February 18, 2019

This week we sat down with Gabriel Griffin for this edition of #TellYourStoryTuesday.

Q1: How important is an organization like Safe Space NOVA to the LGBT+ youth community? Organizations like Safe Space NOVA are very important to the LGBT+ youth community. Many LGBT+ youth may not have the environment in their home where they can be open about who they are. Safe Space NOVA provides this environment, resources, and a place where they can learn and grow.

Q2: How important do you think it is to target the 14-18-year-old range? At the age of 14-18, there are many changes that teens go through with trying to figure out identity and who they are. This is also a very critical period where teens start to figure out how they want to navigate life. Through this development stage, it is important to have organizations like Safe Space NOVA where LGBT+ youth can go to get mentorship and guidance from individuals whom they can relate to, but also navigating being LGBT+ with in a world of a heteronormative society.

Q3: What are some of the challenges and roadblocks that you have personally faced within the LGBT+ community and how do you think Safe Space NOVA can help break down any barriers? Being from the small city of Petersburg, VA, as a teen, I knew that I was gay, but was afraid to be who I really was because of societal pressures and family, whom I thought would not accept me. As a result, I had no one to really have those conversations with and learn from. Also, because of what I saw on television and a lack of exposure, I thought everyone who was gay was what was shown on television, which was completely wrong. If there were organizations life Safe Space NOVA that I could discreetly go to, I feel it would have given me a place to learn about being LGBT+ and given me resources that once I was comfortable, would have made navigating the LGBT+ “scene” a lot easier as a teen and young adult. Safe Space NOVA can also be a resource where parents can learn about having a teen who identifies as LGBT+ and how they can create a nurturing support system for that teen.

Q4: Have you personally dealt with or witnessed someone firsthand deal with the issues in the LGBT+ community that Safe Space NOVA is aiming to prevent (depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, drug abuse, etc.)? Growing up, listening to words like faggot, punk, dyke coming from my environment gave me anxiety about being who I really was and coming out and living in my truth. I have witnessed a few people deal with conditions like depression, suicide ideation, and drug abuse because of certain issues stemmed around family acceptance and being shunned. Also, those who have been diagnosed with HIV and never fully coming to terms with their diagnosis and seeking help, they have resulted in drug use and have tried to commit suicide before seeking help from a professional.