Farewell from Adrian Parra

In 2016, I walked up the stairs into a crowded room of teenagers on the top floor of a church, teaching each other about consent, safer sex and chipping away at the gender binary every Sunday. I had no idea how deeply this organization would affect me, professionally and personally. As a person living with HIV since 2011, I deeply understood the need and value of peer-led sexual health education. As a queer and non-binary adult, my body felt the healing quality of gender expansive spaces. One thing led to another and after a year of volunteering the organization offered me a teaching artist contract.

At that time, I could not have imagined that in 2024, I would be Executive Director, and we would be a staff of 6. We are facilitating three weekly peer led programs, just celebrated our 14th Queer Prom, hosting our 3rd GSA Summit this fall, supporting a growing statewide Gender and Sexuality Alliance club network, have grown into advocacy work, are distributing rapid response financial assistance funds, and have developed a clear youth leadership strategy that pays young people for their work and expertise. That’s a lot! I’m immensely proud of the organization's evolution and growth, and we could not have arrived here without a legacy of collaborators and supporters.

It is with great pride and confidence in Youth OUTright that I announce my departure from my role as Executive Director of Youth OUTright. I have accepted a position with the GSA Network and will be starting my new role as the National Program Association Manager in June. Stepping away from Youth OUTright at this time offers both the organization and myself the opportunity to grow and transform in new ways. I am genuinely excited to see how the organization will evolve in the future. As a team we’ve worked hard to identify the organization's long term goals and to build out both strategy and protocol to streamline our efforts and I am certain our efforts will bear fruit. Beck, Eddie, Emma, Evren, and Oliver are an incredible staff team. Our Board of Directors and I trust in their vision and ability to continue leading the work.

I am excited to step back into a programmatic role, to become part of a national team, and grateful that this particular role allows me to stay in a collaborative relationship with Youth OUTright through the National GSA Association.

To those reading this who want to be in deeper alignment with youth and student movements:

I invite you to a practice of “Yes and…”. Too often I see would-be adult accomplices cop-out and advise more assimilationist tactics (I have not been immune to this). Let us support the young people's vision with our experience and resources. Let us build safety around those brave enough to risk their bodies and personal information for the oppressed. Be inspired by the young people resisting facism. Let them move you.

With sparkle and shine,

Adrian Parra