The social group Over the Rainbow gives teenage queers a space to grow

Adult and teen volunteers from Over the Rainbow, a social group for queer youth in McLean County, have spent the past 18 months building the new organization.

Activities range from craft nights and board games to having a drag queen come and do a make-up demonstration or listening to speakers exploring LGBTQ issues.

But youth councilor Ruby Hanson-Stroud said the best part of Over the Rainbow is the social aspect: “We kind of just hang out. It’s a bit like a group of friends’ where planned activities are secondary.

“I think it’s just a very cold environment. If you come to one meeting, that doesn’t mean you have to come to the others after that,” Hanson-Stroud said.

Over the Rainbow is co-sponsored by a non-profit organization PFLAG Bloomington/Normal and Bloomington-Normal Unitarian Universalist Church.

Terina Carter, head of religious studies at the church, said the congregation has long been a welcoming congregation to the LGBT community.

She told WGLT that co-sponsors launched an early version of the program in the summer of 2023 as “a place where queer teens can just be themselves around kids who look like them, and it’s going to be a safe place.”

The social club serves LGBT youth in sixth through 12th grades or home school equivalent. About 20 teenagers are constantly participating.

“Being a teenager is about figuring out who you are, and if you’re finding out that you’re different from a lot of people, having a safe place to hang out with other people where you know you can be yourself,” said Max Stroud, a PFLAG-BN member who helped develop the club’s new structure, and the mother of youth group board member Ruby Hanson-Stroud.

My own room

Many public middle and high schools offer student pride clubs or Gay Straight Alliance groups. They are open to LGBT students and their heterosexual allies.

“Over the Rainbow is different because everyone in the group is part of the queer community, and the facilitators are also part of the queer community,” said Blair Broughton, the group’s manager.

Bloomington-Normal used to be home to Friends Like Us. “It was something similar. But during COVID, it gradually stopped,” she added.

Max Stroud said that when the pandemic ended, parents at the local PFLAG chapter began to notice that the need remained unmet.

“It really felt like our community was missing a space for queers that was open and accepting” to be themselves and to be educated and supportive, she said.

Meanwhile, Broughton, who also works in the Unitarian Church office, has heard similar inquiries from callers.

“I still get a lot of those questions,” Broughton said, referring to parents who want their kids to be able to attend a space that can be positive and queer-centered.

Youth-led directive

Henson-Stroud and her peers on Over the Rainbow’s youth advisory board meet regularly, and responsibilities include planning future events. Then they manage events.

“We do a lot of different things. People came to us and taught us self-defense. … A person came to us and taught us yoga,” they said. Last week, teenagers got into the Halloween spirit at the Gay Ghost Gathering, where they played the card game One Night Ultimate Werewolf.

Sometimes the activity is more recreational, like this one, or a planned outdoor activity. But Over Rainbow sessions can also focus on current events or other educational topics.

“The political issue is the idea of ​​a youth advisory board,” Manager Broughton said, adding that it was a chance for teenagers to learn how they can use their voice to advocate for their interests even if they are not old enough to vote.

At that meeting, Bloomington City Councilman and mayoral candidate Cody Hendricks and his husband, McLean County Councilman Eric Hansen, came and talked to them about queers and choosing to be in politics and what it’s like for them.

Hendricks and Hanson also discussed gay marriage and shared their own coming-out stories, Broughton said.

Some activities planned for November and December will be aimed at relieving stress.

“Because the holidays can actually be very difficult for queers because a lot of times you have family members who don’t agree,” Broughton said. “So we try to do things that are more relaxing … yoga, meditation, things that will help you stay healthy during the holidays.”

First building structure, then growth

“I believe that we are at the stage where we really want to develop. That will be our next big push, now that we have such an established group,” Broughton said.

Terina Carter of the Unitarian Church said club leaders want to expand membership beyond the Twin Cities and the McLean County line — to provide that kind of space for queer teens who live in small towns and rural areas where such programs may not be available.

“We actually just put out some tests for GSA (public schools) and things like that,” Broughton said. Prairie Pride Coalition and PFLAG also share information about the Teen Club on their websites and social media.

Before pushing for expansion, Over the Rainbow leaders spent the first year developing a structure and rules that worked, she said.

“We have double privacy, for example, you don’t recognize someone in a group if you see them on the street.” That was important for participants, especially people who hadn’t been outside with their families yet, Broughton said.

Two adult leaders are always present at each session. These volunteers must be vetted, trained and have credentialed reporter status. About 10 volunteers completed the training.

Mentors walked in the shoes of teenagers

Broughton said one of the benefits of mentoring queer adults is that they’ve been there, navigating life as queer teenagers.

“I think I was just walking in their shoes a little bit. It might not be the exact same experience, but it’s pretty similar. You know, coming out and the consequences of that,” along with navigating family dynamics and other relationships, she said.

It is not unusual for LGBT youth to experience bullying — from other teens and adults. So queer presence at Over the Rainbow meetings is important, Broughton said. “So teenagers have someone they can talk to who will say, ‘Yes, this happened — and, yes, you’re fair.’ I think it’s important to see adults who validate, believe and listen to you.”

LGBT teenagers are more likely to suffer from depression than their heterosexual peers. But having an adult in their life who accepts them helps a lot Project Trevora national nonprofit organization that advocates for improving mental health and preventing teen suicide.

“LGBTQ+ youth who reported living in very supportive communities were less than half as likely to attempt suicide as those who reported living in very unaccepting communities,” according to the nonprofit’s website.

Broughton said she sees her target and other adult volunteers as people who can say, “You’re going to make it. You know, it’s all very hard, and it’s really hard. But at the same time, you’re going to get to the other side, and it’s going to be easier for you.”

For queer members who would like to join the group as a teen or adult volunteer, find out more by emailing [email protected].

Editor’s Note: The Trevor Project has a mental health hotline where counselors can be reached 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386.