The new fight against bullying

Over the last year, the phrase “It gets better” has entered our modern lexicon as a message of hope and survival, aimed specifically at LGBTQ youth. And while successful grownups like Ellen DeGeneres, Dan Savage and President Obama have been telling kids that their world won’t always be so dark, that adulthood will deliver freedom and self discovery, has certainly been a source of comfort for many young people (particularly those struggling with the decision to end their life), there still remains that great gap of time between then and now.

The word “gets” can be partially unsatisfying for a young person; it requires faith and patience. What do you do if want it to get better right now?

For Diane Amaya, 19, Michelle Anderson, 23, and Mimi Madrid, 23, the prospect of kids having to wait for adulthood to be who they are didn’t cut it.

“We’ve created a space by young people of color who are queer, for young people of color who are queer,” said Mimi Madrid, organizer of Branching Seedz of Resistance, a youth anti-violence advocacy group. “Though it’s not just for people of color,” she continued, “but it is powerfully led by young people of color. It’s very important that younger generations of LGBTQ youth have this space, not to just hang out and make snacks, but to come together and say ‘we are social agents of change; who can change culture, change policies, for the better of future generations.’”

Branching Seedz of Resistance (BSEEDZ) is an extended wing of the Colorado Anti Violence Program, a 26 year old organization fighting to end violence against LGBTQ residents of Colorado.

“We want to find the root causes of these problems,” said Michelle Anderson, speaking on the issue of LGBTQ teen bullying. “We want to change the way people think about queer culture.”

Amaya, Anderson and Madrid often use the word “family” when describing BSEEDZ. The word “seed” often evokes themes of long-term planning, of investing in the future, which is typically what raising a family is all about. Though for many, when a child comes out as gay or trans, the family image, the plans of hetero marriage and biological offspring, are disrupted. Which can unfortunately leave many teens the option of either smothering who they are, or face not being welcome in the home.

“My Dad is the Head Deacon in my church back home,” said Anderson, who moved from Texas to Colorado two years ago to attend Johnson & Wales University. “I had to go to church every morning. Which was hard, because I didn’t want to sit there and listen to how I was going to hell every Sunday. I was forced to wear dresses and heels. My Mom would take me shopping, and I always went straight to the boy’s section, but she would force me back to the girls. She called me a tomboy and said this was just a phase I would grow out of.”