Outright Vermont 2012 QueerBook

2012 Photo Album: Outright Vermont Events 2011-12

Patricia B. The First Camp Outright

I absolutely LOVE Outright and what it does. Being on the board is cool and going to Friday Night Group, Camp Outright, and lots of the other programs are so much fun.

Camp Outright debuted last year as Vermont’s first and only residential summer camp for queer and allied youth.

39 Campers 20+ Camp Staff Volunteers 5 States Represented 2,731 Smiley Fries Consumed

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Kate VW (former board member, current volunteer and donor) As a co-captain for Team Gaga – the second coming, I just wanted to say that we will be back in 2012 to reclaim BOTH our titles of best dressed and most money raised. Oh, it has already been brought! September, 2011 Sylk (winner of Vermont Drag Idol 2011) I am totally honored to have won Drag Idol last year, it was such a fun experience and it got me connected to the local drag scene – a double win! July, 2011 Shepard L. (youth award winner) Outright truly feels like a second home to me. I want to express my gratitude to people who quite honestly have changed my life: Saben, Adam, Melissa, all of the board members, the youth…and anyone involved in donating, founding outright, and who have made Outright possible, I love you and thank you.” November, 2011

2012

My experiences with Camp Outright will remain with me forever, along with the lifelong friendships I made in the short time of just a week. Camp Outright made me feel safe and that I could express myself however I wanted, whether it was through how I dressed, the pronouns I used, or the name I wrote on my name tag.

Thank Yous The work of Outright Vermont is only possible by the countless hours donated by generous people like you. We feel such gratitude to our amazing board of directors: Patricia Bristow-Johnson, Annie Condon (Vice Chair), Rachel de Simone, Don Eggert (Chair), Claire Giroux-Williams, Sarah Judd, Samuel Lurie, Mercedes Mack, Seven Marie, Ita Meno, Heidi Moreau (Treasurer), Christy Pilsucki (Member at Large), Becky Raymond (Secretary), and Lily Sender. A huge queer hug to: all our youth group facilitators in Burlington, Montpelier, and Rutland; our growing volunteer crew of all ages here in Burlington; and Delicious Flickr and our brilliant Twitter sassy interns. Finally, a queer high-five to the designer of this QueerBook, the always classy Don Eggert.

Arshad H. (former board member and current donor) Walking that red carpet was almost like being at the Kodak Theater. Almost.

February 2012

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The Munson-Warnken Parents (parent allies on our marathon team) We are on the Outright VT marathon team because we have three sons who we imperfectly parent and push to take risks and do the right things for their body and minds. We want them to know acceptance for all. To know they are loved no matter what. No matter what their sexual identity is. May 2012

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241 N. Winooski Ave. Burlington, VT 05401 P.O. Box 5235, Burlington, VT 05402 Delicious Slash Dot Mixx Flickr Skype Twitter 802-865-9677 • outrightvt.org

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Being involved with Outright has helped me grow and navigate throughout the world with confidence and pride.

I continue to learn, to laugh, to teach, and to breathe; knowing that my voice is heard, and my actions make change, Outright gives me the time, space, and resources to be the best I can be.

How we make it better... together!

2012 Update Status

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Statewide Education & Outreach

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The Mission of Outright is to build safe, healthy, and supportive environments for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth (ages 13-22).

Adam Catanzarite, Youth Coordinator Seeing youth at our programs such as #CampOutright, Friday Night Group, #VT Pride, Queer and Allied Youth Summit, LGBTQQ Leadership Day open up, find the courage to share their experiences and revel in the company of their fellow queer community members has continued to energize our staff, board members, and volunteers.

To have a world of compassion, love, and understanding where:

Faith Yacubian, Director of Youth Services

 all young people’s lives are celebrated  young queer people are given the

Our Vision

information and tools to make healthy life decisions, especially concerning intimacy and sexual relationships;

Although I am the newest to the staff, I feel like I’ve been involved for a life-time. My highlights have been Friday Night Group — where I have connected with youth from all walks of life — and our Queer and Allied Youth Summit in May — which was far more than just about education and empowerment. It was about the loud, strong, and proud queer youth voices standing up for themselves and others.

Participants in these presentations

2 Elementary Schools 20 Middle Schools 63 High Schools 34 Active QSAs 34 Colleges & Organizations

forms of oppression are not tolerated; and

 nonconforming gender roles and sexuality

Adam Catanzarite, Youth Coordinator

are no longer targeted as justifications to be cruel, dominate, or control others.

First, the Day of Silence and now a great Night of Noise! Outright will continue to bring the noise where noise is needed!

Our Strategic Goals for 2012-2015

Returning to the staff this year is like coming back home — the youth, the staff, the volunteers, the board, and the donors are like one big queer family for me (and so many others). And on behalf of our family, I was very proud of our victory in June when we righted a Civil Union wrong. We reestablished Department of Education funding for our work in #VT schools. Wicked awesome!

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1. Be a youth driven organization, that is deeply committed to youth empowerment.

Melissa Murray, Executive Director In the past year, I am thankful for the moments of movement like when: we got warm clothes to youth from our new clothing shelf, parents of a trans identified youth used their child’s preferred gender pronoun for the first time, a new couple danced together at prom, youth at the camp dance fluttered around making butterfly wings... all these moments, and a million more, make up the work we get to do every day. For every situation that is challenging or frustrating, for every horror story about harassment and heterosexism, for every parent that gives up their child for being queer — these other, shining moments remind us to keep fighting.

2. Be an organization that values the whole person (youth or adult), for their skills, time, and contributions to our mission.

Luna Outright makes me feel loved and wanted.

Thank you.

3. Be an organization that creates queer community wherever we go, in all that we do.

Aaron B. OutRight is like a home away from home and we’re all one big gay family!

4. Be a true statewide organization by establishing programming, educational work, and a donor/volunteer family in every single county of Vermont.

April G. Outright makes me feel like i have a family that supports the fact that i am bi.

5. Be the go-to organization for queer youth education and support for schools and communities across the state.

Saben Littlefield, Education & Statewide Field Manager

6. Be fiscally sustainable, to ensure Outright Vermont’s mission continues for generations to come.

Busy school year on the road this year! I was so excited to visit schools in the Northeast Kingdom, Upper Valley, and all over.

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2011 Fiscal Year

Michel DuBois, Director of Operations

For a full audited review of our fiscal year, please contact our office!

Feeling gratitude for the ongoing transformations at Outright over the past year; from streamlined administrative systems to a mature sense of community involvement in Outright. Outright is such a valuable community resource for Vermont’s youth — whether queer, allied, or unaffiliated. We all benefit from making it better for each other. Dignity and respect for all — no matter what. Period.

4% 18% 49% 29%

14% n Donations: $82,653 n Events: $49,477 45% $139,383 n Grants: n Earned/Other: $10,353 41%

2011 Income:

Saben Littlefield, Education & Statewide Field Manager

$281,866

4%

Contact any of our staff at: www.outrightvt.org

1,636 queer youth interactions from June 2011-May 2012.

This included our SASS Academy, weekly Friday Night Groups, Drop-In visits, and our movie nights.

 bullying, taunting, harassment, and other

Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, Director of Development

Over 6,500 miles traveled last year to do work with schools — into seemingly every corner of the state – and there is still work to18% be done to help make schools safer for queer youth. Let me grab my sunglasses, a diet dr. pepper, and some new music and I’ll be ready 29% to get back on the road this fall.

4,014

Workshops on antiharassment, ally development, and Queer/Straight Alliance (QSA) support

Queer Youth Space

14% 49%

45% 41%

n Programming $111,700 n Administrative $101,125 n Fundraising $35,290 2011 Expenses:

$248,115

Melissa Murray Outright met with Canaan Memorial’s student group, Common Ground, for the first time this year. After meeting with the group, Outright was invited to do an AntiHarassment Presentation with the entire school and even though it was optional for classes to participate, 100 students attended [of an estimated enrollment of 115 students grades 7-12].

Educator, Hartford High School I want to know where these hateful and hurtful things are happening [in our school], so that I can be there – to intervene, to stand up for that student – because everyone deserves to feel safe here and if this is their experience, we have a lot of work to do.

Damian J. L. Outright Vermont has shown me that I am able to love and be who ever I want freely without judgment. They show love and support to everyone who walks through the outright doors (or goes to an outright event) with warm smiles and open arms. I’m proud to be of the Outright community.

The 6th Annual Queer & Allied Youth Summit The Summit was held in St. Albans, Vermont this year, drawing more than 150 participants from as far east as Canaan, VT; south as Brattleboro, VT; west as Rutland, VT; and as north as Swanton. The day included dozens of workshops, the annual Queer Youth Pride March and Speak Out, and our annual Queer Prom.

Youth set Outright’s Priorities for the 2012-2013 academic year at the Summit: 1. Providing programs/supports for queer & homeless youth.

2. Finding more community space in other communities outside of Burlington.

3. Holding Queer Prom more than once a year.