On Saturday, June 17, about 50 Huck House youth, staff, and friends will march in the 2017 Pride Parade.
When one of our family counselors asked if he could put together a group to march in this year’s pride parade, “yes” was such an easy and automatic answer that we didn’t think too much about the question. We got to work registering and ordering t-shirts and adding rainbow items to our Amazon Wish List. Then, as we started talking to youth and staff about marching, they started sharing their answers to “Why should Huck House support Pride?” Here are two great responses.
I was asked to write a letter about how I feel about Huck House supporting Pride. I find that it will be beneficial to the kids that need somebody to show them it’s OK to stand outside the mold. Supporting Pride allows the youth to see that there is no judgement and that regardless of sexual preferences Huck House is still there to lend a helping hand or two. So many of our youth are having kids, getting turned away by family and friends, that they need at least one safe haven free of judgement – a place that is comfortable – just so we can work on putting the pieces of our lives back together. So I am happy that Huck House supports Pride. So that if there is a kid in need out there, they know some place that they can get the help they need.
Respectfully,
Brittney, TLP resident
It is important for me, as a Huck House staff member, to be active in Pride, as I truly believe in Huck House being a safe place for ALL youth. I have been told many times that youth feel they have nowhere to be accepted. My goal is for LGBTQ youth to see Huck House at Pride and know “this is a place where I’m safe.” As a clinician, it is important to be competent as that allows for youth to be more open with their needs and ensures they receive clinically appropriate services in every stage of development. Lastly, I want to give parents comfort knowing we are going to provide the best care possible to their child, without fear of judgement.
-Anonymous staff member
If you are interested in helping support the group that will be marching on June 17, please consider purchasing some fun stuff on our Amazon Wish List and having it sent directly to us here at Huck House!
