The Faith Initiative embodies the imperative to build and support affirming communities of faith for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. In 2019, HiTOPS held listening groups for youth and faith leaders to hear their stories and document their lived experiences at the intersection of LGBTQ+ and faith identities.
On November 21st, we hosted a reception and photo and story exhibit at the Bryn Mawr Trust in Princeton, depicting these stories, The Gallery of Voices. The exhibit will be on view through December and then travel throughout Mercer County. Our goal is to increase awareness of the complex and deeply personal experiences of young people and their families with faith and faith communities.
We are grateful to Susan Baker, a HiTOPS Board member, Pride2Pride mentor and advocate for LGBTQ+ youth, for her vision, support, and commitment to making the telling of these stories possible.