The Oregon Queer Youth Summit (OQYS) will take place Saturday, May 13th, 2017 at Portland Community College Cascade Campus in NE Portland. OQYS is a free, day-long conference presented by and for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Asexual, Queer & Questioning (LGBTQIA) youth and their allies (ages 24 and under). The 2017 theme for OQYS is “DIY Resistance: Self care, Solidarity, Survival.”
This summit is co-sponsored by Sankofa Collective Northwest, NAYA, the Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC), and Q Center, as well as other community partners. This year’s summit will include workshops ranging from Drag 101 to how to start a GSA. LGBTIQ youth and their allies facilitate all workshops.
More details about the Oregon Queer Youth Summit (including how to volunteer as an adult) can be found at
www.oqys.org.
The conference welcomes LGBTQIA youth and their allies (24 years and under) as well as their adult allies such as GSA advisors and counselors to attend this conference. Nine out of ten LGBTQIA youth experience harassment because of their sexual orientation, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for LGBTQIA youth in Oregon. The Oregon Queer Youth Summit offers support and provides tools for youth to create change in their schools and communities.
We’re reaching out because we think your organization would be an excellent fit to table at the Oregon Queer Youth Summit. Hundreds of local queer youth will be in attendance and we would love to see them connected to your services. If you are able, please consider making a donation of $25-$1,000 in exchange for a table at OQYS 2017.