“It’s such a scary time, and you know, I’m from South Georgia. I didn’t know any gay people… I definitely didn’t know any trans people growing up. Just the curiosity of not having someone to ask that would be appropriate, you know, not having a safe space to ask was something that… immediately felt wrong” – Ida Barrett.
Why It’s Newsworthy: Facing 241 anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting student and educator rights in the U.S., safe spaces for acceptance and verifiable information regarding the queer community are important. Barrett is directly involved in creating and fostering those safe spaces in Athens, via APQC’s LGBTQ+ Youth Group and her own personal advice website.
Who is Ida?
Ida Barrett is the Director of Community Outreach for the Athens Pride and Queer Collective. Barrett, a pansexual woman, is quite outspoken about her and APQC’s goals. Through both APQC’s LGBTQ+ Youth Group and her anonymous advice website, she goes above and beyond to support the queer community of Athens.
Barrett aims to provide safe spaces, information and guidance to fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Growing up, she felt as if she couldn’t discuss sexual orientation or identity. “I felt like if I asked these types of questions, I was going to get into trouble or something was wrong with me,” said Barrett.
LGBTQ+ Youth in America
The figure depicts survey responses from the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Youth Report of 2023 and The Trevor Project, both of which are based in the United States. The Human Rights Campaign surveyed 13,000 LGBTQ+ youths between the ages of 13 and 18, while the Trevor Project surveyed 18,000 LGBTQ+ youths between the ages of 13 and 24.
Unfortunately, Barrett’s experiences are not uncommon. The 2024 Trevor Project reported that only around 40% of LGBTQ+ youth deemed home an affirming space, and only around 52% deemed school an affirming space.
Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union has tracked 241 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in various stages that target student and educator rights (as of March 14th, 2025), 45 of which aim to restrict or censor school curricula.
Barrett strives to combat the lack of security felt by queer youth, as well as current attempts to restrict LGBTQ+ education via the LGBTQ+ Youth Group.
According to the Trevor Project, 12% of LGBTQ+ youths attempted suicide last year. However, LGBTQ+ youths who reported living in accepting communities attempted suicide at half the rate of those living in unaccepting communities.
“Any child being able to avoid those feelings is incredible. And being able to get real information that’s unbiased, that’s factual, that’s backed by science is huge,” says Barrett. She is thankful that those who attend “have parents and support systems who are happy to allow… them to explore their identity and to understand the identity of others.”
What Opposition / Why Opposition?
Many of the 241 anti-LGBTQ+ bills directed towards educator and student rights state a general intention to “protect” the youth. For example, S.B. 120 and S.B. 248, 2 of the 5 anti-LGBTQ+ student-educator bills currently advancing in Georgia, aim to prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and heavily restrict access to LGBTQ+ information or topics. S.B. 248 aims to redefine and restrict LGBTQ+ information and materials, citing that they are considered “sexually explicit” or “harmful to minors.”
Barrett believes that “one of the big criticisms about youth, and not even trans youth or queer youth, but just youth in general being exposed to any kind of pride event… is that they’re too young and it’s explicit.”
“There’s such this false narrative that anything that has to do with the LGBTQ+ community is inherently sexual.” – Ida Barrett
Confidence in Identity
The figure above uses the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Youth Report of 2023. The Human Rights Campaign surveyed 13,000 LGBTQ+ youth in the United States between the ages of 13 and 18. (Graphic / Vaughan Stout)
According to the Human Rights Campaign’s 2023 Youth Report, more than 4 out of 5 LGBTQ+ youths knew they were something other than straight before 13-years-old. The reported average age of this discovery was 11.1-years-old.
“Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. And… some right now do know very well what’s going on,” said Barrett. “It has been exciting to see the kids who have been responding already and wanting to take action, and wanting to advocate for themselves, or advocate for… whoever it may be in their life.”
Why Ida?
Barrett believes that “it’s a really angering feeling to see kids so young know that they’re in danger and be so genuinely afraid.”
Through her direct efforts to inform and support the queer youth of Athens, Barrett helps to nurture the accepting community she has grown to love.
“Our hope is that anyone who attends our youth group… that they feel welcomed, included, and see such a large support from not only other queer people, but from allies, and from parents, and from friends.” – Barrett
Ask Ida
For those with questions about their navigating sexuality, you can always ask her at her anonymous advice website. Barrett started the advice website in 2019, with humble beginnings answering everyday questions. The questions quickly grew more personal, delving into topics like job uncertainty, life advice and eventually sexuality.
Although there is a backlog of requests since 2022 due to her busy schedule, Barrett always aims to “be thoughtful and come at it from all angles…but still give it the thought it deserves.”
Barrett says people have always gravitated towards her for advice, which is what led to her starting the website.
There was one particular event that has stuck with her. A few years ago, she ran into some strangers and they started to hit it off. “As the night went on, one of the girls disclosed to me that she was in love with her roommate and didn’t know what to do.”
“She didn’t know how she felt, hadn’t felt anything like that for another girl before… and she was crying to me at the bar,” said Barrett. After around an hour of talking, she left and never saw her again.
“3 years later, I realized that I had been buying coffee from her almost every other day for the past year,” said Barrett. “She is now in a relationship with that former roommate, and they are as happy as can be.”
“That has been one of the coolest things…to see. This random stranger at a bar disclose this to me and now her life is lovely,” said Barrett.
Though this particular run in has imprinted on Barrett, she claims these occurrences are both quite common and bring her so much joy. Her expertise, her passion and her direct involvement in the Athens community are just a few of the many reasons to do one thing:
Ask Ida.