Today’s Youth
Image By Jade Masri
“Young people have consistently been at the front of movement work. Saying youth are the future is…not the full story. Youth are the past and the present and the future.”
Alyssa Wainaina 24
Advocates for Youth
The future has become now. I have been waiting for a day when today’s youth would take the reins of their lives and work to shape their futures in a mold that befits their vision. Many believe that there are so many problems with the younger generations. They feel that the “participation trophy” generations have had it too easy. It has created youth that are too soft and have no backbones to speak of. And some of this is true. But there is always more. They possess a better intellect over all and keen sensibilities when it comes to discerning right and wrong. They are more accepting of everyone and are learning to stretch their wings and stand up for what they believe in.
There is a woman named Alyssa Wainaina, a community organizer with the nonprofit, Advocates for Youth, for the past 10 years. She is only 24. Her group has done things like securing gender-neutral bathrooms in Idaho public schools, attending protests and advocating for reproductive rights and gender-affirming care. 2022 survey from a research firm Edelman shows that 70% of Gen Zer’s are involved in a social or political cause. That has to be far better than any other generation can boast of these days. We can all take a lesson from today’s youth.
And I have to admit that it surprised me too. I do not feel that these younger generations are coddled or pampered. I was raised in a different way and sometimes have trouble communicating with today’s youth. But I am happily surprised to learn of their activism. Having a daughter that is twenty-five I know that the younger generations are so much more accepting of one another than any other that has come before. This fact alone makes them better people than we are.
Young people prioritize lived experiences over statistics. It is said that they do not care about aligning themselves with corporate allies who sell rainbow merchandise in June. Young people are emphasizing intersectionality, an interconnected understanding of identity and oppression. These transcend all social and racial borders.
This from Alia Cusolito, Queer Youth Assemble Co-President, “Our generation is working really hard to radically decenter whiteness in our organizing work. We focus on the most marginalized communities so that all of us can benefit.”
Faith Cardillo, 19, a member of Queer Youth Assemble and founder of Bulletproof Pride a gun violence nonprofit says, “Are we going to use our voice? Yes. Should we have to by ourselves? Absolutely not.” In the past, young people would be left out of the mainstream because older LGBTQ+ advocates feared being associated with minors for fear of being labeled “predators”. This is something that has been used against this community a lot over time. But both she and Wainaina both understand that older adults will play a substantial role in getting their agendas to change the way people think.
“They’ve got that energy and naivete’. They haven’t been beaten down by a system that’s designed to beat them down.” Eric Denby a history and social sciences instructor at Phillips academy in Massachusetts. And energy is what makes youth activism so successful. In peer led spaces young activists do not have to ask for permission to fight for what is important to them. They are adept at creating online safe places to hang out, support each other and express their views. Being an activist means thinking creatively. Denby goes to say, “generations working together is key to success. Some of the longest lasting groups from the 70’s and 80’s was peer led but had the assistance of experienced adult activists who could navigate bureaucracy.”
Cathy Renna, director of communications at the National LGBTQ+ Task Force, feels that to try and understand how young people feel is patronizing. She prioritizes working with younger people, not because they are the “future” but because she feels that that is where the energy is.
This quote from Cardillo really hits home for me. “Obviously we’ve seen systematically, the old way does not work. Just hosting a rally once or maybe twice in a few areas that may be hubs for queer identities – that doesn’t work.” And this is something that has been eating at me for awhile now. I remember reading an article about how religious conservatives worked to overturn Roe V Wade and the steps they took to get the job done. The religious right played the long game. With patience they placed candidates of their choosing in lower level of government. These officials were able to make effective change. And as certain candidates were able to rise to National positions in the government, they were able to really manipulate and manifest the changes that the Conservative party wanted to see. This is a model that works and we should take note of it. Why can we not make this happen for ourselves?
More than 500 bills anti LGTBQ+ in 2024 so far. Many targeting trans and non-binary people. We cannot move fast enough or have enough members to fight the ignorance that exists in this world. Let us get behind and support these amazing young people.
