“No pride for some of us, without liberation for all of us.” 

In upholding the values of self-affirmation, dignity and equality for our LGBTQ community, we must fight for these values in solidarity with our Black community as well. 

As an organization that exists to serve the unique needs of Atlanta’s homeless LGBTQ youth, it is impossible to separate our work from this moment and this movement. Our advocacy for LGBTQ rights cannot exist without the consideration of the Black community. 

At Lost-n-Found, more than 90% of our youth identify as Black, which is representative of our country’s many broken systems. Being Black AND LGBTQ makes their odds of experiencing injustice and inequality – and homelessness – exponentially higher. 

The unavoidable truth is that we cannot provide our youth with safety and security if we do not protect the sanctity of their lives. 

We cannot honor our commitment to helping them develop as whole humans who believe, as our vision states, in “a world where all youth can live and grow authentically,” if this moment does not become part of our movement as well. 

Lost-n-Found Youth was founded as an act of social justice. This has not changed. 

We will continue to hold ourselves accountable and hold our peers and our community accountable for the justice and equality of all Black lives. Whatever role we must take as an organization to continue to move this work forward, we will do.