Photo by Jay Paul via Wikimedia Commons
As Pride Month approaches, Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth members of the LGBTQ+ community may find they need more support. The Family Acceptance Program (FAP) at San Francisco University is offering a helping hand.
The Family Acceptance Project is a research, intervention, education and policy initiative to prevent health and mental health risks for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer-identified (LGBTQ) children and youth.
During Queer and Transgender Pacific Islander Week (QTAPI), FAP released its Healthy Futures poster series. The Healthy Futures poster series helps prevent suicide and other serious health risks while promoting well-being for Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) LGBTQ children and youth.
“Our work to increase family acceptance for LGBTQ youth is grounded in the family’s culture and values. We need to educate and guide parents and families on how to support LGBTQ young people using their first language that expresses core values,” Dr. Caitlin Ryan, the Family Acceptance Project’s founder and Director in a press release.
FAP partnered with a volunteer group of 40 Asian native language speakers to translate text into multiple languages for national and international distribution. The Healthy Futures poster series is available in English, Spanish, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Hindi, Korean, Japanese, Punjabi, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
According to FAP, family support plays a major role in helping youth overcome both rejection and racism. The project has identified more than 100 family-specific behaviors that increase risk for factors such as HIV, drug use, depression, suicide and other health risks. Through the poster series, the organization hopes to lessen stigma and strengthen family bonds between both parents and their LGBTQ children.
If you would like to know more, you can view the posters in multiple languages here.
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