PUFFIN FOUNDATION WEST is proud to announce that a Grant has been awarded to STONEWALL NATIONAL MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES for their project “OUR FACES: Our Youth Tell Us Their Stories”. Stonewall will partner with the Gay Straight Alliances in Broward County, FL and will shortly announce a competition for students to creatively tell their LGBT story using written/spoken word, creative artistic expression, social media, video/YouTibe. etc. on a theme of their choice; however, Stonewall will suggest themes such as bullying, coming out at school, suicide, transgender issues, roll models, and etc. as topics for these testimonials. Collaborative projects will be encouraged. The best of these projects will be part of Stonewall’s Social Justice for LGBT Youth Exhibition which will travel throughout the United States. This exhibit will encourage others to give voice to the stories of their lives. OUR FACES will provide empowerment, as these young people will be able to share commonality and awareness. The Williams Institute at UCLA estimated that up to 11% of our youth today are gay, lesbian, bisexual or uncertain what their sexual oritation is. 78% of these young people are teased, bullied in their schols and communities. LGTB students are 2-3 times as likely to commit suicide as heterosexual students and may account for 30% of all youth suicides. This exhibition will give voice to these young people’s dreams.
