RYSE exists because twenty years ago, Queer and Trans BIPOC Young People had the courage to organize and demand a space in their city that centers their collective healing, bold visions, and immense creativity. Young people who understood the assignment of justice for all, including the generations after them. Today’s generation of youth and adults feel the power, love, and care of our youth founders as they enter the RYSE Campus. It is the foundation and ongoing fire for us to take bold steps together toward RYSE’s Theory of Liberation.
Pride Month is a time to celebrate, as well as to stay humble in learning and self-reflection. Particularly in a time of continued and amplified dehumanization, dismissal and danger for our queer and trans kin. We remember that pride began as BIPOC-led protest against direct violence and targeting of LGBTQIA+ people by the systems that are supposed to serve us. The legacy of Pride is in speaking truth to power, to injustice, so that love can be love.
Art by Micah Bazant
This past weekend, RYSE staff and youth members were proud to attend the 10th annual City of Richmond Pride event, and we look forward to celebrating Pride at RYSE this month and every day, in every way. Working to continuously enliven and ensure primacy to young people’s values, their safety, validation of their dynamic subjectivities, their social-emotional learning and their socio-political development.
This is the directive guiding the design of RYSE’s Health Justice Center, opening in October 2024. We look forward to providing holistic health care that centers LGBTQIA+ conforming youth, and young people most vulnerable to systems harms and neglect.
To the LGBTQIA+ young people in West Contra Costa County, thank you. Thank you for launching and sustaining RYSE’s Alphabet Group Identity space since 2009, and for leading the first Youth Pride month event in Richmond. Thank you for the legacy of pride and courage you have continued to show up with, even in the face of homophobic attacks. Thank you for creating momentum and flexing your immense power. Your leadership is in RYSE’s local and statewide LGBTQIA+ advocacy. Your experiences ground published research about gender and sexuality-based violence, mental health, coping, and school conditions. And your questioning, risk-taking and realness is in all the ways you ensure all young people experience affirmation of gender expansiveness and queer identities in all spaces, including RYSE. Thank you for holding all of us accountable and for your patience and grace when we misstep. We see you, we are with you, we love you.
RYSE Alphabet Group
The Alphabet Group is a safe space for LGBTQA+ youth to dialogue about their experiences and identity. Youth engage in topics ranging from healthy sexuality, education, advocacy, allyship, academic and career opportunities, and current issues in the community. It is also a general resource to all RYSE members to learn about topics such as gender justice and sexuality.
RYSE x Contra Costa Board of Supervisors
RYSE along with other leaders of the LGBTQIA community joined Contra Costa County's Board of Supervisors for a presentation in honor of Pride Month. The video features words by RYSE’s Health Justice Case Manager, Randy Joseph, as well as our Health Justice Program Assistant, Bryan Benavides.