Grief Support for Queer and Trans Youth at HMI
At HMI, we provide a compassionate and affirming space for queer and trans youth to explore their grief and loss. We recognize that grief manifests differently for everyone, and for LGBTQIA+ youth, these experiences are often shaped by unique challenges and identities.
Grief in our community isn’t always tied to death; it frequently stems from other forms of loss. For example, the journey of coming out or embracing one’s authentic self—mind, body, spirit, and heart—can bring profound changes to relationships, identity, and community. These moments of loss, though distinct, are deeply significant.
Queer youth experience a disproportionate amount of loss, whether through family rejection, societal prejudice, or systemic violence. Grieving in queer and trans communities often intersects with larger themes, such as reconciling queer identity with spirituality, navigating racial and ethnic identity, or coping with collective trauma caused by violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals. These layers of grief can feel overwhelming, particularly when compounded by social stigma or marginalization.
At HMI, we center queer and trans youth in this complex landscape, providing culturally relevant and imaginative ways to navigate grief. We help youth build partnerships with their grief, creating pathways for healing, growth, and self-expression. Our approach empowers youth to honor their ancestors and identities in ways that feel right and affirming to them, acknowledging the collective, disenfranchised, and sometimes suffocating nature of their grief narratives.
Survivance & Queer Youth: A Group Experience to Heal From Loss
HMI believes the best way to heal from loss is to be in community with others. If you are an LGBTQIA+ young person, between the ages of 13-24, and you have experienced the loss of someone close to you, we hope you’ll consider joining a cycle of our “Survivance & Queer Youth” group.
Survivance & Queer Youth is an activity-based support group for young people who have experienced loss. Maybe you have had a death in your family or circle of friends, or maybe you are dealing with estrangement or rejection from someone you were once close to. Maybe you have lost your sense of safety. Sometimes we push grief and sadness to the back burner, but then something happens and all the sadness feels unavoidable.
Survivance and Queer Youth is a 6-session, curriculum-driven group that helps participants develop coping skills for adversity and loss. The group includes art-making activities and self-expression, and helps participants develop peer connections. In this group, participants also learn about the spiritual and cultural practices of our LGBTQ ancestors, practices that can help us in healing from personal and collective trauma. We look primarily to the secret societies, rebellions, poetry, symbols, marches, parades, music, drag, ballroom culture, love and survival that our community has built. From the “pay it no mind” spirit of Marsha P. Johnson to the glittering gender-bending, runway of a tribute to Hector Xtravaganza, we will grow, grieve, heal and glitter together in community.
Young people who are bereaved, and those who have experienced other types of significant loss are encouraged to reach out and inquire about the dates for the next cycle of the group, so that you can get yourself registered.
Please email join@hmi.org to get started!