Youth SAGA

Peer-based Support Group for LGBTQ+ Youth

Youth SAGA is a peer-based support group committed to empowering, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ youth in the Roanoke Valley and beyond!

Youth SAGA was founded in 2010 after assessing a need in the Roanoke community for a peer-based support group for LGBTQ+ youth. The group was initially named Roanoke DESTINY (Diversity, Education and Support to INspire Youth) and later re-named Youth SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance) by the young folx attending. Youth SAGA has always been a peer-led group with supportive adult volunteers who facilitate the meetings. All SAGA volunteers undergo a background check, a screening and interview process, and receive training to facilitate meetings. Youth SAGA supports and extends the mission of Diversity Camp Inc by providing an opportunity for year-round support and community for LGBTQ+ youth in the region.

If you'd like to support the mission and outreach of Youth SAGA, please consider making a donation via the Diversity Camp Inc website and note "Youth SAGA" in the designation.

Meeting Times & Locations

Youth SAGA meets the 1st and 3rd Sunday each month at

coffee shops in the Roanoke, Virginia area. Email Laura Farmer for more details: laurabfarmer@gmail.com

Upcoming SAGA Programs:

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Meet The Team

Dr. Laura B. Farmer, LPC

Co-founder and Director of Youth SAGA

Dr. Laura B. Farmer, LPC is co-founder and Director of Youth SAGA. She works as a mental health therapist in private practice in Roanoke, VA. Her research and clinical interests focus on gender diversity and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals. Laura also founded the state advocacy organization Virginia Association for LGBT Issues in Counseling (VA-ALGBTIC) in 2015. She serves as Co-PI on the National Institute of Mental Health project, The BH-Works Suicide Prevention Program for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth. Laura is a Qoya dance and movement instructor, expressive arts enthusiast, and devoted mom of three children.

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Brandon McGhee

Vice-Chair of Board of Directors at Diversity Camp Inc., Facilitator for Youth SAGA

Brandon McGhee, LCSW, he/ him pronouns, is a resident of Roanoke, VA where he lives with his husband and dogs. He received his Bachelors in Social Work (BSW) in 2007 from Ferrum College and received his Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from University of
New England in 2018. He is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). His work background is with the
Department of Social Services in Foster Care, Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services, and Prevention as well as counseling for youth and
families. He currently works as a counselor.

October Sage

Youth SAGA Facilitator

October is a dedicated and compassionate facilitator for Youth SAGA. They are a nonbinary, transgender, and queer individual, and are committed to creating a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ teens. As a parent to a gender creative child, October understands the importance of nurturing self-expression and individuality. With a role as counselor and volunteer with Diversity Camp; and background in teaching the exploration of religion, ethics, and life skills to children and teens, they bring knowledge and experience to support the mental health and well-being of youth. October's passion for mental health and child development shines through in their work as they strive to be the adult their teen self once needed.

Charlie Sequoia

Youth SAGA Facilitator

Charlie (they/them) relocated to the Roanoke area from Vermont in 2020 and is excited to connect and support queer youth in the Roanoke Valley. They enjoy being in the natural world and have recently started the Roanoke Church of the Wild, an LGBTQ+ affirming earth-based spirituality group.

Binx Y. Lin ("Bee")

Youth SAGA Facilitator

Binx Y. Lin ("Bee") was born and raised in Southern China, and continued to grow in Shanghai. Bee is currently a psychiatry resident at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. At work, she is currently providing mental health services for children, adolescents, adults, and elderly at Carilion Mental Health, Salem VA Medical Center, and Center for Healthy Aging. She is a scholar and advocate on Chinese LGBTQ+ mental health, co-founding the first National Chinese LGBTQ+ health survey in the U.S. Her research works on LGBTQ+ had been published on the Lancet Public Health, Nature Mental Health, and JAACAP publisher, etc. In her spare time, she also volunteers for the youth SAGA, youth grief camp and enjoys sports (basketball, rugby, softball) and outdoors.