Support Systems and the Relationship Among Adolescence, Stress, and Identifying as a Sexual Minority : Proposed Implementation of New Programming at the KGLRC

Abstract

There is a relationship among stress, adolescence, and identifying as a sexual minority. Much research illuminated the effects of internal and external stressors on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-gender/-sexual (LGBT) adolescents. However, much still needs to be done to provide sufficient support and aid to these adolescents. This paper presents an integrated theory on the relationship between stress, adolescent development, and identifying as LGBT, suggests the need for increased social support within the different schools and communities in the U.S., and provides a proposed implementation of new programming that was developed over the summer at the Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center. A proposed study was created to provide future evidence for the efficacy of the program.