Samantha Gerson

About

As a teenager, Samantha Gerson was sent away to an institution where she endured abuse and conversion therapy. As an adult, she created UnBroken to help the survivors of such institutions. UnBroken seeks to help the community of LGBTQ teens who undergo institutional abuse, many of whom are at a much higher risk of suicide or incarceration due to the trauma they suffered. Since starting UnBroken three years ago, Samantha helped approximately 500 survivors, and assisted upwards of 100 families in search of safe and supportive alternative care for their children. Samantha is instrumental in the healing process of these adolescents, playing an integral role in saving young LGBTQ lives. For her inspirational work, she was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Finalist (2018) and was selected as a Live Proud Scholarship Campaign Finalist at Human Rights Campaign (2017). As the first non-profit of its kind, UnBroken gives survivors and LGBTQ teens hope where they might otherwise see only despair. Before UnBroken, there were little to no resources for this community. UnBroken provides victims with the legal, therapeutic and vocational support they so desperately need.