P
AGE
12
Time to THRIVE
Vincent “Vinnie” Pompei said,
“Normally, that means coming
out to your friends, family and
colleagues. Rarely does that mean
telling your truth to the entire
world. The bravery that Ellen Page
displayed in deciding to come out
t a live audience of youth-serving
professionals, youth’s themselves
and the entire world as social
media so easily allows was pure
heroism.”
The “Time to THRIVE”
conference kicked off that is
meant to be an annual conference
to promte safety, inclusion and
well being for the LGBTQ youth.
The HRO looks to help LGBTQ
youth with the growing struggles
faced in day-to-day life. Issues
such as family rejection, bullying
and safety weigh heavily on
LGBTQ youth.
“Time to THRIVE” brings
together the LGBTQ youth with
youth-serving professionals to
better educate and serve those in
need.
Some of the profesionals include
K-12 educators, mental health
providers, pediatritions, religious
leaders, recreational athletic
coaches and youth development
staff.
What may seem like regular life
events can be some of the most
frightening times for LGBTQ
youth.
“Very few schools are providing
professional development on
working with LGBTQ youth,”
Pompei said, “The lack of cultural