Spirit of Drew Scholarship Winner: Taylor Vassar

The 2021-2022 school year is about to begin and we wanted to kick it off by introducing you to our scholars! This year, we had such a hard time choosing between a ton of incredible applicants. Ultimately, the five we went with are doing spectacular things in their communities and making life better for their LGBTQ+ peers.

Meet Taylor Vassar, who is a student at UCLA in Southern California. Read her essays below:

Currently, I am a research assistant for a project that examines the experiences of Queer, Transgender, Black and Indigenous People of Color (QTBIPOC) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As an intern for the UCLA LGBTQ+ Resource Center, I make note of patterns in the feedback that these students give, create a summary of findings, and interact with various student resource centers on campus regarding improvements that can be made to better serve the QTBIPOC population. As a queer black woman, I have a personal connection and passion to this research project since it involves my identities and creates a positive impact on the targeted demographics. In my future career, I intend to use my skills as a statistics major and combine it with my passion for helping the LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority communities, similar to my current project. However, one of the most bothersome factors in regards to my education are the costs associated with it. If awarded, the funds from a Spirit of Drew scholarship will be prioritized towards my tuition expenses for college, which is the area that needs the most financial attention in my life. For the past year or so, I have been responsible for paying for my own groceries, car insurance, phone bill, gas, and education expenses to the best of my ability, with limited outside help. Taking care of these mentioned expenses are routine to me, however having funds to use towards the most expensive factor is something that I would be immensely grateful for. In addition, it would allow me to continue my upper division courses in statistics and remain a student at the school, which is necessary to continue my internship as well -- both of which are factors in my future career as a statistician for social justice.

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In May of 2020, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement brought to my attention both the beauty and struggles of intersectionality. It seemed that the identities I deemed the most important to myself also put a target on my back; as a woman, carrying a bottle of pepper spray and a defense weapon during my late-night Doordash deliveries is second-hand nature to me. As a queer individual, dealing with homophobia in my own family means that I can only express my true self in my trusted friend group; and lastly, as a black person, navigating a white-dominated world with the constant anxiety and fear of being targeted for discrimination or a hate crime proves difficult. In June, I created a grassroots activist organization called Clothing 4 Black Lives, in which I sold donated clothes and gave the money to other black-owned organizations or small businesses. As I spent time folding, washing, and organizing the clothes, I came to the realization of how not only I was using the items for the benefit of the black community but the fact that I could use my other identities to create an impact as well. For example, to myself and other LGBTQ+ youth, fashion can be an important factor in expressing one’s sexuality or gender identity. On the Instagram page for the organization (@clothing4blacklives), I often emphasize that the clothing sold is for anyone of any gender or sexuality to create a safe space for others that identity with the queer community. This has not only attracted other queer individuals in my social circle that purchase clothes, but strangers as well. A majority of my clothing inventory is feminine-styled; however, I began to outwardly request more masculine-style clothing to expand the availability. Soon enough, more people that identified as males began purchasing from the account as well. This diverse range for clothing allows for those of all genders to express themselves however they would like without judgement. My identities have also led me to advocate for the advancement of other demographics as well, such as those who have a disability or first-generation college students. Being a leader in a movement regarding the equitable treatment of black people is very important to me -- intersectionality has helped me expand that passion and gain several perspectives.

Taylor Vassar (she/her) is a research assistant for a project that examines the experiences of Queer, Transgender, Black and Indigenous People of Color (QTBIPOC) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an intern for the UCLA LGBTQ+ Resource Center.

As a queer black woman, Taylor has a personal connection and passion to this research project since it involves her identities and creates a positive impact on the targeted demographics. In her future career, she intends to use her skills as a statistics major and combine it with her passion for helping the LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority communities, similar to her current project.

Being a leader in a movement regarding the equitable treatment of black people is very important to Taylor -- intersectionality has helped her expand that passion and gain several perspectives.

Spirit of Drew Scholarship Winner: Sergio Gonzalez

The 2021-2022 school year is about to begin and we wanted to kick it off by introducing you to our scholars! This year, we had such a hard time choosing between a ton of incredible applicants. Ultimately, the five we went with are doing spectacular things in their communities and making life better for their LGBTQ+ peers.

Meet Sergio Gonzalez, who is a graduate student at Claremont University in Southern California. Read their essays below:

During my academic trajectory at Claremont Graduate University (CGU), I have collaborated with various professors in preparation for my dissertation topic. This in turn provided me an opportunity to conduct a pilot study in the Spring of 2020 directly informing my dissertation, under the guidance of Dr. Gilda Ochoa at Pomona College. My pilot study explored how sense of belonging influenced the identity development of undergraduate queer Latinx students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). By referring to a process of reclaiming and documenting personal testimonies and experiences through pláticas, this pilot study provided a better understanding of how queer Latinx undergraduate students at PWIs make sense of their belonging and understand their identity development within these institutions. Three main findings emerged from this study; they were (1) Do I belong? (2) Radical Queer Love, and (3) Critical Consciousness/Jotería Identity. This research encapsulated how a sense of belonging together with Jotería Identity and Consciousness, has for research on queer Latinx students in higher education. My pilot study has pushed me to expand my research agenda and in turn, focus on the experiences of queer Latinx graduate students in higher education. As Renn (2010) and Duran et al. (2020) have asserted, research centering queer students of color has started to develop but focus largely on undergraduate students. Thus, by incorporating Jotería Identity and Consciousness and Sense of Belonging as guiding frameworks, my dissertation will lay the foundation to center queer Latinx graduate students’ lived experiences through the co-creation of authentic pláticas. The Spirit of Drew Scholarship will provide support for this foundational work and allow me to strengthen my research for an important topic that deserves more exploration, recognition and existence in higher education.

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“Close the damn door!” were the words my mother shrieked when I asked why she would lock herself in her room. The revelation of her drug addiction filled me with shame and disappointment. I was 11 years old when I witnessed her crippling vulnerability. My family’s existence had been shadowed by systemic oppression, fear of deportation, separation, and criminality manifested into her addiction. My education regarding my history and my ancestral legacy began by listening to the stories of my parents and family members shared at the kitchen table. I learned about migration and oppression through corridos (regional Mexican music) from Los Tigres del Norte. I begin with this vignette as it reflects a shift in my consciousness about my social location, pedagogy, and praxis that has always been present in the work I do as a scholar, educator, and activist.

Growing up there were more liquor stores than libraries in my neighborhood, it was hard to imagine leaving what I knew to be home and pursue my education. In high school, I was discouraged to apply to college by my college counselor as she stated, “You shouldn’t worry about college and look into vocational programs as they will better suit you.” While this enraged me, it enabled me to try harder and apply to colleges around the country. My educational experiences involved navigating systems and institutions not made for me to succeed. As an undergraduate student at Manhattanville College, I was able to explore how my personal experiences as a low-income, joto (queer) Latinx from a mixed-status family were shaped by structural and historical inequalities. Being documented while my father was not, for example, was the complexity that created my unique reality.

Sergio A. Gonzalez is a fourth year Ph.D. candidate in the School of Education Studies Program at Claremont Graduate University. He just received his M.A. in Applied Gender Studies on the way to the Ph.D. He earned his M.Ed. in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California (USC) and his B.A. in Communication Studies from Manhattanville College. Sergio writes from the core of who he is: joto, Latinx, feminist, hijo de a first-generation Madre and Mexican Immigrant Padre, jotería scholar, activist. As Lorde (2007) states, “I HAVE COME to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood” (p. 40). For this reason, his connection to Jotería (queerness) derives from his experiences navigating the Ivory Tower and trying to understand where he can exist within that space. As a scholar/activist, he focuses on co-creating counternarratives of queer Latinx/a/o individuals within higher education. Currently, he is a Research Associate at the Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. His research interests focus on Jotería pedagogy, social justice, undocumented/Dacamented students, and Queer Latinx students in higher education.

Spirit of Drew Scholarship Winner: Luka Isa Gidwani

The 2021-2022 school year is about to begin and we wanted to kick it off by introducing you to our scholars! This year, we had such a hard time choosing between a ton of incredible applicants. Ultimately, the five we went with are doing spectacular things in their communities and making life better for their LGBTQ+ peers.

Meet Luka Isa Gidwani, who is attending UCLA. Read their essays below:

The spirit of Drew Scholarship would help me make a positive impact and continue my work in the LGBTQ+ community because I would utilize it to expand my knowledge and experiences working with my fellow Queer and/or Transgender Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (QTBIPOC) communities. I am currently a first year transfer student at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) and I am pursuing two majors: Philosophy and Gender Studies as well as a minor in LGBTQ Studies. I will most likely stay an extra year because transfer students are typically expected to stay only two years and that is simply not enough time for me to take advantage of the opportunities and resources that UCLA has to offer. Since I am pursuing two degrees, I will need the extra year and will not be taking any summer or winter breaks at any point. I also work for the Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP) and am an intern at UCLA’s LGBTQ Campus Resource Center (CRC), so I would love to stay an extra year to continue working at both and also strengthen their alliances so I can create a space at CCCP and the LGBTQ CRC for community college and transfer students who are QTBIPOC. This scholarship would assist me in continuing my studies at UCLA for an additional year while also still providing support to my QTBIPOC communities.

Intersectionality is not something that I have the ability to look at from an outsider perspective, because I literally experience it everyday of my life and it’s not by choice. I experience life as someone who is a Latinx queer and transgender person of color and also lives with disabilities. These are not just labels or categories, but my actual, inescapable identities that impact me every single day of my life. So, I believe that intersectionality is a necessary framework that must be utilized in analyzing the conditions of people’s lives and understanding social inequalities, because without it, we could never achieve true liberation from the forms of oppression that kill us.

Through all the trauma and suffering that white supremacy, capitalism, and the patriarchy have put me through, I remain resilient and continue to live and survive. And it’s truly not fair to say that my traumas have made me the leader I am today, because I shouldn’t need to suffer to know how to support and guide others. But, through my intersectional experiences, I have learned some of the most valuable skills such as compassion, understanding, and sensitivity, which are all necessary for one to be a good leader. These skills have also helped me become a better listener and more open-minded, which have helped in expanding my knowledge of other peoples’ lived experiences and how best to support them in their life journeys. As a result, I have also learned about the significance of holding space for other people and collaborating with people of different backgrounds and life experiences. It’s important to acknowledge that everyone experiences and perceives life differently, so we must always hold space for others and allow them the space to share their experiences, ideas, struggles, emotions, and so on. Essentially, as a leader, I believe that it is very crucial to step back and not speak over other people’s experiences. I also believe that for someone to be a good leader, they must be able to provide safety and security to others in order to build community.

All of my values as a leader are a direct result of the ways in which my multiple identities intersect and the ways I have experienced so much trauma and suffering due to the oppression that comes with them all. Although I am transgender, people perceive me as a “woman,” thus, they treat me accordingly. So not only do I experience transphobia, but I also experience misogyny simultaneously. And on top of that, I also experience racism, classism, and ableism. I live with PTSD because I have been assaulted, abused, and harassed my entire life for being perceived as a woman in public spaces and even among my close social circles. Because of my awareness of the intersectionality of the oppression that I experience, I am able to view life through an intersectional lens.

Luka/Isa Gidwani Monterrubio (they/he) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. They are a transfer student attending UCLA and transferred from East Los Angeles College (ELAC) in 2020. At UCLA, Luka/Isa is double majoring in Philosophy and Gender Studies and minoring in LGBTQ Studies. Besides academics, some of their hobbies include making jewelry, painting, playing video games, collecting stickers, supporting small businesses, roller skating, hanging out with friends, and adventuring throughout the city via public transportation.

Luka/Isa loves building community with fellow Queer and/or Trans Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (QTBIPOC), so don’t be shy to reach out to them! They are very thankful and honored to be a recipient of the Spirit of Drew Scholarship and look forward to continuing their work within the LGBTQ community, but more particularly with QTBIPOC.

Spirit of Drew Scholarship Winner: Emmaline Mitchell

The 2021-2022 school year is about to begin and we wanted to kick it off by introducing you to our scholars! This year, we had such a hard time choosing between a ton of incredible applicants. Ultimately, the five we went with are doing spectacular things in their communities and making life better for their LGBTQ+ peers.

First up, meet Emmaline Mitchell, who is attending Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Read her essays below:

As an LGBTQ+ Student and Activist in the state of Iowa, a Spirit of Drew Scholarship would help me not only continue my work within my local high schools of creating and funding GSA but it will help me go to college and further my education so I can better myself so I can better improve these areas. A Spirit of Drew Scholarship will also help me expand my work with the work that I have been doing with the Iowa Safe Schools organization to help me create over 3 Gender and Sexuality Alliances within Rural Areas in Iowa and has helped me advocate for change for students within schools in Iowa. My work within Iowa has included working with Iowa Legislators to talk about LGBT+ Student rights within schools and the healthcare settings and why these rights matter to the student that I work for. I believe that a Spirit of Drew Scholarship will help me not only expand my knowledge but will help me better help the kids that I have had the privilege of working for and advocating for the past year of my life through my work with LGBT+ Organization like GSLEN, Iowa Safe School and the resources that I have been given through The Dru Project to better set these kids up for success.

Being an LGBT+ student from the midwest I have found that being a leader of those who are intersectional and those who are "different" isn't well received within these areas. I have had days where I have had to walk to my car with the captain of my school’s football team because I was fearful that I was going to get attacked in my school parking lot at the beginning of my coming out process. Though I have found with the more leadership roles that I have taken on within my community and put myself out into my community through own my own business, begin the school photographer and become president of the 4H clubs and Vice President of Iowa Safe Schools my community has started to ask questions about what I do through my work with Iowa Safe Schools and how my process of creating GSA within our local school building is going. I have found that the harder that I fight for my spot for the leadership roles in my community and school the more my community and classmates start respecting me and the kids that have come out after me. I have tried to set a positive example of what it is to be an LGBT+ person within our community so the students that have come after me don’t have to fight as hard for their spots for leadership within our school and community just because of their identity.

Emmaline's motivation to address LGBTQ rights started in middle school when she came out. She chose to combat the bullies through empathy, and led creation of a Gay-Straight Alliance at East Union High School and she has been a member of the Iowa Safe Schools Student Leadership Council for the past year, and was the student speaker at that organization’s Governors Conference event. Emmaline will be Studying Journalism at Kirkwood College this fall.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources

Some information via one of our mental health partners:

People in the LGBTQ+ community have an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions due to a variety of unique challenges they face. Some of these challenges include coming out, exploring gender identity, and navigating relationships. In fact, According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults are twice as likely as non-LGB adults to develop a mental health condition, and transgender adults are four times more likely than cisgender adults to experience anxiety, depression, or another mental health disorder. LGBTQ+ individuals also have higher rates of substance use and homelessness than non-LGBTQ+ individuals.

These statistics are even more alarming and concerning for LGBTQ+ youth. The people in this group, are more than two times as likely to report persistent feelings of hopelessness or sadness as their heterosexual peers, and transgender youth are twice as likely as cisgender youth to seriously consider and attempt suicide.

Therapy can help support members of the LGBTQ+ community. More specifically, a therapist can help LGBTQ+ individuals with:

• Exploring gender identity/expression and sexual orientation

• Navigating coming out

• Managing depression and anxiety

• Dealing with rejection and bullying

• Treatment for substance abuse

• Discussing concerns about sexual health (STDs/HIV)

• Working through relationship issues

When looking to work with a therapist, it’s important to fit the right therapist. Make sure to consider your needs as well as the therapist's experience. Also, ask for referrals and be sure to ask questions. Being able to build a relationship with the therapist will be critical to success. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the process of building a relationship with your therapist isn’t a linear one.

All in all, therapy can be an effective treatment for mental health conditions and can aid you in having more hope for a brighter future.

Spirit of Drew Scholarship Winner: Ethan Malzberg

Over the next month, we want to introduce you to the scholarship recipient class of 2019. These students were asked prompts on how they would either improve our GSA Guide or how they plan on using it. We hope you enjoy their thoughtful responses! Below, you will see a response from Ethan Malzberg, who will be attending Columbia University in the fall:

LGBTQ+ youth are too often stuck in a box: stereotypes, bullying, and misrepresentation (or the lack of representation) create a distorted vision of the infinite potential each child in the community has. To put it simply, I want to teach LGBTQ+ kids how to be bosses.

At college, I plan to create some type of club, forum, or event to bring together LGBTQ+ youth from around New York City and show them the immeasurable opportunities awaiting them in the future. I’d like to bring in LGBTQ+ politicians, lawyers, CEOs, coders, artists, and doctors to show them the broad array of future opportunities and to dispel the media’s narrow image for LGTBQ+ people. Perhaps I’d name the event or club the Future LGBTQ+ Bosses and Trailblazers of America. In the same way a Spirit of Drew Scholarship would lessen the financial burden to allow me to take advantage of college’s opportunities, I hope to show LGBTQ+ youth the broad economic and societal opportunities they can take advantage of in the future.

Can We Say “Pass” on Privilege?

Sexual and gender minorities are often targets of discrimination. In the workplace, in the schoolyard, or even in the legal system of the United States, the LGBTQ+ community is at a legal and societal disadvantage in many states. There are two types of discrimination: de jure is legal discrimination (i.e. transgender military man) and de facto is common practice discrimination (i.e. bullying queer youth). In many laws and social practices, the LGBTQ+ community suffers from both types of discrimination. In this way, the LGBTQ+ community is disadvantaged -- less privileged than heterosexual and cisgender counterparts.

Still, widespread discrimination against LGBTQ+ folks does not automatically exclude the community from the narrative of privilege. For example, a white person has white privilege regardless of gender or sexual identity. White privilege affords people de jure rights (i.e. buying a house in any neighborhood they can afford) and de facto rights (i.e. not being followed around in stores). An important lesson for white LGBTQ+ folks to learn is they can still have privileged aspects of their identity despite having a marginalized sexuality/gender.

Acknowledging privilege is an important first step. White LGBTQ+ people must recognize their experience is different from LGBTQ+ people of color and then work to enact equity. White LGBTQ+ people can do so by including LGBTQ+ people of color in the community and lending a voice to the overlapping-but-different struggles of LGBTQ+ people of color.

Spirit of Drew Scholarship Winner: Dalton Vanderford

Over the next month, we want to introduce you to the scholarship recipient class of 2019. These students were asked prompts on how they would either improve our GSA Guide or how they plan on using it. We hope you enjoy their thoughtful responses! Below, you will see a response from Dalton Vanderford, who will be attending USF in the fall:

As a gay person from Plant City, there are a plethora of injustices that LGBTQ+ people face on a daily basis. Living in a conservative community, there is not much support available. I chose not to graduate last year so i could remain president of the GSA at plant city high school to ensure its success in the years after i graduate. If I received a Dru Project scholarship, it would empower me to give back to the community, I have hopes and dreams of starting a PFLAG, a youth alliance and as many LGBT support systems for everyone as I can make. Soon I will be off to college, but i do not want to go until there are programs in place to help those that remain. I have worked with GLSEN tampa bay and the Hillsborough county school board to create an LGBTQ+ equity guide, I was the guest speaker at the GLSEN Tampa Bay’s annual fundraiser and i still want to do more.

There are many beneficial items to read within the guide book, however the part I feel is the most beneficial is the part about taking action. Many are a part of the LGBTQ+ community or allies, but many are not active within their role. It does not take much to be active within your role, so everyone should be! It can be as simple as not letting your friends bully members of the LGBTQ+ community, offering an LGBTQ+ kid to sit at your table at lunch, speaking advocacy, etc. Or you can take it to the next level such as campaigning for LGBTQ+ issues in politics, fostering youth who have been kicked out of their home for being LGBTQ+ or volunteering! Due to inactivity among youth, I feel this section would help drum up participation among youth and help them get more involved.

Spirit of Drew Scholarship Winner: Drew Adams

Over the next month, we want to introduce you to the scholarship recipient class of 2019. These students were asked prompts on how they would either improve our GSA Guide or how they plan on using it. We hope you enjoy their thoughtful responses! Below, you will see a response from Drew Adams, who will be attending UCF in the fall:

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I think my peers could benefit from a lesson in healthy relationship dynamics. This would include what healthy relationships look like, what abusive relationships look like, what different manipulation types are, how to get out of an unhealthy relationship, how to pursue safe practices in relationships, what consent is (not just sexual), and what non-traditional relationship models like polyamory look like. All of these directly impact young people who are just starting to explore relationships and may not have the information they need to do so safely.

Relationship violence and other relationship issues are huge in the queer community. Studies suggest that people in LGBTQ relationships suffer domestic violence at higher rates than those in straight relationships. For example, nearly 44% of lesbian women and more than 60% of bi women have experienced physical violence, stalking and/or rape from a relationship partner, compared with 35% of straight women. On top of that, LGBTQ people are less likely to call the police or try to get an order of protection when there’s domestic abuse happening because of the negative experiences they expect to have from the police, from the community or from their own families (in many cases, the victims aren’t out as LGBTQ, so reporting the abuse could mean outing themselves when they’re not ready or safe to do so). This doesn’t even touch on the kinds of unhealthy relationships that are not defined by physical abuse, such as the kinds with manipulation, ignored boundaries, verbal abuse or harassment, excessive control, or other psychological factors.

Clearly, there is a problem with unhealthy relationships in the queer community, so it’s important that young LGBTQ people have an idea of what a good relationship dynamic should be, as well as the warning signs that would let them know a relationship isn’t healthy. I commonly find that my peers don’t know what safe relationships look like and don’t know what the important red flags are. Furthermore, they don’t know the basics of consent and are often surprised when I mention consent outside of sexual situations. Last, they are unfamiliar with non-traditional relationship models or have a skewed opinion of them. All of these could be addressed in a section of the curriculum devoted to healthy relationships, and it would benefit LGBTQ students as well as straight ally students who may also not get great relationship safety education as part of their sex ed curriculum.

Guest Blog: Moving On by Moving Out

Today’s guest blog is written by Lucille Rosetti, who is writing a book about grief. She writes on how a change of scenery, whether that means moving to a new home or simply making changes in your current one, can be beneficial when grieving.

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Moving on by Moving Out

If you’ve lost a loved one, the first step in learning to live without them is giving yourself time to grieve. According to an article in ExpertBeacon, it’s to be expected that the year after the death of a spouse will be very difficult as you face firsts including the holidays and anniversaries. And many of the article’s insights can be applied to the loss of any close loved one, whether or not you were married.

Reclaim, Reinvent

But the article’s author, psychologist Phyllis S. Zilka, emphasizes the importance of reclaiming your independence during the second year after your loss. Reclaiming your independence may even mean reinventing yourself in some ways. Don’t be afraid to seize the opportunity to focus on your own wants and needs. For example, you may take time to travel more or master a new skill.

As you learn to live without your loved one, it’s important not to feel guilty -- or let others make you feel guilty -- about your efforts to move on. Nor should you feel bad if you are ready to make significant life changes soon after your loved one’s death. Although it is important to give yourself ample opportunity process your loss before making major life decisions, there’s no rule book that says you have to wait a year before taking any significant steps forward.

Shedding Stuff, Not Sentiment

Similarly, you shouldn’t feel obligated to hold onto things that belonged to your lost loved one or that remind you of them. But that doesn’t mean shedding sentimental items entirely or tossing out things that may be valuable to others.

For instance, if your loved one was a costume jewelry connoisseur, consider deconstructing some pieces to give them a second life atop a unique and meaningful mosaic table. And, if you don’t know the first thing about trimming and training bonsai trees, give your loved one’s miniature forest to a close friend or family member with a green thumb and an interest in Asian culture. Or donate his or her extensive collection of first-edition books to the local library or your loved one’s favorite charity and encourage the organization’s staff to auction off the items to support their programs and services.

Making a Move

Reinvention and renewal may also include moving to a new house, condo, or apartment, especially if you and your lost loved one shared a home. Your reasons may be practical -- perhaps your current home is too large to maintain on your own. Indeed, financial necessity, health concerns, or other factors may mean you have no choice but to move. Or you may simply want to start fresh somewhere other than your shared space.  

No matter what your reasons for moving, it’s important to ensure you’re getting the most out of selling your home if you owned it. You should also be careful to select a spot that suits your needs now. So you may want to hire a real estate agent, home stager, or professional organizer,  to help you present your current home in its best light, price it properly, and start fresh in a new home. The average price to hire a professional organizer in Orlando ranges from $287 - $733.

Likewise, once you set a moving date, you might want to hire help packing, loading, and unloading your possessions so you can focus your time and efforts on purging possessions you no longer need and organizing everything else to make moving as seamless as possible.  

No matter how you decide to approach life after the loss of a loved one, it’s important to remember to be kind to yourself and make moves -- literally and figuratively -- that will help you create a happy, healthy future for yourself.

Spirit of Dru Scholarship Winner: Austin Hopkins

Throughout the month of July, we will be sharing the inspiring essays from our Spirit of Dru Scholarship recipients. Please enjoy Austin Hopkins' essay - he just graduated from Ohio Northern University.

 

I first began contributing to the LGBTQ community by being a founding member of my high school’s Gay Straight Alliance. Later, I would go on to serve as a co-president my junior year and solely took the presidential role by my senior year. In my time in the GSA, I had worked to make sure that the staff and faculty had been trained on addressing issues pertaining to LGBTQ students. More than half of staff dedicated their rooms to being safe spaces for them as well as combating bullying directed at someone’s sexual orientation. I also worked to have same-sex representation during our school’s annual prom fashion show. My contributions in high school allowed me to be one of PFLAG’s Scholars in 2012. My family are members of the Cincinnati PFLAG group and have marched with them to represent PFLAG for several years in the Cincinnati Pride Parade.

I was actively involved in Ohio Northern’s on campus “Open Doors” LGBTQ group. I participate in week-to-week business and in, The Rubi Affair, their annual charity event. The Rubi Affair is an annual drag show in which student performers, as well as a professional group of drag queens, raise money for charity. The Rubi Girls perform to raise money for the AIDS resource center (ARC) in Lima, Ohio. In my performances alone, I have raised over $2000 dollars for the ARC and reigned as Miss ONU for 2 years. Doing drag for charity has given me so much more appreciation for the role and impact drag performers have in the LGBTQ community. After my last show, it came full circle for me, I raised about the same amount of money that my PFLAG scholarship was worth that got me to ONU in the first place. In way, it was my version of paying it forward to the queens who helped raise money for the PFLAG scholarship.

My contributions to LGBTQ community during my time at Ohio Northern weren’t all social. I write for the College of Pharmacy’s student run research and publication journal, the Pharmacy and Wellness (PAW) Review. My personal highlight was to write an article on providing proper health care to patients who are transgender, be it male-to-female or female-to-male. The article focused on pharmacologic therapies patients can use, their efficacy in generating desired side effects that alter the patient’s appearance to conform to their gender identity, and provide a generalized timeline of transition based on certain physiological changes. During this project, I felt proud that as an academic publication, ONU is working to educated not just pharmacists, but nurses and physicians as well about the medical needs of the transgender community. This topic was recently presented at the Ohio Pharmacist Association annual conference and information on how to care and treat a transgender patient was sought out by health care providers from all major cities. I am proud to be a progressive provider and will continue to do so as a pharmacist for the LGBTQ+ community and my allies.

Spirit of Dru Scholarship Winner: Courtney Ring

Throughout the month of July, we will be sharing the inspiring essays from our Spirit of Dru Scholarship recipients. Please enjoy Courtney Ring's - she will be attending the University of Central Florida (UCF) this fall.

Over the past four years, I’ve been very involved as an activist in the LGBT+ community. I created a panel of LGBT+ guests to speak and preform at my public library in an event called “The ABC’s of the LGBT” and when the library pushed back, I petitioned to continue the event, and was successful. I then suggested we read an LGBT book for our summer book club. We chose If I was Your Girl by Meredith Russo, a book written and featuring a trans girl. At my school, I founded a Gay-Straight Alliance, which was disbanded three years before. I held the position of president, and lead participation in the Orlando Come Out with Pride Parade, our school’s Homecoming parade, a spirit night fundraiser that raised $700 for the club, Ally Week at the school, and an educational Family Night. The Family Night, which included LGBT+ information for families, food, decorations made by the club, and a panel of guests from PFLAG and the Zebra Coalition was the first event of its kind in the Seminole County School System. While President of GSA I also represented the club at the Human Rights Campaign Time to Thrive Conference, where I met the leaders of the Central Florida GSA Network. Soon after, the club was inducted into the Network. I myself am now the Network Editor and leader for District 4 in the Central Florida GSA Network and will continue to work closely with the Zebra Coalition in the future.

I’m very proud of my work at my school, which I have seen bring people together, show young queer kids that they have allies in their schools, and spread awareness of acceptance within the school system. Though I’m graduating this year, I’ve worked with my club to plan future activities, including a co-created Open Prom, a dance dedicated to LGBT+ students in the community to have a safe prom experience, with a GSA at our sister high school, as well as a book drive over the summer and into the next academic year to find diverse books for elementary schools, middle schools, and the city’s public library.

I’m so happy I’ve gotten the chance to do impactful work in my community. Creating public events for allies to learn about the LGBT community are very important, and I would like to continue those events in the future. I have also seen my work effect those who struggle as an LGBT+ individual, whether from bullying, hate messages, or acceptance at home. Working with an organization like the Zebra Coalition allows me to reach out to other areas and LGBT+ kids who need support.

Spirit of Dru Scholarship Winner: James van Kuilenburg

Throughout the month of July, we will be sharing the inspiring essays from our Spirit of Dru Scholarship recipients. Please enjoy James van Kuilenburg's - he will be attending Dickenson College this fall.

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My leadership and service have brought a new visibility to young LGBTQ+ people in my town and school.

I've been involved in my community since I came out as transgender at 12 years old. I was fortunate to come out to an accepting family, but school was the opposite. I wasn’t allowed to use the bathroom or even participate in gym class. I was bullied by students and teachers and eventually had to leave. After the horrible experience of losing my friends and struggling in school, I have been a community organizer and activist.

At school, I am the founder and president of my GSA, which has over 100 members. In the past, I have led projects for the club like creating affirming posters for the hallway, and organized dozens of events, like picnics and vigils, with hundreds of participants. My club is now the most popular club in the school, and the fastest growing in the county. I’ve helped students at three other high schools and four middle schools start similar clubs.

On a national level, I was part of a panel of trans students who spoke to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in 2015 and helped the creation of the trans-inclusive Title IX guidance released in 2016. In 2016, I spoke at the Bullying Prevention Summit at the White House and the Department of Education.

As an individual, I have written and hosted three professional development training for teachers, “Gender and Sexuality 101”, and “How To Be An Ally”. This has helped both teachers and students to create safe environments to learn. I also speak to the public about my personal story as a young trans person and have held my local community accountable to its promise of including all.

I'm the founder of a grassroots advocacy group called Support Frederick County Public School Trans Students, made up of trans students, family, teachers, and community members. I was the lead organizer of the first trans rights rally in my county of Frederick County, Maryland, and led a campaign to create a school policy welcoming and affirming trans students. I led email writing efforts, rallies, and hours of public comment. The policy, now called Policy 443, was passed in June of 2017, almost unanimously, thanks to the work of trans students and their allies.

Following this success, I organized a social media campaign titled #IAmFrederick. I encouraged people to take pictures of themselves and write a reason they support trans youth using the hashtag. The campaign was part of an effort to normalize trans people in my town. Our participants have ranged from friends, community members, state and local politicians, and representatives from national organizations.

My achievements have had local and national impacts. Overall, I have helped make my school system a safer place for everybody; where everyone is encouraged to be themselves and able to pursue their education without any boundaries. My goal is to stop what happened to me from happening to anyone else.

Spirit of Dru Scholarship Winner: Kristin Moorehead

Throughout the month of July, we will be sharing the inspiring essays from our Spirit of Dru Scholarship recipients. Please enjoy Kristin Moorehead's - she will be attending the University of Florida this fall.

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I never knew Drew. He was the founder of my school’s GSA, and his legacy impacted me in ways I don’t think he could have ever imagined, but I never knew him. And for that, I am truly sorry.

When the Pulse nightclub massacre happened, I didn’t hear about it until a few days after. My grandparents had taken me on a graduation trip to London, so I didn’t have Internet access. I remember sitting in a boat on the Thames, wondering why I saw a rainbow flag at half-mast. I was oblivious.

But I found out. And I found out that one of the 49 was none other than Drew, the man who had given me something I could now never thank him for: a place where there were some people who were just like me, and some who weren’t. It was a place where I could figure out who I was.

This place gave me a second family, and now, as president of the organization, I can give that to others. I wanted to be president to give back to the place that gave me so much. If I can make a difference in even one person’s life, if I can give them information or encouragement, or simply an ear to listen, then I will know I have succeeded. I joined GSA to find out who I was; I stayed because I felt a genuine connection to the people, and to the ideals that Drew set in place.

Through the GSA, I have met so many amazing people with so many amazing stories. Some of them are funny, others not so much. But we all share that connection to each other, and to our community. I have learned so much about the LBGTQ+ culture through GSA, and now I can pass that information on to future members. Knowing that I am participating in a legacy that has withstood so much hardship is a humbling experience, and I cherish it every time I walk through the door.

Because of Drew, I have been able to accomplish so many things that I never would have thought were possible. I helped fundraise over a thousand dollars to build a memorial dedicated to Drew and his gift to my school. I have helped lead numerous leadership conferences and cultural awareness meetings in Pinellas County. I have become more confident in who I am, and I hope that I inspire others to find that confidence in themselves.

Spirit of Dru Scholarship Winner: Alyssa Sileo

Throughout the month of July, we will be sharing the inspiring essays from our Spirit of Dru Scholarship recipients. Please enjoy Alyssa Sileo's - she will be attending Drew University(!!!) this fall.

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It has never been a want to advocate that has driven all of my actionsーit has been a need. My creative and coming out journeys ran parallel courses, and this was no coincidence. Ever since I realized my own queerness I have made sure my pride is always more than a statement. Instead, I make it a project.

My mantra is that artists must be the caretakers of equality. Forwarding unity and inclusion through arts is the perfect way to look past differences, because any person can add to a story. I believe the stage is the perfect place to get messages across, with the honesty and vulnerability required by the creators.

I’m the founder of "The Laramie Project" Project (LPP), an international theatre advocacy initiative that fights for the end of discriminatory violence by honoring hate crime victims with worldwide performances of the acclaimed Tectonic Theater Project play that chronicles the Matthew Shepard story. 

The LPP educates audiences and casts on a turning point of LGBTQ+ history while clarifying that hate crimes are still ravaging marginalized communities. By honoring the Pulse victims and sharing the stories of the incidents that are associated with the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act (heavily under-reported in the media), we are calling on LPPers to hold institutions accountable. The compelling message of Laramie drives a person to rethink their perceptions about the supposed safety of the queer community, whereas the truth is that there’s a long way to go.

To date, there are 67 registered events from 23 states and 4 other countries, representing Thespian Troupes and GSAs, colleges, theatre companies, and community groups.  

Phase 3 of the LPP is an effort to advocate for The Dru Project by connecting 32 Laramies to honor Drew’s 32 years of life. We are mobilizing high schools from many states (especially those with active GSAs) to fight for their Florida student peers with fundraising and awareness, since the future of queer liberation lies in the safety and empowerment of youth.

A latent function of the LPP is to inspire people in the audience or cast who has a project inside them but doesn’t know where to start. I make the story of my LPP journey as available as I can so others can know how quickly and wildly this all happenedーhow impulsive but thoughtful activism must be.

I remember how seeing productions with queer representation, like Rent and Fun Home, right around the time that I was coming out, were the experiences that locked-in my own pride and drove me to put this on the stage for others who need this affirmation. 

Drew Leinonen’s compassion, humor, and advocacy manifests in any person who works to make a space safe for someone else. I believe in the power of friendship, camaraderie, and legacy. I believe in the life-saving work of The Dru Project and the surge of GSA presence and programming, and I pledge my commitment to availability for the youth of the queer community.

Meet TDP's Scholarship Winners

Many thanks to Joey Gemelli for producing and editing this video!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Sara Grossman
Tel. (727) 560-6476
Email: sara@thedruproject.org
Website: www.thedruproject.org
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/531120263928575/

THE DRU PROJECT'S SECOND ANNUAL MEMORIAL PARTY AND FUNDRAISER WILL BE JUNE 10, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Orlando, FL — The Dru Project will be celebrating its second year as an organization on June 10, 2018.

Founded in 2016 after the Pulse shooting, The Dru Project has seen a lot of success in two short years. They have spoken to LGBTQ+ youth and gun violence prevention advocates in 10 states, reaching nearly 350,000 people. They have also raised nearly $100,000 to help empower LGBTQ+ youth.

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, known to friends as Drew, was one of the 49 victims on June 12, 2016. Shortly after his funeral, Drew’s friends banded together to help launch The Dru Project, named after his online persona. This year, they are giving away $15,000 in scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth, have already given away $5,000 in grants to 10 different gay-straight alliances, and will be launching and distributing their official gay-straight alliance curriculum for Florida high schools.

“We have so much to be proud of this year. We know that we are doing this work for the right reasons: to keep the spirit of Drew alive. The scholarships, curriculum, and coming together to celebrate once again does just that,” said Shawn Chaudhry, co-founder and president of the board.

“Our goal is to be able to help send as many future LGBTQ+ leaders to school as possible. Right now, the youth are leading the way, and we need to make sure they have the tools available to do that,” said Brandon Wolf, The Dru Project’s vice-president.

This year’s event takes place at The Abbey (100 S Eola Dr #100, Orlando, FL 32801) from 6 until 10pm. The Dru Project has celebrity friends flying in from around the country, too: Jonathan Bennett of Mean Girls fame and his partner Jaymes Vaughan will be hosting the event. Jai Rodriguez, who played Angel in RENT on Broadway and starred in the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy will be flying in for the party to perform a few songs. The Dru Project is also excited to welcome renowned poet Azure Antoinette to Orlando to perform poems about Pulse, as well.

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The Dru Project is an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization on a mission to spread love across the nation and promote gay straight alliances. They are doing this by creating a curriculum for high school GSAs to use, should they wish to adopt our program. They are also offering scholarships to students who truly exemplify Drew's spirit for inclusion and unity.

For media inquiries, please contact Sara Grossman at sara@thedruproject.org or Brandon Wolf at brandon@thedruproject.org.

Announcing TDP's GSA Grantees!

We are so excited to announce the winners of our GSA grants! $500 will go to 10 different schools in Florida to help their gay-straight alliances thrive.

This pilot program was created and seen through by our President, Shawn Chaudhry, who has begun meeting with the schools' gay-straight alliances.

As you may know, Drew created the first GSA at Seminole High School and went on to win the Holocaust Museum's Anne Frank Humanitarian Award for his work. Schools with GSAs see a major drop in teen suicides. When there is a safe space for acceptance, students have more of a chance to succeed.

The least we can do is continue the good work that Drew did as a teen through his short adult life. We are pleased to announce our ten winners:

• Leesburg HS

• Lake Highland Prep

• Seminole HS

• Marjory Stoneman Douglas

• Mt. Dora HS

• Boone HS

• Plant HS

• Nease HS

• Lyman HS

• Hagarty HS

Join us in congratulating them!

#NotADamnThing

Over the last week, you may have seen The Dru Project's Vice President Brandon Wolf on the news.

If not, here is his SAVAGE takedown of the NRA, President Trump, and the rest of the politicians who have continually accepted money instead of protecting us. What have they done in the wakes of these tragedies and carnage? #NotADamnThing.

We will continue to hold them accountable. Their time is up. 

Save the Date for our 2nd Annual Party

The Dru Project has announced its second annual Pulse memorial party. It will take place at The Abbey in Downtown Orlando, Florida.

At the event, The Dru Project will be giving away its 3 annual college scholarships, as well as show off its gay-straight alliance curriculum, which will be displayed and used in four different Central Florida counties. We also will be talking about our new mini-grant initiative for gay-straight alliances. Our pilot program will be giving 10 grants of $500 to schools in order to help them launch or continue to thrive.

The scholarship application period will run from February 1 - May 1 and winners will be decided by May 15. Click here to learn more about attending or sponsoring The Dru Project's annual party. 

Spirit of Drew Runner Up: Matt Reich

HERE IS ONE OF OUR FINALIST ESSAYS. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY READING IT AS MUCH AS WE DID!

When I was a junior in high school, I remember the bliss I felt when my high school GSA wore temporary rainbow heart tattoos to bring awareness about the Defense of Marriage Act and the struggles LGBT youth face mostly in silence. I remember when my classmates threw the word “fag” like it was “hey” or “today.” I remember the tears in my eyes when I watched the anchor on MSNBC announce that love is love, but even more, when riding a float in New York City pride the next week seeing a young boy jumping for joy on the sidewalk with a flower crown on his head. I remember my tears and trembling fingers as I watched the coverage of the shooting at Pulse. For the first time, I felt helpless. That I couldn’t do something, anything.

When I started my first year at college, I learned the GSA had been inactive for two years. By stroke of luck, I learned of two other people who wanted to revive it as well. With that first meeting of us three in October with half a dozen interested people GLOW UP (Gay, Lesbian, or Whatever U Prefer) was reborn. Mercy College is a small college, which fuels an instinct to conform and blend in. As part of GLOW UP, immediately, I with my group members and now best friends started organizing events and fundraisers. We organized a dance, which despite a school official having it printed in the events calendar as “Queer Dance,” it was a success for it was inclusive of everyone. I’m proud to have been part of fundraisers for groups like GLSEN and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and representing our group at Gay Men of African Descent’s HIV+/AIDS Heroes Celebration. I think of the friendships past and current members have made feeling free to be themselves in meetings and outside: inviting them to have dinner after class and join us at RA events.

My group members and I joke that no matter how tired we are events and fundraisers are easy. The activism is the tougher part. We successfully pushed for more LGBT resources on the college website and established a relationship with the campus therapist’s office. This past academic year, the GLOW UP President and I petitioned and suggested to our Student Life ways to make the housing selection easier for trans students and pushed for mixed gender housing so LGBT students could have any option of who they desire to live with. I’m saddened to say we have lost members and gained some haters for standing up for trans and bisexual inclusivity on campus, but it has always been worth it to place unity and community support first.

Sometimes, you have to get creative or be open to working in more complex areas. Despite, more acceptance of LGBT people by younger generations there are still many in the closet. I used social media and dating apps to be able to reach those living in the closet and who fear being outed by attending our meetings or events. I remember a couple nights sitting outside in the dark talking with a male student who had not even told his closest friends he was bi and was afraid to tell his parents his liked guys. I think at the core of activism and community, we all want a person we can talk to and who understands their struggles and feelings.

The relationship between the LGBT community and religion has intrigued me over the past couple years. I am not religious, but attend almost regularly during my college academic year South Presbyterian Church, a member of the More Light Faction. A group of Presbyterian churches that supports LGBT rights. I started attending with my own suspicions as a person raised Catholic, but I wanted to extend an open mind and love even when I was out of my comfort zone. My freshman year, I was a volunteer at the church’s food pantry and was honored to be elected to serve a three year term as Deacon assisting congregants and the church’s social work programs.

Many of my friends, especially those LGBT, carry suspicions or disdain for religion due the actions of the churches they grew up in or the church’s disapproval of LGBT rights. Though, I am one person I am happy my experience at South Presbyterian Church has made them more comfortable in church settings. Two of GLOW UP’s strongest supporters are The LOFT and Maranatha Ministries, LGBT religious & social work organizations. A long-term dream of mine is to see LGBT people be welcomed and feel comfortable in all settings, especially settings historically unwelcoming to LGBT people, to assist in a greater goal of healing and unity.

As I prepare to enter my senior year of college and have begun interning at different companies, a new focus of mine is workplace inclusion and safety. I do not think of myself as an activist, but as one person of a collective movement and community seeking inclusion, acceptance of what makes us individuals and alike, and treated with dignity as any other person.

As I rode the float down Fifth Avenue during New York City pride, I saw three young children with bright smiles. In that moment, I hoped my actions and those of hundreds of thousands before me have made an easier and safer country for the future generations of LGBT people and Allies to grow up in. The saddest part of our community’s history is the number of people who have been bullied, fired, beaten, and killed for the radical idea of living our truth. I dream and hope of a day that we can end this chapter of our history.

“Hope Will Never Be Silent” – Harvey Milk