As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving we reflect on the fact that every year thousands of LGBTQ youth are kicked out of their homes, rejected by their families & left to fend for themselves on the streets. Alarming statistics reveal that 40% of all homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. This means that this holiday season, thousands of LGBTQ youth won't be sitting down to holiday meals with their family, they'll be doing whatever they can to survive. Zach had to go through exactly this kind of traumatizing experience. Despite being rejected by his family & enduring homelessness, he beat all the odds & became a beacon of hope for youth in his community. He's committed his life to creating a better world for LGBTQ youth & organizes with one of our favorite LGBT organization GetEQUAL in Mississippi in order to push back on the kinds of discrimination & hatred that so many young people face each day. Zach stated, "Being a homeless teenager was one of the most difficult times of my life. I'm honestly not sure what the worst part was -- not knowing where I was going to live, whether or not I was going to be able to finish high school, or the rejection from the people I loved most because of something I had no control over. After the rejection from my family, I spoke out about my story once or twice & GetEQUAL took notice of me. Becoming a member of the GetEQUAL family changed my life. It gave me direction. It gave me the sense of belonging I had been searching for. For the first time in a very long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Now, fighting for equality alongside my fellow activists is what defines me. I fight so that no other kid has to go through what I went through as a teen. Mississippians still have a hard fight ahead of us. However, my life experiences & having a huge support system through GetEQUAL have given me the drive to keep fighting.”
For More Info & Donate:getequal.org
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