Martez Smith, PhD, LMSW - Creating a Virtual Network to Support

Journal article

S. Hirshfield, J. Birnbaum, DeAnne Turner, Michael Roberson, M. Bailey, Martez D R Smith, LaRon E Nelson
Health Promotion Practice, 2022

Semantic Scholar DOI PubMed

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APA Click to copy
Hirshfield, S., Birnbaum, J., Turner, D. A., Roberson, M., Bailey, M., Smith, M. D. R., & Nelson, L. R. E. (2022). Creating a Virtual Network to Support LGBTQIA+ Youth in Rural Settings: Development of Colorado’s Queer Youth Network. Health Promotion Practice.

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Hirshfield, S., J. Birnbaum, DeAnne Turner, Michael Roberson, M. Bailey, Martez D R Smith, and LaRon E Nelson. “Creating a Virtual Network to Support LGBTQIA+ Youth in Rural Settings: Development of Colorado’s Queer Youth Network.” Health Promotion Practice (2022).

MLA Click to copy
Hirshfield, S., et al. “Creating a Virtual Network to Support LGBTQIA+ Youth in Rural Settings: Development of Colorado’s Queer Youth Network.” Health Promotion Practice, 2022.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{s2022a,
  title = {Creating a Virtual Network to Support LGBTQIA+ Youth in Rural Settings: Development of Colorado’s Queer Youth Network},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {Health Promotion Practice},
  author = {Hirshfield, S. and Birnbaum, J. and Turner, DeAnne and Roberson, Michael and Bailey, M. and Smith, Martez D R and Nelson, LaRon E}
}

Abstract

LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more) youth in rural communities have little to no access to gender or sexuality-affirming support, compared with their peers in the metro areas of Colorado. Without access to support and exposure to bullying or discrimination, many rural LGBTQIA+ youth struggle to find belonging. Staff from One Colorado and the Hub for Justice-centered Youth Engagement partnered to develop Colorado’s Queer Youth Network (CQYN) to foster a virtual community to support rural LGBTQIA+ youth, enhance belonging and acceptance, and feel empowered to make a change in their community. CQYN is offered virtually, every other week during the academic year, to create a consistent safe space for rural LGBTQIA+ youth and to offer opportunities to grow their unique leadership skills and connect with affirming LGBTQIA+ adults. This article highlights the development of the partnership, design of the virtual network, and challenges in recruiting youth who have been pushed to the margins.