The Truth About College Safety for LGBTQ+ Youth
More Human More Kind: Guidance for Parents & Allies of LGBTQ Teens · Heather Hester | Advocate for Parents of LGBTQ Teens
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Show Notes
Did you assume college would be the safest place for your LGBTQ+ child, only to feel shaken by rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, even on progressive campuses?
As Pride centers are defunded, book bans expand, and anti-trans legislation spreads, college is no longer the automatic safe space many parents hope for. In this urgent episode, Jorge Valencia shares his journey and the powerful work of the Point Foundation to support LGBTQ+ students with mentoring, scholarships, and advocacy.
✔️ Learn what parents often misunderstand about LGBTQ+ student life on college campuses
✔️ Discover how the Point Foundation is creating safe, affirming educational pathways
✔️ Understand why voting, advocacy, and allyship matter more than ever, especially now
✔️ Get practical resources and next steps to support LGBTQ+ students before, during, and after college
Listen now to discover what LGBTQ+ students need most right now and how you can be part of protecting their future, both on campus and beyond.
Takeaways:
- LGBTQ+ students are navigating rising hostility even at colleges once considered safe
- The Point Foundation provides vital scholarships, mentorship, and community support
- Many parents underestimate the emotional and political challenges LGBTQ+ students face
- Advocacy and civic engagement are essential to protecting queer youth’s future
Bio
Jorge Valencia serves as the Point Foundation’s Executive Director and CEO. Before Point Foundation, Jorge served as Executive Director and CEO of The Trevor Project and has worked in the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors. He brings to Point a wealth of experience in managing and growing nonprofit organizations, a proven ability to design and manage the infrastructure of expanding organizations, and extensive experience with, and sensitivity to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth issues.
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At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous, compassionate connection.
For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.
Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.
More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers practical guidance and education to parents and allies, fostering empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community—including gay, lesiban, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals—through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.
LGBTQ+ college students, Point Foundation, Jorge Valencia, LGBTQ+ scholarships, LGBTQ+ youth support, mentoring LGBTQ students, safe colleges for queer youth
LGBTQ+ teen parenting, trans rights, college safety, educational advocacy, queer student resources, LGBTQ+ allies, mental health and identity, anti-LGBTQ legislation
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