Rainbow Teen Safe Space

Hello, this is DDing Dong. How have you been in the first half of this year? DDing Dong has moved to more comfortable and more accessible center. We have not been able to hold diverse offline events due to COVID-19 since 2020, but we participated in Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF) finally held in three years, and met many LGBTQ youths, promoting our organization DDing Dong. Also, we went to Los Angeles, visiting organizations that help youths with shelter and housing for our Home, Pride Home project. In the second half of this year, we plan to meet LGBTQ youths in our new center and continuously send Rainbow Kits to LGBTQ runaway youths.

#Rainbow Kits

We consistently send kits containing foods and necessaries to LGBTQ runaway youths. From this year, we send Rainbow Kits not only to LGBTQ youths in their 10s but also to LGBTQ youths in their early 20s. When sending kits, we help them with counseling and supporting, and check whether they have other worries or difficulties. In the first half of this year, cosmetic brands such as LUSH Korea, DECIEM, and ISNTREE helped us make ample kits by their campaigns and donating goods.

#Happy Pride, Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF)

DDing Dong also joined in Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF). By opening and running a booth, we gave ice cream to LGBTQ youths who are connected to us online. Also we ran a ‘fortune lot’ program. By this, we delivered their fortunes including proud messages full of support. This year, DDing Dong gave solidary speeches on congratulatory stage, delivering messages that all people can enjoy the festival without any discrimination regardless of their identites or ages. Though it rained heavily that day, we successfully ended the SQCF finishing with parade.

#DDing Dong’s volunteers, DDinga DDinga

‘DDinga DDinga’ program in which volunteers meet LGBTQ youths and do various activities together, has been running this year, too. In the first half, we did ‘Online Outreach’ program through regular meetings to think how we can meet LGBTQ youths online and non-face-to-face. Also, we planned surveys for HIV/AIDS and STIs, and are doing survey of Research on the experiences and recognitions about using condoms of LGBTQ youths in their 10s. DDinga DDinga plans to do other various activities untill the end of this year, so please look forward to them.

#Moving to the new space

DDing Dong had started first in Seongbuk-gu (District of Seoul) in 2015 and moved to Gangbuk-gu in 2018. Recently, we moved to Jangchung-dong in Seoul. The new center still has an open hall where LGBTQ youths can rest, eat and read, and cozy counseling rooms. Also we have telephone counseling rooms where we can counsel LGBTQ youths non-face-to-face (untact) and online. Lots of LGBTQ Youths curious about the new space visited and used the center.

This is all we prepared for the news letter about our first half activities. A variety of other news are ready on our homepage and blog (Korean only). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by lgbtq@ddingdong.kr. Thank you.

Sincerely

From 2022, statistics about counseling and crisis support are to be integrated and noticed at the beginning of each year. You can see more detailed counseling statistics on our homepage. (Korean only)

Translated by Duri, Thomas.