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In launching the LGBTQ Fund in 2016, the Greater New Orleans Foundation was moved by the Out in the South Report, which had been released by Funders for LGBTQ Issues a few years prior. The <\/span>report shared that while the South had more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and\u00a0<\/span>queer (LGBTQ) adults than any other part of the country, the region received just 3-4% of\u00a0<\/span>domestic funding for LGBTQ issues. LGBTQ people in the South were also among the most\u00a0<\/span>likely to be experiencing poverty.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Foundation worked with the input of LGBTQ community members, nonprofit leaders, and donors to shape the focus of the fund. Together, we decided to offer funds to organizations that increase the quality of life for LGBTQ people and their families, particularly elders, transgender youth, and adults of color, LGBTQ people from low-income communities, and LGBTQ people who are disabled.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0The LGBTQ Fund prioritizes work that:<\/span><\/p>\n Today’s blog highlights one of the amazing recipients of LGBTQ funding, LOUD: New Orleans Queer Youth Theater.<\/span><\/p>\n New Orleans Queer Youth Theater co-director Indee Mitchell loves their job. They are trying not to do it much longer. They believe in the power and agency of young people, and that means valuing their work and eventually, putting them in charge.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Every youth member of LOUD is paid for their participation in the theater program. They make either $15 or $20 an hour, depending on the stage of the program they\u2019re in\u2014the \u201capprenticeship,\u201d a workshop about theater, power, privilege, and oppression, or \u201cthe ensemble,\u201d the team that writes and stars in LOUD\u2019s shows. \u201cWe\u2019re in this really beautiful, interesting moment of transition, where we\u2019re really thinking about the future of the organization, the program, and who is going to be holding this work in the future,\u201d Mitchell says<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the years to come, they hope to fully hand over responsibility for LOUD to its youth staff. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n LOUD was created in 2013, and each year, a small group of 15-21 years old come together to learn, organize, and create theater together. So far, the program has reached about 50 young people. They have written, produced, directed, and acted in five full-length plays since then, and in the years they have not done a full show, they put on informal solo performances. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Their most recent performance was \u201cThe Scarlet Rebellion.\u201d As indee put it, it was a \u201creally beautiful show that was the story of this group of young, queer and trans folks who were fighting against an oppressive government.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0To prepare for shows, LOUD meets weekly at the LGBT Community Center or the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans. Sessions begin with a group meal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0This is important, Mitchell says. For one, it helps everyone show up on time. But more importantly, young people need a chance to center, fuel physically, and connect, because the process of creating theater through LOUD can be intense. LOUD\u2019s performances are rooted in the storytelling and experiences of the group. Sometimes, actors are working through trauma or difficult experiences. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like a healing practice,\u201d Mitchell says of the group\u2019s process. \u201cIt\u2019s freeing.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As they work through their own stories, the young people of LOUD are also learning about the broad historical, political, and social forces surrounding their lives and their work. LOUD is committed to helping them develop as leaders, fighting oppression, and building a space where young queer and trans people feel loved.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think being a young person in general is a hard time,\u201d Mitchell says. \u201cYou\u2019re figuring out your whole life. And then a lot of a lot of folks in our community don\u2019t have the same kind of family or support.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But LOUD, Mitchell says, \u201cbecomes a family really quick…it\u2019s beyond just like, \u2018we made that thing together that one time.\u2019 It\u2019s really a community of support and kinship.\u201d Support from GNOF has helped bolster that community, and help cover LOUD\u2019s two main expenses: payment to youth and adult staff to create, plan, lead, and perform, and shared food for when they meet to sustain that work. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of resources in New Orleans that are specifically geared toward LGBTQ folks,\u201d Mitchell says. \u201cAnd these are people who really need it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Many of LOUD\u2019s ensemble members, they explain, \u201chave experienced homelessness or houselessness. A lot of them have been kicked out of their family homes.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At LOUD, though, \u201cthey can find space to physically, literally be safe, and also like a space for them to grow and push themselves, a space where they can find opportunities for jobs, for mentorship, for friendship, for their next meal, sometimes places to stay.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During the COVID-19 pandemic, the young people of LOUD continued to come together, learn, create, and perform. They had sessions over Zoom, and while they could not gather for a meal, LOUD provided food-delivery gift cards. They decided, as a collective, to put on a show even though they could not do so in person, and taught themselves to livestream theater in order to perform \u201cThe Scarlet Rebellion,\u201d which was a huge success.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In launching the LGBTQ Fund in 2016, the Greater New Orleans Foundation was moved by the Out in the South Report, which had been released by Funders for LGBTQ Issues a few years prior. The report shared that while the South had more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and\u00a0queer (LGBTQ) adults than any other part of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":13949,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"quote","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-quote","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-quote"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nLOUD<\/span><\/h2>\n
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