LGBTQ Institute

Great story for Pride month about Tim'm's leadership of the LGBTQ+ Institute.

Join us in Lithonia, GA for a screening of Rustin at Occasions on Main. 5:30 pm.

Awesome LGBTQ+ Symposium last weekend. Looking forward to growing our “framily” next year.

So excited about this event. Let’s pack the house, for Bayard Rustin. Tickets are free but going fast.

If you're considering your parenting options, or even if you're already in process, @menhavingbabies Conference in Atlanta THIS WEEKEND (Feb 23-25) can be an amazing place to learn and figure out your next steps! Over 170 attendees already registered, and with the extensive community partnerships supporting this conference, we're confident it will be a very special gathering. The LGBTQ+ Institute is a proud community partner in this event - come meet us at our table during the Expo! https://lnkd.in/gDC4WR4e The weekend-long conference will cover the medical, legal, social, and financial aspects of ethical surrogacy and egg donation, including detailed guidance on budgeting and insurance. You'll come out of the conference with a better understanding of the process, its suitability to your parenting vision and values, how to prepare for it, and the resources, community, and professionals who can help you through it.

When you do work that is with purpose and meaning, with people and partners that you love, the rewards are immeasurable. Today the LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights concluded our inaugural year of YOU(th) Belong programming at Midtown Bowl in Atlanta. We had nearly 50 kids and youth in attendance and gave out nearly 60 gifts courtesy of All 1 Family. My heart is full seeing all the joy that these young people, many of them LGBTQ and estranged from family or unhoused, experienced today … an assurance and affirmation that each of them deserve every day. The aim of YOU(th) Belong is to connect Atlanta’s Youth with the city’s rich LGBTQ+ history, legacy and culture. Working together to support our children, youth, and young adults are partners that include, but are not limited to: Kaleidoscope Village, Atlanta Pride, Lost-n-Found Youth, SOJOURN, Atlanta LGBTQ History Project, VOX ATL, OUT Front Theatre Company, All 1 Family, and Georgia Equality. Excited about YOU(th) Belong in Film on January 11th in conjunction with the International Youth Film Festival’s Films for Social Justice Symposium. @youthbelongatl @lgbtq_institute @ctr4chr

Congrats on joining our 2024 LGBTQ Institute Board, Darian Aaron!!! Darian Aaron is an award-winning journalist. He is currently the Director of Local News: US South at GLAAD. He previously served as Communications Director of The Counter Narrative Project (CNP) and Editor-At-Large of The Reckoning. He made history as the first African-American Editor-in-Chief of Atlanta’s Georgia Voice newspaper. He has also worked in television news; most recently as a general assignment reporter for CBS affiliate WRBL in Columbus, Georgia. Darian is also a contributing writer for Q Digital and has served in this capacity for Edge Media Network, two of the world’s largest LGBTQ digital media platforms.

Today we close out introductions to new members of the LGBTQ Institute Board. Welcome Dani Alexander-Burk! Dani Alexander-Burk (they|he) serves as a Regional Program Coordinator/Office Manager for Lambda Legal’s Southern Regional Office, based in Atlanta, Georgia. They joined the SRO in August 2021, leading community outreach initiatives across the region and supporting Lambda’s fundraising and policy work across the South. Previously, Dani worked at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia where he managed the LGBTQ Resource Center for three years. Dani brings their knowledge of building strong internal processes and external community networks to the Institute's important work. Dani received a BS cultural anthropology from Kennesaw State University. Dani is proudly first-generation Guyanese-American, Black, non-binary and trans.

A warm welcome on National Coming Out Day to an amazing, passionate, purpose-driven leader, Umut Dursun! We are so excited to have you on our LGBTQ Institute Board. Umut Dursun is a passionate and visionary leader who strives to create a positive and lasting impact for marginalized and underserved communities. Umut is the Executive Director of Harbor Camps, the first-ever summer camp established for transgender and non-binary/gender-nonconforming youth. Umut’s leadership fosters a culture of excellence, collaboration, and diversity among the staff, volunteers, donors, and partners. Prior to Harbor Camps, Umut served as the Co-Director of YES Institute, a non-profit rooted in suicide prevention and a nationally recognized industry leader in providing powerful, action-oriented dialogue and research-based education on topics related to gender and orientation. Umut is a highly requested consultant and trainer who authentically shares his lived experiences as a transgender man, creating space for others to be vulnerable and eliminating the shame and stigma around these topics. As a Marine Veteran who served under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Umut navigated coming to terms with his identity juxtaposed against the intolerance LGBTQ+ service members faced. In honor of his service, the Florida Panthers recognized Umut as a “Heroes Among Us” honoree. Umut’s commitment to serve is the backbone of his career. He joined Teach For America (TFA) in 2011 as a high school teacher in Miami-Dade, FL, openly out as trans, leveraging his visibility to be a role model for youth. Since leaving the classroom, he has collaborated with thought leaders across various industries to implement systems change, tirelessly advocating for the well-being, safety, and belonging of queer and transgender youth.

Today on National Coming Out Day, we celebrate the addition of two new LGBTQ Institute Board members. We extend a warm welcome to Jenna Ortiz, MA, CPDC! Jenna Ortiz (she/her/hers/ella) is an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practitioner, coach, operational strategist, and systems guru. A management consultant focusing on EDI techniques for a better workplace, Jenna is a skillful facilitator who leads with empathy, vulnerability, and real-life experience. She has consulted for many organizations, big and small, private and public. These have included non-profits, tech organizations, academia, advocacy organizations, and more. She brings a wealth of experience to all her projects and understands that every organization enters its DEI journey from a unique place, and no two projects are the same. In addition to DEI facilitation and strategy support, Jenna is a Certified Professional Diversity Coach (CPDC). She understands that in order for intentional organizational change to be successful, organizational leaders must undergo their own individual EDI and identity journeys. Jenna is skilled and equipped to support them with her coaching practice. As a CPDC, Jenna relies on empowerment coaching techniques to dismantle barriers that prevent leaders from moving forward and empower them with the tools to be strong, empathetic leaders within their organizations and communities. She received her Bachelor of History, focusing on International Social Justice, from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Jenna went on to obtain her Master of Arts in International Affairs from The New School Julien J. Studley Graduate Program in International Affairs. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Leadership through the Forbes School of Business and Technology at the University of Arizona Global Campus.