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Join us to build the power of LGBTQ Youth!

In This Issue


Co holding it down at the LGBTQIA Summit!

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BreakOUT! hosts LGBTQIA Youth Leadership Summit

The GSA Network, powered by BreakOUT!, hosted a Youth Leadership Summit this September to empower LGBTQ youth and allies to build alliances across different schools in New Orleans and make substantive change at their own schools.

Also part of the Summit was an Administrator's Track, which brought teachers and school administrators together from different New Orleans schools to learn more about issues facing LGBTQ youth, as well as share strategies and build their capacity to make their schools more LGBTQ-affirming.

BreakOUT! facilitated the Youth track, which focused on community building, increasing knowledge about LGBTQ issues, mapping power and issues within schools, and visioning how to build power to push LGBTQ issues forward within schools.

BreakOUT! presented at the Admin track, along with presenters from the National GSA Network, Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children, Nuestra Voz, TRUTH Council, Hite Law Group, Rethink, and the Louisiana Center for Children's Rights. The Admin track focused on building knowledge of LGBTQ issues, best practices and legal issues for trans students, combating adultism, and the connections between LGBTQ student issues and criminalization.

To learn more, or connect your student's or your school's GSA to BreakOUT's work or the work of the GSA Network, get in touch with Kym at anthoni@youthbreakout.org!

BreakOUT staff attend Generative Somatics training in New York

"Somatics was a dignifying, liberating, transformative experience!" - CoBella

"I was able to take home practical tools to prioritize my commitments to myself,
my relationships, and my work." - Mahida


Generative Somatics is a theory and practice that supports personal and collective healing in order to build a more effective movement and support systemic transformation.

BreakOUT! recognizes that personal and interpersonal healing is essential to sustaining a transformative movement for social change. Co'Bella and Mahida participated in a training last month; all of our staff will eventually participate as well as we build our collective power to take care of ourselves and each other! To learn more about Somatics, please reach out to moonlite@youthbreakout.org!

Donor Spotlight

Erin Danielson, a BreakOUT! supporter, decided to take her support to the next level when it was time for her gender confirmation surgery.

When her insurance refused to pay for it, she turned to community to help her fundraise - but decided to give back to the community at the same time.

"I wanted to give back to my queer community that had been invaluable to me during the early years of my transition," she said.

Erin decided to do a Pay It Forward campaign, where she treated the amount raised as a loan - meaning that afterward, as she was able, she paid the money back. But instead of paying back her donors, she paid it forward as donations to BreakOUT!, to support our essential work, including supporting other girls who might be in similar situations.

Huge shout-out to Erin, LOUD, which helped generate the idea, and the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans, which she says was a huge help!


 


The xx, with Plus 1, supports BreakOUT!

The xx, a British experimental independent pop band, winner of the 2010 Mercury Prize and nominee for the 2017 Prize, has partnered with Plus1 to donate $1 from every ticket sold on its worldwide tour to an LGBT+ organization in the city in which they are playing.

For their New Orleans concert in Champions Square, the beneficiary was BreakOUT!

The xx has long supported LGBTQ causes in their messaging and videos, some members of the band identify as LGBTQ themselves. The band visited BreakOUT's offices and chatted with staff and even gave us a shout out during the concert!

Check out the xx at their website!

 


Volunteer Appreciation

A huge shout out to our Carpool volunteers!

Carpool New Orleans organizes volunteers to help provide reliable, accessible transportation to BreakOUT's (and other local community organization's) meetings and events!

Carpooling is a very simple, but highly impactful, way to support BreakOUT! People who do not have their own car but do have a valid driver's license can still volunteer to drive.

To connect with this opportunity, e-mail carpoolneworleans@gmail.com!


 


BreakOUT! & About

BreakOUT! members consistently facilitate, network, and present at conferences, convenings, and other events worldwide!

Some places we've been recently:

   

 
BreakOUT! is Growing!
 

JARDYN LAKE joins BreakOUT! as our new Program Director. Jardyn will be ensuring all programs and campaigns at BreakOUT! run smoothly and in coordination with one another, as well as providing additional strategic visioning and leadership to the organization. To get in touch, or learn more about Jardyn's work at SONG, JASMYN, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, or their worldly travels, hit up jardyn@youthbreakout.org!


SHAQUITA GRIFFIN joins BreakOUT! as our new Leadership Development & Training Coordinator. Quita will be working with BreakOUT! members to ensure they are receiving the support and leadership development they need to reach their individual goals, as well as coordinating BreakOUT!'s training program to bring LGBTQ-affirming practices to New Orleans area agencies. She will also be working with youth members to conduct trainings themselves, providing another leadership pipeline for young people through the organization. To learn more about Shaquita's work at Freedom, Inc., her radical childcare support in New Orleans, her love of restorative justice, or to say hi, hit up shaquita@youthbeakout.org!



ABENI JONES joins BreakOUT! as our new Communications Director. Abeni will be handling media requests for the organization and coordinating all aspects of visual and print communications for our campaigns and programs, while also training young people to increase their strategic communications skills for movement building. To learn more about Abeni's work as a middle and high school teacher, writer, and graphic artist, visit abenijones.net or hit up abeni@youthbreakout.org!

Shout Out to our Funders at the Unity Summit!

 
Another big thank you to all of the funders and supporters who were in town for the 2017 Unity Summit!

Huge appreciation to: the Andrus Family Fund, Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Foundation for Louisiana, Greater New Orleans Foundation,  Cricket Island Foundation, Communities for Just Schools Fund, Transforming Movements Fund/Borealis Philanthropy, Urgent Action Fund, and the Foundation for a Just Society.
Join us to build the power of LGBTQ Youth!
Copyright © 2017 BreakOUT!, All rights reserved.


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