out?” “How do I find out what my parents think of gays, lesbians and trans?” These were questions asked by teens at the Second Annual LGBTQ Conference that JFS Orange helped to organize and sponsor. Through […]