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Although the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and “questioning”
(LGBTQ) youth has improved recently, these individuals still face disproportionately high rates
of bullying and discrimination. Discrimination against LGBT individuals has been linked not
only to higher rates of suicide but also to increased rates of psychiatric disorders and substance
abuse.i The bullying and discrimination affects not only psychological wellbeing but also
physical health. HealthyPeople2020 has identified societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of
civil and human rights as the main drivers of the health disparities that LGBT individuals face.
On the other hand, awareness and acceptance of the LGBT community has grown
considerably in the last three decades. There are now over 4,000 gay-straight alliance groups at
high schools, colleges, and universities across the country.ii Furthermore, increased access to
information and support services for LGBT youth have been found to provide greater
opportunities for self-affirmation; research suggests that the average “coming-out” age has fallen
in recent years.iii In addition to these advancements, current efforts to improve the health and
wellbeing of the LGBT community include: HIV/STD prevention, policies targeting bullying in
schools, social services to reduce suicide and homelessness risk among youth, training
mainstream youth-serving organizations, increasing access to and improving youth mental health
services, increasing access to culturally competent health services, and establishment of LGBT
health centers.ivv
The present program is Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Youth
(BAGLY). BAGLY is one of the first and longest running youth-led, adult-supported LGBT
organizations in the United States. Founded in July of 1980, BAGLY has served over 300,000
youth in Boston to date. BAGLY’s mission is to create a safe space and cultivate values of
Respect, Diversity, Social Justice, and Youth Leadership.vi Some of its earliest programs, a
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youth-led HIV education program and the nation’s first prom for LGBT youth, have served as
models for LGBT organizations across the country.
The activities that BAGLY is involved in can be categorized into 1) Programming; 2)
Collaboration and Technical Training; and 3) Advocacy. Within programming, BAGLY focuses
its activities and resources on 5 areas: Leadership Development, Health Promotion via the Health
Education and Risk Reduction Team (HEARRT), Social Support & Community Building, the
GLBT Youth Group Network of Massachusetts, and the Clinic @ 620 which provides sexual
health services. BAGLY also provides technical assistance and training to mainstream youthserving organizations, on a one-time or ongoing basis, to improve LGBTQ youth competency
among the staff and is committed to “collaborative relationship building with community
resources.”vii Through partnerships with local and national organizations, BAGLY advocates for
programs, policies and services that address LGBTQ hate crime violence and school bullying,
homelessness, health access, sex education, right of minors, and other systemic issues. While
each of these areas is significant in furthering BAGLY’s mission, the focus of this paper will be
on BAGLY’s Leadership Development activities and services.
Literature Review
The literature supports BAGLY’s mission statementviii to create a safe space and build a
“strong, youth led, social justice community.”ix A study conducted by Peters (2003) observed
that unsupportive school environments, that only reluctantly allowed its student body to
participate in a LGBT experiences survey, had students that were “unsure and divided on how to
behave.”x Though anecdotal at the time, the program responded by creating a “safe space”,
PEERS (Pride, Equality, Education, and Respect in Schools) student group dedicated to
education, advocacy, and youth development. In 2009, Birkett et al. concluded that a positive
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school climate has the potential to ameliorate the high rates of negative health outcomes among
LGBT middle schoolers.xi Furthermore research indicates that being out to a strong support
network can reduce the severity of youth’s sexual identity-related distress.xii The Leadership
Development activities are meant to create a safe haven (for anyone under the age of 22) and
support positive adolescent development.
There is also evidence to support youth led programs within the LGBT community.
Renn (2005) surveyed 15 college students and found that involvement in LGBT specific
leadership “promoted the development of leadership identity” and noted a similar finding among
college students and their sexual orientation identities.xiii The Leadership Development segment
of BAGLY’s program provides LGBT youth with an opportunity to hone their leadership skills
and give back to their community by providing safe spaces.
BAGLY Leadership Development- Youth Leadership Committee (YLC)
The Youth Leadership Committee is central to the programming activities, as they
provide the “vision and direction for all of BAGLY’s Boston-based programming.”xiv This
committee is made up of 10 members: 2 Co-Chairs, 2 Event Co-Coordinators, and 6 Meeting
Facilitators (senior facilitator, welcome meeting facilitator, women’s meeting facilitator, people
of color meeting facilitator, transgender meeting facilitator, and outside facilitator). The
committee members are voted into office by BAGLY’s youth members twice a year, in January
and July.
The committee’s primary responsibilities are designing and running the center’s weekly
meeting, coordinating and hosting annual program events, engaging in youth advocacy
initiatives, and organizing participation in community events. The YLC sets the agenda and
facilitates Wednesday night meetings, a fundamental service that BAGLY provides to its
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members. These meetings are held from 5 pm to 9 pm and consist of the YLC meeting, a
welcoming meeting for new members, Identity meetings (e.g. People of Color (POC) meeting,
transgender identities meeting), and conclude with an hour of special programming that rotates
weekly. The rotating programs are HEARRT Group Education, Queer Youth Open Mic Night,
Queer Activist College class, and Go Get ‘Em Wednesdays (which functions as a fancy talent
show). The Queer Activist College is all skills-based classes focused on building skills for social
advocacy. In addition to these weekly activities, BAGLY also puts on 6 annual program events,
the most famous of which is BAGLY Prom, the country’s oldest and largest annual LGBT youth
prom.
Throughout the year, there are also a number of leadership events. BAGLY hosts two
Youth Leadership Retreats and two BAGLY Speakers Bureau state-wide trainings, every year.
The Youth Leadership Retreats targets LGBT youth, currently in leadership positions and the
BAGLY Speakers Bureau trainings are meant to learn public speaking techniques and ways to
connect with the audience while giving a speech. Lastly, BAGLY holds a Youth Leadership
Institute which is an annual youth-led skills building event.
Critique
Based on the available information, the Leadership Development program covers
leadership training, public speaking, and skills-based activism. These are all significant issues to
address, however it is difficult to make a recommendation because of the lack of information
regarding the content of the activities and services provided. The most apparent gap in services is
a program targeting outreach beyond the LGBT community. Currently, only LGBT youth can be
members and all of the activities target the LGBT community. In order to achieve a nonoppressive environment and combat feelings of isolation, it is necessary to engage all youth.
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References
About (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.bagly.org/about
Birkett, M., Espelage, D., & Koenig, B. (2009). LGB and Questioning Students in Schools: The
Moderating Effects of Homophobic Bullying and School Climate on Negative Outcomes.
Journal on Youth Adolescence, 38, 989-1000. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Kosciw, J., Greytak, E., Bartkiewicz, M., Boesen, M., & Palmer, N. (2012, January 1). The 2011
National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools. Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2011 National School Climate Survey Full
Report.pdf
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2015, from
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/lesbian-gay-bisexual-andtransgender-health
LGBT Bullying Statistics. (2014, May 31). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://nobullying.com/lgbt-bullying-statistics/
LGBT Youth Facts/Statistics. (2008, January 1). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://www.endabusewi.org/sites/default/files/resources/LGBT Youth Facts and Stats.pdf
National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Youth in Our Nation's Schools. Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2011%20National%20School%20Climate%20Sur
vey%20Full%20Report.pdf
Our Work. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from http://www.bagly.org/about/ourwork/collaboration
Peters, A. (2003). Isolation or Inclusion: Creating Safe Spaces for Lesbian and Gay Youth.
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 84(3), 331-337.
Retrieved from ProQuest.
Renn, K., & Bilodeau, B. (2005). Leadership Identity Development Among Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Student Leaders.Journal of Student Affairs Research and
Practice, 42(3), 342-367.
Swanson, A. (2014, June 23). Let's Continue to Improve Justice for LGBT Youth: National
Council for Behavioral Health. Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://sparkaction.org/content/lets-continue-improve-care-lgbt-youth
Wright, E., & Perry, B. (2006). Sexual Identity Distress, Social Support, And The Health Of
Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Youth. Journal of Homosexuality, 81-110.
Youth Leadership Committee (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2015, from
http://www.bagly.org/programs/leadership-development/youth-leadership-committee
J. Hu Assignment One
End Notes
i
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health. (n.d.).
LGBT Bullying Statistics. (2014, May 31).
iiiLGBT Youth Facts/Statistics. (2008, January 1).
iv Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health. (n.d.).
v Swanson, A. (2014, June 23).
ii
vi
Our Work. (n.d.).
Our Work. (n.d.).
About (n.d.).
ix About (n.d.).
x Peters, A. (2003).
vii
viii
xi
xii
Birkett, M., Espelage, D., & Koenig, B. (2009)
Wright, E., & Perry, B. (2006).
xiii Renn, K., & Bilodeau, B. (2005).
xiv Youth Leadership Committee (n.d.)
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