Some days, the dawn is deceptively ordinary. It had been a long week, and I had been up very late preparing for i90’s presence at Saturday’s LGBTQ Youth Summit at Kennesaw State University. After only three hours of sleep, I was already running more than an hour behind schedule. To complicate matters further, I had to bypass KSU to drive into Atlanta to pick up a youth to accompany me to the summit, thereby missing the appointed time for registration. I was concerned about this – especially since this was i90’s first time presenting the program in that venue. I wanted the day to be perfect, and it was my fault that it wasn’t getting off to a good start. I wanted to set a good example for this youth and provide an opportunity for a rich learning experience. Stepping out into the crisp, early morning, little did I know that everything was already well prepared and orchestrated by the Universe, and it was I who needed to learn a lesson I strive to teach…to trust that the power of my true intention would return to me and not only meet my expectation, but prove to be the dawn of an extraordinary day.

As I arrived to pick up J., I was excited about the day’s possibilities. This would be a new experience for her, and I had high expectations. In our i90 meetings over the last couple of weeks, we have had very deep and meaningful discussions about community, pride, acceptance, and LGBT culture and history. This was J.’s chance to witness a collective of her peers outside of our circle, and learn about the power of the larger community. There would be resources, discussions, workshops, socializing, and many, many questions. I looked forward to it all. Today I, indeed “we”, would be her teacher. I was not prepared for the table to turn in such a delightful way.

Because of our late arrival, we received the last available table at the very entrance to the summit. Perfect position (funny how that worked out!). J. spent much of the morning and early afternoon observing the crowd, listening to me explain i90 to the inquisitive visitors to our table, visiting a few of the other tables, and asking many questions about the participants and visitors. She observed a collective of people – (extra)ordinary people – courageously living their truth joyfully and without apology. Later, she attend Summit Jeopardy, where she learned bits of LGBT history. She sat at the collegiate roundtable and learned about real-life issues that LGBT youth face everyday, and became excited by the idea that a group of people can come together and be part of social change. J. pondered her life, peers, and community with a fresh, insightful depth that was both inspiring and challenging. She made a connection to community and, in that community, she found a new level of pride.

By the end of the day, it was J. who was teaching me about the need for effective hate-crimes legislation and the importance of standing up for equality (a result of her encounter with Georgia Equality); the need to rally a community to effect social change; the importance of coming out as a means of healing, and the ways visibility counter fear-based discrimination and prejudice. Most importantly, she deepened my understanding of some of the unique issues she and her LGBT peers face as teenagers, and the tremendous need to be connected to a caring community with adult support and leadership. J. had awakened to the dawn of a new day in her life, and we were both the richer for it.

Thanks to everyone who visited the i90 table at KSU on Saturday. A special thanks to KSU Pride Alliance for the privilege of being part of this year’s Youth Summit. For more info on how you can be part of i90, or support youth like J., contact us at Cynthia@i90youth.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time…

In Truth,
Cynthia