Lgbtq Lifeline

In Santa Clara County, 29% of homeless youth are a part of the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ youth are also 4 times more likely to commit suicide. So, where can LGBTQ youth turn to in times of need, especially to a place that will accept them for who they are?

The answer is the LGBTQ Youth Center in San Jose. The center offers many resources, such as monthly health van visits, counseling, psychiatry, and safe sex supplies. Adrienne Keel, the lead at the Center, has been working there for 20 years. She also has worked with the LGBTQ community in Santa Clara county before, working as an advisor to high school students at Andrew Hill High School, while going to San Jose State University. 

Keel: “I feel like being of service, connecting people to the resources they need is a calling of mine. I love working with young people.”

These services are essential to LGBTQ community members, and form connections with staff members, too. Keel recalls that even as people age out of the Youth Space, they still keep in touch, whether through text or working there. However, prejudice against the LGBTQ community still exists, through physical attacks, or by anti-gay laws introduced by lawmakers. A few years ago, the center’s windows were smashed in. But, support throughout the community outshined the darkness of homophobia. 

Despite some setbacks, the LGBTQ Youth Space still manages to create safe spaces for everyone, such as hosting game nights, field trips, and providing free snacks and internet to those who need it. The Youth Space is especially important to Santa Clara County, since 10% of LGBTQ people in Santa Clara County have reported being assaulted in the past twelve months.

Keel’s colleague says that she always sees their community partners as human beings. It helps create a friendly community that welcomes new people into it. She says, despite being older than the age group that the center serves, seeing the conversations include identities such as gender and sexualities, it has truly become a privilege to see the community evolve throughout the years.