This group is for binary transgender, nonbinary transgender, gender-expansive, nonbinary, agender, queer, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, questioning, or any other youths who fall under the LGBTQ spectrum to socialize and share experiences. Youths will interact via live video chat. Youths in this age range often prefer to use the text chat box, and this is encouraged and respected. Discussion will be facilitated and will allow space for social discussion and opportunities to connect with similarly situated peers and seek support around particular difficulties faced by the youths. The group may also include directed teaching of skills that youths can use to self-advocate, as requested by the youths or when a need is noted by facilitator. 

Group flow will largely follow the lead of the youths rather than any structured curriculum. Group sessions often revolve around students volunteering to share accomplishments, photos, videos, favorite music, and the like. 

Some groups may include playing social games using external websites such as skribbl.io (all of which are free, do not require download or signup, and never involve play with members of the general public during our class). Please ensure your youth's device settings allow them to access a web browser and please make sure they are familiar with using it. We do play games that require reading skills at around a 3rd-grade level. 

If your youth does not have reading and internet skills typical of the 8-12 age range, please discuss accommodations with me in advance to avoid frustration/disappointment during group, or contact me regarding other classes I run. 

Groups may at times focus heavily on LGBTQ-specific topics or may focus more on other topics of interest, all dependent on the preferences of the youths. Some students choose to participate more passively, and this is always fine. As Outschool is an educational platform, these are primarily social groups, and not a therapeutic/medical service. Facilitator and peers may provide advice of a general nature regarding situations discussed in class, but the group is not a therapeutic process group and is not a substitute for individual professional services. 

Students who are younger, socially more timid, and/or more at the beginning of their gender/sexuality journey may prefer my younger Rainbow Club class, which is more structured and involves expressive arts. Rainbow Club does not require reading or writing or much independent internet use beyond basic Zoom features. 

PLEASE NOTE: I run both teen and tween groups. Content for the tween group is kept age-appropriate based on the World Health Organization standards for youth ages 5-8 and 9-12. The two groups overlap in age range, and the main difference between them is that in the tween group we discourage detailed chat about media that falls blatantly outside this range. Tweens on the older end who have a lot of experience with independent media watching and internet/social media use may be more comfortable in a teen class. (I am flexible on ages as long as this is done thoughtfully.)