There’s truly nothing quite like seeing the impact of change in a human being, especially that which comes from your own influence. Seeing your own actions, no matter how large or small, changing those around you makes activism what it is at its core. A great activist is made up of many traits, such as confidence and determination, but the most important is having a voice. Luckily, I never struggled with having a voice. I’ve always been loud and proud thanks to my family teaching me that I had no reason to ever be anything less than my authentic black gay self. Not everyone has been as fortunate as I have in that regard, and now more than ever finding those voices is of so much importance.

My name is Tyrone Creech Jr., and I am the Executive Director of GSAFE, an LGBTQ non-profit based in Madison that focuses work on creating safe and nurturing environments for queer and trans young adults across school districts statewide. We train teachers, educate parents, and—most importantly—teach the next generation how to find their voices in activism through camps, retreats, conferences, and summits. To me, investing in the next generation of voices shaping the universe and upending the status quo is one of my greatest passions, and we at GSAFE strive to see that passion thrive in the state of Wisconsin and beyond.

Family role models 

Growing up in one of the oldest black families in Madison, I was surrounded by powerful personalities that overflowed with confidence and individuality, especially from the women who raised me. There’s Auntie Meryl Lynn, who taught me the power to say no, which helped me learn how to stand my ground. Auntie Coly, who taught me the power of compassion, which helped me learn the value of helping others. And then of course, my queen mother herself, Lisa, who, among a list of other things, taught me how to be proud of who I am, which helped me learn how to be confident as a black queer man. This core foundation still runs through my veins and is the forefront of the man I’ve become. Without it, I might not have found my voice so early on.

Work to be done 

It wasn’t hard to get into activism from there. Being black in the upper Midwest means I’ve always been the minority. Spaces aren’t built with myself or my culture in mind, our schools teach history through a lens of white culture. I’m seen as nothing more than a stereotype that the media has portrayed us as to people who don’t know me. On top of that, I’m also gay. We’re perceived to be walking illnesses, plagues that populate “woke” ideologies that aren’t natural. With all of this, there was no way I was going to sit down and accept that this was just how things were. There was work to be done, and I answered that call.

In 2015, I volunteered for a camp called the Leadership Training Institute (LTI) run by GSAFE. One of my closest childhood friends Ali Muldrow, who happened to be one of GSAFE’s co-executive directors, invited me to be an adult mentor for this multiple-day-long camp where high school-aged young adults would gather and form bonds with like-minded individuals while strengthening their knowledge as activists through workshops based on social justice. At the time, I was just a bartender and hadn’t given a career as an activist much thought yet, but the opportunity was one I couldn’t pass up. By the end of the few days spent at camp, it was like a bonfire was ignited deep within my heart. This was my future. Not only did I get to watch some of the most inspiring, creative, and fantastic queer teenagers develop their voices, but I also met the other adult mentors, who did the inspiring and showed me how important it was to influence this generation of queer folk. I continued to volunteer every summer, getting more and more involved and falling more and more for this type of activism.

Making my passion a career 

In 2020, a position opened at GSAFE. I remember seeing the opportunity and immediately jumping on it. An opportunity to make my passion into a career was a no-brainer. The process was a long one—and had a few delays due to GSAFE still recovering from the blow that Covid had dealt to it—but I eventually was officially signed on as GSAFE’s newest Youth Leadership Organizer in 2021. As I walked into the office on the first day, I felt like I was finally taking a step in the direction I was meant to be facing. I immediately took to work, taking the reins of planning the very camp that got me hooked on this work in the first place, LTI. After that, I formed the Youth Activist Council (YAC) which consisted of a handful of some of the most promising young adults that I got the pleasure of mentoring during the school year.

Honoring an inspirational activist 

Before I go any further, I want to take a moment to honor another fierce and unstoppable force of activism that has been in my life for decades, Ali Muldrow. To those who do not have the pleasure of knowing her, Ali has been one of the most inspirational activists that I have ever had the honor of standing by. Her dedication and passion for activism is something I’ve been in awe over for as long as I can remember. Her voice is proud, confident, and full of love and compassion for the work she does. She pushed me to apply for the position at GSAFE, pushed me even harder while I was there, and has always believed in me with every fiber of her being. Without her, I might have still made it here, but the path would have been much more turbulent. And thanks to her, I was able to push my way further in GSAFE than I ever thought possible.

Spreading my wings 

In 2023, I was promoted to be the Associate Director of DEI, working closely with not only Ali, but another cornerstone of GSAFE, Brian Juchems. Between the two of them, attending conferences and summits, and pouring more into the work we do, I began to truly spread my wings. On March 12, 2024 I was voted in as GSAFE’s new executive director. Stepping into this role has been a great opportunity. The amazing team I work with and I are committed to modeling shared leadership, transparency, investing in staff wellness, and organizational sustainability. Setting ourselves up for growth, I want to express how thankful I am that everyone has supported our mission. We wouldn’t be here without you.

Centering & uplifting BIPOC queer & trans people 

GSAFE is a phenomenal organization that strives to create safe, accepting spaces for LGBTQ BIPOC and trans youth while providing resources for our educators and parents to be able to support our future leaders. As the new executive director, I am thrilled to continue to stay true to these goals while also paving the way for new ones to help make more of a point to center and uplift our BIPOC queer and trans youth of color. As an organization, we’re invested in providing that representation for youth while making sure that our queer and trans adult educators of color are being protected and supported as well. I make a point of this because in Wisconsin, around 94% of our educators are white, 2% are Hispanic, and 1.8% are black. For these students, many don’t join their local GSAs or reach out to seek resources from non-profits like ours because there isn’t enough representation from their peers, nor adult role models to whom they can relate. Non-profit culture is not built for BIPOC and trans-identifying people to succeed. It is time we dismantle the white supremacy infrastructure that non-profit culture has been built upon, and that is what GSAFE is doing with this new leadership structure we have implemented. We’ve spent years as an organization building a foundation for queer youth, and now it’s time to extend that foundation to those who need it most.

Strengthening partnerships & national exposure 

Beyond this, GSAFE is going to strive to create new connections while strengthening existing ones with both our partners and non-profits. While most of our support and reach has stayed within the state of Wisconsin, our goal moving forward is to gain more exposure on a national level so that we can continue to pursue our mission to the degree our youth deserve. We want to continue to provide more in-depth resources and support when it comes to our family engagement, youth programming, educator training, and community outreach.

There’s a saying in my family that for me truly describes how I feel about the struggles and achievements we face as a community: “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.”