We Are the Youth is a photographic journalism project online that aims to give kids, teens, and young adults a place to "come out" to. This website reflects each individual's stories of the LGBT youth community in a diverse and unique way.
We Are the Youth was started by Laurel Golio and Diana Scholl. The two girls grew up together and make a great team in putting together profiles for the youth.
Laurel is a photographer, "She is especially interested in using portraiture to investigate issues of self-presentation and identity."
On the other hand, Diana is a journalist who has won many awards. She writes the profiles for the kids after having been interviewed. She has been featured in many well known places such as the New York Magazine and Huffington Post, and many others.
Due to the two's hard work on We Are the Youth, they have been featured in Daily Dot's list of Top 10 Online LGBT Activists in 2012 and also GO Magazine's 100 Women We Love in 2013.
We Are the Youth is a place where young voices can be heard. They can talk about their sexuality and feel comforted knowing they're not alone in this. They have support. The website is designed so that each person has a profile with their picture and their story, told in an "as told to" type format.
Many of the people telling their stories include times they were harassed by others either before, during and even after their "coming out".
"But one of the worst parts was what they called me. I hadn't even really admitted my sexuality to myself. It scares me that they figured it out before I did." -Sara, 19
"In seventh grade, the bullying got so bad. I was so depressed. I planned to kill myself. I told my parents, and I was admitted to a hospital for a couple of weeks." -Corey, 16
Sadly, much like Corey's story, recent bullying statistics show that, "Gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit teen suicide than other youths. About 30 percent of all completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis."
All profiles are of people 21 years old and under. Many teenagers can feel worried or scared in a time when they are unsure of their sexuality, We Are the Youth is there to give them that reassurance that there are others out there who are having the same struggles. There are also the stories of people who faced this same diversity and they share how they've dealt with it.
"In the end, I took these experiences and made myself stronger. Through spoken word and rap, and performing for others, I've found a way to deal with these things, and get them out of my system."..."I want them [kids] to know they're not the only ones out there." -Kendra, 17
"I share my story to help other people. I know people need someone to be a role model and help them along the way." -Jazz, 12
For those who want to tell their story, but are not ready to fully come out to the world yet, they can choose to stay anonymous. And while, you still have to have a picture with your story in order to have a profile, it can be a picture that doesn't give away your identity.
Each profile shows the person's name, age, and area they live in while being profiled. To submit a profile, the individual just needs to email them their story at
[email protected] and they will respond to get you an interview with Diana set up. They emphasize that by sharing your story, you are changing the world!
Their website also has a page for resources, which shows the organizations for LGBTQ youth across the nation.
They also have a Facebook page which is constantly posting motivational pictures and quotes, as well as what's going on socially and politically in the United States with the LGBT community. They have shared posts when celebrities or big names "come out" such as the first openly gay NBA player, Jason Collins, and the actress known from Juno and other movies, Ellen Page.
We Are the Youth has been up and running since June 2010 and have since interviewed and met with more than 75 young people and growing.
