85.2 percent of LGBTQ students report being verbally harassed, another startling statistic about LGBTQ is 63.5 percent of LGBTQ students who did report an incident said that school staff did nothing in response or told the student to ignore it.

These alarming statistics come from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, a media monitoring organization that was founded by LGBTQ people in the media. These statistics were released to help spread awareness of the bullying that LGBTQ community and youth face.

October 19 is better known as spirit day. The day is designed for people to speak out and speak up against bullying of the LGBTQ community and the youth for the identities.

Nathan Padilla, case manager of the Rainbow Community Center came to DVC to talk to students about the LGTBQ and for people to know that they are not alone.

The Rainbow Community Center’s main mission is to assemble a community that advocates for the LQBTQ community to feel safe in the identities they choose. The Rainbow Community Center follows three steps to take the steps to make the LGBTQ community safe and confident in their own skin and their identities.

The first step is “Outreach and Promotion” which includes “Social events and groups, social media and community wide events and open services like rapid HIV testing” making the main focus “community building, health, support and engagement.”

The second step or tier is “Group Services” these include “Ongoing community programs and services” these services are “focused around community support, psychosocial/ emotional-social learning, and life skills with a holistic health approach.”

The third and final step that the Rainbow Community Center follows is “One on One” that includes “Clinical and full support services.”

The Rainbow Community Center is located in Concord on 2118 Willow Pass Road, Ste 500. Another way to get connected to the community center is by phone number at (925) 692-0090 , by e-mail at [email protected], and on their website [email protected].