NEWS RELEASE
A local woman has started a “Go Fund Me” campaign to benefit the LGBT in our community. 100 % of the proceeds goes toward the purchase of journals. Each journal will have hand-written, empowering, non-religious quotes at the tops of the pages. These journals will then be donated to: Northern Nevada PFLAG, Build Our Center, The Pride Collaborative through the Diversity Center at UNR, and the Sparks High School gay/straight alliance.
Coming out of the closet and being true to ourselves should be a positive and empowering experience. The purpose of this campaign is to give LGBT and their families a safe place to talk about their journey, to give them a voice and to empower them.
Despite the recent Supreme Court ruling, which was not unanimous, and the social progress made, it is still very difficult for people to come out. Sometimes the decision to come out is too scary. According to the CDC, a nationally representative study of adolescents in grades 7–12 found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers.
It’s not just young people who struggle with the decision to come out or not. There are 32 states with laws on the books that say you can be fired for being LGBT and open. There were sixteen states who were forced to change their laws due to the Supreme Court decision. And there were some states that refused to abide by the decision.
There are many health benefits to journaling. Studies have shown that the emotional release from journaling lowers anxiety, stress, and induces better sleep. Journaling about a positive experience allows your brain to relive it. The release of endorphins and dopamine will boost your self-esteem and mood.
To support her campaign and find out more about it, go to: http://www.gofundme.com/yourvoicematters8. You can also find the campaign on Facebook at “Your Voice Matters Journal Campaign.”
Recently, the campaign donated 84 journals to the Reno Veterans Guest House.
The campaign plans to continue this project to benefit other groups in our local community. Watch out for new campaigns in the coming months.
