From Ramon Johnson,
Your Guide to Gay Life.
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The Point Foundation provides a very unique service for the LGBT community in the form of financial scholarships and academic support. With an impressive history of life-long involvement with LGBT youth, Point Foundation Executive Director Jorge Valencia steps forward to speak out about why gay and lesbian kids need academic scholarships, the evolution of post-gay youth and how coming out as a Latino Mormon from Texas shaped his future.

How did you go from being a BYU student to getting involved with The Point Foundation?

It wasn't until I moved to Los Angeles after working in the Clinton Administration that I [began] working at a non-profit organization. I immediately identified with the cause. That particular organization, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), dealt with leaders that are sophomores in high school. From there, I moved on to the Trevor Project after attending an event where I found out the statistics of suicide among LGBT youth, which was jarring and eye-opening. I did that for about 5 1/2 years and now The Point Foundation.

When did you come out?

When I was 27.

What was it like coming out in a Mormon Latino family from Texas?

In terms of growing up Mormon, there is a misconception that there aren't that many Latino Mormons; but there are a lot all over the world. My father and his family moved to the States when he was young. He converted when he was about 16, became a missionary, went to Mexico and converted who was to be his future wife, my mom. [Mormonism] is the only religion I grew up knowing.

Even when you grow up Mormon, straight-gay doesn't really matter because you're already different than other kids. But in my life [religion] was very influential in terms of setting some values and goals.

How do you feel about "post-label" youth?

I hadn't been exposed to gay people growing up and I didn't feel like I fit into the straight community coming out, so I can see why young people today that are still experiencing emotional and physical growth don't want to be tied down to one particular sort of role.

It's fascinating and liberating to see a generation say, 'Don't label me. I'm still trying to figure this out in my own heart, mind and emotions." I think it's wonderful!

And now, your organization helps many of these youth by providing academic scholarships. What makes a Point Scholar unique?

We know what the requirement is to become a Point Scholar: The academic excellence; the emotional and/or financial need; the leadership potential and participation in LGBT causes and the community. There is something underlying in each one of these individuals: They know who they are; they are proud of who they are; and they live their lives unapologetically.

Is that why we need academic scholarships for LGBT people?

Scholarships are absolutely needed as long as families, communities and society continues to shun individuals because of their sexuality and gender identity. I was fortunate in that I had a loving and supportive family that could provide the financial means for me to get a higher education. But daily, there are youth that are being turned out to the streets as soon as [their parents] find out they are LGBT. Why should they not be entitled to a higher education?

Tell me more about the Point Foundation scholars themselves.

What is fascinating and humbling for me is to sit down and hear of these young people and their stories. Yes, we have the scholars who were kicked out of their homes and lived in their cars and jumped around to any friend that would open the door for them; yet [they] maintained more than one job and a 3.5 or higher GPA all while being involved in community service and LGBT causes. That to me is phenomenal.

I look at that and then I look at the statistics of LGBT youth who are four and a half times more likely to skip school than their [heterosexual] peers because of harassment in school. They are three times more likely to drop out of high school. They are three to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers and more prone to substance abuse.

Our scholars defy every single one of those statistics. Something inside them: That leadership, that potential, that belief in themselves that their doing what's right caries them through. I truly believe that these are going to be the individuals that are going to change the way society looks at the LGBT community.

You've dedicated most of your life to helping gay youth. Do you have children?

I don't but I would love to have children.

Will they be Point Scholars?

Hopefully, they won't need to be.