The three pillars of Hope, Equity, and Power are what drive our mission and our actions at Outright. We have historically held large in-person gatherings with the hope of building connection, belonging, and of course, queer joy. In the past, Leadership Day has been one of these opportunities. After a successful GSA Conference this fall with over 300 participants, feedback about weather and safety, and in light of the current political and cultural shifts, we made the choice to shift how we harness the power of our voices to a far-reaching remote campaign leading up to a smaller in-person lobby day.

Here’s why we’re switching it up this year with a remote action:

• Access: We can get more youth voices heard through write-in mail! According to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 29% of Vermont’s high school youth identify as LGBTQ+. That’s far more youth than the statehouse could handle! We are a large, powerful, and beautiful group, and we want everybody to have the chance to get their voice heard. This change makes space for more people to participate, which means more people power! We aim to collect 250+ pieces of mail from young people across the state - which means many more voices will be heard than we could fit at a SpeakOut. Historically, not all GSAs have been able to bring their students to the Statehouse for Leadership Day, and we want to ensure that all voices get the opportunity to be heard. We want as many youth as possible to have an opportunity to speak directly to their representatives and have a tangible impact on the actions of our Vermont legislature.

  
  

• Impact: When dreaming up this year’s Leadership Day, our youth leaders determined specific priorities that focused on face to face opportunities to speak to legislators. This led to the shared tactic of a Lobby Day, virtual workshop, and youth messages to legislators campaign instead of a single large rally and speakout. We are excited and honored to have champion legislators and allies in the statehouse preparing to welcome our youth and take seriously their words, demands, and priorities.By writing down your story, you can ensure your message gets into the hands of your specific legislators who can act on your demands. You can also review your writing or art and make sure everything you want to say is included. A stack of 250+ pieces of mail sends a message that legislators cannot ignore, and is a powerful avenue for young people to have a tangible impact on the actions of our Vermont legislature.

• Safety & Comfort - So much of what can happen at a big outdoor event is outside of our control. Large, in-person events can be overwhelming - and we don’t want crummy weather, bad actors, or logistical issues to get in the way of you(th) getting your voice heard! Submitting a message on paper to legislators is a proven tactic that can be put into action wherever you(th) are, and is able to be adapted to accommodate safety concerns and sensory needs.

On Thursday March 20th, we will have a presence of 50+ LGBTQ+ and allied youth leaders from Outright’s Youth Organizing Program, learning partnership schools, and our close partner organizations - VSARN, The Education Justice Coalition, and Umbrella, to name a few. These leaders will speak in committees, meet with legislators, and hand deliver the written and drawn messages from youth across the state directly to Vermont legislators. The role of the youth representatives attending this day will be to uplift the messages from youth across the state, and help to give voice to your writing and art!

We’ll get some political education, work together on writing and drawing messages to legislators, and spend time together in a virtual community.

Part of the virtual workshop will be education and skill building: you’ll develop the skills you need to tell your story and learn how to make an impact with your words and art. Part of it will be co-working time, where you can spend time developing your powerful message to your legislators. All of it will be an opportunity to build community and people power with hundreds of youth who are sharing their voices through this campaign. Heck Yeah!

We will be sending out regular email updates on the GSA Network Listserv as we work to reach our goal of 250 mail-in letters. As we get more and more mail from youth across the state, our Youth Organizers will be sharing excerpts on Outright’s social media platforms. The more people participate, the more people will realize that they must pay attention to LGBTQ+ youth voices, because we will not back down!

YES! Here is the Virtual Action Kit to help you craft your message. If you mail us your message by Friday, March 14, 2025, we will hand-deliver it to your legislator! 

Here's the address to mail your letter:

Outright Vermont
PO Box 5235
Burlington, VT 05402