Being a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer kid isn’t getting any easier. While Boulder County has a reputation for openness to LGBTQ concerns, numbers from recent surveys in both school districts indicate that such students are:
More than two times more likely to report feeling sad or hopeless
More than three times more likely to consider suicide
“Look at these numbers. It’s like a house on fire,” said Mardi Moore, Executive Director of Out Boulder County.
Out Boulder County has increased its outreach to teens, with groups aimed at teens in Boulder and Longmont. The Longmont group has continued to grow.
“We’re pulling kids from Weld County, Frederick, Mead and Niwot,” Moore said.
The organization has also worked to reach out to kids who are Latinx and to transgender youth, who can attend dance classes. The goal is to let LGBTQ teens express themselves in the many different ways they feel comfortable.
Yet, there is still work to do.
One program Out Boulder County is working to set up is active bystander training, in which students and others who may or may not be LGBTQ are taught how to speak up when they see harassment or bullying.
“It will just make you a great responder and also give you the skills to respond to racial hate,” Moore said.
She added that Out Boulder goes to about 60 Boulder Valley schools a year to speak to students and has now been approved in St. Vrain, although the group would like to see more teachers reaching out. In addition, Out Boulder County has a dedicated phone line for LGBTQ youth to call.
Still, Moore said, Boulder County is not as comfortable a place as many people assume.
“I’m a 54-year-old lesbian, and I won’t hold a woman’s hand walking down Pearl Street or taking Uber,” she said.
For young people growing into their sexuality, just being in the world can be difficult. That’s something Out Boulder County wants to give teens the space to do.
“There’s nothing wrong with LGBTQ kids,” she said. “It’s the world around us.”
