Rainbow Teen Safe Space

Hello, this is DDingDong. In Korea, the hot and humid summer has faded and the autumn is arriving. Here is our third newsletter of the year.

1. “A place where I can dream without hiding who I am”: Chris Kim Scholarship Award Ceremony 

Ever since I was very young, I had always thought I wouldn’t make it through my teenage years. ... Yet here I am writing this message, eight years after leaving home. ... Friends, neighbors, teachers, family, and DDingDong. With these people I could lean on, I filled my youth with time truly worthy of being called 'life'. ... Even if I don’t grow up to be someone extraordinary, I will continue living alongside people around me, just like the people who stood on my side and supported me. 

We hosted our third annual Chris Kim Scholarship Award ceremony. The scholarship was created through the generous heart of a donor and the love and support of DDingDong to encourage the dreams of LGBTQ+ youth as they continue pushing forward, no matter how hard the world tries to hold them back. Providing a scholarship where recipients don’t have to hide who they are, we hope to send the message: it is okay to be yourself in many chapters of your life. DDingDong continues to support LGBTQ+ youth who wish to thrive in their lives, even within a Korean society that is still hostile to LGBTQ+ people.

2. We Met More LGBTQ+ Youth Than Ever Before in 11 Years at the Seoul Queer Culture Festival  

This year, DDingDong joined the Seoul and Daejeon Queer Culture Festival. Queer Culture Festivals are where we connect with the highest number of LGBTQ+ youth all year. At this year’s Seoul festival alone, we met 700 LGBTQ+ youth—the largest number since our founding. DDingDong creates spaces where LGBTQ+ youth can rest before and after the Pride Parade and meet one another. We also offer ice cream to help them cool down in the summer heat, along with a message: reach out to DDingDong whenever you face difficulties because of your identity.

3. Picnic: LGBTQ+ Youth Writing Program 

LGBTQ+ youth from DDingDong met with queer authors in Korea. We will never forget the excitement on the participants’ faces as they met poets and critics who openly write as LGBTQ+ people and allies. On June 20, DDingDong hosted “Picnic”, a queer youth writing program where the participants were able to express stories they rarely get to share, read their writings aloud, and recognize and affirm one another’s presence.

September is the month of Chuseok holidays. While it is typically a time spent with family, Chuseok can be difficult for LGBTQ+ youth facing conflict at home over their identity. DDingDong will continue reaching out and checking in, so that LGBTQ+ individuals in Korea do not feel isolated. Thank you for supporting DDingDong. 

Sincerely,
DDingDong