Past and present EDGY supporters include WNBA, model and author Tess Holliday, Kirsten Vangsness from the CBS drama series Criminal Minds, and actress Mary Lynn Rajskub from 24 and Arrested Development, among others. This year’s event will be held at the Skirball Cultural Center, an educational institution in Los Angeles, California.
EDGY teaches adults in power to help kids, teens and young adults of the LGBTQ community to live better lives; moreover, it empowers these services providers to do better for the LGBTQ youth, in an effort to make the world a better, safer, and more accepting place for them to grow up.
At the EDGY conference, foster parents, therapists and law enforcement officers, all work together. They are taught about the unique issues that are facing this population, as well as how to address them with the dignity and respect, while simultaneously helping them to grow and thrive in society.
The EDGY Conference is run by Penny Lane Centers, which is a non-profit organization that has been around for over five decades. The Penny Lane Centers were the first agency in Los Angeles County to offer LGBTQ families the option of foster care for children that are in desperate need. They help facilitate the adoption process for LGBTQ families, and they provide assistance to families by offering emergency housing and mental health counseling for the youth in Los Angeles County.
Their Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) Drop-in Centers are places where the LGBTQ youth can come to feel welcome, safe and accepted. They also offer laundry, bathing, mental health services and career training.
To learn more about the EDGY Conference 2018, check out its official homepage, and Facebook page.
