On Wednesday, March 16, 2022 the LGBT Network will hold its 26th Annual LGBT Youth Conference at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. We look forward to seeing you on March 16th for this powerful day of empowerment, education, networking, and community organizing!

The 26th Annual LGBT Youth Conference brings together youth from all over Long Island and NYC to educate and empower participants to advocate for LGBT people and ignite their activism. Workshop offerings address the following topics:  Youth Organizing & Advocacy Skills, LGBT History, Health, Social Justice, & Anti-Bullying.

CONFERENCE IS SOLD OUT

Announced LGBT Youth Conference Workshops:

• Charging Up Your GSA – Get your GSA club re-energized with opportunities to empower your club members, attract new members, plan and organize various “days of action” to stop bullying and raise awareness of LGBTQ advocacy. GSA club members will have the opportunity to share your best practices from your GSA club, and learn what’s working for other clubs to bring your GSA to the next level! 
• Be An Upstander! – Don’t stand by, stand up! Instead of standing by and feeling powerless to stop bullying, learn how to become an UPSTANDER!  This interactive workshop trains and empowers youth to intervene when they see bullying happen. Participants will learn to identify different types of bullying and common bystander behaviors. Through roleplay, participants will better understand bystander behavior and have the opportunity to practice effective responses to stand-up to bullying in various scenarios. 
• GSA Advisor Round Table – Dedicated conversational space for GSA Advisors to meet, network, and share strategies in support of LGBTQ youth and their friends. Through casual open discussion, advisors can lend their personal insight, resources, experience, and support to each other to assist other advisors and school staff in creating safe, inclusive, and equitable school environments. LGBT Network staff will guide the discussion and be on hand to offer additional best practices and answer any LGBTQ-related questions.
• Theater for Change – Come join this interactive theater workshop where we will play out some difficult situations we often encounter in school (ex. microaggressions, bullying, misgendering and etc.) Once we discuss these scenarios, we will work together to create strategies to make these situations better through acting, improv, and movement exercises.
• Bae or Nay: Healthy Relationships – It’s tough out here when the world constantly makes you feel like a relationship is what you need to carry on. Let’s talk about what it means to be in a healthy relationship! Come join us as we discuss relationship dynamics, intimate partner violence, and the ways all this impacts us individually and as a community.
• Regional Networking Circle – Long Island – GSA club members and advisors from all over Long Island are invited to meet your neighbors across the Island and in your surrounding towns. We will begin this networking circle all together spanning the Island from the East End to the Nassau/Queens border. Then we will break into more local regions to plan ways to meet up back home and keep the networking going!
• Regional Networking Circle – New York City – GSA club members from all over NYC are invited to meet your neighbors across the city and in your surrounding boroughs. We will begin this networking circle all together spanning the entire city. Then we will break into local regions to plan ways to meet up back home and keep the networking going!
• Roots to Revolution: Queer History – Learn about the history of the LGBTQ community, including and beyond Stonewall. This workshop will review important events and people in the LGBTQ rights movement and how queer people and history are inextricably linked to all history.
• (Sex) Jeopardy! LGBT Network’s Jeopardy with a Sexual Health Twist! – Good sexual health means you are well informed and respectful to yourself and others. This team challenge will test your knowledge of safer sex in a fast-paced, fun game. Do you have what it takes to win at SexJeopardy? Test your knowledge and compete for bragging rights. No matter what, you’ll leave with important facts and strategies for you, your partners, and friends to #StayHealthy.
• Sexuality & Gender Spectrums – Dive deep into the meaning of different sexual orientations and gender identities. We’ll discuss what these identities mean to us and to others. By exploring our own identities and the identities of others we can help create more welcoming communities and GSAs; and be better prepared to support and advocate for each other.
• Substance Abuse in the LGBT Community: How to Help a Friend – LGBT people are at great risk for misusing substances and experiencing their ill effects. Come find out about the LGBT community’s relationship to substances and how to help someone you care about if you are worried about their health and relationship to alcohol and/or drugs.
• 50 Shades of Gay: Queer Representation in the Media – Over the last few years, the representation of our LGBTQ communities has grown in mainstream media. While there have been significant advancements that we should celebrate, many aspects still need to be discussed. Is it enough? Are they depicting us accurately? Why is it even necessary to see someone like us in the media? How would you like to see our community portrayed in the future? Let’s have this conversation because there are many more colors on the rainbow flag than just “fifty shades of gay.”

*Limited scholarships available: contact programs@lgbtnetwork.org for more information.

SPONSOR THE LGBT YOUTH CONFERENCE

SPONSOR YOUTH TO ATTEND LGBT YOUTH CONFERENCE

Questions email development@lgbtnetwork.org

Supported by the Amazin’ Mets Foundation.

Free onsite parking will be available in Lot G accessed via Gate 1 located on Seaver Way. Once on-site, please proceed to and enter and exit the ballpark via our Hodges VIP Entrance.

Continental breakfast and lunch is included with your registration.