The community that The Strawberry Philosophy is serving is the Queer community, particularly, Queer youth. Being LGBTQ+, while more accepted than it has been in the past, is still a very hard thing to have to struggle with. I figured out my sexuality pretty early on, probably around the age of nine years old. I just knew that maybe I wasn’t that into girls. Some people realize it later on, some people early, like me. It’s different for everyone, and with everyone’s experiences being different, so do the way that they realize it. Or, the way they treat themselves after.
According to The Washington Post, 1 in 6 Gen Z Adults are Queer, with this number being able to grow. More people are coming out as LGBTQ+ because there’s a more comfortable energy around it. But that doesn’t stop a need for Queer youth’s stories to be told. Oftentimes, people focus on one type of person’s story and that needs to be adjusted. By focusing on Queer youth, resources are able to be met within the community and even outside it.
The Strawberry Philosophy is designed to tell the stories of Queer youth, made for and by Queer youth. It’s to create a support system for kids who are questioning their sexuality, in the process of figuring out their sexuality, pondering their gender identity, etc. The Strawberry Philosophy puts a magnifying glass on stories, whether it be from kids who already figured out their sexuality and/or gender identity, or people who have begun to question it.