Please reach out to [email protected] via email for suggested additions, updates, or feedback! Last updated: June 2023
What if one of the safest places your child hung out… was also one of the most dangerous?
We asked parents about their kids’ online experiences, and found that LGBTQ+ kids face more online risks than their peers. In fact, they report three times as many risky or unwelcome sexual experiences online, such as being solicited for sexual images by people they don’t know, being bullied, or becoming friends with adult strangers.
But at the same time, research by the Trevor Project shows that “online” was the top place LGBTQ kids found safe & affirming spaces, and thousands of LGBTQ+ folks called social media a “lifeline.”
So how can parents balance their LGBTQ+ kids’ need to find welcoming, accepting online communities, while also protecting them from the increased dangers they face?
Tips for keeping LGBTQIA+ kids safer online
🌈 Know where your kids spend time online. Ask them where they spend time online and research those apps or sites to understand them better. Talk to kids about any online spaces which may be unfriendly, risky, or age-inappropriate.
🌈 Make sure their social feeds (and yours!) are filled with positive, affirming resources and creators who publish positive content and curate safe communities. Start with our suggestions below!
🌈 Use your child’s language to talk about their online friends and activities. Using the right pronouns, body descriptions, and relationship descriptions helps build trust and makes sure you understand the details of your child’s life online.
🌈 Talk to them about safer and less safe ways to explore their identity online. Using sex-ed website message boards, chatting with peers, and flirting may be safer. Spending time in critical spaces, making friends with adult strangers, and meeting online friends in real life may be more risky.
🌈 Block and report bad behavior. Tell your kid that if someone is making them feel unsafe or uncomfortable, it’s always ok to block them, and they should report illegal behavior like bullying or adults asking them for sexual images.
🌈 Remind them that you love and accept them, even if they make a mistake. Fear of parent response is one of the top reasons kids don’t share bad experiences online. Reassuring your kids you’re there for them even if they have shared something they regret is critical to building trust.
Online Safety Resources for Parents of LGBTQ Kids
- Amaze and Scarlett Teen for affirming sex education
- Text the Trevor Project’s LGBTQ text helpline for support with online bullying, body image, or other mental health needs
- Take It Down for information about getting nudes or other sexual images online removed.
Affirming, positive creators and organizations to follow
Mathew Boudreaux (they/them) is a nonbinary crafter and creator on Instagram and TikTok.
The Trevor Project – crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth on Instagram and TIkTok
Logan (he/him) is a trans/queer disabled content creator on Instagram.
Alicia Roth Weigel (she/they) is an intersex author and activist on Instagram.
The GenderCool Project is a youth-led gender education and awareness nonprofit organization you can find on Instagram.
Queer Chameleon (she/her) is a queer comic artist on Instagram and TikTok
Queer Youth Assemble is a youth-led queer organization on Instagram and TikTok.
Real Mama Bears is an organization sharing groups, resources and projects that support, educate & empower parents of LGBTQ kids & the LGBTQ community on Instagram and TikTok.
The Instagram and TikTok accounts for the podcast Safe Space lift up queer stories, news, history and ways to support other queer people.
@rainbowhistoryclass ♬ 1950
Rainbow History Class offers queer and trans history styled as lessons most schools don’t teach on Instagram and TikTok
@itgetsbetter ♬ original sound – It Gets Better
The official TikTok and Instagram accounts of the It Gets Better project offer content tailored for young queer people.
@elliemedhurst read more about Brazilian lesbian fashion at dressingdykes.com! #lesbianfashion #queerfashion #sapatao #lesbiansoftiktok #lesbianhistory #coconutrings ♬ original sound – Eleanor
Eleanor Medhurst is a lesbian fashion historian who covers queer flagging and trends throughout history on Instagram and TikTok
@itsmillyevans Do you know how to handle inappropriate comments or DMs? If you're ever unsure, check out the Internet Watch Foundation or gurlsoutloud.com for more advice 💪 #Ad #SaySomething #healtheducation #onlinesafety ♬ original sound – Milly Evans
Milly Evans is a queer sex educator that caters a lot of content to queer young people on Instagram and TikTok.
Mercury Stardust, the self-named “trans handy ma’am,” explains how to do home repairs, especially for renters, on Instagram and TikTok.
