FIERCE - Coming Out, Stepping Up (2010)

8/14/2019 FIERCE - Coming Out, Stepping Up (2010)

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Coming Out, Stepping Up:Organizing to build the power of LGBTQ youth

January 2010


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Coming Out, Stepping Up 3

About the Authors

Founded in 2000, FIERCE is a membership-based organization building the leadership and power olesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBQ) youth o color in New York City. We developpolitically conscious leaders who are invested in improving ourselves and our communities through youth-led campaigns, leadership development programs, and cultural expression through arts and media. FIERCEis dedicated to cultivating the next generation o social justice movement leaders.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the FIERCE member leaders on the National Program Committee or theirenergy and commitment rom start to nish on this survey and report and or their many hours o workdevoted to FIERCE and the development o our new national program. We would also like to thankthe organizations and individuals who completed the survey and oered their important insight to thechallenges and opportunities or LGBQ youth organizing. Writing, editing, and research support wasprovided by Alexa Kasdan rom the Urban Justice Centers Community Development Project. Finally, wewould like to thank the Arcus Foundation or supporting FIERCE and the development o our nationalLGBQ youth o color organizing program. Tis report is dedicated to LGBQ youth who earlessly aceand challenge oppression every day.

Cover photos credits: FIERCE

For more inormation or or copies o this report, please contact:FIERCE

147 West 24th Street, 6th FloorNew York, NY 10011

[email protected] | www.ercenyc.org


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4 Coming Out, Stepping Up

tAble o contents

About the Authors 3

I. Background and Overview 5

II. The Problems Facing LGBTQ Youth and Challenges to Youth Organizing 10

III. Solutions & Recommendations 13

Endnotes 14


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I. bAckground And overvIew

Over the past three years, we have witnessed unprecedented changes in the United States and around the world,spanning incredible victories and major crises. We saw the historic election o the rst black president o the UnitedStates while in the backdrop we braced ourselves or the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression.We also witnessed the legalization o same sex marriage in some states and the subsequent amendments barringthe rights o same sex couples to marry. We also saw the rise o homelessness and increased rates o HIV inection

amongst lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBQ) youth o color.History has taught us that crisis presents opportunities or change i people are organized and mobilized in largenumbers. Within the LGBQ community, the decline o sustained organizing and long-term leadership developmentin avor o strategies consisting solely o legal advocacy, litigation, and services presents the serious danger o losingground we have already made and threatens to leave the most marginalized in our communities out o the picture.

Tis report is not only about highlighting the major problems acing LGBQ youth, but also a call to actionto the LGBQ movement to invest in organizing as an essential strategy or change in general, and particularlyamongst LGBQ youth o color. Te opportunity to organize or the change LGBQ youth desperately needexists. As a movement, we do not have the time or luxury to let it slip away.

w i Ierce?Founded in 2000, FIERCE is a membership-based organization building the leadership and power o LGBQyouth o color in New York City. We develop politically conscious leaders who are invested in improvingourselves and our communities through youth-led campaigns, leadership development programs, and culturalexpression through arts and media. FIERCE is dedicated to cultivating the next generation o social justicemovement leaders.

FIERCE was ounded because there were ew organizations in New York City that could respond to the urgentneeds o LGBQ youth. While several organizations ocus on LGBQ youth, they primarily use service-orientedprogramming rather than organizing LGBQ youth to direct our own social change agenda. FIERCE wasounded on the principle that LGBQ youth must realize and maniest our own social and political power to

change our conditions, to shape our utures, and to become eective agents o change in our communities.

Pp a m sy

Te LGBQ youth organizing needs survey is part o FIERCEs emerging national program, which aims todevelop more strategic and eective LGBQ youth organizing and deepen LGBQ youth leadership in broadersocial justice movement-building eorts. Te LGBQ youth organizing survey is our rst step in assessing theneeds o LGBQ youth organizers and organizations.

A total o 88 invitations were sent to LGBQ youth organizations, projects, and programs housed in largersocial justice organizations. We received 62 (40 online and 22 hardcopy surveys) responses.1 In addition, we didsome ollow up phone calls to survey participants who did not nish the survey questions. Members who weresurveyed responded to a set o questions aimed at their perception o leadership in their organization.

Te report summarizes the ollowing key questions rom the survey:

What are the most urgent issues acing LGBTQ youth?

Are organizations using a youth organizing strategy to address the needs o LGBTQ youth?

How are organizations doing youth organizing work and what challenges or barriers do they ace?

What do LGBTQ youth organizations need to become more efective in youth organizing?

Tis report highlights the major ndings rom the surveys and points us toward initial answers about the state oLGBQ youth organizing. It also provides recommendations or uture directions and strategies or this work.


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wa i Y oaii?

Tis survey is based on the belie that youth organizing is an important strategy to create eective and meaningulchange. Te Funders Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) oers a helpul denition o youth organizing.

Youth organizing is an innovative youth development and social justice strategy that trains youngpeople in community organizing and advocacy, and assists them in employing these skills to alterpower relations and create meaningul institutional change in their communities.2

Youth Organizing combines three central elements:

dpi laip a Pia ci

Youth organizing uses activities such as political education and critical analysis tools and develops young peopleinto politically conscious organizers or social justice. In addition, it also involves developing organizing skills,such as community-led research, campaign development, direct action strategy, and membership recruitment.Consequently, youth organizing is about developing leadership skills alongside political analysis.

bii P

Youth organizing relies on the power and leadership o youth acting on issues dened by and aecting young peopleand their communities. It involves young people in the design, implementation, and evaluation o these eorts.

Youth organizing is also about building a membership base o youth members through member recruitment andretention strategies as well as building across movements with other communities.

exii P

Youth organizing is about exercising our power to create meaningul institutional change in communities.Youth organizing alters the perception o youth in the community by adults and policymakers, and brings

young people and their perspectives into important networks and decision-making bodies. Youth organizing isalso about young people exercising their individual and collective leadership and decision-making capacity andstrengthening the belie in the potential or positive systemic change.

Ultimately, youth organizing is a critical strategy because it builds the capacity o young people to organize;grounds their leadership skills in the current political conditions; seeks to alter existing power relations; connects

youth to broader social justice issues; and places young people in the center o decision-making processes inorganizations and policy advocacy struggles.

Pf oaiai sy

Te majority (47.5%) o those surveyed reported a sta capacity between 0 - 5 sta. In addition, the annualbudgets o most (40.3%) o the organizations are at or below $200,000. All organizations represented in thissurvey indicated that they work with LGBQ youth in various settings and communities. Although memberleadership looks and means dierent things to dierent organizations, more than hal o the organizationsreported that they have a structure to support and prioritize member leadership. Tose who responded to thesurvey come rom organizations across the country, with the Southern region being the least represented. On theollowing page is a map showing where LGBQ organizations are located.

Roadmap to the Summary Report

Tis summary report is divided into two main sections; the rst identies the problems acing LGBQ youth andthe organizations that serve them, and the second lays out how the implementation o a youth organizing strategycan provide a solution to those problems. Te problem section is split into three parts: the rst identies theintensiying issues acing LGBQ youth, the second reports on the disconnect between the problems identiedand the issues currently being addressed by the LGBQ community and the third explains the lack o an eectiveorganizing strategy within LGBQ organizations to address these issues acing LGBQ youth. Te solutionsection provides three overarching solutions, as identied by the survey respondents. Each o the three solutionsis ollowed by FIERCEs concrete recommendations or developing and implementing a youth organizing modelwithin LGBQ youth organizations.


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FIERCE

FIERCEs organizing model demonstrates

the central elements of youth organizing

LGBTQ youth living in New York City struggle with

being kicked out o their homes, unsae schools,lack o social services and a lack o sae public

space. The Christopher Street pier in the West Vil-

lage has been a historic sae space where LGBTQ

youth gather to be ree rom the threat and ear o

violence. However, over the last several years, this

sae public space has been threatened by gentri-

cation and the development o high-end, luxury

retail and entertainment uses that are not acces-

sible or the community. In order to ensure that

LGBTQ youth can access the public space that

they need to be sae, FIERCE began an organiz-

ing campaign. This organizing work has yielded

signifcant victories and is one example o thecritical importance o LGBTQ youth organizing.

Building Power: Although FIERCE was once seen

as a group o outsiders in the West Village, over

the past several years FIERCE members have or-

ganized to build power and infuence. In doing so,

FIERCE has gained the respect and cooperation

o various community stakeholders and elected

ocials. FIERCE has done this by conducting out-

reach in the West Village community; in LGBTQ

shelters and service organizations in order to build

a base o LGBTQ youth that are impacted by the

lack o access to sae public space.

Developing Leadership and Political Conscious-

ness: FIERCE has also developed a Campaign Steering Committee composed o FIERCE members, where LG-

BTQ youth make decisions about how to best address the issues that are acing them. Many FIERCE members

also participate in the Education or Liberation Project (ELP) to develop political consciousness and deepen

their understanding o power and ways to achieve systematic change.

Exercising Power: Through diligent research and political education, outreach and base-building, consistent

attendance at local Community Board 2 meetings, strategic use o media and building alliances with LGBTQ

organizations and West Village residents, FIERCE has won concrete victories and secured additional power

and input into the uture development o the piers. These include: preventing the barricading o LGBTQ youth

rom Christopher Street at 1am, preventing the development o a high-end entertainment complex on Pier 40,

developing a broadly supported plan or community development o the piers that includes a 24-hour LGBTQ

youth center, and the appointment o FIERCE to the Mayoral LGBTQ homeless youth commission and the Hud-

son River Park Advisory Council.


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Gender JUST

Based in Chicago, Gender JUST is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-

generational grassroots organization o LGBTQ young people, people o

color, and community members committed to developing leadership and

building power through organizing.

Gender JUST organizes around the interconnected issues o heterosex-

ism and violence in the Chicago public school system, the privatization o

public resources, and diminishing public health resources or LGBTQ com-

munities all o which have disproportionately aected LGBTQ people o

color, trans communities, and young people.

Through an organizing strategy that has prioritized the leadership o

LGBTQ youth, Gender JUST has increased the political power o

LGBTQ youth and their infuence over education and public health policy

in Chicago. Organizers at Gender JUST have mobilized large numbers o

community members to accountability sessions with the Chicago Public

School and the Chicago Department o Public Health. In this way, Gen-

der JUST has prioritized the demands o LGBTQ youth that address theprivatization o Chicagos school system, public school closings, the lack

o LGBTQ & gender non-conorming (GNC)-arming curricula, and un-

even distribution o gay-straight alliances throughout Chicagos schools,

which has excluded youth o color.

GLOBE

GLOBE: A Group to Support and Empower the Bushwick LGBT Communityo Make the Road New York is a multi-generational group led by LGBTQ

people o color in Brooklyn. Since 1998, GLOBE has worked to create a

space where LGBTQ people o color, including youth, can develop their

leadership, engage in political education, and create campaigns that can

help them achieve their goals.

Reports o job discrimination based on transgender identity sparked a

community-led investigation into the biased hiring practices in the retail

industry in Brooklyn. GLOBE is about to launch a campaign to combat

gender identity discrimination in the retail industry. In addition to the

challenges o a struggling economy, LGBTQ youth entering the job mar-

ket ace discriminatory practices that make employment harder to nd,

ultimately contributing to urther economic hardships.

Despite the laws in New York City that make gender identity discrimina-

tion illegal, GLOBE exposed that the laws that are supposed to protect

LGBTQ people oten ail to do so. Through GLOBEs organizing model,

LGBTQ people o color are leading the way to address the root causes

o poverty and how employers are held accountable or gender identity

discrimination.

Gender JUST youth members at an action.

Photo Credit: Courtesy o Gender JUST.

Make the Road New York youth members at an action.

Photo Credit: Make the Road New York, GLOBE.


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II. the Problems AcIng lgbtQ Youth And chAllenges to Youth orgAnIzIng

1. trAnsPhobIA, homelessessness And lAck o servIces Are IntensIYIng or lgbtQ Youth.

Issues acing LGBQ youth are mounting, particularly during the current economic crisis when locally andederally unded services are being cut and unemployment rates are increasing. According to those surveyed,the two most important issues conronting LGBQ youth in the next ve years will be transphobia/

gender-based violence and the intersection o growing homelessness with a lack o sae social servicesor LGBQ youth. Additionally, many respondents predicted that homelessness, poverty, and depletingresources or LGBQ youth, especially youth o color, will have even more drastic eects over the next veyears than they do today.

tapia a g ba vi

According to one survey respondent, we need to nd ways to deal with how difcult and unsae it isor trans youthto come out and be sae.3 Te respondents highlighted the need or LGBQ youthorganizers to address transphobia in our community and to broaden our struggle against violenceto include violence based on dominant gender norms. One respondent added that some trans youthneed medical services, an increasingly important issue as medical tech[nology] advances and as more

youth come out [as] trans earlier.4 In addition, accessing health care and housing [as well as] being ableto access public services without discriminationis central to the saety o LGBQ youth, especiallytrans youth5.

Ii h i c sia si

Many who were surveyed echoed the view that we will see lots o LGBTQ youth become homeless, needsae job and school access, and a slew o other basic needs in the next ew years.6 As one respondentnoted, at least half, if not more, of the youth [in our city] on the homeless spectrum areLGBTQ.7Te responses that highlighted this trend stressed that the next ve years is not goingto be about one single issue like homelessness. Instead, LGBQ youth will likely experience anintersection o drastic cuts to services (access to health care, clothing, ood, housing and other basic

needs), limited access to jobs, homelessness, violence, criminalization, and increasing poverty. Onesurvey respondent advocated or a strategy that ocused on the problem oincreased privatizationo services and public benets which will all have a disproportionate impact on queer and transyouth o color.8


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2. these Issues Are not currentlY beIng PrIorItIzed bY

mAnY orgAnIzAtIons wIthIn the lgbtQ movement.

While the issues prioritized by survey respondents include gender-based violence, homelessness and a lacko social services, these are not the same issues being tackled by most LGBQ organizations, particularlythose with the most resources and capacity. While some organizing work is taking place, it generally doesnot ocus on issues identied by our survey respondents.

Notably, most survey respondents saw marriage equality as the least urgent issue. Tis is signicant becauseo the current prioritization and infux o resources towards marriage equality by mainstream LGBQorganizations. One respondent stated, I personally eel like marriage equality has consumed LGBTQorganizing, despite the act that while many youth here support it, theyre not asking to get married when theywalk in the door theyre asking or housing, employment, access to health care, clothing, ood, and other basicneeds.9In addition, the majority o those surveyed emphasized that LGBQ youth organizers and leadersneed to be engaged in grassroots policy advocacy to address the urgent issues acing LGBQ youth.

While our survey identied several LGBQ youth organizations that have interest and capability toorganize LGBQ youth around issues such as gender-based violence and homelessness, many lack thetools and support necessary to do so eectively.

4

4.3

3.8

3.8

4.3

4.2

2.6

4.2

4.4

3.9Police harassment and violence

Transphobia and Gender-based...

Access to safe public space (schools,..

Marriage equality

Homelessness

Access to safe social support services

Gentrification and displacement

Access to jobs

Personal wellness and mental health

HIV/AIDS awarness and...

Rating on a scale of 15: 5=most urgent

m u I ai lgbtQ Y


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3. lgbtQ Youth orgAnIzAtIons Are PrImArIlY servIce-bAsed And not engAged

In the orgAnIzIng work necessArY to chAnge condItIons or lgbtQ Youth.

Respondents overwhelmingly identied the need to build a multi-strategy movement (e.g. direct services,organizing, media advocacy, etc.) to meet the immediate needs o LGBQ youth, while simultaneouslychanging the systems that produce conditions such as transphobia, homelessness and lack o services. However,ew organizations reported utilizing a youth organizing strategy (including developing leadership and

political consciousness; building power and exercising power) that could achieve the above need. Instead, themajority o those surveyed said that their organizations primarily ocus on service-based work and leadershipdevelopment programs. Survey respondents indicated a strong commitment and interest in youth organizingprinciples, yet many LGBQ youth organizations agree they are alling short o this goal. Te excerpts belowshow the gap that exists or these organizations in implementing an eective organizing strategy.

oaiai a i, ii p

One respondent said that theyrely on what unding is available and sometimes this drives services.10For another respondent, their organization partnered with other social service organizations and withbusinessesto establish a 24 hour sae place sites or runaway youth.11 Another respondent outlinedthe work o the organization to hold workshops or individuals and schools, provide resources and

inormation to community members,and produce educational literature on community issues.oaiai a ii aip, xii p

A LGBQ youth organizer stated that their organization is still developing [their] membershipstructure to build their capacity. 12 Another organizer noted that their current work is mainly ina leadership building phase. 13 For some respondents, this also meant providing spaces or publiceducation about sae spaces or LGBQ youth. Some respondents said that they have providedmultiple community trainings,14 and are active during Pride events.15One organizer explained thattheir organization is gradually moving towards developing a program to give youth the tools and analysisto develop campaigns, but it is just getting o the ground.16

oaiai i y a i ii-ai

Another major barrier identied by LGBQ youth organizers was the lack o an organizationalstructure to support member leadership in decision-making and strategy development. For examplea respondent stated, ideas are generated via hierarchical structures where program sta and youthare consulted ater the act.17Another respondent added that they have membership advisory boardsand councils but ultimately, the agency is who decidesthe content and the timing o our programs.18Many others also stated that members in the organization ultimately do not have leadership rolesin real decision-making structures. Tese comments echoed this response: we are not a membershiporganization it is most oten our sta and board that actually makes both the larger and everydaydecisions o the organization and work.19

oaiai a ip a aii ay

Finally, one key challenge LGBQ youth organizations reported was limited nancial resources andsta capacity. In addition, those surveyed said that the lack o an organizational political analysis andshared investment on an issue was also challenging. Tose surveyed said that organizational leadersare oten overworked, isolated, and do not have experience with eective and empowering youth-adult partnership models.

Despite the act that many LGBQ youth organizations do not currently have the resources to implement anorganizing strategy, this survey shows that many are interested in developing the capacity to be able to do so.


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III. solutIons & recommendAtIons

o close the gap in LGBQ youth organizing and ensure that the issues o importance to LGBQ youthare brought to the oreront, the LGBQ community needs to build and implement a LGBQ youthorganizing strategy on a national scale. Specically, we need to ensure that LGBQ youth organizations areusing a youth-led model, building the capacity to organize through skill sharing and technical assistance,and developing progressive campaign agendas that address the urgent issues acing LGBQ youth. Survey

respondents identied three overall solutions to address the needs o LGBQ youth and to expand eectiveLGBQ youth organizing. For each o the three solutions, FIERCE has outlined specic and concreterecommendations or how LGBQ youth organizations can implement these solutions in their work. Iimplemented, these solutions will put LGBQ youth in a more strategic position to create change.

1. Raise the political consciousness of LGBTQ youth leaders using a youth-led organizing model.

Recommendations:

Develop eective LGBQ leaders and organizers through strengthening youth-led models anddecision-making structures;

Share and develop political education and organizing skills curriculum aimed at developing

conscious organizers;

Build the membership base o organizations to a larger scale in order to increase power andleverage more victories. Tis includes developing base-building strategies to reach more LGBQyouth and to increase the capacity o organizations to do eective base-building.

2. Build the capacity of organizations and organizers to do youth organizing.

Recommendations:

LGBQ youth organizations should deliberately share organizing skills, eective organizational

structures, and campaign strategies;Coordinate regional and national LGBQ youth organizing summits to provide the opportunity tohold trainings, technical assistance, and peer exchanges with LGBQ youth organizations;

Develop and distribute political education, organizing skills, and organizational developmentcurriculum to LGBQ youth organizations who want to shit to organizing and LGBQ youthlooking to create organizations;

Increase unding and resources available or youth organizing as a strategy or change amongstLGBQ youth, especially youth o color and low-income youth.

3.Develop a LGBTQ youth organizing agenda that addresses urgent issues.

Recommendations:

Infuence uture national LGBQ movement policy priorities to involve issues o homelessness,access to public space, saety rom interpersonal and institutional violence, and increasedgovernment resources or social services;

Build a multi-strategy movement, which emphasizes organizing as a strategy or change, and thatcan respond to the immediate needs o LGBQ youth, especially low-income youth o color;

Build national progressive LGBQ movement vehicles capable o winning local and nationalpolicy ghts. Shape a more progressive LGBQ movement that relates to other social justicemovements and ocuses on racial, economic, and gender justice.


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endnotes1 No more than three surveys were represented rom each organization. In the case where organizations sent more surveys

we chose three at random to input the data. We did this to prevent the data rom becoming too refective o any oneorganization.

2 http://www.cyo.org/whatisyouthorganizing

3 Question 23, Respondent 8


















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For more inormation or or copies o this report, please contact:FIERCE

147 West 24th Street, 6th FloorNew York, NY 10011

[email protected] | www.ercenyc.org

Documents

FIERCE - Coming Out, Stepping Up (2010)