2-1-1 Teen Help Guide

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER & QUESTIONING… adolescence can be a time when many youth question their sexual feelings. Becoming more aware of these feelings is part of normal development. Sometimes adolescents may have same-sex feelings or experiences that may cause them to question their sexual orientation. Some young people have felt that they may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) and want to seek resources. People come out at many different ages and only you can decide when the time is right. If you identify as LGBTQ, it is important to understand that these are natural expressions of gender and sexuality according to all major national mental health organizations (APA, APS, etc.) Regardless of negative messages you may have heard from family, faith communities, or society at large, you have a right to be who you are and to express yourself accordingly. Similarly, if you have LGBTQ parents or close family members you have the right to be proud of them. Compass the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of the Palm Beaches for more than 20 years, Compass has provided a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth in Palm Beach County. At Compass, LGBTQ youth and their allies engage in peer mentoring, social-support, education, guided discussions, community service, leadership opportunities, linkage to resources and fun! Since its inception, Compass has hosted weekly youth group meetings with over 2,000 children, teens and their families having accessed services through the Compass Youth program - making it one of the longest running and largest LGBTQ youth programs in the southeast United States. Compass implemented: 78