By wirestock at Envato Elements.
Googling "reasons to mentor queer teens" in the fall of 2023, i came up with numerous local options throughout the US and one in Australia; putting your area in as part of the search terms would help narrow that further.
Be sure to check with any local LGBTQA+/SGL community center in your area. If they don't have such a program, they may know another organization that does.
One of the benefits of participating in a formal mentoring program is the training they can give you. Ideally, of course, part of this training will cover the critical importance of fully supporting queer and trans mentees.
The program will almost certainly also run a criminal history background check on you. So not only will your mentee and their family know that you've been trained, they'll also know you're a safe person.
- Okay, yes, these background checks are no guarantee. And they may keep out people who would otherwise be great mentees.
- On top of that, there are the innumerable problems with who does and doesn't get arrested, convicted, and sent to prison.
- But in theory, background checks are a great thing.
Mentoring outside of those structures may make you more vulnerable to accusations of abuse, especially if the young person you're mentoring does not have a safe home life. For example, abusive parents may try to meddle in the supportive relationship you have with their child. Staff at a formal and queer-/trans-positive mentoring program can help you navigate those kinds of dynamics.
