Help fund Trans Queer Youth NOLA

Celebrate Pride Month by directly supporting and funding a safe space for Trans Queer & Questioning Youth!

While the attacks on trans youth from sports ban to health care continue throughout the country, TQY is now in our fourth year of providing spaces that allow and encourage queer youth to be themselves and experience their community. Throughout the tumultuous times, this space is even more essential due to the ever-changing and challenging environment that today’s youth face.

Since 2018, the LGBT Center of New Orleans has provided a meeting space for young folks who identify as LGBTQIA+ or questioning in the form a youth group called Trans Queer (or Questioning) Youth. The Center meets bimonthly and strives to make anyone who attends feel safe and accepted through building community.

At each meeting, we provide transportation, dinner, and everyone who attends is encouraged to participate in our planned activity though no one is every required to do anything. Since our relaunch in May 2021, we have visited the Sugar Roots Farm to learn about their production and to volunteer with their CSA program, celebrated Pride with a photo shoot, made zines with a community member, distributed $30,000 in mutual aid funds via our Instagram during Hurricane Ida, provided a self care night after the power came back on, visited a haunted house, made collages, learned how to make our own purses with a drag queen friend, hosted a holigay market fundraiser, which sent nine members to drivers ed, made vision boards for 2022, hung out at the Speakeasy Farm during the Delta surge, had a crawfish boil, learned about Bulbancha History from an indigenous community member, attended the Gay Easter parade, and held a skill share along with many fun times and events! We look forward to Pride Month where we’ll be hanging out at the Longvue Gardens Equality Day and hosting a hurricane preparedness event with Imagine Water Works!

Maintaining this space is essential because of the ongoing attacks on our youth and the lack of LGBT spaces and resources that are dedicated 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 most importantly love and support.

Monthly Budget (2 events per month)

Transportation - $50

(gas stipends for drivers or Lyfts for youths)

Youth Coordinator - $500/month

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.

One of the Center’s adult facilitators, Burns, other community members, and volunteers have assisted me in the past with getting connected with the queer artist community, provided rental assistance, and gave me a lot of support when I announced my gender nonconforming identity. I would like the center to consistently meet to continue providing this type of experience to New Orleans LGBTQ+ youth.

Through this GoFundMe, we plan to use donated funds to continue the LGBT center’s bi-monthly meetings from June 2022 - June 2023. Your support is greatly appreciated, and Happy Pride Month!!