Rainbow High (27 page)

Phone: (212) 714-1184

Fax: (212) 714-2627

Bilingual hotline based in the New York area: (212) 714-1141

www.avp.org (Please visit this Web site to find a branch and phone contact for your region.) The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) is the nation’s largest crime-victim service agency for the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected communities. For twenty years, AVP has provided counseling and advocacy for thousands of victims of bias-motivated violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, HIV-related violence, and police misconduct. AVP educates the public about violence against or within our communities and works to reform public policies impacting al lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected people. The NC AVP is the nationwide network of anti-violence projects of which the New York’s AVP is a part.

human rights campaign

919 18th Street, NW, Suite 800

Washington, D.C. 20006

Phone: (202) 628-4160

Fax: (202) 347-5323

www.hrc.org

As America’s largest gay and lesbian organization, the Human Rights Campaign provides a national voice on gay and lesbian issues. The Human Rights Campaign effectively lobbies Congress, mobilizes grassroots action in diverse communities, invests strategical y to elect a fair-minded Congress, and increases public understanding through innovative education and communication strategies.

HRC is a bipartisan organization that works to advance equality based on sexual orientation and gender expression and identity, to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired

immune deficiency syndrome)

Centers for Disease Control

National AIDS Hotline: 1-800-342-2437

www.cdc.gov/hiv/hivinfo/nah.htm

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. CDC

serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.

Behavioral science has shown that a balance of prevention messages is important for young people. Total abstinence from sexual activity is the only sure way to prevent sexual transmission of HIV infection. Despite al efforts, some young people may stil engage in sexual intercourse that puts them at risk for HIV and other STDs. For these individuals, the correct and consistent use of latex condoms has been shown to be highly effective in preventing the transmission of HIV and other STDs. Data clearly show that many young people are sexual y active and that they are placing themselves and their partners at risk for infection with HIV and other STDs. These young people must be provided with the skil s and support they need to protect themselves.

teen sexuality

Advocates for Youth

1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20005

Phone: (202) 347-5700

Fax: (202) 347-2263

www.advocatesforyouth.org

There is much to do to improve adolescent reproductive and sexual health in the United States and in the developing world. Recent declines in teenage pregnancy and childbearing are threatened by growing political battles over adolescent sexuality. Societal confusion over sex and a growing adult cynicism about youth culture further fuel the debate. To date, conservative forces have successful y censored sexuality education in over one-third of American schools, confidential access to contraception is under attack in the United States and routinely withheld from adolescents in the developing world, and adolescent access to abortion is almost a thing of the past. Concurrently, poverty, homophobia, and racism continue to confound the battle against HIV, leaving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth, youth of color, and young people in the developing world particularly vulnerable to infection.

Advocates envisions a time when there is societal consensus that sexuality is a normal, positive, and healthy aspect of being human, of being a teen, of being alive. Advocates for Youth believes that a shift in the cultural environment in which adolescents live—from one that distrusts young people and their sexuality to one that embraces youth as partners and recognizes adolescent sexual development as normal and healthy—wil yield significant public health outcomes for youth
in
the United States and in the developing world. To ultimately have the largest impact on improving adolescent sexual health, Advocates believes its role is to boldly advocate for changes in the environment that wil improve the delivery of adolescent sexual health information and services.

gay and lesbian teen suicides

The Trevor Helpline: 1-800-850-8078 and 1-866-488-7386

www.thetrevorproject.org

The Trevor Helpline is a national 24-hour tol -free suicide prevention hotline aimed at gay or questioning youth. The Trevor Helpline is geared toward helping those in crisis, or anyone wanting information on how to help someone in crisis. Al cal s are handled by trained counselors and are free and confidential.

The Trevor Helpline was established by the Trevor Project in August 1998 to coincide with the HBO airing of
Trevor,
hosted by El en DeGeneres.
Trevor
is the award-winning short film about a thirteen-year-old boy named Trevor who, when rejected by friends and peers as he begins to come to terms with his sexuality, makes an unsuccessful attempt at suicide.

When
Trevor
was scheduled to air on HBO, the film’s creators began to realize that some of the program’s teen viewers might be facing the same kind of crisis as Trevor, and they began to search for a support line to help them. When they discovered that no national twenty-four-hour tol -free suicide hotline existed that was geared toward gay youth, they decided to establish one and began the search for funding.

gay and lesbian teen services on the internet

Youth Guardian Services, Inc.

101E. State Street

Ithaca, NY 14850

Phone: 1-877-270-5152

Fax: (703) 783-0525

www.youth-guard.org

Youth Guardian Services is a youth-run, nonprofit organization that provides support services on the Internet to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, and straight supportive youth. At this time the organization operates solely on private donations from individuals.

The YOUTH e-mail lists are a group of three e-mail mailing lists separated by age groups (13-17, 17-21, 21-25). The goal of these lists is to provide gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth an open forum to communicate with other youth. The content ranges from support topics in times of crisis to “chit-chat” and smal talk. Each list is operated by a volunteer staff made up of members who are in the same age group as the list subscribers.

The newest addition to the YOUTH Lists is the STR8 List for straight and questioning youth aged twenty-five or younger who have friends or family members who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning. The list provides a safe space and supportive environment to talk with other straight youth in similar situations about the unique issues facing straight youth who have friends or family members who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning.