Supporting LGBTQ+ youth during the holidays

As the holiday season approaches, community members are often reminded of gatherings, traditions, and family celebrations. But for many queer and transgender youth — particularly those who have been rejected by their families — the holidays can be an isolating and emotionally dangerous time.

Jasper Percival Chavez-Goodfellow, a Socorro resident who identifies as a queer trans man, says those struggles are largely invisible in local conversations.

“People just kind of find me,” he said. “I know resources, and I listen. Sometimes that’s what people need most.”

Chavez-Goodfellow moved to Socorro in 2023 with his husband, Jason Chavez-Goodfellow, whose family roots are in the area. Since then, Chavez-Goodfellow has become an informal point of contact for LGBTQ+ youth and families seeking support, information and connection.

National data underscores why the holiday season can be especially difficult for LGBTQ+ youth. According to The Trevor Project, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people, calls and text messages to crisis lines increase significantly following major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. The organization attributes the surge to the emotional aftermath of family interactions and gatherings that can be unwelcoming, hostile, or just awkward.

The Trevor Project reports that fewer than 40% of LGBTQ+ youth describe their home environment as affirming. Anti-LGBTQ+ stigma and policies further worsen mental health outcomes, often intensifying tension during family events. As a result, LGBTQ+ youth remain at significantly higher risk for suicide, with 41% reporting that they seriously considered suicide in the past year — roughly double the rate of their non-LGBTQ+ peers.

SCOPE, located at 215c Fisher Ave, Socorro, hosts one of the few structured resources available for LGBTQ+ young people. With two age groups, the Rainbow Café, for ages 16-21, meets on the second Sunday of the month, and the Rainbow Café Jr., for ages 10-15, meets every third Sunday from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Individuals can follow @rainbow_cafe_socorro on Instagram to see all of the other events the café hosts.

While it's called a café, it is not a restaurant, but there is always some kind of food, snacks, and activity involved, such as pizza and a craft or movie. SCOPE, located at 215c Fisher Ave, Socorro, hosts one of the few structured resources available for LGBTQ+ young people. 

While the Rainbow Café offers vital peer support all year, Chavez-Goodfellow said there is currently no local program in Socorro to specifically support queer youth who may be unhoused, estranged from family or otherwise without a safe place to go during Christmas.

“That’s the problem,” he said. “There’s no specific safety net during the holidays. And that’s something we need to address — full stop.”

To help fill that gap, Chavez-Goodfellow is in the early stages of organizing the Socorro Rainbow Coalition, an emerging community effort aimed at building long-term support systems for LGBTQ+ residents. One of the coalition’s goals is to develop a mentorship program pairing queer youth with trusted queer adults — a concept Chavez-Goodfellow believes could be especially meaningful during the holidays.

“For a lot of us, found family is what saved us,” he said. “Biological family isn’t the only family that exists.”

Chavez-Goodfellow also emphasized the importance of connecting local youth with both campus and statewide resources. Groups such as SCOPE, the Queer Association of Socorro Area Residents at New Mexico Tech, the New Mexico Transgender Resource Center, and the U-21 Youth Program in Albuquerque all play a critical role in providing safe spaces, advocacy and crisis support. When local options are limited, organizations like Casa Q  in Albuquerque offer emergency and transitional housing for unhoused LGBTQ+ teens.

“For many young people, especially during the holidays, even reaching out feels overwhelming,” Chavez-Goodfellow said. “Text-based support and warm lines can be life-changing.”

Reflecting on his own experiences, he said the holidays can reopen old wounds for those who have been rejected by their families, but they can also be a time to reclaim belonging.

“We should never have to feel alone," he said. “Our family doesn’t have to be blood-only. A found-family can be powerful, healing and real.”

Chavez-Goodfellow hopes that bringing the conversation into the public eye will encourage both awareness, action, and compassion.

“Even if we’re not ready yet to open homes or start new programs, people need to know this is happening,” he said. “These kids need to see that their community sees them — that they matter.”

In New Mexico, individuals can call or text the 988 crisis line to be connected with a counselor. They can also call the TrevorLine crisis hotline at 1-866-488-7386, or text START to 678-678. Additional resources can be found at www.thepridetreelv.com/resources.html, www.nmt.edu/cds/lgbt.php, https://tgrcnm.org, www.commonbondnm.org/u-21.html, www.casaq.org, and www.thetrevorproject.org.