A place of safety for youth The Bridge honors LGBTQ advocates.

Byline: Susan Shalhoub

WORCESTER - Laura Farnsworth, the Safe Homes program manager, said Beverly Lavallee of Southbridge was shocked to learn she'd won the award.

"She was taken aback - really shocked. But she is long-deserving of this," said Ms. Farnsworth.

Ms. Farnsworth heads up the program designed for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth at Mann Street in Worcester. Safe Homes provides support groups, drop-in services, counseling and referrals to young people 14-23 who are homosexual or transgender or who are having questions about their sexual identity.

The goal, said Ms. Farnsworth, is to provide a nurturing environment for youth who could be at risk of bullying or suicide.

A program of The Bridge of Central Massachusetts, Safe Homes took a year off from its annual awards ceremony, but is back this year with a strong roster of local heroes recognized for their achievements.

Ms. Lavallee, this year's Award of Courage recipient, got involved with P-FLAG, the support group for parents of gay teens, when her son came out as a homosexual in 2006.

"She is what we call a straight ally - she has become such an advocate," said Ms. Farnsworth of Ms. Lavallee.

She described how Ms. Lavallee educated herself on gay issues and began doing speaking engagements - including at her son's college - to educate and inform parents.

She started mentoring at the Home for Little Wanderers' Waltham House, New England's only group home for LGBTQ

youth.

In 2007 she took in a boy who was transsexual and needed a foster home. Ms. Lavallee adopted the child as her daughter about three years ago.

"She taught me everything," said Ms. Lavallee of her daughter.

Ms. Lavallee, who is graduating from Worcester State University with a degree in psychology this spring, plans to specialize in youth issues. She said the process of a child coming out is a family matter. "This is a journey for everyone," she said.

She noted that suicide is a real risk for kids grappling with gender identity. "The kids are looking for someone to accept them," she said.

The process of coming out should ideally enhance a gay teen's relationships, said Ms. Farnsworth. Just as parents are encouraged to be supportive, youth need to be supportive of their parents as well.

"We always say, `Don't come out at the family dinner,'" said Ms. Farnsworth, who urges youth to have a plan first. "It can take teens years to come to their own...