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“When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.”

Barack Obama

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Living our Christian faith ensures a safe, supportive, and equitable world for all. It is especially important in 2023 to acknowledge that ethics and values have evolved, and beliefs and knowledge have expanded. The model for humanity, compassion, and love is Jesus. He tells us not to judge “lest ye be judged.” The New Testament only knows a “love ethic.” We are all God’s children, created in his image. We are all neighbors. Let us embrace them all.

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How To Be Supportive of our neighbors in the LGBTQ+ community.

 

1) Familiarize yourself with current terminology.

 

Sexual orientation: Scientifically accurate term for a person who is attracted to, romantically, emotionally, and sexually.

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Lesbian: A woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and or emotional attraction is to other women.

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Gay: An adjective used to describe a person whose enduring physical, romantic, and or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex. The term usually is used to refer to men/men-aligned individuals.

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Bisexual: An adjective that indicates an attraction to all genders.

Transgender (Trans): A term that indicates that a person’s gender identity is different from the gender associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.

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Queer: An adjective used by some people, particularly younger people, whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual.

 

2) Be a Resource. There are a number of resources in the Gloucester community.

 

YOUNITY, Elm St. Gloucester, MA Transition age youth, age 16 to 25. Peer support, drop –in center, mentors, case management Contact: gloucesteryounity@gmail.com

 

Northshore Alliance for LGBTQ+ youth. Support groups, mentoring, scholarships, resources, legal assistance Facebook group for parents/guardians

 

Essex/Cape Ann community focused support groups: weeartie@yahoo.com

 

TREVOR PROJECT 24/7/,365 days a year, crisis support and suicide prevention help

line for LGBTQ young people, ages 13 to 24. Phone, or chat Call: 1-866-488-7386, or Text:678-678

 

NATIONAL SUICIDE and CRISIS LIFELINE: 988lifeline.org, or call 988

 

3) Be informed and open to learn: surprising statistics about today's LGBTQ community*

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LGBTQ+ individuals are incredibly resilient and will thrive with the help of supportive families, communities, and peers. Did you know:

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-In the US, 5.6% of adults identify as LGBTQ.

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-Of America's LGBTQ population, 54.6% say they are bisexual.

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-LGBTQ youth are 20% more likely to experience homelessness than heterosexual youth.

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-Three-quarters of LGBTQ youth said they have experienced discrimination because of their orientation at least once.

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-More than half — 54% — of LGBTQ Americans have hidden a personal relationship to avoid discrimination.

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-Almost one in five married same-sex couples who live together have children.

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-More than a quarter of trans adults — 29% — live in poverty in the US.

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-Transgender people are twice as likely to be unemployed, and make a third less money

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- When applying for jobs, 20% of LGBTQ+ members in the US experienced discrimination.

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- LGBT mental health statistics revealed that 40% of LGBTQ+ youth have considered suicide in the previous year.

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*2021 McKinsey & Company report

*https://www.insider.com/surprising-statistics-about-lgbtq-people-2021-5

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Food For Thought:

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“Somebody, your father or mine, should have told us that not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished…for the lack of it.” James Baldwin, author

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“Our worth is connected to our Creator. If God is of great and inestimable worth, then human beings being made in his image must be of great value too.” Dr. Art Lindsley , Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics