Open hearts and safe spaces for LGBTQ people at ALSO Youth, Trinity Church MCC

After a deadly shooting in Colorado at a place that was meant to be safe for LGBTQ+ people, ABC7’s Empowering Voices sat down with ALSO Youth Program Manager Olivia Tooker and the senior pastor of Church of the Trinity MCC in Bradenton to talk about fear, hate, and how a community keeps going.

Olivia described young people who feel afraid and isolated, and others who answer by loving louder and building community. She shared the finding that guides her work: one accepting adult can lower the risk of a suicide attempt for an LGBTQ+ young person by about 40%. She urged everyone, especially youth, to slow down and take care of themselves, and thanked the volunteers and allies who show young people that adults in their community care.