New resources aimed at creating a "Best Practices" guide for suicide prevention among LGBT youth have been released this week by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University.

Over the past few years, media reports of suicide among LGBT youth has become increasingly more common. Communities, schools, colleges and youth service organizations have struggled to fill an urgent need in identifying at-risk youth, risk behaviors and intervention strategies to prevent suicide and suicidal behavior.

The new "Best Practices" resources include several studies and publications created by the Family Acceptance Project under the direction of Dr. Caitlin Ryan and are designed to help reduce vulnerability and risk among LGBT children, youth or adults.

The first of these resources – a multi-lingual, multi-cultural series of family education booklets – Supportive Families, Healthy Children: Helping Families Support their LGBT Children – have been designated as the first “Best Practice” resources for suicide prevention for LGBT youth and young adults by the national Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention.

“Our work is grounded in rigorous research and rooted in the cultural experiences and values of scores of diverse LGBT youth and families," said Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of the Family Acceptance Project. "So these family education booklets resonate for very diverse families and help them decrease rejecting behaviors which our research shows -- though motivated by care and concern – instead contribute to serious health risks for LGBT young people. For example, our research shows that common rejecting behaviors such as trying to prevent LGBT youth from learning about their identity, not allowing them to have gay friends or not letting them participate in an LGBT youth group are related to a 9-times greater likelihood of attempted suicide.”

In discussing the importance of FAP’s family education materials, Dr. Ann Haas, Director of Prevention Projects for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, noted: “For the past decade, Dr. Ryan and her team have undertaken foundational research on the role of families and related social institutions in contributing to protective factors and risk for suicidal behavior among LGBT young people. They have turned that research into powerful prevention tools for diverse families. Used in programs across the country, these tools will save lives.”

Supportive Families, Healthy Children is available for download on the FAP website at: http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/publications. Printed copies are available for distribution from the Family Acceptance Project in orders of any size. Lower literacy and faith-based versions are in development. FAP provides on-site training on using these materials and FAP’s research-based supportive family intervention model and other resources and tools. Contact [email protected] to obtain printed versions and for information on consultation and training.

Information on Supportive Families, Healthy Children’s “Best Practice” designation is available on the Best Practices Registry’s webpage hosted by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center at www.sprc.org.

The annual Camp Pride Summer Leadership Program for LGBT and ally student leaders is quickly approaching! We're extending the early-bird registration from May 1 to May 30! Get on board today for this fabulous, one-of-a-kind social justice leadership development program!

Click here to learn more about and register to attend the 2012 Camp Pride Summer Leadership Program, July 17-22, at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

Camp Pride 2012 is promising to be the BEST CAMP EVER! Just take a look at some of the exciting announcements about this year's camp and some of the brilliant things we've got planned...

• YouTube Sensation Zach Wahls will keynote and receive national award at Camp!
• NBC Fashion Star Kara Laricks will also be on hand!
• Nationally-acclaimed trans, spoken-word icon Kit Yan is our official Artist-in-Residence!
• Other nationally-respected LGBT and civil rights leaders will be on hand to help lead Camp, including National Center for Transgender Equality's Mara Keisling, EveryoneIsGay.com's Kristin Russo and Dannielle Owens-Reid, and many, many more!

What they're saying...

“Campus Pride provides a safe, open space for new student leaders and for more experienced leaders alike. It is an extraordinary way to learn the basics of campus organizing as well as new strategies to create change.”
–21 year-old, gay male

“Campus Pride rocks! When I first searched the website, I was amazed that everything I needed as a LGBT student leader was there. I go back often to find what’s new and improved…”
–18 year-old, bisexual female

“I no longer feel alone. Campus Pride helped me meet others who share the same issues, challenges and frustrations as a leader. I feel more empowered, now than ever.”
–19 year-old, bisexual female

“I have been to almost a dozen LGBT conferences and events over the years. Never did I feel more welcome and included as a trans-identified, gender queer person than in the dialogue shared and tools provided during this program. Thank you.”
–22 year-old, M toF transgender

Don't miss out on scholarship opportunities and early-bird registration! Spread the word!

Early-bird registration runs through May 30, 2012 ($815 before May 30; $945 afterward)! The first-priority deadline for scholarship applications has already passed, but applications are still being accepted. Don't wait! Register or apply for scholarships today, and spread the word! Forward this email on to your friends and peers at your school or alma mater or those involved with your campus' LGBTQA student organization. Or, take a moment to talk to your peers on campus about your past Camp Pride experiences and encourage them to register for Camp today at www.campuspride.org/camppride/!

In July, 60 LGBT and ally students from across the nation will gather at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., for the 2012 Camp Pride Summer Leadership Camp, Campus Pride's annual summer leadership development program for LGBT college and university students and faculty. Waiting for them when they arrive will be a stellar line-up of speakers, activists and entertainers to boost their spirits, impart their knowledge and help build up the current and future leaders of our LGBT movement!

Campus Pride recently announced that spoken word and slam poetry artist Kit Yan will be Camp Pride's artist-in-residence. In addition to Yan's appearance, Kara Laricks of NBC's "Fashion Star" will also be on hand.

Zach Wahls, affectionately known as "That Kid From YouTube," whose passionate testimony in front of the Iowa General Assembly defending his lesbian parents and family was named YouTube's Top Political Video of 2011 will keynote the annual leadership development experience. While at Camp Pride, Wahls will be presented an honorary Campus Pride Voice & Action National Leadership Award.

Nationally-respected LGBT movement leaders and speakers will also be at Camp, sharing their wisdom, knowledge and insights to help young LGBT and ally student leaders learn the skills they need to create positive, LGBT-inclusive social justice change on their campuses and in their communities.

Speakers confirmed for Camp Pride thus far include:

• Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, reknown for her indepth policy knowledge and experience in LGB and transgender inclusion efforts.
• Caitlin Ryan, director of the Family Acceptance Project and San Francisco State University, whose work on LGBT health and mental health since the 1970s has had a defining impact on how communities work with LGBT youth and families.
• Robyn Ochs, a bisexual speaker, teacher, writer and activist, who has made significant contributions to the national LGBT equality movement while raising awareness of bisexuality, pansexuality and other underserved and marginalized people within the LGBT community.
• Cathy Renna, a nationally-respected communications strategist known for her media relations expertise and work with LGBT non-profits and other clients for nearly 20 years.
• Sue Rankin, associate professor of College Student Affairs and Higher Education and research associate at the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Pennsylvania State University, who serves on the research staff of Campus Pride's Q Research Institute for Higher Education and helped author Campus Pride's landmark report, The 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People.
• Marisa Richmond, president of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, known for her extensive work on LGB and transgender inclusion efforts at local, state and national levels.
• Kristin Russo and Dannielle Owens-Reid of EveryOneisGay.com, an advice site for those who are "confused about sexuality, gender-identity, dating, falling in love, or even dressing up like Super Woman." Kristin and Dannielle also tour high schools and colleges nationwide.

Other speakers, artists and leaders will also attend Camp Pride and will be announced in the coming weeks.

In addition to our speakers and entertainers, Camp Pride is excited to welcome a phenomenal team of Camp Pride faculty, staff and student leaders.

Serving as Camp Pride Faculty this year are: Marcia "Ma" Purdy, Robyn Ochs, Nikita Burks, Robbie Powers (William Paterson University), Ash Wickell (Friends University, Wichita State University) and Jake Christensen (The University of Iowa). Service as staff are: Lisa Simmons-Barth (Towson University), Katie Simmons-Barth (Towson University), Laura Graving (Alumni Network Coordinator) and Shane Windmeyer (Campus Pride). Advisor Boot Camp Coordinators are: Annmarie Vacaro (University of Rhode Island) and Vin Porifirio (Sage College of Albany). Pride Leaders are students who have previously attended Camp Pride who have returned to help mentor and lead their peers. This year's Pride Leaders include: Alethia England (Vanderbilt University), Jennie Rokakis (Eastern Michigan University), Jess McDonald (Elon University), Spencer Whalen (Occidental College), Mack H. Lewis II (Northern Illinois University) and Nicolas Daily (Oregan State University).

Camp Pride is a one-of-kind leadership experience that brings together over 60 LGBT and allied young people from across the country for five days of student leadership development, campus organizing techniques, conflict management, social justice advocacy, diversity education and more. The summer leadership program will be featured in the May 5, 2012, TV premiere of the documentary “Legalize Gay: The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation” on the national TV network Logo. Campus Pride is the nation’s leading non-profit organization for LGBT and allied college and university students.

Registration for the sixth annual Camp Pride is now open. An early discounted rate of $815 is available through May 1. Scholarships for free registration are also available. The cost of registration includes educational curriculum, all program materials, accommodations for five nights and meals as well as entertainment and activities. A special “Advisor Bootcamp” track for LGBT and ally faculty advisors is also available. Students and advisors can register online or learn more about scholarship opportunities at www.campuspride.org/camppride/.