[caption id="attachment_333701" align="alignleft" width="179"]
Guillaume Bagal[/caption]
Don’t hide your pride. This simple yet powerful sentence is the theme of Rhode Island Pride this year. This request, prayer even, sums up a reoccurring struggle for sexual and gender minorities. Preparing for our first meeting as board chair and vice chair of Youth Pride Inc., we are pleased to note the similarity between Rhode Island Pride’s theme and YPI’s slogan: “Don’t grow up invisible.” It is a message that rings true to us as we go about our lives in our workplaces or show up in unfamiliar spaces with our spouses. It is a message we want all LGBTQ+ youths in Rhode Island to internalize, and the reason we serve on the Youth Pride Inc. board along with other incredible advocates.
[caption id="attachment_333702" align="alignleft" width="190"]
Tayla Reo[/caption]
Youth Pride Inc. is the safe space we wish we had growing up, an affirming environment to guide us and our families through the many ups and downs of an identity we did not understand. While we are both fortunate to work in companies that are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, we recognize that there is an abundance of work left to do. According to a Human Rights Campaign report two years ago, approximately half of LGBTQ employees in the U.S. remain closeted at work. Given that many of us spend more time with colleagues than we do with some family members, it is clear that hiding important aspects of one’s identity can jeopardize the ability to form meaningful connections within a team, or can cause stress during small talk about weekend plans. In helping YPI provide support, advocacy and education for hundreds of youths in our communities every year, we invest in a future where no young person in Rhode Island will wonder if their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression will influence a job offer or their ability to gain a sense of belonging in the workplace.
Youth Pride Inc. celebrated its 25th anniversary last October. YPI has evolved from a small support group called “The Way Out” to the strong and outspoken organization we are today. At our drop-in center on Westminster Street, YPI offers four weekly peer-to-peer support groups, including one for gender nonconforming youths and one for youths ages 9 to 13. We have counselors on-site daily to provide one-on-one counseling, as many LGBTQ+ youths suffer the effects of family rejection, social isolation and lack of access to supportive educational, mental and medical health resources. Additionally, youths build strength and self-esteem through OUTSpoken, YPI’s leadership development program, by holding seats on YPI’s board and planning activities and events with the Youth Programming Council.
Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about drastic changes to our routines, including having to practice social distancing and isolation. Recognizing that many LGBTQ+ youths are home with families who don’t understand them or are coping with racial tensions plaguing our communities, we got to work to reconfigure our programs. YPI quickly adapted to provide continued access to our basic-needs pantry, by advocating for policies that support LGBTQ+ youths, and through offering virtual activities and counseling services. Until we can be together again, and especially during this symbolic month of Pride, we will continue to do everything to ensure that no youth grows up invisible, and we hope you join us in this work.
Guillaume Bagal is Youth Pride Inc.’s incoming board chair and Tayla Reo is incoming vice chair. Bagal leads Diversity & Inclusion at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Reo works on the global publishing team at Hasbro Inc. and leads Hasbro’s LGBTQ+ employee network.
