When in need, the LGBTQ community comes together to support our queer brothers and sisters, and that’s exactly what we did with Emily Schneck.
Schneck, 19, was kicked out of her home after her parents learned through social media that she has a girlfriend. They completely cut her off financially, leaving her with nothing but credit card debt and a whopping 20 dollars to her name. Just to stay afloat, Schneck was working two jobs in addition to attending Canisius College in Buffalo, NY where she runs cross-country.
Her parents gave her two options: come home and undergo conversion therapy or never contact her parents and siblings again.
The cross-country runner chose the latter, and upon doing so, her father packed up her car with all her belongings, removed the license plates, stopped car insurance payments, and left a note saying to never speak to anyone in the family again.
Emily’s teammates, Grace, proceeded to create a GoFundMe campaign to help Emily pay tuition—and to live.
The GoFundMe campaign had a total of 2,573 donors and was cut off at $100,515, far exceeding the original $5,000 goal. In an updated post, Emily encouraged others to continue giving to LGBTQ+ organizations that help the queer community. She also thanked everyone for their support.
“I now know that family is not always something you have but something you find," says Scheck in a statement published in the New York Times. "Thank you to everyone who showed their love and support in this difficult time. The positive outreach has been unbelievable."
The story doesn't end there! Emily and her girlfriend, Justyna, ended up spending Thanksgiving together! How adorable is that??!