The Inside Scoop
November 20222
Made possible by YOU!
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Thank you for reading Youth Pride, Inc.'s November edition of The Inside Scoop; the place for YPI updates in addition to local and national LGBTQ+ news! Within you will read about YPI's upcoming holiday market, our Thanksgiving Dinner, the work Pride&Plasma is doing, the US Transgender Survey, and more.
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Celebrate the season with YPI! Join us at our space on Saturday, 11/12 from 12-5pm for a Holiday Market! Spend the afternoon browsing and purchasing gifts and decorations for the holiday season. Your purchases will support YPI and allow us to continue serving our mission to meeting the needs of youth and young adults in the queer community.
Local youth organizations will be tabling at the event and available to talk. Some visiting orgs include New Urban Arts, Providence Student Union, and Queer Umbrella!
We will accept cash, card, and PayPal. Taxes will be applied so exact change will be required.
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Frighteningly Successful Party |
Our Halloween party was frighteningly successful! Music, snacks, crafts, face painting and games made for a fantastic night. Our pumpkin patch decorated by our youth and their families is pictured right.
Thank you so much to all our generous volunteers and our fabulous community for coming out to celebrate with us! An extra special thank you to Pastiche Fine Desserts for donating a delicious cookies and brownies tray. We are so grateful for your generosity.
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Youth Pride is hosting our annual Thanksgiving dinner and we are giving away Thanksgiving baskets!
Youth, their families, and community partners can join us at our drop-in space on Thursday, November 17 from 5-7pm for a Thanksgiving meal, good conversation, and lots of fun. Youth may sign up for attending dinner, getting a basket, or both at the link below. We have limited baskets so first come first serve via the registration; 1 basket per individual/family please.
We're also looking for volunteers to assist with the event; everything from setup/breakdown to providing some of the food. If you are interested in contributing to the meal or event, please submit the form below. We're looking for all the Thanksgiving staples; veggies, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and turkey. We're also open to other meals, just indicate it in the form!
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Winter is right around the corner so we're starting to stock our pantry with the most requested holiday and cold weather items. Our Amazon wish-list is linked below for easy browsing. If your group, school, or business would like to run a Pantry Drive for us, shoot us an email at info@youthprideri.org to connect. |
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Monthly Spotlight
Pride&Plasma
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Did you know the FDA has turned away queer men wanting to donate blood since the 1980s? A lifetime ban was in place from 1985-2015, a 12 month ban was enforced from 2015-2020, and a 3 month deferment policy exists today. The US is currently in the midst of the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Despite the drastic need for blood the FDA has not lifted the ban.
Pride&Plasma is a new virtual organization working to end the FDA's policy of deferment for blood donations from sexually active queer men. The organization is entirely run by dedicated college students. They have campus ambassadors at several colleges, drafted a petition, write letters to elected officials, and spread information about the policy and blood donation research to anyone who will listen.
Pride&Plasma has worked with the ADVANCE Study, which is working to provide evidence that a transition to an Individualized Risk Assessment would provide no greater risk to the blood supply. The FDA's next Blood Products Advisory Committee meeting is December 8th, 2022. Pride&Plasma needs as many people to sign the petition as possible for the best chance of ending the ban.
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2022 U.S Transgender Survey Open |
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The largest survey on transgender individuals in the United States was conducted in 2015. The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS) received 27,715 responses and was a follow up to the 2008-09 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (NTDS) that received closer to 6,500 responses. The USTS has returned in 2022 and is open for participants to take in English or Spanish!
By submitting the survey, you're providing crucial information that will help the public better understand the lives of and lived experiences of trans individuals and the disparities they face. The goal is to reach as many trans people as possible across the country to capture that most accurate and diverse feedback as possible. This includes trans people of color, elders, those in rural areas, immigrants, non-English speakers, HIV+, etc. This data will show patterns between states in regards to education, employment, housing, interactions with police and more.
If you identify as trans, please consider taking the survey. Also consider sharing the survey with your networks so more eyes can see it.
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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 |
Youth Pride, Inc. serves over 700 Rhode Island LGBTQ youth and their straight allies a year through a variety of programs and services. All YPI Center services and activities are free to youth and include a leadership development program, several support groups, a Spanish speaking group, and various social groups such as virtual Dungeons & Dragons.
Our center is home to a Basic Needs Pantry, open to youth in need of food, clothing, toiletries, and school supplies. To pick up a premade bag of items, click the Pantry button below.
In addition to free one on one counseling with licensed clinicians. we also provide case management services for youth facing challenging times. For more information on either of these services, email Andy@youthprideri.org
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. Below is a button to our training request form.
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If you have a story you feel should be included in an upcoming newsletter, email Info@youthprideri.org |
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