Online Safety for LGBTQ+ Young People

Last week, we saw the passage of HB 1557, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” bill, by the Florida state Senate. This bill will ban classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, and appears to threaten LGBTQ support in schools and includes vague parental notification requirements which could effectively “out” students to their families without their consent. This bill, which has passed at every level of the Florida state legislature, now awaits the governor’s final decision before being signed into law. The potential impact of the passage of “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” on the health and happiness…

Going home can mean returning to your comfort zone. Going home can mean freedom of expression or safety from the storm. Some people have many homes; the homes they come from, the homes they created on their own. And some people still cannot call anywhere a home, in both the physical and emotional sense.  As someone who grew up in an often unsafe and unaffirming home, the ability to control and feel safe in my space is very important to me. The home I am in now is my favorite so far. It is a cozy place where I cook…