Why You Asking All Them Questions? Making Statements? Assuming?!

 

A list of 20 Questions that I have in relation to my professional life are as follows...

1. How do I become sure that I am honoring all parts of a young person's intersecting identities at all times?

2. How do we determine how to support youth within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in ways that are most beneficial to them and their wellbeing?

3. What are the most effective forms of respite for youth within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who is facing familial banishment, houselessness, or any other type of life crisis? 

4. What are the most prevalent forms of crises from the perspective of a youth within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community?

5. What are the most prevalent forms of coping skills from the perspective of a youth within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community?

6. As a society, how can we 1. cease and then 2. prevent hate crimes targeted against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and at even higher rates, transgender people of color?

7. What are the most efficient ways to encourage empowerment and leadership amongst youth (in and outside of marginalized populations)?

8. How do we support the youth who struggle to envision a future to be able to in a way that is true and helpful to who they are (in spite of society and media's ignorance, erasure, misrepresentation, etc.)?

9. What are the best rapport-building strategies, tips, or tools when it comes to working with youth within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community (and from their perspective)?

10. How do I create spaces that are as "safer" and "brave" as possible?

11. How do I ensure that I am most effectively utilizing the parts of my identity that come with privilege?

12. What are the most fruitful ways to have the more difficult conversations of inequity and injustice with youth?

13. Whenever with youth and wherever with them, how do I casually albeit actively honor the Indigenous folk (and even their youth) who were there well before us?

14. Are there helpful ways to earlier-in-life promote love, discourage hate, and ultimately prevent later-in-life occurrences like bullying, hate crimes, internal/external destruction, etc.?

15. Can love be taught?

16. Do youth-workers ever stop randomly thinking back on youth and hoping they are well?

17. How do we promote early practice of the "professional and personal balance" life skill that so many of us strive for (and often struggle with) later in life?

18. In our youth-work, how do we undo the societal taboos and trivializations that exist surrounding mental health and trauma?

19. Are there fruitful ways to begin normalizing death and grief amongst youth?

20. What are the most inclusive and well-balanced ways to celebrate birthdays, holidays, cultural traditions, etc. amongst bigger groups of youth with varying identities, beliefs, cultures, etc.?