Wilson, Hamer Wedding Announcement

Youth Activism Award Nominations Open

Megaphone GrapicThe Out In The Silence Campaign is Calling for Nominations for the 2012 Out In The Silence Award for Youth Activism.

The award was established in 2011 to honor courageous and unheralded young people who are leading the way in making schools and communities safe from bullying and welcoming for all, especially in places where silence and indifference have rendered lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth and their allies invisible, marginalized, fearful, and powerless for far too long.

During its inaugural year, more than 100 student, youth and ally groups from across the country were nominated for their powerful and inspiring work. Three remarkable groups were honored: Farrington High School Gay-Straight Alliance, Honolulu, HI (Grand Prize); Oregon Student Equal Rights Alliance, multi-campus (Impact Award); and Equality Club at Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, CO (New Group Award).

For more details about the 2011 winners see an article in The Huffington Post

Who Inspires You in the Fight Against Bullying? Submit a Nomination!

We're now looking for powerful and inspiring young people, and youth organizations, to be considered for the 2012 Award for Youth Activism!

Nominees should be bold and dynamic individuals or groups leading important efforts to ensure that all youth are safe and free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, and they should be based in places that don't get the kind of attention and support they need and deserve.

There are no specific guidelines for what might make the most successful nominee, and their activism could range from policy advocacy to protest to creative outbursts for justice and equality heretofore unimagined, unseen and unheard.

Nominees should simply offer inspiring examples of the change that is possible when silence is broken and action is taken at unexpected times in unexpected places. And we're counting on you to help bring such activism to our attention!

Submit a Nomination, or Apply Yourself, by the June 30 Deadline!

Just send a brief (one-page max) essay to make the case for yourself, or your nominee, to: YouthAward@Ymail.com.

Be creative – links to articles, blogs, videos, etc. to support your nomination are welcome!

Nominees should be youth, or groups serving LGBTQ youth, between the ages of 14-21.

Winners will be announced in November 2012 and receive cash awards totaling $2,500. They will also have a chance to be featured in Out Magazine's OUT100, a list of “the year's most influential people in gay culture.”

Thx for Speaking Out for Justice & Equality for All!

Stay tuned, and watch for news and updates at: Facebook.com/OutintheSilence