The Inside Scoop
March 2019
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Thank you for reading Youth Pride, Inc.'s March edition of
The Inside Scoop!
Learn about all the new ways you can get involved at YPI, either as new staff or a volunteer. Also read about the current food drive benefiting YPI and hosted by Mr. Gay New England 2019.
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GSA Conference Registration Now Open!
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Our 14th Annual Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Conference is planned for Saturday, April 13th 2019 from 9am-4pm at Classical High School in Providence.
This conference is a wonderful opportunity for new and established GSAs to network and learn from each other while simultaneously being supported and educated by YPI and our community partners.
The conference is free and open to all youth along with GSA advisors or adults working with GSA groups. Unaffiliated adults are not invited, but encouraged to email us if they think we can assist or answer their questions. Registration is required.
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We're hiring! Youth Pride, Inc. is excited to welcome new energetic members to our team. We are currently hiring for two part time positions; Director of Youth Services and Center Coordinator. Interested candidates should read the below job descriptions and follow their listed directions on how to apply.
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RI Pride Announces 2019 Theme
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The 2019 theme for Rhode Island Pride has been announced; "Live Your Truth". This theme emphasises the importance of breaking free from the restraints of society's expectations and living as one's true authentic self. Society pushes the idea of a gender binary (Male or Female) and gender roles (Feminine and Masculine), but our allies at RI Pride encourage everyone to live as they feel comfortable.
The scheduled date for the 2019 RI Pridefest and Illuminated Parade is Saturday, June 15th. Make sure to look for YPI's booth, and stop by to say 'hello'!
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In addition to hiring staff, YPI is looking for an individual who is highly organized to volunteer in our Basic Needs Pantry on a weekly basis. We receive a high volume of clothing and food donations throughout the year and keeping them sorted and available is a huge task that requires regular maintenance.
The ideal candidate can volunteer for 2-3 hours EVERY week in our pantry. Volunteers can set their own schedule, as long as it is consistent and within our hours of operation. Interested volunteers should email [email protected].
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YPI is grateful for Mr. Gay New England's initiative to sponsor several food drives on behalf of our Basic Needs Pantry. If you would like to donate items, you can find a donation box at the following locations. All inquiries should be directed to Mr. gay New England.
Starbucks
800 William S Canning Blvd
Fall River, MA 02721
Reds
1500 Brayton Avenue
Fall River, MA 02721
The Mayor's Office of Children, Youth and Learning
1464 Diamond Hill Rd, Ste 2
Cumberland, Rhode Island
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YPI Food & Basic Needs Drive
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Providence Eagle
124 Snow St
Providence, RI 02903
Johnson and Wales Gender Equity Center
35 Richmond Street
Providence, RI 02903
Mirabar
15 Elbow St
Providence, RI
The Stable
125 Washington Street
Providence, RI 02903
Alleycat
17 Snow Street
Providence, RI 02903
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Monthly Spotlight
Logan, YPI Supporter and Ally
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Logan is a youth with a big heart who utilized his birthday as an opportunity to give back to the LGBTQ communitty. Logan is a freshman at East Providence High School and a part of the Young Democrats Club. The club taught him about the LGBTQ community and the unique challenges that they face. This knowledge prompted Logan to join the school's GSA club, where he says he is learning to be a better ally.
This year, for his fifteenth birthday, Logan asked for Target and Amazon gift cards instead of gifts. He collected almost $280 and used the money to purchase items on Youth Pride, Inc.'s wish list and donated the goods in full later the same month. Staff and youth at YPI are beyond touched at the selflessness of Logan's actions. Our pantry serves over 700 youth a year, and Logan's donation helped us continue to serve the youth most in need. This is truly the act of a genuine ally of the community.
When Logan is not at school or participating in other acts of services, he can be found reading, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and preparing for his future career as a Marine Biologist. Thank you again Logan for your generous and thoughtful donation to our pantry!
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RI House Votes on Proposed Parentage Bills
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The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony Wednesday, March 20th on the Rhode Island Parentage Bills H5706 and H5707. These bills opt to amend the 1973 Uniform Parentage Act, which was created as a legal uniform framework for establishing paternity to married and unmarried couples in Rhode Island.
Bill H5707 aims to repeal the current
Uniform Law on Paternity
in its entirety and replace it with the
Rhode Island Parentage Act
which is
more extensive and provides procedures establishing parentage, genetic testing, surrogacy agreements and assisted reproduction. Bill H5706 aims to amend the current
Adoption of Children
law by adding a section that outlines the process for married and unmarried parents to complete adoption and confirm their parentage of children born into their relationships though assisted reproduction, such as
artificial insemination
. As noted by LGBTQ Action RI, same sex couples can currently a
dopt a child conceived through assisted reproduction, but they would "need to go through a home study, put a notice in the paper advertising for the donor to come forward, and then...go to court to get a declaration of adoption." H5706 streamlines all of those requirements, and only mandates some paperwork.
After the hearing, the house and c
ommittee "recommended measures be held for further study" on both bills.
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Advancements in HIV Treatment Options on the Rise
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HIV news has been on the rise this month in light of the "London Pat
ient"; an HIV positive individual living virus free after receiving treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma through a
bone marrow transplant
from a donor with a CCR5 gene mutation which makes the host HIV resistant. Although t
his is uplifting news to the patient, others suffering from HIV, and the scientific community it should be noted that mutated bone marrow transplants are too invasive to be utilized as a cure/treatment for the average person with HIV.
Other promising HIV news has come to light this month from the annual
Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) held annually in March. A new monthly
injectable drug (a combination of the drugs Edurant and Cabotegravir) developed by Viiv Healthcare has been shown to work as well as standard daily antiviral medications. Injectable medications are beneficial to patients who do not want to, or cannot, take medication everyday.
ViiV plans to apply for FDA approval in late 2019, hoping to bring it to the open market in 2020.
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Mission:
Youth Pride, Inc. is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of youth and young adults impacted by sexual orientation and gender identity/expression while working to end the homophobic and transphobic environments in which they live, work and play.
Values:
LEADERSHIP:
YPI is committed to creating the leaders of today. Youth voices drive our process, and we seek to develop the leadership skills necessary both within the organization and outside of it.
AFFIRMATION:
YPI believes all youth must be affirmed for who they are and how they express themselves. We are committed to making that a reality in all of the environments in which young people live.
COMMUNITY:
YPI believes building strong connections is essential to youth success and empowerment. We strive to create a caring, respectful and diverse community of young people and adults.
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Your tax-deductible donation helps YPI continue to do the important work we do in accordance to our mission. Your gift would be directly investing in our state's LGBTQ youth so that they may have a chance to share their gifts and light with the world.
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Our Programs and Services
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Youth Pride, Inc. serves over 700 Rhode Island LGBTQ youth and their straight allies a year through a variety of programs and services.
Our Center, located on Westminster Street in Providence, primarily serve as a drop-in and programming space, and is currently open to youth ages 13 to 23 on Tuesday and Wednesday from 3-8pm and Thursday from 3 to 5. Youth ages 9 to thirteen are welcome at our exclusive 13 and under drop-in time on Thursdays from 5-8 pm. All YPI Center services and activities are free to youth. YPI youth get to attend events, workshops, cultural, educational, social, and wellness activities at YPI and around the state.
Our center is home to a Basic Needs Pantry, open to youth in need of food, clothing, toiletries, and school supplies. We offer one on one counseling with in-house clinicians. Our clinicians facilitate and supervise three peer-support groups.
YPI also offers support to those who work with youth through policy and advocacy, and by providing professional development workshops and technical assistance to service providers and educators.
For more information on getting involved with YPI as a volunteer or if you or someone you know is in need of our services, contact [email protected]
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If you have a story you feel should be included in an upcoming newsletter, email [email protected]
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