Help/Advice forming a new LGBT group/center for youth

I have to say its great to get on here and see so much support for my son and myself and my family. Right now though I am ANGRY! I have found out that the area we live in for one is a large city but is pretty anti-gay, and two, there is NOTHING for GLBT teens!!! I am appalled!! Yes, there is a PFLAG group, but that doesn't help my son, that just helps me learn how to help him, I want something that he can go to to be with other teens who are GLBT or are questioning their orientation and can feel safe, comfortable and just hang out, have fun, interact and socialize with each other so maybe they don't feel so damn alone!!!! Sure there is stuff around for college age, adults, but nothing for young adults or teens...WTF!!!?????

So, of course, me being the over enthusiastic, sometimes spastic, go getter that I am...the first thing that popped into my head is...I AM GOING TO START SOMETHING!! If there isn't anything in the area for gay teens, I will start something FOR THEM!! If you don't like how something is, change it right? I don't like that there isn't anywhere for these kids to go. Of course I would have felt this way even if my son weren't gay, I just wasn't aware of it until now. so please don't think I am only jumping into this because I now have a gay son, I have always supported equal rights and feel that the GLBT is a very very important part of our society!!! I feel very very sad that I wasn't aware of this tragedy before. But yes, okay, back on track...LOL!!! I am outraged that my community is not open or supportive of our teen gay community, I feel these kids deserve a safe environment where they can go a few times a week to gather, talk, help each other on homework, get information, support, hell, even just play games and have fun. Hell I would even put together dances and mixers for them, parties even...a place where they can go to just be themselves and not have to hide who they are while in the safety and protection of those walls!! I do understand I am NOT qualified to do this, I mean on like a professional basis..doesn't that make sense??? I might be able to get a counselor to donate time though for those who need or want it...I also know that in this community we will face a lot of flak, ignorance will be very prominent and will rear its ugly head. I am prepared for that, I don't know if my son will be...but considering his strength and how much of a trail blazer he is, I think he would be proud to be a part of this as well.

Another thing....I have no idea where to start!!!!!!!! This is just an idea running through my mind, and maybe its the coffee that has me going so fast, I don't know! But I do feel strongly about this and would love to be able to do this not only for my son but for every one in this area that needs a positive environment! I don't know where to go or how to start to even get this idea running and off the ground if it were to start making it a reality! Maybe you guys have some ideas??? Or do you all think I am crazy and insane and only asking for trouble?

 

Re: My son just came out to me

Go for it!! I could use all the input I can get! I agree!

 

Re: My son just came out to me

Yes I think that would be awesome, thank you for doing that!

 

Thanks Chip Appreciate the support. Now I just don't know how to get support in Central Oklahoma...Its going to be tough, I just read the Oklahoma LGBT Laws, so freaking sad!!! I can now understand why there isn't any support here, people are afraid! I found links to a very very sad story of a 19 year old boy who killed himself in 2010 over a stupid city hall meeting here that was just about trying to declare October LGBT History Month, clips of this same meeting are even on Youtube! I know it is important to change things, things HAVE to change, but I am just one person, I can't take on a town, much less a state! Hell, I am dumb as a box of rocks, I wouldn't even know where to start! Now, I am not saying I am backing down, I just don't know how to go about any of this, or to even start to change things. I mean to open up a center like this, or to do anything, wouldn't I have to get approval? How would I even get that in this place? Oklahoma doesn't even have hate crime laws!!! It is so sad! I want to see change, I want to see a difference, I want to help make a difference and help make that change, I just don't know how, or if it is even possible in such a backwoods, backwards, ignorant, closed minded area! ----Feeling a little annoyed, frustrated, and overwhelmed! lol

 

That is my sincere hope, is that I can change the life of at least a few, if so, it will be worth it. Just to let them know they are free to be who they are, they have that RIGHT, everyone does. If helps them be more confident..that is all I want. My son and I decided it should be named "No Labels"...I LOVE it! He said that is because I have always told him there are no labels in our house! So...here is to hoping I can get "No Labels" off the ground!

 

I actually live in Norman Stridenttube! I thought Norman was pretty gay friendly really. I used to work at Sitel where many many many LGBTs worked, in fact that is where I was first and widely introduced to this world...I remember being so fascinated!!! I LOVED it! Now, I have lost track of all of my old co-workers, no one to talk to and ask for help with my son....I do have an old boyfriend from high school that is gay...but he seems to not want to talk to me, maybe because he feels bad that I was his first and last girlfriend??? I don't know, like I care right? Anyways, I hadn't approached him on the subject of my son, I had found him several months ago and just dropped him a line on Facebook to say hi and I don't want to make him uncomfortable by writing again and saying "hey, have a gay son, any pointers?" And you would think with OU being right here there would be a bigger support system..right? I just can't find anything for teens, given that my son is 12...its not like he needs to be going to OU for support groups with the adults.
Wow, I have wayyy too much coffee in me. Sorry! Why can't there be a mentor program for this?? lol! I just really want to find a way to not only help my son, but other kids in the area. If there is already something like that, then great, but if not...then something needs to be done. I know there is a larger group then just my son, and many others out there probably questioning it who don't feel comfortable going to family to ask questions. And some stuff I have read on the internet, even stuff geared for the teens and younger kids, is pretty "vulgar" and not really something I want my son reading..not that I am stupid enough to believe that he doesn't cuss when I am not around and so forth!! But I am not gonna hand him control of the internet and say here read this that has a lot of words in it that are very descriptive about body parts in crude slang words!! Sure..I use those words and I am not offended by those words, but he is 12 and I would like to protect him a little bit and not readily hand them over to him...if that makes sense?? I don't know...I think I just need to go to bed, lol...words are starting to blur together after reading so much stuff today!!

 

I wish I could find it then! lol...so far PFLAG is all i have come up with and the one on OU...the "other" college town lol cute! I could care less between "OU" and "OSU" not a sports fan here! lol so you are safe with me

Yeah I know 12 is early, but he still deserves to be with other people he can socialize with so he doesn't feel so alone and outcast...I want him to know he can be with other kids, and he really really wants other kids to be around. I just don't know how to find them! Its so frustrating! lol

 

Yeah thanks Blueberry, all pretty far away from me. And I don't think the school would be open to a GSA being started, and I am not sure he is ready for that anyways, he isn't out fully at school, only to friends. So that is another reason I was going to do something myself, so it wasn't directly on him. Yeah I had planned on talking to PFLAG people next month when they have their meeting since I was unable to make their meeting this month. It will all sort out, I just have to figure which way to go and how to get there lol! I feel like I am in a maze I just know he is eager to be around others that he can relate to.