Press Release  Public Nominations Open for LGBTQ Youth Commission

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth is seeking new applicants to join the Commission for the 2020-2021 term as it works to establish a safe and welcoming community for all Massachusetts youth. The deadline for these applications is November 3rd. Commission members work as volunteers with state agencies, the legislature, schools, and community partners to address some of the disparities LGBTQ youth face in their daily lives.

Membership is open to all residents of the Commonwealth regardless of age or background. Applicants with an interest and knowledge of racial justice are particularly encouraged to apply, as this underlies all of the Commission’s work. The Commission has been particularly focused in recent years on topics such as sexual health, criminal justice, family acceptance, and homelessness, and is interested in expanding its knowledge base in these areas as well as finding members who can lead us into new areas of opportunities.

A few examples of the many partnerships the Commission enjoys are collaborations to address the issues of LGBTQ youth in foster care with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) and exploring how to help youth find employment with MassHire. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) co-sponsors one of the Commission’s most important collaborations, as the two agencies work together to promote a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students; this includes the establishment of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Leadership Council and the provision of LGBTQ inclusivity trainings for educators. In the past year, the Commission has also actively supported the ban on conversion therapy and supported expanding the Youth Count, a survey of youth experiencing or at risk for homelessness.

Members of the Commission serve for two years and are required to attend a minimum of four in-person meetings of the full Commission per year as well as be actively involved with a committee or “team.” These teams address a wide array of topics, including curriculum, homelessness, health, and juvenile justice. Members can participate in the Commission’s policy work, run outreach events with the community, help evaluate and improve its programming, and more. Remote participation is available for members living out of the greater Boston area, as most meetings take place in this region.

The Commission on LGBTQ Youth welcomes diversity of race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexuality, age, geographic location, and ability, and strongly urges those who identify as youth, transgender, and/or a person of color to apply. 

The application can be found here and is open until Sunday, November 3rd. Interviews will take place in November and final decisions will be made in December, with terms beginning in January. Questions about the Commission or the application process can be sent to commission@ma-lgbtq.org.

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