Congrats to Our Graduating Class of Youth Voices

By Rae Sweet

It Gets Better’s Youth Voices, Class of 2024, just celebrated the end of their year together, and it was an incredible one. This group of young LGBTQ+ people from across the U.S. came together like no other. They conceptualized and collaborated on impactful projects, learned how to tell their story to create change in their communities, and created deep and meaningful friendships that will last a lifetime. As individuals, they are changemakers, trailblazers, do-ers, wizards, leaders, creators, and lighthouses shining the way towards the world we want to create. But as a team, they were miraculous. 

As a team, they were miraculous!

The Class of 2024 Youth Voices cohort was able to accomplish some incredible projects, including: the first Youth Voice Alumni integrated project, Trans Youth Deserve Better, the first TikToks videos conceptualized, created, and edited by Youth Voices for Trans Awareness Week, and curating It Gets Better’s first book by and for LGBTQ+ youth, Queerbook. 

Here’s some more of the incredible work they accomplished this year:

Major Projects

• Attended our 2nd annual Youth Summit in Los Angeles, CA. 
• Reviewed and selected finalists for Queerbook 2024, as well as wrote an opening letter for the book. 
• Led workshops for GSA’s across the country (and in Canada) on topics like Artivism, Online Activism, and Civic Engagement.
• Participated in Pride 2024 Street Teams.
• Conceptualized, organized, and recorded a Pride Roundtable Discussion.
• Participated in Pride social media campaigns for UGG and American Eagle. 

Youth Voices at Models of Pride 2023 cheering on Hayley Kiyoko

News Coverage, Articles and Interviews

• “National Coming Out Day: What I Wish I Knew Before I Came Out as Queer” with Teen Vogue
• “Proud to be Proud” issue with USA Today
• “New survey finds a majority of teachers say state governments have too much influence over what’s taught in classrooms” with CNN
• “Schools Were Just Supposed To Block Porn. Instead They Sabotaged Homework and Censored Suicide Prevention Sites” with The Markup
• “Teachers, parents say kids should learn about racism. Sexuality much more divisive” with USA Today
• “LGBTQ+ students on what they’ve learned — and what they can teach schools — about supporting queer kids” with 19th
• “Sex education classes often don’t include LGBTQ+ students. New restrictions could make it worse” with Associated Press

Social Media Campaigns

• Trans Youth Deserve Better
• Trans Awareness Week
• LGBTQ+ History Month
• Mental Health with YHelp
• Hispanic&
• “We’re Nonbinary & Black Fems”
• IG Live – “Navigating the Black, Queer College Experience”
• Promoting 50 States. 50 Grants. 5000 Voices.
• Believe in Better Campaign

Youth Voices playing Pride UNO behind the scenes of their photoshoot with Maxwell Poth

In-Person Activations

• Queer Proms with MAC Cosmetics
• Attended a 50 States. 50 Grants. 5000 Voices. showcase.
• Attended Outfest and participated in a Q&A roundtable with the Director, Producer, and Actors of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
• Participated in Converse Block Party in LA
• Spoke at a school assembly for National Coming Out Day. 

For more on our Youth Voices program, visit https://itgetsbetter.org/about/youth-voices/.