Mark

Dear Friends,

In Massachusetts LGBT young people are over 5 times as likely as their straight peers to attempt suicide (2003 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey). They are also more likely to report being harassed at school, bring a weapon to school, and have feelings of loneliness, isolation, and depression.

I am a survivor of those grim statistics. In my rural Pennsylvanian high school I was subjected to severe verbal and physical harassment. My locker, desks, and school projects were vandalized.  I gave and received black eyes regularly. Once, a boy gripped my throat so tight that I fainted. My guidance counselor suggested that I try "not walking around like a sad puppy dog."  I had no openly gay teachers, friends, or family members. My school had no gay straight alliance, and my community had no support groups for LGBT people.

Fortunately I escaped the torment when Emerson College accepted me as a student. I was in eleventh grade, and had no high school diploma. But the college understood my plea for help. Once in Boston my life began to turn around with the kind-hearted aid of organizations like SpeakOut!, PFLAG, and especially BAGLY.

BAGLY aided me, like countless other youth,  in my transition from a shy fearful person to a strong and confident young leader. In the past four years of my volunteering and working for this organization, I have seen hundreds of young people turn their lives around. I have seen youth without health care find it.  I have seen suicidal youth get the support they need. And I've seen youth who were kicked out of their homes, find the resources to survive.

BAGLY has made an impact on thousands of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth. Yet in these uncertain times it is often difficult for us to feel fully supported. While millions of dollars flow toward the fight for gay marriage rights, young people like me are feeling forgotten.  We need your support to ensure BAGLY has the ability to continue saving lives.

Today, please consider making a generous online donation to our cause.

Thank you!

Mark D. Snyder
BAGLY Inc.
Office Manager