September 2010

Imagine if you will, being a confused teenager; hormones going crazy, parents always nagging at you, school work stressing you out, and friends being, well what teenage friends can be... mean. Now add to that the confusion of trying to accept and embrace your sexuality, acknowledging the fact that you are what others call "different."

You are attracted to the same sex. Questioning everyday if you are in fact gay . . . Afraid to confide in anyone, scared to death they may judge you or worse yet, walk out of your life. What if someone found out and threatened you with violence?

Here's a newsflash folks. Lots of teens are facing these exact feelings everyday right here in Pueblo and other Southern Colorado communities. And for the past few years there has been nowhere for these kids to turn for help. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth of Pueblo currently don't have any gay-straight alliances in their schools, nor do they have a support group to turn to. It's a tough subject many just aren't ready to tackle.

But here are some facts, according to the 2007 National School Climate Survey, regarding LGBT students between the ages of 13 and 21:

•  nearly 9 out of 10 experienced harassment at school in the past year
•  three-fifths (60.8%) felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation
•  about a third (32.7%) skipped a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe
•  and more than a third (38.4%) felt unsafe because of their gender expression.

Another study by the Massachusetts Youth Survey found that LGBT youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide, and nearly 40% of homeless youth are LGBT.

It's time to tackle the subject, Pueblo. The non-profit organization, Southern Colorado Equality Alliance, is working closely with a former Executive Director of another Colorado youth group, and the Gill Foundation to change the environment and safety of Pueblo for our LGBT youth population.

The group, OutFront, existed several years ago, but has been put on hold until now. As announced last month at Pueblo's Gay Pride event, the group is back and better than ever! Nearly a dozen adult community leaders have been trained to be facilitators for the new youth group. The facilitators will be working to educate, empower and advocate for the LGBT youth of all of Southern Colorado. Anyone, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and even straight allies, from the ages of 15-19 years old are welcome to attend the group.

The group will exist to support students, develop leadership skills, and educate both the LGBT students and the Pueblo community as a whole on social awareness, just to name a few objectives. OutFront is also looking for some brave students who are willing to step forward and start the gay-straight alliances in their own high schools. As the rules stand now in Pueblo City Schools and Pueblo County's District 70 schools, any student organization must be started by the students for the students, under the supervision of school staff. OutFront hopes to work with interested students in the youth group to support and encourage the creation of the gay-straight alliances in Pueblo.

OutFront will meet from 5:30-7:00 p.m. every other Thursday, starting September 16th, at the Pueblo Parks and Recreation's, El Centro Del Quinto Sol Recreation Center at 609 N. Erie Avenue in Pueblo's Historic East Side. If you have never seen this great building, be sure to check it out. It's a gorgeous space with lots of room for the group to meet, socialize and have fun.

The kick-off for the youth group will be a pool and pizza party held at the YWCA, 801 N. Santa Fe Ave., on Saturday, September 11th. The fun starts at 2:00 p.m. with free swimming for all youth, followed by free pizza and giveaways.

If you are a teen who would like to attend the meetings, or need more information, please call 719-564-4004 or visit socoequality.org. For more information about sponsorship for OutFront, or to serve as a facilitator, please contact the Southern Colorado Equality Alliance, 719-564-4004.

ONE COLORADO

The Southern Colorado Equality Alliance played host to one of many town hall meetings sponsored by One Colorado, on Wednesday, August 25^th at the Rawlings Public Library. One Colorado is Colorado's newly formed statewide advocacy organization, dedicated to securing and protecting equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Coloradans and their families.

The main focus of the meeting was to review and discuss the findings of One Colorado's online survey that was completed by LGBT Coloradoans in February of this year. The organization wants to continue hearing from Colorado's LGBT community on how they can advocate to make Colorado a safe and equal state for LGBT citizens and families.

Anyone interested in finding more information on the organization itself, or in seeing the results of the statewide survey, can visit one-coloradoeducationfund.org.

OutFront Events

Kick-off Pool & Pizza Party

Saturday, September 11, 2-5pm

YWCA, 801 N. Santa Fe Ave.

Free swimming for all youth, free pizza and giveaways

1^st Meeting

Thursday, September 16, 5:30-7pm

Pueblo Parks and Recreation's

El Centro Del Quinto Sol Recreation Center, 609 N. Erie