Spaces for Kids and Teens:
Kids Art and Advocacy Fun Zone (under age 12) CLICK HERE
Teen Chat and Advocacy Space (Ages 13-18) CLICK HERE
Our Learning and Development Cohorts
Dr. Lulu’s Parents Supporting Parents Cohort CLICK HERE
Brave Teacher Cohort CLICK HERE
OUT Georgia Business Impact Cohort (Details forthcoming)
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together - Advocacy Academy CLICK HERE
Youth Advocacy Fellowship Cohort CLICK HERE
Investing in Our Future is an effort to mobilize communities across Georgia and the South with a shared commitment to the next generation of leaders. In a celebration of Pride Month in Atlanta, given that the Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade is in October, this 3-day event will include an opening reception and keynote at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a second day of workshops, panels centering Black women and parents of LGBTQIA+ children while prioritizing mentorship and support for youth in collaboration with OUTGeorgia alliance business, and a final day of keynotes, workshops, and a community marketplace.
Our Youth Advocacy Fellowship has been made possible, in part, due to generous support from AHF
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Youth Advocacy Cohorts
The LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights cultivates the next generation of advocates by engaging our most dynamic and diverse community leaders and organizations committed to human dignity. We do this by connecting LGBTQ+ history to our Present advocacy, and by facilitating educational initiatives, social programming, and civic engagement with a particular focus on the U.S. South.
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Brave Teacher Cohort
The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. Trevor offers 24/7 crisis services, connecting highly trained counselors with LGBTQ+ young people whenever they need support. To drive prevention efforts, The Trevor Project also operates robust research, advocacy, education, and peer support programs.
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Parents Supporting Parents Cohort
Dr. Lulu’s Pride Corner is a family-focused gender and sexuality-affirming coaching and consulting practice. We cater to families of LGBTQ+ children from ages 3 and up who desire to support and affirm their children. Here at the PRIDE corner, we believe that gender affirmation is a family affair and it is much more hormones and surgery. It is freedom of thought, will and self-expression.
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Business Impact Cohort
OUT Georgia Business Alliance is Georgia's LGBTQIA+ Chamber of Commerce. As the business voice of Georgia’s LGBTQIA+ community and our allies, OUT Georgia represents a diverse network including small business, nonprofit, and corporate members who are united in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging in the workplace and throughout Georgia’s economy.
Thank you to our platinum sponsors for making this year’s symposium possible:
- PROGRAM -
Our Thursday keynote and Cooke College Scholar Safara Malone, a rising sophomore at Harvard University, was one of the first openly transgender Black women to attend Harvard last fall. Click the image to read about how she reflected on her high school journey and activism for transgender youth and BIPOC youth this Pride Month.
Click the images to read more about our keynote.
AGENDA
Thursday, June 6, 2024
Location: 100 Ivan Allen Blvd., NW, Atlanta GA 30313
6:00 PM- 6:50 PM: 2024 Symposium Begins Outside @ NCCHR Plaza
6:50 PM - 7:02 PM: LGBTQ+ Symposium Kickoff
Welcome by Tim'm West, Executive Director, LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Symposium Partner Introductions: Trevor Project, Dr. Lulu’s PRIDE Corner, OUT Georgia Business Alliance
Flag Presentation by Ayrial Storm King, Outreach Coordinator, YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy
Amazin LeThi introduces YOU(th) Belong Steering Committee and Advisory Board member, Richard Mabry.
7:02 PM - 7:05 PM:
Video presentation: Open Dialogues: Gen QueerZ by David Weaver, Board member of Art and Culture Center Hollywood
7:05 PM - 7:35 PM:
Fireside Chat: What does it mean to Invest in our Future?
Chris Lugo (ED of OUT Georgia Business Alliance)
Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez of REFLEJO Court, SA, Tejas
7: 35 PM - 7:55 PM:-
Dr. Lulu introduces keynote: Safara Malone
Keynote by Safara Malone (Texas), Harvard Class of 2027
7:55 PM - 8:05 PM: Special Flag Presentation and Spoken Word presentation
Flag Presentation by Li Ann Sanchez, Founder of Community Estrella
Spoken Word presentation by Lexi Markham (Atlanta, GA), YOU(th) Belong Advisory Council & VOX ATL Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador
8:05 PM - 8:10 PM: Day 1 WRAP with Dr. Lulu and Closing Remarks + Big Picture Review of Day 2
8:10 PM - 9:00 PM: Open Networking + Self-Guided Museum Tour
Friday plenaries and Keynotes, June 7, 2024
Location: Georgia State University- Student Center, 55 Gilmar Street, SE, Atlanta, GA 30303
10:35 AM: Welcome and LGBTQ+ Flag Presentations - Chris Lugo and special guests
10:45 AM: Opening Keynote by Toni-Michelle Williams, Executive Director of SnapCo
11:00 AM: Morning Plenary moderated by Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga (LGBTQ+ Institute Board member) | Don't Come for Me, Unless I Send for You: The roles of aspiring allies in LGBTQ+ Advocacy! Panelists include: Roodolph Civilius (Youth Advocacy Academy), Martha Caldwell (Parents Support Track), SJ McNulty, Sr. (Kids Art and Advocacy Fun Zone) and Evan Malbrough (Our Turn Georgia)
11:45 PM - 12:35 PM: Workshop Block 1 (see Symposium Cohorts for workshop details and spaces)
Dr. Lulu’s Parents Supporting Parents Cohort - State Ballroom
Teen Chat and Advocacy Space- Open Space outside Ballroom
Brave Teacher Cohort - 216 East
OUT Georgia Business Impact Cohort- Choose your own adventure (Parent Track- State Ballroom, or Educators 216 East)
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together - Advocacy Academy - 218 East
Youth Advocacy Fellowship Cohort - 217 East (will be at Georgia Archives for afternoon sessions)
12:45 PM - 1:50 PM: Community Photo Outside Ballroom (and grab Pizza)
1:55 PM: - 2:40 PM: Workshop Block 2 (see Symposium Cohorts for workshop details and spaces)
2:45 PM - 3:35 PM: Workshop Block 3 (see Symposium Cohorts for workshop details and spaces)
3:40 PM - 3:55 PM: Closing Keynote by Dr. Lulu | Unlearning & Affirming, My Journey with a Transgender Child
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM: Plenary | Demystifying Gender-Affirming Care
4:45 PM - 4:55 PM: Chris Lugo wrap up and Overview of Day 2 (Shift back to the Center, start time at 8am with 8:30 first session)
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM: YOU(th) Belong party and Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen cuisine at Neighborhood Church— an inclusive and diverse congregation. Amazing food. Bring your playlists to share: 1561 McLendon Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA 30307.
Parents and Special Guests have been invited to a Social with and Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen cuisine during the same window hosted by Tim’m West: 906 Westmont Road, SW, Atlanta, GA 30311.
Saturday plenaries and Keynotes, June 8, 2024
Location: National Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Blvd, NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM: Enjoy Breakfast and Coffee with Symposium “Framily”
8:30 AM - 9:20 AM: Workshop Block 4 (see Symposium Cohorts for workshop details and spaces)
10:00 AM- 10:15 AM: Welcome and Morning Kickoff with Dr. Lulu: What do I do now? A quick ABCDEF about Affirming Your LGBTQ+ Child
10:15 AM - 10:25 AM: Morning keynote by Danielle Bonanno, Executive Director of Inclusive Recovery Athens
10:25 AM - 11:10 AM: Morning Plenary | Exploring What’s Possible with Youth- Youth Advocacy Fellows 2023-24, Moderated by Tim’m T. West
11:10 AM - 11:20 AM: Break
11:20 AM - 11:35 PM: - Tim’m West introduces Shapri LoMaglio of Raben for Closing Keynote
11:40 AM - 12:25 PM: Closing Plenary | Understanding & Navigating the Education Policy Landscape
12:25 PM - 12:30 PM: Closing poem by Ian Montero (Youth Advocacy Fellow 2023 -24)
12:30 PM - 4:00 PM: OUTrageous Community Marketplace
Are you a business (big or small), non-profit organization, or vendor who’d like to share your work with community. Sign up to secure a table at our OUTrageous Marketplace which will be at 100 Ivan Allen Blvd, NW from 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM Click the button below to register.
THURSDAY’S SPECIAL GUESTS
Speakers who appear on multiple days are denoted by an asterix*
YOU(th) Belong… At the Center
LGBTQ+ youth are struggling against increasing political hostility. Rates of suicidality and depression have increased, especially among non-binary and transgender Black youth and youth of color.
Nearly 600 anti-LGBTQ state bills were proposed or passed in 2023 targeting LGBTQ+ youth, particularly non-binary and transgender youth. Legislators have focused on schools, distorting a fundamental resource of learning into a dehumanizing battleground. Laws deny LGBTQ+ students the opportunity to learn about their histories, experiences, or even developmentally appropriate and comprehensive sexual health education that could address a myriad of youth vulnerabilities, from STI infections to teen pregnancy.
Amid this avalanche of damaging legislation, The LGBTQ Institute, in partnership a coalition of other organizations and partners wants to focus our attention on our Future. In January 2024, the LGBTQ Institute changed it’s mission which reads: The LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights cultivates the next generation of advocates by engaging our most dynamic and diverse community leaders and organizations committed to human dignity. We do this by connecting LGBTQ+ history to our Present advocacy, and by facilitating educational initiatives, social programming, and civic engagement with a particular focus on the U.S. South.
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Tim'm T. West*, Executive Director, LGBTQ+ Institute
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Dewayne Queen, President at EQUAL, Delta Airlines' LGBTQ Organization
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Amazin LeThi, Global Advocate, Consultant, and Advisor
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Richard Mabry, YOU(th) Belong ATL Advisory Council member
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Ayrial Storm King, YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Outreach Coordinator
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Treasure Von-Holland*, YOU(th) Belong ATL Advisory Council member and 2023 Youth Advocacy Fellow
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David Weaver*, Board Member, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood (FL)
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Chris Lugo*, Executive Director OUT Georgia Business Alliance
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The Honorable Rosie Speedlin-Gonzalez, REFLEJO Court, SA, Tejas.
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Li Ann Sánchez, CEO/ED /Founder Community EsTr(El/La) , Member of Board of Translatina Coalition and Consultant Instituto Latinx. Mentor of Fundación Dsa Mii
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Dr. Lulu*, Pediatrician, Mama Bear, and Founder of Dr. Lulu's Pride Corner
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Safara Malone*, National Transgender Youth Activist & Harvard Class of 2027
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Lexi Markham, YOU(th) Belong ATL Advisory Board member and VOX ATL Poet Laureate Ambassador
FRIDAY SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS
Speakers who appear on multiple days are denoted by an asterix*
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Andrew Williamson (he/him) Program Coordinator, GUIDE Inc. (Gwinett United in Drug Education).
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Toni-Michelle Williams, Executive Director, Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative
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Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga*, LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board Member
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Roodolph Civilius, Youth Advocate, Linguist, Haitian, and Junior at Georgia Southern University
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Martha Caldwell, VP of Learning and Development at iChange Collaborative
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Evan Malbrough, Founder, Georgia Youth Poll Worker Project and Speak Truth to Power Youth Advisory Board Member at the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organization
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SJ McNulty, Sr., Board President, Georgia Safe Schools Coalition and Middle School Teacher
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Dante DeStefano*, visual artist, designer, and Co-founder of Trans & Friends
Curator of Children and Youth Arts Advocacy Space at Symposium
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Letitia Campbell*, Director of Contextual Education I and Asst. Professor in the Practice of Ethics and Society at Candler School of Theology, Emory University
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, Pastor of Unity Fellowship Church of Baltimore
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Shapri LoMaglio*, Principal in Raben's Issue Campaigns Practice Area
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Gabrielle Claiborne, Co-founder, Transformational Journeys Worldwide
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Leslie Anderson, Executive Director, the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Atlanta
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Selima Morrow, Director of Community Partnerships at Point Source Youth
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Princess Jauan Taylor Durbin, Youth Advocate, Global Influencer, Social Entrepreneur
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Xavier Rolling, 2023-24 Youth Advocacy Fellow
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Aubri Escalera, Legislative Aide and LGBTQIA+ Liaison for the office of State Rep. Park Cannon & Co-Founder and Volunteer member of Trans Power in Diversity
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Ben Ackerley, Co-Lead of Metro Atlanta Chapter of TransParent, and a Committee Co-Chair with Atlanta Pride
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Kyle Teller*, Ph.D., Manager of Public Training for The Trevor Project
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Kabir Amari*, Founder and CEO of KMG Consulting Firm
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Adah Duval Pittman Delancey*, LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board Member
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Jenna Ortiz*, LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board Secretary and Founder and Principal Consultant of Dynamic Transformations, LLC.
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Morna Gerrard, LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board Member and Archivist for Women’s/Gender and Sexuality Collections at Georgia State University
Youth Advocacy Fellowship Faculty
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Lee Means*, Director of Family Equity + Justice at Family Equality
Youth Advocacy Fellowship Lecturer
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Dani Alexander-Burk, LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board member
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Alexandra Audate, LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board member and Deputy Director of Georgia Equality
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Kaden Borseth, LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board Co-Chair and Educator, LGBTQ+ Social Issues Advocate, and Volunteer
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Betsy Collins, MD, MPH, FACOG, Emory Distinguished Clinician
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Dr. Elijah Nicholas, Founder and Chairman of The Global Trans Equity Project (GTEP), formally known as 100 Black Trans Men, Inc.
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Kate Moore, Manager of Education, National Center for Civil and Human Rights
SATURDAY SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS
Speakers who appear on multiple days are denoted by an asterix*
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Jad-Evangelo Nasser (he/him) LGBTQ+ Institute Advisory Board Co-Chair and Global DEI Strategist and Consultant
YOU(th) Advance Georgia Together Advocacy Academy Faculty
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Jaime Stepansky, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist, and Co-founder of Devon’s Place group therapy practice
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Cory George, Trauma/Mental Health Consultant, Interventionist, Author, Public Speaker
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Todd Croom, Husband, Father, Servant Leader
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Lisa Chiang, Lawyer, Investment Manager, and Proud Mom
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Abeke` (Kay) Baker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Co-founder of All 1 Family Mental Health Services
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Jamond Foree, Education Programs Manager at GLSEN
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Rebby Kern, Senior Specialist, Training Management & Development for Welcoming Schools
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Ian Montero, 2023 Youth Advocacy Fellow and Poet
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Danielle Bonanno, Executive Director of Inclusive Recovery Athens