OutYouth’s Intersectional Futures: Healing Through Story

Austin’s evening sky glowed purple the night OutYouth unveiled its new initiative, Intersectional Futures. The program aims to empower Black LGBTQIA+ youth through storytelling, therapy circles, and leadership training that center race and queerness equally. Inside the organization’s modest community hall, rows of folding chairs filled with parents, teachers, and teens who came not just to listen—but to be seen.

The lights dimmed. Amari, a 17-year-old nonbinary poet in a denim jacket stitched with rainbow thread, stepped up to the mic. Their first line was barely a whisper. But as the rhythm built, their voice filled the room:

“I used to think I was invisible.
But now I know I’m a mirror—
reflecting truth, pain, and beauty.”

Applause broke out. Tears followed. For many in attendance, it was the first time they’d witnessed a young Black queer person share art about both race and gender with such fearless honesty.

OutYouth’s executive director, Janelle Thompson, explained why this program matters:

“You can’t support LGBTQIA+ youth without addressing race.
You can’t support Black youth without affirming queerness.
We’re here to do both.”

The curriculum includes creative writing workshops, mentorship pairings with Black queer professionals, and an “Educator Ally” series that trains teachers to make classrooms safer for students of color and gender-diverse youth.

Already, Intersectional Futures is influencing nearby school districts and inspiring similar pilot projects in Houston and Dallas. Parents have formed an online support network, and Amari’s poem—filmed by a peer—has been viewed over 80,000 times on TikTok.