The Rainbow Report – Give Miami Day: A Call to Support LGBTQ Youth 🌈

Dear Safe Schools supporters and friends,

This Thursday, November 16, marks the annual Give Miami Day, and we ask for your donations to help Safe Schools meet the needs of LGBTQ+ youth and the educators supporting them. We reach out at a crucial time for queer youth in our schools and colleges, where many schools no longer have functioning Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs.

For instance, the “Don’t Say Gay” laws are creating new obstacles:

  • Many school clubs now require parental permission slips, creating challenges for queer youth who do not live in homes that embrace their child’s gender identity.
  • Teachers and counselors are less willing to sponsor clubs due to fear of repercussions from new laws.
  • Teachers must tread carefully in their lessons concerning LGBTQ history.
  • Safe Schools has had to make major strategic changes that incur costs. Through your generosity on Give Miami Day, we have been able to pivot in exciting ways, enabling all students to learn and thrive regardless of their sexual orientation or gender expression.

Examples of Safe Schools’ new programs include:

  • Innovative social media programming (@SafeSchools1991) to support queer students.
  • Our “Rainbow Roundtable” creates professional development programs for educators.
  • In-person school visits by Safe Schools influencers, such as Tiffany from “Tiffany Explains It All” and Eddie from “The Tea With Eddie.”
  • Opening up off-campus venues and fun activities to allow students to connect in person when their schools lack a functioning GSA.
  • With the support of the Quadracci-Cabrera Family, Nova Southeastern, and PBS, we helped to broadcast the “Youth In Crisis” mental health roundtable.

We are excited about all these new ways to support Florida’s queer youth, and thank you for your donations on November 16, which will help us continue and expand our outreach to all students and educators.

Thank you for your support,

Tom Lander
Chairperson,
Safe Schools South Florida

Give Miami Day 2023: November 16, 12:00 a.m. EST – 11:59 p.m. EST
Early Giving: November 13-15

We encourage you to share this information with friends, fellow teachers, and allies and join us in bringing awareness to our efforts. Your support is essential for our ongoing work to create safe spaces for all students, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or expression. Please consider donating to Safe Schools so that we can continue advocating for inclusivity and diversity within the education system.