WASHINGTON — Maryland Congressional leaders and the Department of Homeland Security announced a half-million dollar grant this week aiming to help the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Jamie Raskin and David Trone – all Maryland Democrats – announced $530,000 in Homeland Security grants in Montgomery County to develop programs focused on violence prevention for LGBTQ+ youth.
“The rise of targeted violence against LGBTQ+ communities demands additional investments to protect young people at risk," the lawmakers said. "We know that education and training have the power to provide much-needed tools to counter hate and bias. Funding for these education programs and in-school supports will help expand resources so all Marylanders can feel safe in school and their communities.”
The goal of the funding is to help the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League develop programming to address the risk of violence and negative mental health outcomes faced by LGBTQ+ youth in Montgomery County and Washington D.C.
The program "will provide in-school support and resilience programming for LGBTQ+ youth, training for school staff and youth service providers and support for parents and caregivers."
The federal dollars come through the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program.