Housing is a human right. You shouldn’t have to earn a safe place to live. But so many queer young people are kicked out of their homes because of who they are. It happened to me, and it happens to many of the youth I work with at Pathfinders Milwaukee.

In 2011, I was the first undergraduate intern at Pathfinders’ Drop-In Center, a space for youth experiencing homelessness to access basic needs like food, showers, clothing, laundry, and support. My mentor, Joseph Stanley, said, “You have all the tools you need—there are a lot of similarities between you and the young people you’ll serve here.” And that was true—many of the young people I interacted with were Black like me. Many, queer like me, too. I had many of the same experiences. I knew young people just need to be listened to.

Core to Pathfinders’ culture is youth telling us what services they need in their community. It’s because of young people that we offer housing for ages 17–25 who’ve aged out of our emergency shelter program. It’s because they shared their experiences that we offer anti-sexual violence resources. Youth asked for flexible mental health support in the Drop-In Center—now, they have it.

Many queer youth experiencing homelessness never felt their voice mattered. They never had the freedom most young people do to make mistakes. Pathfinders provides a community of support where young people are accepted, validated, and empowered. Over my 10 years at Pathfinders, and now in my role as Sr. Vice President, I’m proud to have helped bring young people’s ideas to fruition, impacting the lives of hundreds of youth each year.

As a young person discovering my identity, I would sneak out and go to Project Q, the drop-in program at the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. That was a space where I could be fully myself. A place where I felt safe. Our youth see Pathfinders as a safe space, as that family-of-choice. When youth come here, one of the important things we do is make them feel welcomed. When they walk in, they hear, “Hey! So, great to see you—how are you doing today? Please let me know how I can assist you today!” Youth experiencing homelessness often feel invisible, we work to make them feel seen.

I’m queer. I’m Black. I’m a woman. These are all marginalized populations trying to get some grounding and equity. I’m fortunate to live in the fullness of these identities, to get to partner with and share power with young people. I’m fortunate to do the work I do ensuring all youth, regardless of how they identify, have the housing, support, and acceptance they deserve.

The Visionary: Afra Smith amplifies lived experience and empowers financial freedom through The Melanin Project.

The Public Servant: Jesus Rivera works to bring needed representation as the only minority and openly LGBTQ+ member on the School District of Cambridge Board of Education.

The Advocate: DeShanda Williams-Clark is a trailblazing advocate for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, sexual exploitation, and crisis in the Milwaukee community.

The Defender: Erica Lopez is the Executive Director and Staff Attorney at the Peoples Law Center | Centro de Derecho de la Gente (PLC).