Prism Youth Community is working on a project that is meant to create awareness of the LGBT community and give voices to LGBT youth, according to Bloomington PRIDE vice chair and marketing director Janae Cummings.
“There are many issues at play that people are not aware of,” Cummings said. “There are many voices, especially youth voices, that go silent.”
The Prism Youth Community, a group within Bloomington PRIDE for people between ages 12 and 20, recently received a $500 grant from the City of Bloomington’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission to create an LGBT resource library.
The commission awarded grants to local organizations to help them get materials needed to participate in its 40 Days of Peace project, a period of volunteer service that started MLK Day and will end Feb. 24.
“The City is proud to award the grants for Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration projects and initiatives as they honor the memory and spirit of Dr. King,” Mayor John Hamilton said in a release on the City of Bloomington website.
By the end of the 40 days Prism Youth should have the project completed and be ready to move forward, Cummings said.
The library will not be housed within a physical space, and will include items like pamphlets which will be available at various locations and local events, she said.
The materials will be used in Prism Youth’s training programs at companies, schools and other organizations to educate people on LGBT issues.
The resource library project will supplement the resources Prism Youth already provides and hopefully provide a broader reach into the community, Prism Youth program director Laura Ingram said.
One of the major problems in the general community is a lack of awareness of issues facing the LGBT community, Cummings said. Providing resources will allow Prism Youth to educate the community on various issues affecting LGBT people.
The resources will cover a wide range of topics, such as gender pronouns and the importance of safe spaces. They will be specifically tailored to certain audiences. For example, the materials for diversity training at a corporation would be different than those handed out in a high school, Cummings said.
“For a lot of people, a lot of these things are very new,” Cummings said.
Other materials will be aimed at letting people know about Bloomington PRIDE’s resources for LGBT people.
“It’s important to just get these resources where they need to be so that people can get the help they need and know there is a support system out there for them,” Cummings said.
The grant will help the organization cover the costs of printing. As a nonprofit, Bloomington PRIDE relies on donations and grants for their programs and resources, Cummings said.
Creating a LGBT resource library is particularly important in light of the current political climate, particularly for LGBT youth, Cummings said.
“Making sure our youth don’t fall through the cracks is very important,” Cummings said. “I think this resource library and what we can build on after these 40 days are over are a great foundation for moving forward.”
