LGBTQ+ Student Emergency Fund

Dear Alumni and Friends of Marietta College,

The statistics are alarming. And require our help.

According to Lesley University’s, The Cost of Coming Out: LGBTQ Youth Homelessness:

• One in four LGBTQ+ youth are forced to leave their family homes after coming out to their parents.
• Sixty-eight percent of LGBTQ+ youth have faced rejection from their families after coming out.
• Fifty percent of all LGBTQ+ youth receive a negative reaction from their parents when they embrace their true identities.

Coming out can be a very difficult thing to do, even today. Many LGBTQ+ individuals fear being ostracized by their parents and family. And unfortunately, they have reason to fear. As they begin to live their authentic selves, many are shunned by their communities and families.

Imagine being in college and finally having the courage and freedom to embrace your true self, only to have your entire life upended when you are cut off from those you know and love.

Other disturbing statistics:

• Thirty percent of LGBTQ+ youth experienced food insecurity in the past month, with half of all Native/Indigenous youth (Source: The Trevor Project.)
• Nearly seventeen percent of all college students identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or questioning. (Source: Postsecondary National Policy Institute, PNPI)

These numbers are distressing, but you can help by joining us as an inaugural donor to the the LGBTQ+ Student Emergency Fund to provide these students a safety net. Your gift will be used to provide students with emergency grants to assist with non-tuition expenses such as safe shelter, medical expenses, books, car repair or other necessary needs.

With your support, this fund will reassure LGBTQ+ students that if they face hardships because of their identity, the alumni and friends of Marietta College will help them.

Many alumni may not personally suffer the angst of coming out. But we can assure you that this unique rite-of-passage is never easy and always comes with a sense of fear---no matter how welcoming ones’ friends, families and classmates may be. The fear of rejection is real. But, as LGBTQ+ individuals, family members and friends, we can all become an ally for our students.

Please join us and let our LGBTQ+ Pioneers know that they are cared for and valued. Let them know that they are seen, they are heard, they are supported, and most of all, let them know they are loved. Thank you!