Leadership Statement: “When the Light Feels Dim, We Become the Torch”
Dear Brave Trails Community,
Over the past several months, I’ve heard from more parents than ever—worried, heartbroken, and searching for guidance.
One mother recently shared that her child’s school reaffirmed its long-standing GSA, only to see new student groups quickly form in opposition—groups openly hostile to LGBTQ+ inclusion. The same hallways that once displayed Pride posters and allyship now feel tense and uncertain.
“She feels like she’s losing her safe place,” the parent told me. “How do I help her hold on to hope when it feels like the world is slipping backward?”
Her question reflects a growing reality across the country.
While broad support for LGBTQ+ people remains relatively strong, acceptance is not evenly shared—and the gaps are widening. For transgender and nonbinary people in particular, the climate has become markedly more hostile. National polling shows that 62% of Americans now support restrictions on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and 69% favor limiting the participation of trans athletes in sports aligned with their gender identity. These shifts are not abstract. They show up in classrooms, locker rooms, and lunch tables.
Perhaps most concerning, we’re seeing these changes among younger adults themselves. Support for nondiscrimination protections among people ages 18–29 has fallen from 83% in 2020 to 75% by 2024, driven largely by a sharp shift toward social conservatism among some young people. This means that today’s LGBTQ+ youth are not only navigating national rhetoric, they are also increasingly encountering these changes among their own peers.
For our youth, this isn’t about politics. It’s personal.
It’s the quiet loss of belonging.
It’s the question of whether it’s still safe to be visible.
And yes, at times, it can feel like we’ve been pushed back a decade from the world that existed when Brave Trails first began.
But this is not the end of the story.
At Brave Trails, we were built for moments like this. Our mission has always been about more than campfires and cabins—it’s about leadership, resilience, and the transformative power of belonging. We know that affirmation isn’t just kindness; it’s a lifeline. We know that connection saves lives. And we know that joy itself can be an act of resistance.
That’s why we are doubling down on what we do best: building leaders, creating deeply affirming spaces, and surrounding LGBTQ+ youth and their families with community when the world feels unsteady. Through our leadership camps, mental health programming, Family Camps, and Brave Spaces, we are making sure young people have places where they are not just safe—but celebrated.
What I see every day gives me hope. I see LGBTQ+ youth leading with courage beyond their years. I see parents advocating fiercely for their children. I see our Brave Trails community showing up, again and again, to hold the line for love, dignity, and belonging.
To the parents reaching out in fear: you are not alone.
To the young people wondering if you still belong: you do. And you always will.
Because even when the light feels dim, we become the torch.
And together, we will keep lighting the trail forward.
Our young people are not just our future—they’re our now.
And they deserve nothing less than our fiercest love. Always.
With resolve and gratitude,
