OUT As I Want to Be, based in Rockland, is thrilled to announce recent grant funding in support of efforts to improve the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in the Midcoast region. Thanks to the Emanuel and Pauline A. Lerner Foundation in Portland and the Maine Community Foundation's Equity Fund, OUT is launching a focused initiative to improve the lives of LGBTQ youth in our Midcoast regional schools.

This targeted school work is critical to changing the life journey of our Midcoast LGBTQ youth. With no public transportation and few gathering places outside of school in Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties, these youth are very isolated. For many in our rural region, the day consists of getting on the bus to ride to school, experiencing bullying, harassment and denigration in their schools, and riding the bus to return home to environments that are often less than supportive and, in fact, often hostile. Many lose hope, finding it challenging to envision a life of possibility and success. While we cannot change their home environments, we can improve their school experiences.

This generous grant support provides OUT with the first part-time paid staff person in the state working exclusively on effecting change in our schools for LGBTQ youth. The need is great: eight out of 10 LGBTQ youth in Maine experience bullying and harassment on a very regular basis in their schools. The suicide ideation rate of these teens is three to four times the rate of their heterosexual Maine peers. LGBTQ youth represent 25 to 40 percent of the homeless youth in Maine. The passage of marriage equality in our state has done little to change the experience of our rural youth. In fact, backlash has made the situation worse for too many.

We are very excited to announce that Sue Campbell will be leading this initiative. Sue brings more than 25 years of experience working with school superintendents, administrators and other school staff through her work on local and state school boards. Her background includes fifteen years on the Augusta Board of Education with the last three serving as chair and ten years working with other school boards and superintendents throughout Maine as a member and officer of the Maine School Boards Association Board of Directors.

Her personal experience parenting her youngest son, Aiden, as he transitioned, provided her with an opportunity of a lifetime to realize her true passion of advocating for youth by providing the needed educational resources to public schools. Sue also works with the Trans Youth Equality Foundation in Portland as a volunteer, assisting with support groups and at their conferences. Although Sue still owns a house in Augusta, she spends about half of her time with her partner in Damariscotta and is planning to relocate to the mid-coast full-time.

Join Sue and the rest of the OUT team in these efforts to change the life experience of LGBTQ youth in our Midcoast region. Help us create a welcoming and affirming Midcoast region for all youth by donating your money and/or time. Donations can be made by paypal at outmidcoast.org or by mail to PO Box 1723, Rockland, ME, 04841. Inquiries to outmidcoast@gmail.com.

Your support will change lives!