The Inside Scoop
November 2018
Welcome to Youth Pride, Inc.'s November edition of The Inside Scoop! This edition covers the Midterm Election results, Trans Day of Remembrance, YPI's Thanksgiving Dinner, Craftland's fundraiser for YPI, and our newly launched website!
Thanksgiving Dinner For YPI Youth, Their Friends and Family
The bustle of daily life often distracts us from acknowledging and appreciating the gifts and opportunities we have been given. Thanksgiving, and the holiday season collectively, reminds us to be mindful of our blessings while synchronously giving back to those who may not be as fortunate or privileged.

As a way to give back to our youth, YPI hosts an annual Thanksgiving Dinner the Wednesday night preceding Thanksgiving Day. The dinner is open to YPI youth along with their invited friends and family. Served potluck style, an array of traditional dishes and desserts were graciously supplied by YPI friends, volunteers, community partners, staff and board members. The Gulf Stream Bar and Grille donated our main course; turkey and ham. Youth were also invited to write down what they are thankful for, and hang it on our Wall of Thanks. Some submissions read, "YPI existing", "loyal friends", and "my cat and dog".
A lot of our youth face homelessness or unstable housing. Many may not have a safe family or home to return to over the holidays. They may not have anyone to say grace with, or fight about who gets the last piece of turkey. We hope to feel like family to our youth and that they find familiarity, comfort, and support from all of us here over the holidays and everyday.
Ways To Help Our Youth This Winter
The clocks are turned back, the days are getting shorter, and the cold winter nights are slowly approaching. In anticipation of the upcoming winter months, YPI is asking our friends and allies to donate winter coats and gear to our Basic Needs Pantry. We will accept gloves, mittens, hats, ear-warmers, scarves, boots, socks, and coats that are gently used.

Other ways to give back to our youth this winter include keeping our Basic Needs Pantry stocked full of clothes, food, toiletries, and school supplies. If you are interested in donating to our pantry, please email us for our wish list of most needed items. If you are interested in supporting our pantry all year long, consider becoming a Basic Needs Pantry Sponsor by hosting quarterly food drives on our behalf. YPI will provide promotional materials for your drives and pick up the donations from your location. Sponsors will also be mentioned wherever our pantry is advertised. If your group, organization, or business is interested in hosting quarterly food drives, we would love to hear from you!
Transgender Day of Remembrance
On November 28, 1998 Rita Hester (pictured right), a then 34 year old transgender person of color, was found stabbed 20 times in her Allston, Massachusetts apartment. Due to the brutality of the attack, and the fact that nothing was stolen from her apartment, many community members believed it was a hate crime. Media coverage surrounding the case was limited, and what was covered depicted Hester as a male cross-dresser and used he/him pronouns and the word 'transvestite'. Editors and reporters even lashed out publicly at trans-activist groups who criticised the original inaccurate news coverage. No one was ever charged with her murder.

The controversy and high tensions surrounding the case resulted in an outpour of grief, anger, and sadness. Several days later on December 4, 1998, a speak-out and candle lit vigil was held at the Model Café in Allston in remembrance of Hester.

Over time, November 20th became the annual date to honor and memorialize those who have lost their lives to gender-based violence. The day is also spent reflecting that trans identified individuals disproportionately experience harassment, discrimination, and violence on a regular, even daily, basis. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), as it became known, is recognized worldwide. Vigils are held in over 200 cities around the USA alone.
A year after Hester's death Gwendolyn Smith, a trans activist and planner of Hester's original vigil, started the "Remembering Our Dead" web project where the names of gender based hate crime victims are collected for the year and posted. This was the true start, and naming, of TDOR. Since then, the always updating annual list of names are posted on several websites.

To honor and memorialize TDOR, YPI has posted the names on this year's list in our space (pictured above). We also attended the transgender flag raising at City Hall and the candle lit vigil at Beneficent Church in Providence.
Old Domain, New Site!
After several months of tedious hard work, YPI has launched a new website! The domain remains the same, Youthprideri.org, but several features are new or improved.

The "Quick Escape" feature allows users to quickly exit our website by clicking the escape button on their keyboard. Once pressed, our website will terminate to Google's homepage and also open a second tab that directs users to Weather.com. The purpose of this feature is to give users who may not want to be seen by others using our site a quick way to deviate from the webpage.

Our website now has a Frequently Asked Questions section, interactive calendar, extensive resource page, and a News and Events section that will highlight parts of this very newsletter along with other updates!

We would like to thank Andria (Drai) Whitted for developing our site, we love it!
Monthly Spotlight
Craftland and their Holiday Extravaganza!
A local pioneer in the handmade and DIY movement, Craftland began back in 2002 as a holiday pop-up show of local artists selling handcrafted gifts. The Craftland show went on to become an annual event, reimagined every winter, where holiday shoppers could find unique gifts and support artisans in their community.

In 2009, Craftland became a year-round store in downcity Providence. Now in its 17th year, Craftland remains owned and operated by artists, and every winter Craftland brings in new crafters and makers to join its annual Holiday Extravaganza.

This year, Craftland has partnered with two youth organizations, Youth Pride, Inc. and Girls Rock! RI, for Fundraising Fridays. Every Friday between 5PM and 8PM, half of all Craftland’s sales will be donated to these two organizations, with each receiving 25%.
At Craftland, we value individuality, authenticity, and bold self-expression -- in the things we sell, in the artists we support, and in the world at large. We believe Youth Pride, Inc. and Girls Rock! RI nurture these values in young people and provide resources that help them freely express who they are. In the current political climate where being different is often discouraged, we back YPI and Girls Rock! RI in their efforts to offer education, training, and opportunities for young people so they can flourish into the bold, outspoken leaders of tomorrow.

Fundraising Fridays at Craftland for Youth Pride, Inc. and Girls Rock! RI
November 30th; 5PM - 8PM
December 7th, 14th, and 21st; 5PM - 8PM

Craftland Holiday Extravaganza General Hours
Sunday - Wednesday; 10AM - 6PM
Thursday - Saturday; 10AM - 8PM

Craftland Holiday Extravaganza Extended Hours
December 17 - December 24; 10AM - 8PM
Meet Our Center Manager!
Jesus Holguin
Center Manager/Youth Worker

Originally born in Manhattan, NY Jesus now resides in Providence, RI. Jesus identifies as a Cisgender Queer Afro-Latino Youth and an activist. His main areas of activism include LGBT Rights, Gender Justice, Environmental Racism, Food Justice, and Immigration Rights. Shortly after his mother was incarcerated and deported on February 11th, 2010 Jesus was introduced to Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE) where he quickly became passionate about organizing and changing the community. This passion for justice opened many doors and provided Jesus with several opportunities.

Since 2009, Jesus has been actively involved with YPI first as a youth and later as an employee. Jesus has been professionally connected to YPI since 2016. In addition to overseeing drop-in, Jesus helps craft the monthly programming calendar and serves as an important mediator between the youth and staff. For six weeks over the summer and during the fall, Jesus facilitates OUTspoken, YPI's youth leadership development program.

When not at YPI, Jesus works with the Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island. There he serves as the Youth Leadership Director where he educates and mobilizes youth to fight toxic infrastructure in their communities. Jesus is also a part of several committees and has been invited to multiple conferences. Through DARE, Jesus is a part of the national alliance Right to the City which campaigns for fair housing. He is also a part of the national group called Beyond the November Movement , also known as Black Youth Project 100 which is a group dedicated to creating justice and freedom for all Black people though transformative leadership development, direct action organizing, advocacy, and political education using a Black queer feminist lens.

Recently, Jesus was invited to the Solidarity to Solutions summit held in San Francisco, CA. The conference served to challenge the market based Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) hosted by California Governor Jerry Brown. Jesus also attended Race Forward, the largest multiracial national conference for racial justice movement making.

We're lucky to have such a passionate and dedicated individual on our team! Jesus can be reached at Jesus@youthprideri.org.
Christmas Themed Miracle Bar to Fundraise for YPI
Twin River Casino Hotel is excited to host Rhode Island’s 1 st  Miracle Bar Pop-Up! What is Miracle Bar? The concept began five years ago in NYC when Greg Boehm decided to halt construction of what was to be his new East Village cocktail bar Mace to transform the unfinished space into a pop-up bar serving holiday-themed drinks among festive décor.

Over the past few years, Miracle has expanded from 4 locations to over 50 in 2017. In 2018 Miracle in will reach a total of over 90 international locations at some of the most highly revered cocktail establishments around the world. This year, Miracle will be in Rhode Island and benefiting YPI!

We hope our 21+ friends and allies will join us at Twin River Casino for a Christmas-themed pop-up bar on Tuesday, December 4th . The Miracle Bar opens at 6pm on the second floor of the casino, next to Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse. Proceeds from the event will be donated directly to YPI.
MA Votes on Transgender Rights During Midterm Election
Massachusetts residents voted on whether to uphold transgender rights legislation in this month's midterm election. Signed into law during July of 2016 and implemented October 1st, 2016 , Senate Bill 2407 " prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in a person’s admission to, or treatment in, any place of public accommodation. The law requires any such place that has separate areas for males and females (such as restrooms or locker rooms) to allow access to and full use of those areas consistent with a person’s gender identity. The law also prohibits the owner or manager of a place of public accommodation from using advertising or signage that discriminates on the basis of gender identity."

A poll conducted in May revealed that only 52% of voters supported this legislation. In a positive turn of events, 67.8% (~1.7 million) of Massachusett residents voted to protect transgender rights and uphold the legislation. Only 32.2% (~850 thousand) residents voted against it.
Elected LGBT Midterm Candidates Make History
In addition to voting to uphold transgender rights in MA, other parts of the country are celebrating similar wins.

Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids was elected as the first openly gay women member of Congress from Kansas. Beating four-term Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder, Davids is also the first Native American elected into congress; she is a part of the Ho-Chunk Nation tribe.

Further west, Colorado Democratic House Representative Jared Polis was elected the f irst openly gay male governor in America. Polis defeated Republican nominee Walker Stapleton. On the West Coast, Kate Brown was re-elected as Governor of Oregon. Brown identifies as bisexual, and was the first openly LGBT women elected governor in 2015.

Although unsuccessful, two other LGBT identified candidates ran for governor across the country. Vermont Democrat Christine Hallquist was the first openly transgender major party nominee for governor in the United States. Despite winning the 2018 Democratic nomination for Governor with over 40% of the votes, Hallquist was beat by Republican candidate Phil Scott. Texas Democrat Lupe Valdez was the first Latina and first openly gay major party nominee for governor of Texas. Valdez was beat by incumbent Republican Greg Abbott.
Our Mission
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.
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.
Our Programs and Services
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 info@youthprideri.org
If you have a story you feel should be included in an upcoming newsletter, email Info@youthprideri.org