Expanding understanding and acceptance of diversity in gender and sexuality.
Research shows that LGBTQ+ immigrant and refugee youth face particular hardships associated with their intersecting sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. The goal of the ARYSE LGBTQ+ Initiative is to help all of the organization’s stakeholders, especially youth participants and staff, become more expansive in their understanding and acceptance of gender and sexuality. This is achieved through a combination of trainings, research, collaborations, and the Queer Youth Space.
In an effort to respond to a growing number of youth attending ARYSE programs who identify as queer, trans, and/or nonbinary, ARYSE launched the Queer Youth Space in the summer of 2021. The goal of the program is to create and maintain a safe space for queer refugee and immigrant youth in the Pittsburgh region to find community and thrive.
If you have questions or would like to refer someone, contact yongjie@arysepgh.org.