Our Youth Voices took a storytelling workshop, “River of Life”, where they learned how to craft their story to affect positive change for LGBTQ+ youth like themselves. They recorded these beautiful stories which were used in workshops and conferences. Now, we want you to get to know some of the Youth Voices from the Class of 2022.
Elliot (they/them), 14, Texas
Elliot’s thoughts on heading back to school:
What are you looking forward to going back to school?
I am looking forward to meeting new people and seeing my teacher besties.
What makes you nervous about going back to school?
It makes me nervous that I might get misgendered/deadnamed a lot (which I did last year) and I’m also nervous about not-so-nice people that could be in my class.
What are you hoping to get out of this upcoming school year?
I am hoping to just survive this upcoming school year seeing as it is my first year of high school but I also hope to maintain good grades and make some more friends.
Any other thoughts about going back to school?
I am very fortunate that my school is relatively accepting of the LGBTQ+ community and just accepting overall but I know that’s not the case for a lot of queer/trans youth going back to school so to y’all I wanted to say- you are valid in your identity no matter what anyone else says and you will find a community to accept you, keep hanging in there.
Chloe (they/them), 15, North Carolina
Chloe’s thoughts on heading back to school:
What are you looking forward to going back to school?
Something I’m looking forward to with going back to school is the possibility of making new friends and meeting new people.
What makes you nervous about going back to school?
Something that makes me nervous with going back to school is the idea of meeting new people even though I am excited for it. I sometimes overthink conversations or social interactions.
What are you hoping to get out of this upcoming school year?
What I’m hoping to get out of this coming school year is new knowledge and new friends!
Kiki P. (she/her), Age 14, New Jersey
Kiki’s thoughts on heading back to school:
What are you looking forward to going back to school?
This year I will be entering my freshman year and I’m both incredibly nervous and excited. I get to meet new people and hopefully I will make new friends.
What makes you nervous about going back to school?
High School is so much more important than middle school. My grades matter a lot more this year, especially for college.
What are you hoping to get out of this upcoming school year?
I really hope to make the volleyball team and make new friendships.
Ben B. (they/them), Age 16, Pennsylvania
Check back for more stories from our Youth Voices throughout the month of August.