Happy National Coming Out Day!

Today is National Coming Out Day, and here at MCR we’d like to come out as a media ally to the LGBTQQ community!

It can be difficult to understand what’s happening in this world. Amid protestors and bigots and wars and revolutions the plight of people just around the corner, hiding in the margins, can so easily become obscured.

There are almost 700,000 homeless / runaway LGBTQQ youth in this country; the National Runaway Switchboard estimates that young people who identify as LGBTQ are seven times more likely to be a victim of crime than their straight peers.

Today we all have the opportunity to practice tolerance.  We suggest this way to help:

The Ruth Ellis Center is in the midst of a fundraiser! For those who don’t know, Ruth Ellis Center is an organization in Highland Park that offers various services for LGBTQQ youth, including:

• Second Stories, a Street Outreach Program and Drop-Center that serves youth and young adults ages 14 to 24.
• The Ruth’s House has two residential programs, serving LGBTQ youth in need of safe and supportive living conditions. The transitional living program serves young adults 16 to 21; Young people ages 12 to 17 are served through a semi-independent living program

Some other local resources can be found here, a list compiled by Affirmations in Ferndale, an outstanding resource in its own right.

Please consider donating some money or some time to help one of these worthy causes. And please: Be Yourself!