The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2-S) Underserved Cultural Communities (UsCC)-sponsored capacity-building project, Rites of Passage for Queer, Trans, Indigenous People of Color (QTIPOC), identified and engaged 30 Compton and Watts students and young adults in three age-specific cohorts during spring break for a series of creative, affirming self-care and community-care activities celebrating the courage and legacy of Black civil rights leader Bayard Rustin.
Held at a local youth center, the project focused on identity and belonging; resilience and sensory tools; and mindfulness and inner energy. Mental wellness activities included facilitated group discussions on the life story of Bayard Rustin, overcoming challenges growing from childhood to adulthood, emotional resilience, journaling, candle making, plant potting, letter writing, and sound healing. Participants shared positive feedback on the impact of their experience, such as feeling less isolated, more accepted, and more confident. One participant said, “For once, everybody in the room is like me!” Another shared, “This is the most peace I’ve had in my life.”
Bridging the Gap Enterprises, LLC, developed, implemented, and evaluated the project — their first County contract.
For more information on LGBTQIA2-S UsCC and other high-impact capacity-building projects, please visit: https://dmh.lacounty.gov/about/mhsa/uscc/lgbtqia2-s-uscc/
Submitted by LACDMH ARISE Division
