https://www.thepridenetwork.org/home-impact daily 1.0 2025-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/a490c9c2-5e54-4e98-9343-0c0fa7a557a1/Molly+Irvin.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/a7f15cd1-1861-4db8-a69b-cd1bc91739c7/George+A+Pratt.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/29186efa-68c3-46b8-adab-57352da4fb25/Jia_Headshot.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1685644540958-WZMEJ9XR6ZG4QVEF5WQ0/Brene+Brown+website+quote+%281080+%C3%97+1080+px%29.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1680230570250-NMZOCPB1SLIG01T59QZX/pexels-fauxels-3184405.jpg Home https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events daily 0.75 2024-06-18 https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/tpn-awards-2024 monthly 0.5 2024-06-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/70599a4f-c471-43d2-af76-63be37615529/Gala+2024+%281920x1080px%29.png Events - TPN Awards 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/awards-2024 monthly 0.5 2024-06-17 https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/summit-financial-literacy-agxn8-re748 monthly 0.5 2024-05-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/ea19bc33-53c1-4ce5-94cb-2331d42f4b86/Main%2BLogo%2B%28Teal%29.png Events - Skill Summit: Digital Marketing Good Rebellion is a full-service public relations agency that solves communications challenges through strategy and design. By bridging perception and prose, we are able to deliver a messaging machine that ensures you stand out from the crowd, without sacrificing what you stand for. We work with purpose-driven organizations in fields like politics, non-profit, philanthropy, education, health care, and government. We’ll also work with companies to ensure their corporate social responsibility campaigns are successful. If you’re making the world a better place, we want to help. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/b18932c9-fc20-42e0-be7b-260958635bd1/Skill+Summit+Post+-+May+24.png Events - Skill Summit: Digital Marketing - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/summit-financial-literacy-agxn8 monthly 0.5 2024-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/fe5794fa-07b0-4eea-ac63-ba4893a4d9e8/Skill+Summit+Post+-+Feb+24.png Events - Skill Summit: Grassroots Organizing - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/friendsgiving2023 monthly 0.5 2023-11-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/0b8759be-fc59-4c32-a2ef-9ed41c80dd3e/friendsgiving+2023+online.png Events - Friendsgiving! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/summit-financial-literacy monthly 0.5 2023-11-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/d5cc4947-09ca-4a27-b12f-715a092824b0/Skill+Summit+Post+-+Nov+23.png Events - Skill Summit: Financial Literacy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/the-pride-network-awards-2023 monthly 0.5 2023-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/3037462a-7cf5-438d-a90e-759228e413e6/image0%281%29.jpeg Events - The Pride Network Awards 2023 - Make it stand out LEGACY AWARD - former NY State Senator, Thomas Duane Senator Duane's political career has been devoted to the LGBTQIA+ community. As the state's first openly HIV positive elected official––when he entered the NYC Council––and the first openly gay State Senator, Thomas blazed new trails and worked hard for New York City to have the most extensive HIV+ Public Assistance Program in the nation. The HIV AIDS Service Administration is the most comprehensive HIV public assistance program in the United States. Those close to him say that Senator Duane is not a politician but the embodiment of a public servant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/6044ead2-1318-43fb-9639-060485ba4e44/TamaraFlemingPhotography_GSE_Damien_01.jpg Events - The Pride Network Awards 2023 - Make it stand out RISING STAR AWARD - author and activist, Damien Alan Lopez A published Queer author, Damien is a proud transgender man with hopes to shift the conversation of trans identities represented in children’s books and other mediums. His story has been recognized by First Lady Tammy Murphy of New Jersey, the 2021 dotCOMM Platinum Awards, El Vocero de Puerto Rico, and ThemsHealth 2021 Children’s Book Recommendation List. He is passionate about transgender issues, education, and culinary arts. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/events/summit-projectmanagement-0823 monthly 0.5 2023-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/28a8d4ca-40b7-443d-a766-8d167e80e3b8/0823+Summit+Graphic+1.png Events - Skill Summit: Project Management - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/new-gallery daily 0.75 2023-05-31 https://www.thepridenetwork.org/contact daily 0.75 2025-06-27 https://www.thepridenetwork.org/why daily 0.75 2023-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/93b7009a-0d5e-44e8-9e1e-2f337e90d66b/Pride+Network+Wordmark+%28white+background%29.jpg Purpose/Vision - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/board daily 0.75 2025-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1eedf6bf-0833-4e38-a08a-7504389973ce/stephen+headshot+website.png Board - Make it stand out Stephen Sheffer (Acting Board Chair) (he/him/they) is Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications at the Regional Food Bank in Latham, NY. After a decade of retail management, he has been working professionally in the nonprofit sector for seven years in various development roles at both national and local organizations. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Non-profit Business Administration and is also a board member of Youth Research, Inc., a non-profit serving the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Stephen joined The Pride Network in August of 2023. His past board experience includes nearly five years serving with Heritage of Pride (NYC Pride), the last three as Development Director including the World Pride 2019 Stonewall 50 celebrations. He currently resides in Latham, New York with his husband of 12 years and enjoys music, exploring nature, traveling, and trying new wines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/7d4897a7-b984-435a-a553-8bbb6d001e58/Hess.png Board Mason Hess (Secretary) (he/him/his) is currently a Senior Advisor in the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice where he oversees the office's grant strategy, which entails stakeholder engagement, budgeting and contracting processes, interagency coordination, and special initiatives. Previously, he worked as a Vice President in the Funding Agreements Department at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), where he managed construction, renovation, and acquisition projects throughout the City that were funded with city capital grants. He personally disbursed over $110,000,000 in city capital dollars while managing a $600,000,000 portfolio of nearly 40 projects, which included]diverse scopes of work with nonprofit and cultural institutions like the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Richmond University Medical Center. He also advised on large-scale public infrastructure projects, such as the Hunts Point Produce Market and Willets Point redevelopments. He has served as the president of the NYCEDC LGBTQIA+ employee resource group, OUT/EDC. He also currently serves as board secretary on The Pride Network’s (TPN) Board of Directors and has been a board member since 2022. He first volunteered for TPN by serving as a mentor for TPN's Transformational Leadership Initiative in 2022. In addition, he serves as a member of the Louisiana State University Department of Public Administration Advisory Council and as a member of the City University of New York (CUNY) LGBTQIA+ Leadership Council. Mason was born and raised in Louisiana and has a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and French as well as an Master of Public Administration from Louisiana State University. He also earned a Building and Construction Certificate from New York University. He has always worked in the nonprofit and public sectors, including as a case manager at a Ryan White community-based organization providing services for HIV+ individuals and as a high school French teacher before going to graduate school. He then worked at the Louisiana Legislative Fiscal Office, where he assessed the budgetary and economic impacts of proposed legislation before moving to NYC. He is a proud resident of Queens where he lives with his husband. Mason enjoys traveling, reading about politics and history, baking, gardening, and speaking French and Spanish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/88069e36-f161-4b08-af59-5eb136249ffc/Hwang.png Board Brian Hwang is a Senior Vice President at M&T Bank leading a commercial real estate underwriting team. He has spent over 13 years in the real estate finance industry working at both large Fortune 500 firms and at fintech startups. Brian has been involved with The Pride Network for the last four years, as a volunteer, a Board Member, and now as Board Chair. He is passionate about empowering and equipping the next generation of queer leaders. Brian is also a member of the Gay Real Estate Group of New York (GREG) and has spoken at the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) conference on impostor syndrome and developing an intentional personal professional brand. Brian graduated with a MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. Brian is originally from Los Angeles and is based in New York City. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/6ceb2eab-9798-4420-a379-e681e3435a7d/Maurice+headshot+website.png Board - Make it stand out Maurice Shirley, Ph.D., is an educational scholar with over 10 years of experience and expertise in quantitative research, program development, policy analysis, and organizational growth. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Indiana University and is based in Indianapolis, IN. Maurice began working with The Pride Network in 2023 and is enthusiastic about supporting emerging queer leaders and developing resources to enhance the work of those who wish to enhance their communities and society. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher and Postsecondary Education from New York University, a M.A. in Higher Education and Student Personnel Administration from New York University, and a B.A. in English Pre-Education from The Ohio State University. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/f7739807-5118-4b5d-bf79-9216fd07ee99/Schaffnit.png Board Jessie Schaffnit (Treasurer) is an Ops Risk IT Systems Director at Equitable, a financial services and insurance company. Leading up to this role, he had worked for Siemens and Stryker in the MedTech industry in systems/process innovation within Finance, Operations, and IT. He attended graduate school at Rutgers University for an MBA in Strategy & Data Analytics and NJIT for a BS in Systems Engineering. At Equitable, Jessie also sits as one of the Chairmen of the PRIDE Employee/Business Resource Group (ERG/BRG) activating the Equitable business principles through engagement of the LGBTQIA+ employees and allies to create and sustain an inclusive environment and building strategic partnerships. He has also been volunteering with The Pride Network since 2013 with fundraising, promoting our mission and event activation, and became a board member in the fall of 2021. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/partner daily 0.75 2023-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/fbc00b28-ef5d-455a-a306-21bfc65f32fb/Our_Partners.png Partner with Us https://www.thepridenetwork.org/whom-we-serve daily 0.75 2024-04-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/a93958c4-db1b-484c-8995-3c8ddd384898/United+States+of+TPN+2024.gif Whom We Serve - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686260961887-TGCKI4L1LFOWQFXYEDZQ/1.png Whom We Serve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686260962032-RJEEKXQSCKE99D8ED13B/2.png Whom We Serve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686260963291-XDV10H3QL2KV08F03RMB/3.png Whom We Serve https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686260963162-YTWHVEJ3Q38BDJZP807U/4.png Whom We Serve https://www.thepridenetwork.org/emerge daily 0.75 2023-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/467134a4-4fb1-41d8-aa40-2061dc509ff6/Screen+Shot+2023-06-07+at+6.44.40+PM.png EMERGE+ Leadership Training - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/social-impact-grants daily 0.75 2024-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/cd154c81-84ee-4c1c-ab52-084e2dcfbfc7/Screen+Shot+2023-06-07+at+7.10.50+PM.png Social Impact Grants https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/54f28492-2d3c-413f-8312-b147deb67d7e/image000000.jpg Social Impact Grants - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/programs daily 0.75 2024-02-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/e8923663-13f8-4b55-b1bc-5552b7dda6b9/Screen+Shot+2023-06-07+at+7.24.13+PM.png Transformational Leadership Initiative - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/cohorts daily 0.75 2023-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713292353907-GWCDXQ8EOA19XGR0BCTI/Andrew%2BFarias.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Andrew Dominguez Farias (2024) Andrew Dominguez Farias hails from Houston, Texas, but has found a home in Lincoln, Nebraska as the Lobby and Policy Fellow with the Asian Community and Cultural Center. His work revolves around lobbying for legislation that empowers all immigrants and refugees, while also encouraging directly impacted individuals to share their stories with elected officials. Andrew enjoys volunteering his time on the Board of Directors of OutNebraska, a statewide LGBTQIA2S+ advocacy organization, and is the Community Outreach Coordinator for Star City Pride Events, which hosts Lincoln's LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Parade and Festival. Overall, Andrew is incredibly passionate about promoting justice and sustainability within legislative policies to ensure an equitable future for generations yet to come. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713292370328-X46TC4EL96ABUEJGCVI6/Danielle%2BMoore.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Danielle E. Moore (2024) Danielle E. Moore is a writer, composer, and creative producer. She founded and currently serves as the Executive Producer of GLG, the first (and only) U.S.-based organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in musical theater authorship by developing and producing musicals written by women and nonbinary artists (www.greenlightgroupproductions.com). As a producer, she has developed and created content for brands including NBCUniversal, Paramount, Adweek, and The Shubert Organization. A finalist for the 2021 Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project, Danielle was a member of Maestra Music’s 2023 mentee class, and was recently selected for the Rooftop Writers Initiative, a joint venture of Broadway’s Merrily We Roll Along, the Stephen Sondheim Foundation and the American Theater Wing’s Jonathan Larson Grant, as well as the upcoming Nautilus Music-Theater / Alliance for New Music-Theatre Composer-Librettist Studio. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a PURM fellow and the President of Wharton UME. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713290840219-X92VZH3XN6JK67EQCSG1/Jayla+Burton.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Jayla Burton (2024) Jayla Burton As a trained public health professional and visionary founder of Dew Thrift, Jayla Burton leads a black, queer-led movement promoting community resilience and equitable access to sustainable living through fashion and culture. With a background in public and environmental health, she has spent her career advocating against products and practices that put our health at risk. Through Dew Thrift, Jayla fosters community resilience, dismantles disposable consumerism, and advocates for natural circular systems within BIPOC communities. Her work encompasses critical analysis of cancer treatments, research on environmental impacts of the disease, and substance use harm reduction. With an educational background from the University of Cincinnati and the University of San Francisco, Jayla addresses each endeavor through a social justice lens, acknowledging intersections between race, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic status. Additionally, she is a Project Manager at the National LGBT Cancer Network, where she leads the Cancer Leaders Like Us program, providing resources for emerging LGBTQ and/or BIPOC leaders interested in pursuing public health careers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713290841056-P4NZAMDLBS5PU20HEMXP/Julienne+Louis.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Julienne Louis-Anderson (2024) Julienne Louis-Anderson (she/her) is the Director of Programming for Daughters Beyond Incarceration. In this role, she works with the Youth Coordinators, mentees, families, and DBI parents to increase the impact of youth advocates and change agents. She believes deeply in the Curb-Cut Effect and uses this framework to guide her. Jules is a 2X HBCU graduate and a New Orleans Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. member. Julienne spends time with her loved ones outside the office, enjoying her hometown. They often train for various marathons, taste-testing new restaurants in the city, catch up on Black sci-fi or historical fiction books, swim, or lie out by the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713290844133-U32NRI7EW97ACD8R5PL7/Ryan+Sutherland.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Ryan Sutherland (2024) Ryan Sutherland is a second-year medical student at the Yale School of Medicine interested in leveraging his passion for social entrepreneurship, community mobilization and human-centered design to revolutionize healthcare delivery models and build more resilient communities, particularly among those most marginalized. He earned a BS and BA in Biology and Music Performance with honors from Emory University. He also earned an MPH from Yale University and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cambridge as a Rotary Global Grant Scholar. He is drawn to projects at the intersection of clinical medicine, public health, and global development, and actively conducts research on homelessness, substance use, LGBTQ+ health, maternal and child health, palliative care, and in Urology. As a scholar-activist committed to fostering social change, he is a recipient of the United States Public Health Service Physicians Professional Advisory Committee Excellence in Public Health Award, and serves as the Executive Director of the New Haven PAWS Project and Community Outreach Director of the Neighborhood Health Project, two local community clinics that focus on caring for New Haven's homeless, undocumented, and uninsured populations. He desires to serve LGBTQ+ patients as a physician-activist who provides gender affirming services. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713290844862-4HAW3ROUY1KYBB6ZQF9W/Simitri+Nassar.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Simitri Nassar (2024) Simitri Nassar (she/her/hers), a public health graduate from North Carolina Central University, discovered her passion for sexual health during her undergraduate years. With over 8 years of experience in HIV/STI prevention, she is the founder and executive director of SimiSex and the Sexual Intellectual Movement Foundation, Inc. (S.I.M.), a nonprofit organization providing sex-positive education and resources to BIPOC LGBTQ+ young adults in the rural South. Currently pursuing a master’s in public health with a focus on global health, Simitri advocates for initiating conversations about sexual health among young adults (18-30). Her mission is to raise awareness of BIPOC queer sexual health, aspiring to transform the world into Sexual Intellectuals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713290914398-WD1BBW6UDR1AV7AX50OT/Layla+McMurtrie.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Layla McMurtrie (2024) Layla McMurtrie is a journalist based in Detroit, Michigan who co-founded The Vision Detroit, a community organization with the mission of providing resources and mentorship for young artists in the city. As part of that, she hosts the Tell A Vision podcast where she interviews people about their art, helping bridge the gap between artists and the community. At the forefront of her work in the journalism and nonprofit sectors is a commitment to amplifying the voices of underrepresented individuals, especially in the arts. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1713291989500-H6PG3JQNIAOZ4PLZMKHX/Anonymous+headshots.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Chun Wang (2024) Chun Wang is a soon-to-be graduate from Swarthmore College with an honors BA in Medical Anthropology. Committed to the practice of socially engaged art, Chunyang has been named a Lang Opportunity Scholar, Engaged Humanities Studio Grantee, Clinton Global Initiative University Fellow, and Humanity in Action Fellow for their use of art for addressing pressing social issues. They are passionate about using anthropological methodologies to expand the multicultural intersections of art and health/well-being. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256813207-SSFHLFJP76BGSVXEMZC2/Amini-Bonane.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Amini Bonane (2023) Amini is a Congolese American social entrepreneur, community organizer, and advocate. As a nonprofit fellow at George Mason University, Amini studied Finance, Philosophy, and Law; and is now pursuing a master's degree in Government & P.L.C. from Harvard University. She is also a proud graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and The Campaign School at Yale. Amini has served and been awarded for her work in multiple leadership positions, motivated by the fight for equity for marginalized communities. When off the clock from her job in the Civic technology industry, she loves to spend her free time volunteering, watching documentaries, and mentoring students through her role as founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of Brains Then Beauty. Amini is set to become her hometown’s 1st Black councilwoman, in hopes to inspire the next generation of young people to persevere and prevail no matter what! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256815538-72KUPII3O1AB8OGUHN5M/Brian-Donovan.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Brian Donovan (2023) Brian Donovan (he/him) founded Rainbow Academics, a non-profit organization devoted to increasing LGBTQ+ representation in STEM fields. Throughout his educational career studying Chemical Engineering and Statistics during my undergraduate at UCSD and doctoral studies at Columbia University, he has personally noticed the lack of people who identify as LGBTQ+. To increase queer representation in STEM fields, Rainbow Academics focuses on increasing the representation of LGBTQ+ students through creating direct mentorship and support from fellow queer mentors. Volunteer mentors focus on assisting with academic classes and insights into graduate school, internships, and their personal experiences to allow younger queer students interested in STEM to thrive. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256820414-LA7E7J672HFOM98TIICI/Danielle-Demetrea-East.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Danielle Demetrea East (2023) Danielle Demetria East is an interdisciplinary artist and poet. East is also the Founder and Executive Director of East Lubbock Art House. She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas where she had recently showcased artwork at the Buddy Holly Center, South Plains College and Grey Edges Studio. Her values and interests are in social justice, equity and mentoring young adults. She also enjoys watching movies, cooking, reading and traveling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256800307-8FRDW5MDHQXUK3CIMZKP/RJ-Quirk.png Meet Our Cohorts! - R.J. Quirk (2023) RJ is an LGBTQ2S+ health specialist with a master's in Global Health from National Taiwan University. They are the EiC of Q Street Poetry and are the author of a chapter entitled Settler Theory and Feminisms Beyond Compulsory Relating: A Polyqueer Autoethnography. Recently, they have become interested in the power of participatory arts-based programming as a tool for transgender community healing and social mobilization. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256822452-0SIATX87J5A3QG5YD5JC/Delaney-Ding.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Delaney Ding (2023) Delaney Ding (he/him) is a native of Tallahassee, Florida, and an MD-PhD student in Epidemiology with the Southern HIV and Alcohol Research Consortium at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Delaney graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, Health, and Society; Honors in Research; and Minors in Biomedical Sciences; Infectious Disease Biology; and Policy Analysis and Management. As an undergraduate student, Delaney cultivated his passion for youth wellness and community-engaged scholarship as a Program for Research on Youth Development and Engagement (PRYDE) Scholar and Cornell Tradition Fellow. After graduation, he worked for two years at Massachusetts General Hospital, studying the epidemiology of HIV and COVID-19 and the cost-effectiveness of interventions for HIV prevention and management. As a researcher, he is passionate about understanding and improving LGBTQ+ health and wellness, also serving as the Director of Research and Analytics for the National Leadership Team of the Medical Student Pride Alliance. Delaney aspires to serve LGBTQ+ youth and their families through his future medical practice, research, and advocacy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256802228-BHOZKQ0HBL5ELXQH7E8J/Vaniel-Simmons.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Vaniel Simmons (2023) Vaniel Simmons (any pronouns) is a third-year student at Rhodes College, in Memphis TN, and is studying psychology and gender-sexuality studies. They are a Bonner Scholar, a campus leader, and passionate queer/trans activist. They are currently employed at OUTMemphis at the Youth Emergency Center serving LGBTQ+ individuals facing housing and food insecurities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256804224-FE5C4TXSNH9NEQAG7GLF/Virgil-Downey.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Virgil Downey (2023) Virgil Downey (he/they) is a queer, transmasculine organizer and student affairs professional. He is the Student Involvement Coordinator at The College of Idaho, where he works with incredible students on programming ranging from sober mixers to drag shows. Currently, Virgil is developing the Civic Engagement Program at The College of Idaho, which orients around community-driven service projects, voter education, and voting access. They also serve as chair of the Campus Pride Index Committee, which consists of a mix of students, staff, and faculty who are passionate about LGBTQ+ inclusion and belonging on campus. Off-campus, Virgil serves as Co-Director of Marketing and Outreach for the Gender Advocacy and Inclusion Network in Higher Education (GAIN), which fights for the advancement of women, nonbinary, and transgender folks in higher education. As a member of the 2023 Transformational Leadership Initiative cohort, Virgil is focused on adapting the Safe Zone curriculum to be accessible for people with varying disabilities. In addition to running these workshops, Virgil will also be hosting train-the-trainer retreats to expand training capacity in Southern Idaho. When he's not working, Virgil loves book clubs, tabletop gaming, and spending time with his husband and their three cats. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256825122-P6C2J7FSZJJS0VVP6N54/Owen-Dempsey.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Owen Dempsey (2023) Owen Dempsey (he/him) is an queer advocate, artist, educator, and man of trans experience living on the California coast. Owen has dedicated his life — personally and professionally — to authenticity, healing, justice, and joy. He believes that healing happens in community; and that we all deserve to heal. Owen is the founder and facilitator of a peer support group and mutual aid network focused on complex gender-affirming medical care. When he’s not working with youth, supporting his community, or pausing to focus on his own healing, Owen can usually be found combing the beach for cool rocks, playing and coaching queer/trans softball, or chilling with his senior dog. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686256828970-ASJXSFZD47K5QZP658E0/Screen+Shot+2023-06-02+at+3.06.45+PM.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Laith Ocean (2023) Laith Ocean (They/Them) is originally from Nicaragua. Migrating post civil-war, Lai grew up in the Northern Bay Area, California where they quickly became involved in immigrant rights movements. Soon evolving, Lai began their abolitionist journey supporting campaigns like #ShutDownAdelanto and leading/supporting deportation defense campaigns for criminalized survivors and Trans/Queer youth, advocating for decriminalizing and pro-immigrant policy, and implementing a variety of programming statewide for Trans/Queer BIPOC migrant youth. After ten years of grassroots organizing and graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Sociology, Laith dedicated their time to being a mentor to High School aged youth throughout the Bay Area, focusing on social-emotional learning, wellness, and critical consciousness. Beyond their organizing, Laith is also a creative and martial artist, enjoying a multitude of mediums for expression including painting, writing, playing a Berimbau and drumming, and practicing Muay Thai, Capoeira, and Escrima. Laith hopes to use their passion for abolition, movement, and wellness to become a therapist for youth, supporting a different view of self in the times of late stage colonial capitalism. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280346236-TL4JC2OGKXR0UMRI1VXA/DH30.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Haleigh Fitzpatrick-Owen (2022) Haleigh Fitzpatrick-Owen (she/her, right), Emery Rivera (he/him, center) and Lucy Isman (left) are the core organizers of DYKE HANG RVA, a Richmond, Virginia-based group that plans events to unite the local lesbian community. Haleigh, a femme lesbian, public school educator, and DYKE HANG’s lead organizer, will be her group’s ambassador for the Pride Network’s Transformational Leadership Program. Haleigh began DYKE HANG as a way to bring together Richmond’s fragmented lesbian community after realizing how difficult it was to connect with other lesbians in a city affected by the pandemic. Using “teacher skills” such as embarrassing icebreakers, weird attention-getters, and mandatory fun, Haleigh began conducting outrageous outdoor mingling events to encourage folks to meet new people. Since their first event in September, DYKE HANG has expanded from brewery meetups to park picnics, art pop ups, and dance nights. In 2022, she aims to expand the lesbian community’s connectedness and visibility by fundraising for mutual aid and furthering relationships with local businesses, organizations, and LGBTQ+ nonprofits. While one of her dreams is to create a lesbian arm wrestling league, her true ultimate hope is that no Richmond lesbian will ever have to feel alone, invisible, or isolated from the community again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280350636-EVE9ZT8ESUKPGIX8ROCE/Matthew_Profile_Picture.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Matthew Yekell (2022) Matthew Yekell (he/him) is a student at Stanford University studying computer science and sociology. Prior to starting at Stanford, Matthew served on GLSEN’s National Student Council, where he advocated for safer schools for LGBTQ+ students. In 2020, Matthew was named Texas’ Top Youth Volunteer by the Prudential of Community Awards for his homemade meal program and collection drives serving LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. During his gap year, which took place during the 2020-2021 school year, Matthew co-founded Impulse Learning, an online learning institute that has served hundreds of students. His activist and entrepreneurial endeavors have been featured in People Magazine, CNN, and The Huffington Post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280344505-3969GZWJGWLVXELIMUK5/Angie_headshot.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Angie Tamayo León (2022) Angie Tamayo León (she/they) is a writer and community educator. They are a queer Latine immigrant and first-generation college student studying English and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies focusing on Social Justice Theories. She is interested in helping queer and immigrant communities flourish despite the barriers placed before them; she advocates for mental health awareness and generational healing in the Latino community. As a community educator, she has experience working with immigrants, LGBTQ+, and youth of color using a culturally responsive, intersectional, and trauma-informed approach. She believes that informal education that is intentionally accessible to all community members can empower communities of color to create change. As a daughter of immigrants, they strive to learn about financial freedom, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual connection to their ancestors. Keep up and connect with her through here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280685793-YEK8592E2D5I4C8555EL/IMG_2523.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Brandon Banks (2022) What started as bar buddies who loved going out to support local LGBTQIA+Entertainers turned into an initiative to give them the chance to continue to perform once the pandemic started and Columbia, Mo lost their own drag bar. Now, two years later a group of co-founders and a community of entertainers, venues, and audience members are collaborating to create LGBTQIA+Safe Spaces all across Missouri (and hopefully one day beyond the state boundaries). Nclusion Plus is an LGBTQIA+Entertainment, Education, and Event production organization that produces on average over 2 events per week for the Missouri community including drag shows, speaker workshops, Pridefests, University partnerships, online content, small business infomercials, and even a membership magazine. Their ultimate goal is to build a membership base that allows them to afford and support a new drag bar in their local area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280346466-4IMI6YJTIZ5E1O5VRSBP/Dyme_headshot.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Dymin Ellis (2022) Executive Producer of Punq Noire Fest, Dyme “Indigaux” Ellis (they/them/their) is a Black nonbinary artist and organizer based in New Haven, CT. Passionate about bringing opportunities and resources to QTBIPOC artists, Dyme is driven by an internal mission to foster and stimulate Connecticut’s colorful communities through creative, eventful experiences. December 2019, Dyme Ellis organized a pop up fashion show at Yale Architecture Gallery. August 2020, Dyme Ellis organized Black Art Matters/Black Art is Resistance (BAM/BAR) at nonprofit art gallery, Artspace. Each of these events entirely featured artists of color from Connecticut. In 2021, Dyme Ellis decided to develop their skills as an arts administrator, and gained experience as an assistant at Arts Council of Greater New Haven. Now that it’s 2022, Dyme Ellis is excited to present the Punq Noire Festival of Underground Arts, a manifestation of their passion, love for, and dedication to Connecticut’s rich and eccentric artist communities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280349554-9BCJ97HL2JVORF9242S9/George_headshot.png Meet Our Cohorts! - George Anthony Pratt (2022) George Anthony Pratt is a burgeoning scholar of Black Diasporic studies, Gender and Sexuality, and Religion, double majoring in History and Religion with a minor in Leadership studies at Morehouse College. He is engaged in various research and creative projects as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, Quarterman Keller Social Justice Scholar, Andrew Young Social Justice Fellow, Covenant Fellow, and ESU Luard Morse Scholar. Additionally, George is a contributing writer for the oldest continuously published African American periodical, The Christian Recorder, and serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the Howard Thurman Honors Program literary journal, Litteratus. At Morehouse, he serves as the inaugural Historian-In-Residence of Student Life and founding Executive Director of HouseCorps, a social justice centered initiative dedicated to “telling the stories that are rarely told” through oral history and the digital humanities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280348349-5ZV1QNPVTVW1ULTGCVK9/Headshot.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Molly Kennedy Irvin (2022) Molly Kennedy Irvin graduated from Stanford University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with honors and a minor in English. While at Stanford, she spent much of her time working to improve mental health on campus, on both a personal level (peer counseling at the Bridge) and a community level (co-directing the Mental Health & Wellness Coalition). Currently, Molly is a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, working primarily with patients with schizophrenia and depression. She hopes to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and conduct research on sexual health, dysfunction, and sexuality. Outside of research, Molly enjoys teaching comprehensive sex education and reading nineteenth-century British literature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280343356-TE9JL9S2IOARBQPMD5MW/image_6487327.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Jet Tran (they/them) (2022) Jet Tran (they/them) is a library paraprofessional and creative writer. Their desire to uplift Black & brown queer people informs everything they create—and their background in middle grade education and customer service led them to the Central Arkansas Library System. As a library assistant, Jet pushed for queer & trans-centered outreach, which they do in their newly established role as LGBTQIA+ teen programmer. Jet aims to make library spaces more welcoming to those who are underrepresented both on the shelves and behind the front desk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1686257967908-T8E01ANI1FHYET1VDFB4/Elisha%2BFreitas.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Elisha Freitas (2022) Elisha is a queer Latina best-selling author, international public speaker, and award-winning editor. They use their art, stories, and ideas to empower, uplift, and motivate teens and young adults. Elisha is passionate about activism and social justice issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, feminism and women's rights, and mental health. She is working towards her undergraduate in editing and publishing with the goal to start a publishing company dedicated to telling stories about and by diverse under-represented communities. To learn more about and connect with Elisha, follow them at @artistaelisha. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280348076-0VON3I4PWI4091KZY01R/Hector_headshot.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Hector Francisco Mañón (2022) A South Florida native of Mexican and Dominican descent, Hector found his passion in education and mental health, teaching culinary arts and working with non-profit programs benefiting children and families, as well as individuals with disabilities and other life challenges. Currently, he oversees the post-secondary programs at Arc Broward in Sunrise, FL. In 2020, Hector founded the Association for Culinary Art Therapy. ACAT is dedicated to the development and promotion of Culinary Art Therapy (CAT) as a recreational practice and therapeutic skill. Hector truly believes there is a deep-rooted connection between food, education, and mindfulness. He earned his Associate in Science from Johnson & Wales University and is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management with a Minor in Psychology. Hector aspires to become a marriage and family therapist or psychologist and would like to specialize in working with LGBTQ+ couples and families. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280347624-M5967NZHBR9O5DBOR16F/Hector_headshot%25281%2529.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Rowan K Ching (2022) Originally from Honolulu, HI, Rowan K Ching is a trans masculine Asian-American artist and academic pursuing their Doctorate in East Asian Medicine. Rowan received their Bachelors Degree in Dance and did their undergraduate thesis on Somatics as a Practice of Freedom for People of Color, performing research on how the embodied understanding of one’s own anatomy can be a transformative experience. Based on Leni-Lenape land in what is now known as Philadelphia, Rowan currently works as a freelance teaching artist and consultant with various non-profits. Rowan strongly believes that movement, story telling, and community can aid in the healing of both personal and interpersonal wounds. In connecting with ancestral healing modalities, Rowan aspires to decolonize and queer the wellness field to make medicine more acessible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280351730-YN26S5EX5F0BJVRLOWX0/Peyten_headshot.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Peyten Sharp (2022) Peyten Sharp (he/him) is a student at Berkeley Law and the Founding Director of Texans Against Conversion Therapy (Texans ACT). Peyten grew up in East Texas before studying Psychology and Economics at Harvard College. Between undergrad and law school, he worked as a paralegal in New York City and a legal intern at the Harvard Law LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic. He plans to become a litigator to fight for LGBTQ+ rights in the US and abroad. In his free time, he enjoys concerts, hiking, surfing, and fiction writing and literature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280343755-DXOS5W5AHUQAKI34FYQ1/Evan_headshot.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Evan Zhao (2022) Evan Zhao is a sociologist-in-training from the Midwest who works to shed light on underserved and invisibilized people and minoritized identities. They are currently a researcher at the Institute of Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing at Northwestern University where they are studying social determinants of health among health disparity populations including racial and ethnic minorities and sexual and gender minorities. They also contribute to the University of Chicago's Urban Labs, researching the impact of innovative interventions deployed in partnership with the City of Chicago. They earned their B.A. and M.A. in Sociology with a minor in Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies from the University of Chicago, where their thesis was based on fieldwork in China studying intercultural queer communities. Evan has served as an American Bar Foundation Research Diversity Fellow, a Pozen Center for Human Rights Research Laboratory Fellow, and a Wanxiang Ambassador Fellow. Trained in social science research methods, Evan is experienced with ethnography, in-depth interviews, and survey research. Through challenging exclusionary narratives, Evan hopes to give voice to those who are underrepresented at the forefront of conversations in social justice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280348810-RSVRHXZFJZEFVUV6BVXY/Grace_Wickerson_headshot.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Grace Wickerson (2021) Grace is an engineer, organizer, and educator working to help young people critically evaluate structural injustices and design interventions to re-imagine our current systems. They are a recent graduate of Rice University, where they received their B.S. in Materials Science and Nanoengineering and were a Point Foundation Scholar, Buick Achievers Scholar, and Trustee Distinguished Scholar. While at Rice, they served as Student Body President, and sought to re-think the way the University administration, faculty and the student body approached diversity, equity and inclusion, financial inclusion, sustainability, and engagement with the larger Houston community. For their work, they were recognized as one of the Outstanding Seniors of the Class of 2020, an honor only awarded to ten students in a +1000 person class. They also initiated the only class on design and social good at Rice University, working with +30 students over three years. Now, as a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, Grace is utilizing their engineering knowledge to design biodegradable, biocompatible therapeutic medical devices for chronic diseases and working to increase access to innovative, cutting-edge healthcare interventions. They are continuing their work in design education, founding Design for Equitable Systems to research educational methodologies that show young people how to understand the way a system is constructed to then understand how they can redesign them for a more equitable future. Their future goals are to create a think-tank for collaboration across fields of expertise on addressing systemic challenges in healthcare, education, the environment, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682281359206-8MDE82FIO7GH6SHY4CX4/Jia_Headshot.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Jia Hurd (2021) Jia (They/She) is a Black non-binary femme from the South Bronx of NYC. They are a suicide attempt survivor, a creative, Mental Health advocate and community organizer. She is pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Social Work at CUNY Hunter College. She is a New York Transgender Advocacy Fellow for 2020. Jia has 7 years of non-profit program management + 4 years of Mental Health advocacy experience. She trained as a holistic wellness practitioner at The Reciprocity Foundation and an end of life hospice volunteer with New York Visiting Nurses Services. Jia has 7 years on successful social justice movements for LGBTQ+ and Black liberation with Black Trans Media, The New York Transgender Advocacy Group, Hetrick-Martin Institute, Cookies’s Joint, The Audre Lorde Project, BUFU, Equality 4 Flatbush, Sadie Nash Feminist Foundation, Black Lives Matter, BYP 100, and F2L. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280344530-M0LXW5KIEFE921T3ZWZY/AlecHeadshot.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Alec Fischer (2021) Alec Fischer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, digital content creator, TEDx speaker, and nationally featured LGBTQ+ advocate based in Minneapolis. At age 17, he created a short documentary titled “Minnesota Nice?” addressing the rising suicide rates of high school students in Minnesota. The documentary led to legislative changes throughout the state and was screened in schools across the world. As a sophomore in college, Alec was named a Dalai Lama Fellow for his advocacy work and has since been featured by sites including MTV, Buzzfeed, The Washington Times, and USA Today. Now a 27 year-old digital influencer and founder of the media company Fischr Media, he continues to use storytelling as a catalyst for conversation and change. His latest documentary-series, Covid Confessions, highlights stories from more than 100 workers across 15 industries impacted during the pandemic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280342719-YR04VFD8B9EBWEYH6MZD/Mirandy_Lee_headshot.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Mirandy Li (2021) Mirandy grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was a survivor of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This inspired her to go to medical school, after witnessing the health and resource disparities that resulted from the storm. She attended Emory University, where she studied biology and global health. After graduating, Mirandy returned to New Orleans as an MD/PhD student at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC). As the only queer woman of color in her medical school class, she joined, led, and created organizations that focused on student activism. As co-president of Tiger Pride, Mirandy organized community seminars on PrEP, and regularly volunteered to test individuals for HIV and Hepatitis C at local homeless shelters. In her second year of medical school, Mirandy established the Diversity Advisory Committee at LSUHSC, through which she facilitated a monthly “Social Justice Talk,” where students discussed issues of social justice on campus and in the community. Mirandy was also co-president of LSUHSC’s chapter of Medical Students for Choice (MSFC), where she organized student trainings on IUD insertion, contraception counseling, and abortion. For her work, she was selected as a MSFC Reproductive Health Extern in 2017, and was awarded the Women in Medicine Leadership Award in 2018. Mirandy decided to pursue her PhD in public health, where she could research health disparities that marginalize vulnerable populations. Her dissertation focuses on smoking cessation strategies for LGBTQ populations. After graduating with her MD/PhD, she plans to continue her health disparities research, while also being an abortion provider. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280341903-J4M1SYG0UOEYDSXVR1TN/Untitled_design%25283%2529.png Meet Our Cohorts! - Liana Giangiuilo (2021) (THEY/THEM/THEIRS) Liana Giangiulio is a white nonbinary playwright and performance artist from Philadelphia. Their writing breaks down the conventional barriers placed gender, culture, language, and sex as means to cultivate an American society where multiplicities of experiences are welcomed, prioritized, and celebrated. Their plays have been workshopped and performed by Reground Theatre Collective (Love in the Valley of Mexico and Camp Out), and featured in Vintage Soul’s Quick Quarantined Festival (Round 5), and Dysfunctioning Just Fine and Shea Theater Art’s Queerantine Virtual Fringe Festival (To Be Out and Unafraid). Previous Boston performance credits include the world premieres of The Nestwives of the Cretaceous (Boston University), Dead House (Boston Playwright’s Theatre), and Make Way for Ducklings (Wheelock Family Theatre). For their senior thesis, Liana wrote a new collection of trans centered monologues for the BU Trans Monologue Workshop, for which Liana won two school sponsored grants to facilitate and execute. Follow Liana on Instagram @liana_tcg to see their love of fitness, food, and Latin dance. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280341134-RKJINWSGS2AL82GUM6AO/Yabundu_Conteh_Headshot.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Yabundu Conteh (2021) Yabundu Conteh is a proud Sierra Leonean-American from The Bronx, NY. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in Sociology and Africana Studies at Bryn Mawr College where she is set to graduate in May this year. She aspires to use artistic mediums to connect and educate young people about the numerous social issues affecting our world today. Outside of her time in school, Yabundu enjoys exploring global perspectives through the worlds of film, fashion, music and creative writing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682280341163-BJPV0187CSILRDDTWCV3/Zhou__Hao_-_headshot-small.jpg Meet Our Cohorts! - Hao Zhou (2021) Hao Zhou is a filmmaker and photographer from a rural district in southwest China. Often informed by personal experiences, Hao’s work centers on LGBTQ+ people resisting marginalization. Hao has produced several short films as well as a feature film and play. After working in Europe and Asia, Hao moved to Iowa, where he is pursuing graduate degrees in filmmaking and photography. Hao has continued to carry out LGBTQ+ media projects in Iowa, focusing on BIPOC and immigrant LGBTQ+ communities. Hao’s latest project, funded by Art With Impact (AWI), explores queer immigrant mental health and has been featured in AWI’s public mental health workshops. In addition to creative work, Hao is passionate about advancing inclusive, accessible education. With support from the University of Iowa’s Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Hao is developing a new diversity-centered course and workshop. Hao has also won a UIowa Libraries grant to create open-access course materials aimed at reducing educational costs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/1682281413544-KVU7E5SEQ02B2WB0POOW/YU_PA_Logo.png Meet Our Cohorts! - The Yeshiva University Pride Alliance (2021) The Yeshiva University Pride Alliance is an unofficial group of undergraduate YU students hoping to provide a supportive space on campus for all students, of all sexual orientations and gender identities, to feel respected, visible, and represented. Our goal is to foster awareness and sensitivity to the unique experiences of being a LGBTQ+ person in YU and the Orthodox community, and to advocate for their unconditional inclusion and acceptance. Our space will promote open dialogue for all, regardless of religious views and political affiliations. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/donate daily 0.75 2023-11-20 https://www.thepridenetwork.org/skill-summits daily 0.75 2024-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/06ad4ef8-ed9e-407c-bd50-981b10e1eb1e/Skill+Summit+banner.png Skill Summits - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.thepridenetwork.org/privacy-policy daily 0.75 2023-06-08 https://www.thepridenetwork.org/beloved-community daily 0.75 2023-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64171c11a6e26c5d06a032c6/db4a04cd-182c-4193-bc77-0da25d34d994/Screen+Shot+2023-06-07+at+7.36.58+PM.png What is Beloved Community? - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.