Get to know real queer kids from all over the country-these inspiring stories of LGBTQ+ youth, written in their own words, provide crucial snapshots of what it's really like to grow up trans or queer in America.
Photographer and activist Maxwell Poth has traveled all over the United States, inviting LBGTQ+ youth to share their stories as part of Project Contrast, a nonprofit that amplifies these voices and connects kids and families with the resources they need to survive and thrive. This book collects the stories and portraits of 75 queer kids and teenagers from fifteen different states. In their own words, these young people share the challenges they've faced coming out or coming to terms with their own identities; they write about their families, their schoolmates, their teachers, and the queer community they've found throughout their journeys; and they offer messages of love and support to their LGBTQ+ peers. Featuring a foreword by trans actress and model Isis King, this book sends a powerful message to the many LGBTQ kids growing up in small towns who feel isolated: We see you, we love you, you are not alone.
"What's it like to grow up queer in America today? LGBTQ+ representation in the media is at an all-time high-and yet so is anti-LGBTQ+ legislation aimed at queer and trans youth. In this powerful volume, seventy-three LGBTQ+ kids and teens from fifteen different states throughout the USA tell their stories in their own words. They share the challenges they've faced coming out or coming to terms with their own identities; they write about their families, their schoolmates, their teachers, and their queer communities; and they offer messages of love and support to their LGBTQ+ peers. These stories of resilience, heartbreak, and self-discovery are accompanied by portraits from photographer Maxwell Poth and a foreword from actress and activist Isis King. Poth, the founder of the nonprofit Project Contrast, which seeks to amplify the voices of queer youth and address the mental health crises facing LGBTQ+ communities, has a knack for bringing out the joy and confidence of his subjects. His images echo the sentiments of the bright, young Americans who've shared their stories in this book: We see you. We love you. You are not alone"--