Hi! My name is Crystal. That's me in that picture up there. I teach workshops in Philadelphia. I started this nonprofit organization, The IDentity Kit Project, to help LGBT youth feel safe and affirmed in religious spaces. I was raised a fundamentalist Christian and when I came out I felt a lot of pushback from my church, school, family and community who wanted me to "choose" the "right" thing. Statistically, 42% of LGBTQ youth are homeless. Of the 40% of LGBT youth who will attempt suicide by age 21, a startling number who actually succeed, come from religious homes. I was fortunate enough not to go down that road, but I know people who have. When I was coming out, I wished that I had a guide to help me understand my new identity and what was true about LGBT people in my religion. I just wanted facts, not religious theory. I also wanted to know what it really meant to be LGBT, not what my church said about "homosexuals."
It took a while to sort through the mountain of information on LGBT communities and Christianity. After all my research, I ended up writing my own book for youth like me. It included facts about Christianity, strategies for coming out, and tons of references of where to get more information or help. I created a card game, included a sticker and before I knew it, I had created a kit.
Soon that Kit became a workshop for churches and other religious organizations. I launched a website and started sending my IDKit to any youth who asked for it. I advertised it as an LGBT community center in a box. Soon I was getting requests for the IDKit from places like Australia, Canada, and all over America. I believe that everyone should have the tools if they want them, so I distributed IDKits free of charge. If someone wanted an IDKit I would try and match their name with a donor. I just kept thinking of a 13-year-old kid in SmallTown, USA who couldn't afford the $20 it cost to make the IDKit. I knew an IDKit could be the difference between life and death for LGBT youth. I did not want money to be a barrier.
Fortunately, the project has grown! This fall, we will have 4 more IDKits to add to our list - Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and an IDKit for all audiences. We will also start teaching workshops in Philadelphia schools, churches and community centers. It's kind of a big deal!
In order for us to keep sending out IDKits to LGBT youth who need them and presenting this material in workshops, we need the funding to print our IDKits and cover administration costs. That's where YOU come in!
Help us OUT!
We need funding. By raising $4,000 we will have the seed money to print enough IDKits to get us started this fall.
- A $10 gift will help us print one deck of IDK game cards
- A $20 gift will help us print and distribute one IDKit for a LGBT youth in need
- A $50 gift will help with operational costs like our website and office space
- A $100 gift will help us distribute our curriculum to educational organizations
- A $200 gift will help us host a workshop or training
- A $1000 gift will help us give a 5 week workshop or training
**PERKS**
Shout OUT
For any gifts between $5-$25, IDK will give you a shout out on our website as a special thanks!
You’re famous!
For gifts between $26-$100, we will give you a special thanks on our website and add your name to the 'Thank You' page inside of our General Kit.
Because of you…
For gifts between $500-$1000, we will give you a special thanks on our website along with a very special thank you on the cover of each General Kit printed. Your tagline will read, "This Kit made possible by... (insert your name, title, and organization.)
All extra funds donated will go to future workshops scheduled for later in the fall. If you cannot make a contribution, but love the work The IDentity Kit Project is doing you can support us online by liking our page at www.facebook.com/youridk, tweeting us or following us @your_idk and visiting our website at www.youridk.com.
The IMPACT
Thanks to Section 3 of DOMA being declared unconstitutional and the verdict on Prop 8 legalizing same-sex marriage in California by the Supreme Court, things are changing for LGBT people in our nation, but there is still a lot of work to be done. In order to make sure these laws stick, and that other LGBT civil rights are recognized, we need to suspend the fear around LGBT equality. Often, the work starts with religion. Sometimes, the problem is generational and although adults want to help their kids, they are unable to work through their traditionalized homophobia. Our IDKit and workshop approach tackles the problem from two ends by giving resources to the youth who want them and educating the adults who need more time. Our workshops allow us to teach churches how to be affirming and not just tolerant. Because anyone can order the IDKits, youth are learning how to become allies, what heterosexism looks like and how to be advocates in their own communities.
I aim to arm youth with the information they need to feel comfortable being themselves in whatever they choose to believe. Won’t you help me help them?
