WAYOUT LOS ANGELES

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ABOUT wayOUT LOS ANGELES

wayOUT Los Angeles was founded in 2019 as the third local chapter in the wayOUT family. With chapter members from an incredibly diverse background, wayOUT LA has become a family to each other while staking a claim in the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community.

It may be LaLaLand, but this group has their feet firmly on the ground and is ready to fundraise again this year.

LGBTQ IN LA

LGBT culture in Los Angeles has deep roots in the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Los Angeles endured the countercurrents of the 1960s as much as any other city in the country. More specifically, LA's Queer culture became visible and highly politicized in response to a string of violent bar raids that took place on Sunset Strip in the 60s. Today, West Hollywood may serve as the heart of the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles, but our chapter members come from all over the city to collaborate and work towards empowering queer youth.

Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges.

— Bob Paris

CAPITAL TEA | Tallahassee, FL

MISSION:

To support and unify TLGBQ+ people through education, advocacy, and empowerment; and to build an equitable future for our community.

Capital Tea began 5 years ago as a support group due to an urgent need in the community. Since then, Janel and her team have grown it into a truly life-saving organization in Tallahassee. “The Tea House'' has become a safe haven for Trans women and girls fleeing violence and community displacement, and it is only the first of what they hope will be many safe houses across the state. WayOUT LA was so inspired by Janel’s story that we are proud to support Capital Tea as they expand their outreach and combat Florida’s anti-TLGBQ+ legislation.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CAPITAL TEA

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VISION:

To empower, motivate, and honor our resilient Trans community, providing crisis intervention, bridge housing, and advocacy in Tallahassee and abroad. To inspire today and remold tomorrow. To be more accepting, diverse and loving.

VALUES:

Support: Life-saving aid in the form of gender-affirming care, transportation, housing, career guidance, and support groups.
Community: Because of how hostile Florida has become, queer folks are in need of safe spaces. Capital Tea hosts events and mixers, and participates in marches throughout the state. They work with queer nonprofits from Miami to Jacksonville, but are the only such organization on the panhandle side.
Visibility: Through tabling at events, drag performances, and social media, Capital Tea is building their presence in Tallahassee and beyond so that TLGBQ+ people know they are not alone.
Advocacy: The fight against harmful legislation has become increasingly necessary with state bills against gender affirming treatment for minors, pronouns in schools, bathroom use, and drag shows. Capital Tea’s founder, Janel, sits on the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Task Force in Tallahassee and advocates for Trans voices to be heard.
Destigmatization: By telling their stories and organizing prevention work, Capital Tea provides help and resources to those living with HIV/AIDS.

IMPACT:

Currently serve 75 LGBTQ+ people yearly, the majority through our support group and mental health services. This serves people ages 11-25.
Outreach and support services are available to youth in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana

PROJECTS:

Tea House: The "Underground Railroad for displaced Trans youth." A safe house for Trans women and girls fleeing violence and community displacement. The Tea House provides medium and long-term housing, wrap-around services such as access to employment, mental health care, case management, and financial support to ensure participants remain stable once they graduate housing services. Their goal is to replicate its success so they can help more trans individuals in neighboring states.
Capital Tea also has a downtown office space for support meetings and staff. While this is more public than The Tea House, it still provides the same safety and security needed for the people it serves.
Developing new "Youth Safe-Tea Program," which will focus on the youth portion of their services, ranging from 11-18. This will include a dedicated Youth Safe-Tea Officer to oversee and run these initiatives.
They plan to purchase a vehicle in order to pick up and transport individuals who need to be rescued from their situations.
This summer, Capital Tea will be going out into the community and offering “safer sex sessions.” They want to expand their tabling efforts, involving more of the Capital Tea family and attending new events.