Let's Send LGBTQ+ Youth to Fun Home
Donation protected
Growing up around live theater, I have been very fortune to have opportunities to experience some exquisite pieces of art. But none has ever affected me the way "Fun Home" has. This coming of age piece follows Alison through her dysfunctional childhood and awkward young adulthood as seen through the eyes of her adult self. From her pre-teen years dealing with her father's struggles to hide his sexuality, through college years accepting her own and coming out to her parents, this show delivered a powerful message to me that I have not been able to shake: "You are not alone”.
As a gay man, I related to her on so many levels and was touched so deeply that it made discussing the show without becoming emotional extremely challenging. I just kept thinking that if this show had been around when I was coming to terms with myself and my sexuality, it would have been comforting to know that I was not alone and that what I was experiencing and WHO I was, was IN FACT... normal. Fortunately for me, I grew up with an incredible support system of people who supported me and loved me for who I am. Sadly, even in this day and age, many youths are not so fortunate.
So, after seeing this poignant work, I began thinking about how to get this message out to teens and young adults whose support system may be slim to non-existent. This is where you come in. I've teamed up with some incredibly generous people and we have been working with youth organizations such as Hatch Youth Montrose Center in Houston and Passages Youth Center in Kansas City to help send their youth contingency to see Fun Home while it’s on tour this year. A small donation of any size will help make this a reality and spread the message to some of our most vulnerable kids that they are not alone. In the midst of the political challenges that the LGBTQ+ community is encountering presently, I believe that more than ever, this message of normality and solidarity is profoundly important.
While we are still working out details with the other groups, because of the time constraints we are working with, we have started to raise money to send 10 students and 2 chaperones from Hatch Youth Montrose Center this May. At $100 per ticket plus transportation and parking, that comes to about $1500. As we achieve our goal and get student totals from other groups, we will add to this amount to try to give this experience to as many LGBTQ kids as we can. Thank you for taking the time to read this and please help us share this campaign and this play with others.
As a gay man, I related to her on so many levels and was touched so deeply that it made discussing the show without becoming emotional extremely challenging. I just kept thinking that if this show had been around when I was coming to terms with myself and my sexuality, it would have been comforting to know that I was not alone and that what I was experiencing and WHO I was, was IN FACT... normal. Fortunately for me, I grew up with an incredible support system of people who supported me and loved me for who I am. Sadly, even in this day and age, many youths are not so fortunate.
So, after seeing this poignant work, I began thinking about how to get this message out to teens and young adults whose support system may be slim to non-existent. This is where you come in. I've teamed up with some incredibly generous people and we have been working with youth organizations such as Hatch Youth Montrose Center in Houston and Passages Youth Center in Kansas City to help send their youth contingency to see Fun Home while it’s on tour this year. A small donation of any size will help make this a reality and spread the message to some of our most vulnerable kids that they are not alone. In the midst of the political challenges that the LGBTQ+ community is encountering presently, I believe that more than ever, this message of normality and solidarity is profoundly important.
While we are still working out details with the other groups, because of the time constraints we are working with, we have started to raise money to send 10 students and 2 chaperones from Hatch Youth Montrose Center this May. At $100 per ticket plus transportation and parking, that comes to about $1500. As we achieve our goal and get student totals from other groups, we will add to this amount to try to give this experience to as many LGBTQ kids as we can. Thank you for taking the time to read this and please help us share this campaign and this play with others.
Organizer
Dennis Wickline
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA