July 28, 2020

Q1​: How important is an organization like Safe Space NOVA to the LGBT+ youth community? 

Organizations dedicated to ensuring all young people, especially LGBT+ young people, have a space to be and express themselves are so critical for our community. When I was younger, I always had people – family, friends, teachers – who were supportive of me, regardless of who I was. Being young is hard, living is hard, everyone needs a safe space to just be.

Q2​: How important do you think it is to target the 14-18 year old range?​

Critical! We all know the science. Fourteen to eighteen is a critical development time but it’s also the time when we are figuring out who we are and what we want – at least for now. For the first time in our lives, we have autonomy over our own future. At the same time, we’re getting inundated with hormones. It’s a rollercoaster that everyone rides themselves; Safe Space and other places are guardrails.

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?

The vast majority of my experiences, inside and outside the LGBT+ community, have been positive. Sure – there’s an occasional jerk but most people are more interested in who you are rather than who you think they want you do be. 

However, I will still take a soapbox moment. In many respects, bi-erasure is still a thing. But I think it will fade with time. I think GenZ gets it; orientation, gender and expression are a spectrum. Folks don’t give young people enough credit.

​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.)? 

A few days after Christmas 2017, I lost my Dad to suicide. I’m also from a small town in Southwestern PA and my high school was comprised of seven neighboring communities. My graduating classes was a little more then 250 and I lost count at double-digits of classmates lost to addiction and overdoses.

Any space or organization willing to talked about these issues is part of the solution. We still have a long way to go to end stigma around mental health issues.