Youth Voices is an annual cohort of exceptional young people ages 13-18 who team up with our organization to offer their unique stories and words of advice to other LGBTQ+ youth around the globe. They are students, artists, and activists who are working to change their communities for the better and who have a passion for empowering their community of LGBTQ+ peers with their insights and observations.
Youth Voices Class of 2023 officially came to an end last month. It is a bittersweet moment as we send off this group of incredible young people to do bigger and brighter things! But before we do, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate some of the powerful, creative, and inspiring things that they have accomplished with us this year.
Fall 2022
- Created cover art in collaboration with X Ari
- Inspired Comic Book Heroes for Otis College students
- Spoke at a Workshop on LGBTQ+ Inclusive Classrooms
- Participated in panels at It Gets Better’s Español Summit
- Created videos for our Election Campaign
- Spoke at the 2022 Gender Spectrum Online Family Conference
- Participated in a Storytelling Workshop
- Shared their story during our Better Everyday Campaign
- Shared art and words of advice at Models of Pride
- Spoke at a workshop around Gender & Sexuality
- Streamed on Twitch for Trans Awareness Week
- Shared their art and inspiration for self expression at an Expression in Media Workshop
- Participated in a interviews for WokeAf Podcast
- Attended the first inaugural Youth Summit, in LA.
Winter 2022
- Participated in a focus group to help It Gets Better find its theory of change
- Shared their Black History Month icons
- Shared their story in our Black& Campaign
- Shared art and poetry for our Catalyst Quarterly newsletters
- Participated in an Interview with Outwords
- Attended the Time to Thrive: Deep South Conference
Spring 2023
- Shared their stories in our Transgender Day of Visibility Blog
- Spoke at an LGBTQ+ History Workshop
- Welcomed attendees at the annual Rainbow Conference
- Co-led a workshop at SXSW EDU about Pronouns & LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Classroom
- Shared their stories during our AAPI& Campaign
- Participated in an interview for Word in Black
- Participated in an interview for ABC News
- Attended an LGBTQ+ Career Day, co-hosted by It Gets Better and Rainbow Labs
Summer 2023
- Created a Pride Zine 2023
- Spoke at Digital Pride – Creator Showcase
- Spoke at Digital Pride РVodcase with It Gets Better Espa̱ol
- Spoke at the NYC Pride Rally
- Wrote a powerful letter urging folks to protect transgender youth
