“It’s not a sin. It’s not a phase. It’s something I’m going through, and I shouldn’t be bullied for it.”
Those were the powerful words of a seventh grader speaking Thursday at the 30th annual LGBT Youth Leadership Conference at Suffolk County Community College in Selden — an event centered on creating a safe space and promoting acceptance.
“I’ve known multiple people in the LGBT community that have committed suicide because of bullying,” the student added.
More than 300 students from 40 schools across Suffolk and Nassau counties attended the conference, which aims to empower young people to stand up to hate — and to be themselves without fear.
“In a world where LGBT kids are being told they can’t be who they are, this is a day for the kids to express themselves fully and be who they actually are,” said LGBT Network CEO Robert Vitelli. “So much space is being taken away from these kids. This is a place where we are giving kids that space.”
Vitelli said depression rates among LGBT youth are rising — a reality reflected in the experiences many students shared.
The 12-year-old speaker said they were bullied as recently as the day before the conference.
“This boy in school told me I’m not a real guy, I’m a girl,” the student said. “He told me which bathroom I should be using, and that I shouldn’t be using his/him pronouns because I wasn’t born as a boy.”
“It’s disturbing — and unfortunately that’s the reality for a lot of LGBT kids,” Vitelli added. “They are living in fear. It affects who they are, and it makes them scared to come out and stay out.”
For many in attendance, Thursday’s conference offered something increasingly rare: a place to feel seen.
“It’s a place for them to come, let their guard down and express themselves,” Vitelli said. “They see other kids like themselves, and they know this is a space for them in a world where spaces are literally being taken away.”
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