Thursday, November 29, 2007

This Commission Will Make a Difference

Yesterday I attended my first meeting of the Maine Children's Cabinet LGBTQ Youth Commission. What an inspiring day!

The Maine Children's Cabinet believes that all youth and young adults should be able to participate in their schools and communities without concern for discriminatory actions, harassment, and/or violence, because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Cabinet believes that all Maine citizens should appreciate individual differences and ensure that Maine communities are free from any discrimination, harassment and violence, based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The LGBTQ Youth Commission is to recommend practical, actionable strategies to reduce and eliminate anti-LGBTQ discrimination, harassment and violence that can be implemented by individuals and systems in Maine that interact with children, youth, and young adults. Witnessing this group of passionate, highly accomplished LGBT leaders and allies sharing deep insights and important research, I have no doubt that the Commission will succeed in this vital charge!

Please read more about the history and mission of the Maine Children’s Cabinet and its partner organizations.

Do you have any Best Practices for forging safe space for LGBTQ youth? Share them with us by posting a response to this blog!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Pediatricians Get New Guidelines for Spotting Suicide Signs In Gay Teens

This from a 365gay.com article: "The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines for helping doctors identify potential signs of suicide among teenagers.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for adolescents 15 to 19 years olds the Academy says in its updated guidelines, published in the journal Pediatrics."

Read the full article here