LGBTQ+ youth often feel alone. One of their biggest health and safety risk factors is a lack of family support and acceptance, and teachers and school administrators that are not creating safe and inclusive spaces for their students. Bullying has become a major problem for some LGBTQ+ kids both in-person and online, and many schools don’t have established policies in place to protect them. Here are some facts:

• LGBTQ+ teens face external challenges such as stigmatization, prejudice, and rejection by family.
• Their rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts are higher than the national average among teens.
• Parents and other family members can make a meaningful difference in an LGBTQ+ teen’s life by respecting pronouns, trusting they know who they are, and ensuring they find gender-affirming spaces.
• Gender-responsive, culturally competent mental health services can help teens build the coping skills and resilience that support them to thrive and be their true self.

There are many organizations and services throughout Bergen County where LGBTQ+ youth can find caring and inclusive environments which offer support:

Rainbow Café of Northern NJ
Cresskill Congregational Church
85 Union Avenue, Cresskill, NJ 07626
(201) 568-0608
Website: https://www.rainbowcafennj.org/contact
Email: rainbowcafe@gmail.com
Students in grades 6 to 12 from Bergen County can attend social events, open to all faiths or no faiths. This is a safe space for LGBTQ teens without fear of judgment, bigotry, or shame. There are at least four dances a year, and a monthly lounge to hang out, watch movies, and have guest speakers on the third Friday of every month.

West Bergen Mental Health
120 Chestnut St., Ridgewood, NJ (there is also an office in Ramsey)
Website: https://westbergen.org/lgbtq-services-rainbow-resources/
(201) 444-3550
LGBTQ support groups, individual and family psychotherapy. Rainbow Resources staff and advisory members are available for consultations, group discussions, and speaker support to school systems, business, non-profits, community organization, individuals and families.

HiTOPS
Email: info@hitops.org
lshelby@hitops.org
Website: http://www.hitops.org/
Weekly groups for teens both in-person including Discord chats and several dances per year.

The Trevor Project (located in NYC)
Website: www.thetrevorproject.org
(866) 488-7386 Crisis Hotline
Services offered:
The Trevor Project works with young people ages 13 to 24 who are in crisis.
Crisis counselors are trained to answer calls, chats, or texts from LGBTQ+ youth who contact their free, confidential and secure 24/7 service when they are struggling with issues such as coming out, LGBTQ+ identity, depression and suicide.

GLSEN
Website: https://www.glsen.org/
GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in school. They advise on, advocate for, and research comprehensive policies designed to protect LGBTQ+ students and make certain that they are treated with respect without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity and/or expression. GLSEN strives to create school settings that value differences, free from bullying and harassment and to transform our nation's schools into the safe and affirming environment all youth deserve.

Human Rights Campaign Scholarship Database  
https://www.hrc.org/resources/scholarships
Database of LGBTQ+ friendly colleges with specific criteria – state, major, size of college, amount of scholarship available.        

Point Foundation LGBTQ+ Scholarship Fund
Email: info@pointfoundation.org
Website: https://pointfoundation.org/

Point Foundation provides financial support, leadership training, mentoring, and community to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ)  college students from around the world attending US-accredited educational institutions.   

The Live Out Loud Annual Scholarship provides five $5,000 scholarships to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students who have shown exceptional leadership, courage, and achievement. The scholarship is open to graduating high school seniors in the tri-state area (NY, CT, NJ).
https://liveoutloud.org/programs/resources/resources-for-students/

For more information on LGBTQ+ youth services, contact our office at (201) 336-6008 or email: lgbtqservices@co.bergen.nj.us