It’s hard to trust the liberal media. BuzzFeed is not honest-to-God news. The President tweets on four hours of sleep. We were told last Tuesday that President Trump will maintain workplace protections for gays and lesbians instituted during the Obama Administration yet supposedly leaks within the hallowed halls of the White House said they Trump was preparing an Executive Order to rescind LGBT rights. His daughter Ivanka was trying to talk him out of this position. At least 40 anti-LGBT bills, using Religious Freedom Loopholes, have been introduced in sixteen states this year.
LGBT Youth Running Scared
According to Michael Radkowsky, PSY.D., Washington, D.C., “the new government administration has increased gay teen fear.” The Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest civil rights advocacy group and political organization, concurs. A new HRC survey of more than 50,000 young people revealed a troubling post-election spike in harassment and bullying. Since the 2016 election, 70% of respondents reported witnessing anti-LGBT actions.
Resources Parents & LGBT Youth Can Trust
In these scary times, parents and their LGBT youth as well as their straight siblings who overhear LGBT criticism in the media, can take comfort in the following dependable resources:
· PFLAG. org. (Parents for Lesbians and Gays and now includes Transgender, Intersex, and Questioning). Organization has nationwide chapters:
· It also has resources: https:pflagnyc.org/support/resourcesto learn about LGBT issues.
· PFLAG also has publications on various topics of concern:
· HRC has a topic-centered website: http://www/hrc.org/explore/topic/children-youth
· Lambda Legal has a website whereby you can select any state to learn more about its legal protections for LGBT people and their families. http://www.lamdalegal.org/states-regions/in-your-state
· GLSEN ( Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network), an organization for students, parents, and teachers that tries to affect positive change in schools. See 2015 National Climate Survey that for first time includes insights on bisexual school experience, school policies that specifically affect transgender students, and anti-bullying student education:
When Your Child Is Gay: What You Need To Know
For more detailed advice, see book, co-authored with a mother of a gay son and a psychiatrist, Jonathan L. Tobkes, M.D.
