In today’s digital age, connectivity has become essential to our daily lives. From engaging on social media, connecting with the community, finding a job, seeing a doctor, finding food, or finding a home within your budget, the internet is a lifeline for people to connect, communicate, find opportunities, and express themselves.
However, not all individuals or communities have equitable access to these digital spaces and all the opportunities that access entails.
This includes members of marginalized communities who are already members of other marginalized communities like LGBTQ+ BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) youth.
We must look at this issue holistically across an individual’s lifetime, beginning with the earliest opportunities within the community, access to digital tools and resources in public education institutions, evolving all the way to safe and accepting spaces for LGBTQ+ youth who are exploring their gender identity and sexual orientation.