It Gets Better: Changemakers Grantee Spotlight. Meet Delaney

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best is now.”

It’s a proverb that our It Gets Better: Changemakers youth leaders take to heart. They are those seeds, planted and nurtured throughout the grant program, emerging as a forest of new leaders adding to the foundation of support built by leaders who came before. 

Delaney is one of the incredible youth leaders to emerge from our Changemakers program. An alum of our 2023-2024 grantee class, I remember Delaney being so passionate, so clear of their vision to make their school a better place for LGBTQ+ students like them. 

And their project did just that, providing resources to students, hosting queer events, and orchestrating student-led teacher trainings. Today, Delaney is a college student who continues to believe in a better world and is doing their part to make it a reality. 

It Gets Better: It’s so good to connect again! I can’t believe it’s already been two years. What has been the impact on LGBTQ+ youth in your community after your project?

Delaney: Creating our GSA met resistance. Articles circulated claiming we were pushing ‘far-left gender ideologies’ and encouraging students to ‘explore sexual behaviors.’ But we kept going. What we built was simple and powerful: a safe space where queer students could exist without apology, and where allies became visible. The community we created didn’t leave with me when I graduated. The pride, the visibility, the sense of belonging, that stayed.

“The community we created didn’t leave with me when I graduated. The pride, the visibility, the sense of belonging, that stayed.” – Delaney

It Gets Better: That is so beautiful, and inspirational. It really goes to show the positive impact we can have on others! What about you? Did working on this project, as a leader, set you up to accomplish anything after?

Delaney: This project taught me more than just advocacy. It taught me how to lead. Walking into college, I already knew how to build something from the ground up, navigate pushback, and create spaces where people feel genuinely welcome. Now I’m working to bring that same sense of community to LGBTQ+ people in Greek life, a space that has historically felt out of reach for so many of us. It’s still a work in progress, but I wouldn’t have the confidence or the tools to try without this experience.

It Gets Better: That is exactly what we hope Changemakers will do: create future LGBTQ+ leaders. What do you feel like is the importance of LGBTQ+ youth-led community projects? 

Delaney: Youth-led LGBTQ+ projects are important because they’re built by the people who need them most, and that changes everything. When young queer people lead, the space feels authentic, the language fits, and the trust is real. But beyond the community it creates, the act of leading itself matters. It hands young people real-world skills, confidence, and proof that they are capable of creating the change they once needed.

It Gets Better: Delaney, thank you so much for your time today! It is such a pleasure to catch up with you and hear a little bit more about what you have accomplished.

– For more about It Gets Better: Changemakers and our incredible grantees, visit itgetsbetterchangemakers.org