According to TheTrevorProject 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ kids said their home was LGBTQ+ affirming. This shows how often young kids are not supported in their identities by the people they are surrounded by the most. 

     Mental health has been increasingly critical because of the things this generation has had to go through such as the COVID-19 pandemic, going through high school, and just everyday things that are difficult to process. 

     For LGBTQ+ kids, their mental health has been affected more than heterosexual kids because of the discrimination they face at home, school, or anywhere. Junior at St. Vincent St. Mary’s, Niya Williams, shares her experience being a LGBTQ+ youth. 

     “My experience being in the LGBTQ+ community has been both positive and negative. One being that I have a community of people who don’t know me but love me for who I am no matter what, and two being that people hate me for my identity,” Williams stated. 

     Many in the community find it beneficial to have a community to back them up when they have no one else to turn to. This has helped the mental health aspect of the community prosper to better things despite the discrimination they face. 

     Williams continues by explaining why she thinks mental health is so important in the LGBTQ+ community.

     “Mental health is so serious in the community because of the hate that can be spewed on us in the community. We all have to be there for each other in the process. When others spew hate on those in the community it can cause self hatred, poor self esteem, and sometimes being unable to stay safe from oneself,” Williams expressed. 

     Safety in the community is essential because everyone deserves to feel safe in their own skin. Everyone deserves to love themselves authentically. Williams final thoughts on what she would change about the community to make it a better safe space for all members.

     “I would change not the community itself but how others view the community. People refuse to educate themselves and understand people who are in the newer generation and that has made being in the LGBTQ+ community super hard,” Williams shared. 

     Sophomore at Notre Dame, Leo Herman, shares his experience of being a LGBTQ+ college student. 

     “Luckily for me when I have come out to people I have never had a negative experience. I found myself lucky within those people because they are the people I care about most. I have seen some people have negative reactions to finding out my identity, but it wasn’t anyone I was close to,” Herman said. 

     Negative reactions to someone coming out could definitely make them insecure about themselves and their identity. This would definitely make being in the LGBTQ+ community hard for some because of the negative reactions from people who are close to them. 

     Herman shares his opinion on how well the LGBTQ+ community is portrayed in the media. 

     “ I will never pass up the chance to plug the show ‘Heartstopper’ because I think it portrays a young LGBTQ+ relationship really well. I felt seen within the show, and I think this could benefit others who are unsure of their identity,” Herman affirmed. 

     Seeing people on TV who have the same identity as those in the community can be super affirming for those not able to express themselves. It can definitely boost confidence in those who have not seen themselves before, and this can positively affect mental health for those in the community as well. 

     Herman finishes his statement by explaining the necessity of mental health resources for LGBTQ+ youth. 

     “There are some really good mental health resources including but not limited to The Trevor Project. They have done so much for the LGBTQ+ teens, but there could definitely be other organizations that deal with mental health that I don’t know about. Everyone deals with mental health differently so there could always be a different way to approach it for someone else,” Herman expressed. 

     Sophomore at Ohio State University, Laura Powers, shares her experience with supporting the LGBTQ+ community. 

     “It helps that OSU is such a big school and it is very accepting. There probably are some people who aren’t, but the school as a whole is very accepting. They have clubs and they have a process for housing that makes everyone feel included,” Powers shared. 

      It is very important to make inclusive clubs and spaces for students to feel as though they belong somewhere. They may have so many other places that do not feel safe, but that one safe space could make the biggest difference. 

     Powers resumes with how some have viewed the community negatively because of their opinions. 

    “I have never heard anyone say anything negative about the community personally, but I have heard stories about what people have been through. It is horrible, but I hope in the future it gets better. It should be more accepted, but I know for some it is hard to come to terms with a new reality,” Powers expressed. 

     When people have negative opinions about someone or something they can have a healthy conversation about it. It doesn’t have to be an argument and they don’t have to be rude about it. This could lead to better mental health for everyone in the community if we talked with kindness instead of hate. 

     Powers last words showed how powerful it is to have mental health advocacy in this generation. 

     “Talking about mental health within the community is normal to this point because of how much discrimination the community faces on a regular basis. If more people were to talk about the situations they handle everyday it may help someone else on their journey to better themselves,” Powers affirmed. 

     Every one of these people have had a different experience with the LGBTQ+ community and although they are talking about the same community they have all had unique situations. These stories may have an effect on someone, and that someone may figure out who they are and the ways they need help.      If you or a loved one is suffering from mental health, call or text 988 and for LGBTQ+ kids the Trevor Lifeline is 1-866-488-7386.

 Each year, Halloween circles around with the same spooky feelings and haunting magic in the air; however, there is always a side to the holiday that not many stop to think about: creatures. 

    Terrifying things that come out in the night and become the topics of the scary stories every person  knows today. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, here are some of the creepiest urban legends out there.

     Up first is the legend of The Watcher, a story that originated in New Jersey and began obtaining fame around 2015. This story goes that a normal family in New Jersey began to get fearsome letters from a man who claimed himself to be The Watcher, and he was assigned to watch over and protect the home this family had unfortunately moved into, a million-dollar house to boot. The letters started out creepy, full of sinister words and strange requests. One letter read: “Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested?” A request to spill the blood of their young children, no doubt. 

     This poor family of Jersey were terrified out of their wits, and the letters only got worse. After being asked by The Watcher “who slept in the front two bedrooms,” among other derogatory requests, the family left the home. They sued the previous owners and refused to move back in. They were unsuccessful in selling the property. 

     Another trippy tale is that of the Bunny Man, rumored to have been around since the 1980s. The man is straight messed up. The Bunny Man hails from the state of Virginia and is known for his serial-killing tendencies– all while dressed up as a rabbit. While that is incredibly weird, he also does all his killings with a traditional ax. Bunny Man has several horrific murders to his name. Once Halloween rolls around, make sure to visit the appropriately named “Bunny Man Bridge,” a popular party spot for daring Virginia teens, where he is said to skin rabbits and hang their bodies on the sides. See for yourself on what would surely be a delightful October vacation. He has been reported as seen in Maryland and Washington D.C. as well. 

     Every child has been taught “Stop, Drop, and Roll” since they were very young. What most decide not to tell them, is that it does not always work. A long time ago in the city of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, it is said that a girl named Jenny was warming some broth over a campfire. Jenny didn’t notice her dress beginning to catch fire, but soon dashed around in horror as the flames engulfed her body. She screamed, she cried, running to anything she could think of to make it all stop. Jenny finally threw herself onto B&O Railroad tracks in an attempt to get the attention of an oncoming train. Jenny was too late and was hit head-on. 

     It is believed nowadays that on the anniversary of her death, Jenny’s ghost visits the tracks on which she died. She then roams the area late into the night. Some say, at that late hour, you can still hear her screaming. 

     Up next is a classic legend that many know about, originating in Latin America. The Chupacabra is a famous mythical creature, immortalized forever based on its less-than-normal eating habits. Its urban legend goes as follows. This horrible creature roams the deserts of Mexico at night, resembling a fearsome wolf and dog-like creature with eyes that glow and a boney, spikey back. 

     Said Chupacabra feasts on juicy creatures, usually cows and other farm animals, in order to suck their blood and devour their bodies. Its name can be directly translated to the very fitting one of “goat-sucker.” There are many reported sightings of this legend, but it’s certainly all just a ghost story meant to scare the children into coming home before curfew… right?

     Looking for a reason not to go to California? Here’s a great one, in the form of this scary tale. Long ago, a man and his son were trapped in a horrible fire. Before help could manage to get to the site, the man perished from his burns and injuries. His son was traumatized from the event and went insane upon discovering his fathers demise. He took his old man’s body, skinned it and dashed away into the woods. 

     His son is known today as Char Man because of his supposed gruesome appearance after being trapped in flames. His burnt body is now rumored to attack passing cars on Creek Road in the city of Ojai, looking for more human skins to add to his unique collection. Well, I guess we all have our hobbies. 

     And thus concludes the retelling of some seriously spooky stories. Hopefully no one loses sleep, or their skin, over the urban legends they’ve just read. Halloween is just around the corner, who knows which tales might come true.