Grantee Spotlight – Seattle, Washington

These students in Seattle hosted a whole conference for LGBTQ+ students! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ With the help of one of our 50 States, 50 Grants, they held their first “Community and Culture Conference,” a huge summit for LGBTQIA+ students across all Seattle Public high schools featuring over 20 different workshops from queer and trans artists, cultural workers, community members, and healthcare professionals, plus queer performances. The conference brought together nearly 200 youth from nearly every high school in their district!

When asked how it felt to be at the conference, students said:

🟣 “I haven’t really been to many queer events so thank you for showing me how incredible they can be. It felt like joy, understanding, and strength.”

🟣 “This made me wish I wasn’t a senior so I could go to this again.”

🟣 “What I really enjoyed was the community and the atmosphere in the workshops that connected everyone to everything and also gave some good advice and experience.”

🟣 “It was amazing to be near so many people like me. I could be vulnerable and talk with people who had the same life experiences as me. I was so happy!”

🟣 “I have sometimes felt like I’m not queer enough, or I don’t seem as queer as others, but being able to come here and being accepted has meant a lot.”

Check out the slideshow of photos from Seattle’s grant project and read more about all of our 2024-2025 grantees.