“Seeing the youth come in week after week, slowly going from scared and withdrawn to become more confident and lead others, is very gratifying. But really, the best part is knowing that the skills they learn here will allow them to not just live successful lives but to change the world themselves,” said Safe Homes Adult Advisor Lori Wentworth.

Lori leads one of the newest groups called T Time. Lori realized she wanted to give back when she read about Safe Homes, as she was becoming more open about being transgender herself in her 50s. She said she wished there was something like this available in her youth, and she wanted to give back in a way that was meaningful. What touched Lori the most was actually being an adult advisor to a young lady that she has known since the girl was born. Lori reflected that if she had not come out as trans, she would never have been able to help this young lady.

Safe Homes is a peer-led, adult-advised LGBT youth drop-in center under the umbrella of The Bridge of Central Massachusetts that began as an adult advisor model in 1998, when a group of concerned LGBT adults realized there was a problem for LGBT youth in the foster system, according to Laura Farnsworth, program director. Laura, who was a foster parent at the time, heard about the program through another foster parent and eventually became a mentor in the early version of the program.

When Safe Homes asked Laura to be the director in 2002, as the sole staff member, she quickly realized that the program needed to empower LGBT youth. She worked with the board to form a peer-led steering committee, so that the youth would be empowered with program ownership. By all accounts, this has served the program well. The average attendance is 35 youth per week, with as many as 95 for a dance and thousands since the drop-in center began. The eight to 10 peer leaders are trained in group facilitation, healthy relationships, conflict de-escalation, sexual health and more.

Laura said that the transition was difficult, since it meant allowing the youth more autonomy. What began as a drop-in center now offers a full range of programming, as well as a complimentary PLAG (Parents, Families and Allies of LGBT people) program, which Laura also directs. Safe Homes now has a food pantry, as well as a Trans Boudoir, and has increased to five staff members, including two clinicians and a chaplain!

Brenna Duffy was introduced to Safe Homes by her friend, who was a straight ally and peer advisor. Brenna really needed a place to feel safe because she was Mormon and had just lost her community. Brenna hadn’t planned on coming out to her mom because of her parents’ divorce, but girls in her church were bullying her on Twitter, and her mom knew something was wrong. Her church would have cut them off because of the divorce, but being gay made it that much worse. Brenna is now 20 and studies molecular biology at University of Massachusetts. She was 16 when she showed up Safe Home’s Spring Fling Dance. She was nervous, but it felt right.

“An entire room of adults living happy, productive lives with children of their own changed the narrative for me. Safe Homes saved my life! I was quickly accepted and became a peer leader so that I could continue that tradition, as well,” she said.

For more information, visit safehomesma.org.

Have an idea for a new column topic? Email John@JohnArt.com.

By John Trobaugh