Press Release  Youth Commission Calls for Racial Justice Proposals

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth is seeking one or more consultants to evaluate and improve its policies, procedures, and practices to ensure that it is most effectively implementing its racial justice-centered mission. This would likely include evaluating its current work, issuing recommendations, coaching or training Commission leadership, and helping implement Commission-wide changes and practices. With an application deadline of February 15th (but early applications highly encouraged), the Commission expects this racial justice initiative to begin in March and run through June of this year.

The Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ youth advises others in state government on effective policies, programs, and resources for LGBTQ youth. Our 50-member Commission and its staff issue annual recommendations, which are available here, to 18 state agencies and the Legislature and Governor. The Commission also produces the Safe Schools Program with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This program provides training and technical assistance to schools across the state, organizes the statewide network of Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), and works to make schools safer for all students. Finally, the Commission holds community outreach events and helps connect youth to community resources.

The Commission expects that the scope of services for the racial justice consultant position might include the following:

• Needs assessment, including soliciting feedback from staff, consultants & commissioners;
• Training & trust building of commission staff, consultants & commissioners around racial justice; and
• Recommendations on the following:
  • Refining policy focus areas;
  • Recruitment, retention & engagement of impacted communities in authentic and appropriate ways;
  • Indicators for success (e.g. representative members, policy impact, etc.); and
  • How to make this work sustainable.

Interested applicants should submit a proposal (including their thoughts on a potential scope of services) to commission@ma-lgbtq.org by February 15th. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so early application is encouraged. The maximum consulting fee available is $8,000, inclusive of any travel. Please include a proposed fee in your submission.

The Commission on LGBTQ Youth was originally founded in 1992 by Governor William Weld. The original Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth was designed to respond to high suicide risk among gay and lesbian youth in the Commonwealth. That original Commission transformed in 2006 into an independent state agency established by law and now known as the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth. We remain the only state agency of our kind in the nation.

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