True Colors Out Youth Theater: Community Performances!!!

Y'all!

So you know how since I started this blog I always seem to sneak a little something in about 

my acting troupe True Colors?

Well now is your chance to see what the heck I'm talking about!

In case you don't know,
True Colors is a theater program/troupe for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning+ youth & their allies, ages 14-22.

We write, produce, and perform our own show that incorporate our personal stories and educate people through our experiences as LGBTQ+ youth.
This troupe our musical, "Louder than Words", is focused on the theme of dreams.
 Several things we cover in this show are: racism, body image, police brutality, and more!

Is this sounding good to you?

You might be asking,
"Kyle, how can I see the righteous musical 'Louder than Words?'"

What a fabulous pregunta friend!

I'm here to tell you that there are two free community performances you can attend:

Show 1: Friday May 29 @ 7pm   Hibernian Hall, 184 Dudley Street, Roxbury  Show 2: Saturday May 30 @ 7pm   Hibernian Hall, 184 Dudley Street, Roxbury Please RSVP to   Magda@TheTheaterOffensive.org

I hope to see y'all there!

And remember, Dreams are Possible! :)

Youth Pride 2015!!! Photos

Hello Everyone!

I had my homies send me pictures of them at Youth Pride!

Here they are!

All my True Colors homies! In front (Left to Right): Stephanie R., Dede,and  Jessy

Behind (Left to Right): Kaamila, Asher, Elyas, Stephanie S., Kiana, Ny, Kim, Erick, Me, Alex, and Stevie

Marching in the Parade!

Left to Right: Dede and Kim

Left to Right: Ollie and Me

In the front: (left to right) Dede and Me

In the back: (Also left to right) Stephanie and Asher

Left to Right: Taqari, Milo, Kemy, and Stevie

Left to Right: Stevie, Kriss, and Erick

Left to Right: Stevie, Dede, Me, and Kim

Left to Right: Cam (The Bey) and Arnold

Left to Right: Amanda, Helen, Elliot, Ayden, Hannah, Cassie

Left to Right: Hannah, Ayden, Cassie

Left to right: Kiana and Ny

Here are everyone's Pronouns (words to use to refer to someone when you aren't using their name)

Remember to ask, and not assume people's pronouns:

Dede- She/Her/Hers

Kim- She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs

Ollie- They/Them/Theirs

Stephanie S. - She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs

Asher- He/Him/His, They/Them/Theirs

Taqari- He/Him/His

Milo- He/Him/His

Kemy- He/Him/His

Stevie-She/Her/Hers

Kriss-They/Them/Theirs

Erick- He/Him/His

Cameron- They/Them/Theirs

Arnold- He/Him/His

Stephanie R.- She/Her/Hers

Kaamila- She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs

Elyas-  He/Him/His

Kiana- She/Her/Hers

Ny- She/Her/Hers

Alex- He/Him/His

Jessy- She/Her/Hers

Amanda- They/Them/Theirs

 Helen- They/Them/Theirs

Elliot- He/Him/His

Ayden- He/Him/His

Hannah- They/Them/Theirs

Cassie- They/Them/Theirs

Happy Youth Pride Everyone!!! :D

Youth Pride 2015!!! An Interview

Hey Y'all, 

Yesterday was youth pride!

First we marched through Downtown, a bunch of people were watching and recording us on their phones. 

Then we got back to the festival with the community resources and performances.

 It was a little boring because the music wasn't that great but it got better at the end by the prom, we were all dancing and having a good time. 

Overall, it was a good day. 

I could really feel the pride and happiness in everyone, 

In themselves, in each other, in their identities. 

It was a beautiful experience. 

So I asked my partner Cam, 

1.What is youth pride?

2.What makes you proud to be a part of this community?

3. What can we do to improve the community?

4. What are you looking forward to for the future of the community?

And they said:

1. "Its like Pride, its a chance to stand with the LGBTQ community, specifically the youth. 

Youth Pride comes in three segments: Its the march around the Boston Common, its the um, festival and concert, and then it's the bomb ass party at the end of the night".

2. "They are accepting to a part of me that isn't accepted in most places. Being in a space with so many queer youth is very different form say a typical situation in which I am one of the only queer youth in the room. I have more room to be myself, to express the part of my identity that can't come out in other situations like school or work".

3. "Recognize that even though people are part of the LGBTQ community, they can still be ignorant. We need to educate people about the intersectionalities of the people around them. We need to support the LGBTQ youth of color, I'm tired of all these events being over run by white kids from the suburbs. We need to find out what the LGBTQ youth of color need and help them get it".

4. "More education. Less annoying ignorant people. A focus more on Trans rights. To be less of a spectacle and more of a celebration. Oh yeah, I'm also looking forward to actually having a good DJ next year. No wait, don't put that in".

Thanks Bey for letting me interview you :)

Love you!

Youth Pride is May 16th, 2015!!!

Hey Everyone!

Good news: Its the start of the Pride Festival and Parade Season!

Some of you may be asking, "Kyle, what's Pride?"

Good question Amigxs!

Pride is a celebration of every individual in the LGBTQ+ community!

It started long ago...

Picture it, June 28, 1969, a hot summer day in New York.

Being LGBTQ+ is a criminal act at this time. 

No holding hands with your partner in the street, not being able to express your gender in the way you feel, being arrested for even being suspected of being gay. 

A crowd of people in the community are gathered at their favorite underground bar, the Stonewall Inn.

As usual, the police are making their daily rounds to see who they can arrest for "homosexual activity". 

They get rough with the patrons. 

The community are fed up with the way they are treated. 

Marsha P.Johnson (Activist extraordinaire + Black Trans Woman)

and other Trans women of color lead the group, finally fighting back against injustice. 

This led to protesting and more. 

These events were known as the Stonewall Riots, and what was the catalyst for the LGBTQ+ rights movement. 

Since then, the goal of Pride is for people in the community to party! For people to express themselves, 

and embrace everyone in it. 

We have a lot of work to do within our community, but Pride is a time for us to come together and just have fun.

Everyone of every age comes to Boston Pride (on June 13th this year)

But Youth Pride , as the name implies, is just for youth. (When I say youth I mean people ages 14-22)

I bring this up because Massachusetts Youth Pride is in a week!!!

Its next Saturday, May 16th, 2015!

Here's how its gonna go:

9:30am to 10:30am - Peeps from ALL OVER Massachusetts (and I mean seriously, people from all over)

come and gather next to City Hall, you can check in and register to march at this time

12:00am- Next, we start marching around the Boston Commons chanting and cheering

11:00am to 4:00pm- Later, we get back to City Hall & enjoy the festival:

Its gonna be emceed by my homies, Stephanie and Taqari!!!

Performances by a variety of people including my friend Ny :D

A community and resource fair, with different booths for neat organizations like the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition, BAGLY**, GLASS**, Fenway Health and more!

And a DJ playing some righteous tunes you can dance to!

7pm to 11:00pm- And last but not least, BAGLY prom!

You do not need to dress up, its super casual 

Its free IF you get tested for HIV any time in May before and the day of Pride at BAGLY headquarters, otherwise its $15

Dope music plays all night 

Chilling with your homies

Photo booth

Gender Neutral bathrooms

And free condoms... everywhere

And that's the rundown of Youth Pride, 

I hope I see you there! :D

**BAGLY stands for Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth

GLASS stands for LGBTQ+ Adolescent Social Services 

Ps. BAGLY is located at 14 Beacon Street on the 3rd floor, its across from the State House (building with the golden dome on top)

Break the Chains: Come see BlackOUT!!!

You probably know by now, because I've said it a billion times, if you don't, I'll let you know, 

I'm in a theater troupe called True Colors, 

A theater program for LGBTQ+ youth, ages 14-22. 

Our program has extended, adding another group called BlackOUT!

"BlackOUT, a project of The Theater Offensive’s True Colors: OUT Youth Theater program, is a performance group of young, queer Black artists who use artistic expression to amplify the Black experience. This group was formed in response to violence against Black bodies and in solidarity with the movement to end that violence. BlackOUT performs original pieces to lift up their stories and break down barriers of homophobia and racism."

-Info from The Theater Offensive website

Anywho, a lot of my friends are in BlackOUT and they are performing 

This Saturday, May 9th 2015, 

at Break The Chains, which is a 

"A semi monthly all ages, all gender, all genres dance liberation party headlined by nationally touring Queer and Trans performers", from 5pm to 10pm. 

Its happening at the Makeshift community space at 549 Columbus Ave, 

Boston, MA 02118. 

I hope to see you there!