Some Ways to Support LGBTQQI Youth and Young Adults

• Be a Visible Ally
• Be an Educated Ally
• Be Available
• Suicide Prevention
• In Church
• On Campus
• In Your Conference or Association
• In the community

• Use Safe Zone or Safe Space stickers in your youth room, clergy office, parsonage, narthex. (See the resources page).
• March with your youth in the local Gay Pride Parade.
• Wear white ribbons and amethyst ribbons. There is a LGBTQQI youth suicide every 5 hours in the US & Canada. White ribbons help raise awareness of LGBTQQI youth suicide in general. Amethyst ribbons help raise awareness of transgender youth suicide in particular.

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• Learn about and be able to articulate the experiences of the other parts of LGBTQQI youth which you are not or were not.
• Attend an ASIST training to develop your skills in suicide prevention and intervention.

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• Offer a listening ear to a youth or young adult who needs one.
• Offer you spare bed to the local runaway hotline or LGBT community center.
• Use Safe Zone or Safe Space stickers in your youth room, clergy office, parsonage, narthex. (See the resources page).
• Be out in your local church. If you are a couple, be out as a couple and be a role model of a healthy, same-gender relationship.

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• Wear white ribbons and amethyst ribbons. There is a LGBTQQI youth suicide every 5 hours in the US & Canada. White ribbons help raise awareness of LGBTQQI youth suicide in general. Amethyst ribbons help raise awareness of transgender youth suicide in particular.
• Write to your Conference minister, and your state or city suicide commission to ensure LGBTQQI youth are included in the work of the commission.
• Attend an ASIST training to develop your skills in suicide prevention and intervention.
• Keep the suicide hotline contact information handy:

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• Start an LGBTQQI youth support group in your church
• Use Safe Zone or Safe Space stickers in your youth room, clergy office, parsonage, narthex. (See the resources page).
• Be out in your local church. If you are a couple, be out as a couple and be a role model of a healthy, same-gender relationship.
• Show the videos When a Kid is Gay, or Gay Youth to your youth group or campus group, be it specifically lgbtq or not. (When a Kid is Gay is part of the ONA study packet).
• Invite a panel of LGBTQQI youth/young adults to speak at your local church or campus ministry.
• Nominate and elect LGBTQQI youth and young adults to positions of leadership in your local church, association, or conference.
• Donate books & videos on LGBT issues to your local church youth library. If you have two copies to give, donate one to your Conference or Association resource center.
• Include your youth and young adults in your local church ONA study process.

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• Connect your local church & local Coalition chapter with your campus lgbtq group. Invite them to a joint event.
• Give your campus minister Coalition YYA fliers, even if your local campus is not a UCC-related school.
• Inform non-UCC campus ministers of the UCC Open and Affirming stance.
• Show the videos When a Kid is Gay, or Gay Youth to your youth group or campus group, be it specifically lgbtq or not. (When a Kid is Gay is part of the ONA study packet).
• Invite a panel of lgbt youth/young adults to speak at your local church or campus ministry.

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• Ask Conference youth retreat organizers to use Claiming the Promise in a youth retreat. This ecumenical resource, a Bible study on homosexuality, has a youth adaptation.
• Pass a Conference resolution to fund youth & young adult travel to the Coalition's National Gathering.
• Nominate and elect lgbt youth and young adults to positions of leadership in your local church, association, or conference.
• Require your Conference to have Coalition representatives on its YYA & outdoor ministries groups where other diversity specified by the Coalition was omitted.
• Donate books & videos on LGBTQII issues to your local church youth library. If you have two copies to give, donate one to your Conference or Association resource center.

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• As a United Church of Christ clergy person or lay person, encourage your local public school systems to be supportive. Meet with the principal.
• Make a donation to your local high school gay/straight alliance. If you're clergy or a health professional, volunteer to facilitate the group.

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