Celebrate Pride Month by directly supporting and funding a safe space for Trans Queer & Questioning Youth!
Currently in Louisiana and across the U.S, lawmakers are attempting to halt trans youth from participating in sports teams, have access to the medical treatment they need, and many other restrictions. This transphobia cannot be tolerated. Due to this message of hatred being spread, it is now critical to continue to make vulnerable trans and queer youth feel safe through providing spaces that allow and encourage them to be themselves.
The LGBT Center of New Orleans provides a space for TransQueer Youth that’s unlike any other in the city. The Center meets bimonthly and strives to make our youth feel safe and accepted through building community. Meetings started in 2017 and were consistent until the pandemic halted all meetings for 2020. Fortunately, we have been able to relaunch in 2021.
At each meeting, we provide transportation, dinner, and everyone who attends is encouraged to participate in our planned activity. Examples of past event activities have been gardening, art, graduation celebrations, sex education, and much more. *In all recent meetings, everyone is required to wear a mask whether they are vaccinated or not in solidarity with our younger members who have not been able to receive the vaccination.
To continue quality meetings is important to us and the youth who attend. It is important because of the lack of LGBT spaces and resources that are given to youth especially in the South. The center’s purpose goes beyond just building community, but also directly connecting youth with a variety of resources such as career/educational building opportunities, legal name change assistance, transition assistance through clothing donations, and so much more.
Monthly Budget (2 events per month)
Transportation - $50
(gas stipends for drivers or Lyfts for youths)
Youth Coordinator - $700
(10-15 hours/week at $15/hr)
Dinner - $200
(paying for supplies for home cooked meals or buying pizza)
Supplies - $200
(arts and crafts/board games/make up/whatever is needed for the event/etc)
Contribution to Center’s operating cost - $200
It is necessary to continue providing transportation and dinner to every member that attends because as someone who has attended frequently since it started, it would have been a huge barrier for me as a lower income person to provide my own transportation and food. It is the same situation for other members of the group. It is necessary because it would mean the definite safety of everyone who attends. As the violence and income inequality toward LGBTQ+ Black and brown folks continues to exist, as a community we must provide what we can to make their lives easier especially our youth.
Through this GoFundMe, we plan to use donated funds to continue the LGBT center’s bi-monthly meetings for the rest of 2021. Fifteen to twenty hours a week of the youth coordinator’s time will be dedicated to grant writing, to secure continued funding beyond December 2021 and make our group financially sustainable.
Celebrate Pride Month by directly supporting and funding a safe space for Trans Queer & Que… Zen Castro needs your support for Help LGBT cen
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