Holding Identities

One of the reasons why I joined Rainbow Labs was to be a part of something that changed the narrative of what it means to be LGBTQ+. The LGBTQ+ mentor programs in existence heavily focus on LGBTQ+ identity – which is great in many ways, but when you are working with LGBTQ+ youth it’s sometimes nice to help them explore other aspects of identity. 

As a licensed therapist and activist, I have seen so many LGBTQ+ youth struggle to identify parts of themselves outside of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Many of the reasons are associated with the fact that society and media representation tells us our identity is the only thing that makes us unique. I mean, how many times have you see an LGBTQ+ character on TV and that identity is the basis of their entire story arc? When LGBTQ+ youth don’t have mentors in their lives who bring out the hidden aspects of their identity then they are left with missing pieces of themselves.

Rainbow Labs is shifting this narrative by bringing together LGBTQ+ adults and youth who are passionate about all sorts of neat stuff (storytelling, education, animals, art, media-making, etc.) and making that the focus of programming. Yes, Rainbow Labs emphasizes the beauty of one’s LGBTQ+ identity – but also creates a space that encourages youth to find all the beauty in themselves. Rainbow Labs is already creating this space, as evidenced by a conversation I overhead at our kick-off event in June between two of our mentee’s, ending with one stating “wow, I have never met another gay who likes sports – now I feel like it’s okay to like sports too.”

-Jake Rostovsky, MA, LMFT (He/Him/His)

Jake plays a key role in our program design for One Bold Summer