According to its website, the online magazine Everyday Feminism seeks to end violence and discrimination against people due to gender, sexual orientation, race and class. Ultimately, the organization wants to see a world where self-determination and loving communities are the new norm.
Founder/Executive Director Sandra Kim noted that Everyday Feminism is one voice trying to counter the more toxic voices in society. She believes in an inside-out approach to social change. "We think that personal transformation is really connected with social transformation," she said. "We focus on how people are able to heal from, and stand up to, everyday oppression and marginalization."
The online magazine is replete with articles covering an array subjects from marriage to gender roles, as well as podcasts and courses such as "Turning Self-Love into a Daily Habit." Since it was launched in June 2012, Everyday Feminism has built a monthly readership of 300,000 visitors and has amassed more than 80,000 likes on Facebook.
Their newest project is an online course offering LGBTQ youth support, guidance and a peer community during their first coming-out experiences. The course will be run by Kim serving as project co-director and course leader Jaymie Campbell, who is a queer and transgender youth of color. Campbell holds a masters degree in counseling psychology and has mentored youth in Philadelphia.
Kim said that it was a natural next step for the organization. "Even though this country has progressed tremendously over the last several years in rights for LGBTQ folks, for a lot of youth—particularly living in rural or conservative areas—it's like the 1980s for them."
According to Kim, what makes the course unique is that coming out to the world is not necessarily the end goal for participants. "For some people it's just not the safe thing to do, physically, emotionally or financially," she said. "The first thing we focus on is coming out to yourself. That means understanding yourself better while protecting and honoring your identity."
Kim happily acknowledged that there are an increasing number of successful coming out stories—such as in January of 2013 when New Jersey senior Jacob Rudolph came out in front of his high school assembly. "But it doesn't need to look like that in order to be a valid or successful coming out," Kim noted. "We need to find ways where people can be proud of being queer or trans but still be in the closet."
The course teaches young participants how to prepare for coming out through building a support network using key allies available to them, such as a school teacher or administrator. "The idea is to improve the environment around you and make it more positive," Kim said. "So you have someone to turn to when you do, for example, come out to your parents and things don't go well."
Kim admitted that finding someone who can provide positive reinforcement is a challenge for some teenagers. "I live in a rural, conservative area in West Virginia and the level of judgment and hatred here is off the hook," she said. "But that's the beauty of the online world. It's always been a resource for the queer community."
The course seeks to structure that resource through a process that young people can go through together. "So even if they can't find one or two more progressive folks in their community, they still have us and they won't feel alone," Kim said.
Kim added that the formula has consistently worked for Everyday Feminism's readers. The organization has repeatedly countered the anti-gay propaganda from the far right with a single, positive voice. It has had an impact. "We try to teach people critical thinking," she said. "And they have been able to stand up for themselves in different situations."
The course is not limited to LGBTQ youth. Those people coming out later in life are also welcome to participate. "I have friends in their thirties who have come out to everybody but their families," Kim noted. "This could be of real benefit to people like them."
The course contains an inspiration board that already includes messages of encouragement from LGBTQ people who have, or are in the process of coming out. There is a post from an Ohio mom who said: "Fifteen years ago, my son told me he was gay. It does not change who you are. Maybe even makes you more open to others and if so, GOOD FOR YOU!"
Kim said she hopes that other LGBTQ people and their parents will take the time to go online and write their own messages.
The goal is to officially launch the course by the summer of this year depending on the success of fundraising activities.
For more information, visit comingoutcourse.com and everydayfeminism.com .
