Last Saturday, the second annual Youth Empowerment Synergy Conference was held on campus for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and their parents.
The purpose of Y.E.S. is “to empower LGBT youth and give them the confidence to know that they are not alone,” Y.E.S. CEO, co-founder and community outreach coordinator for Mental Health Of America San Diego County Hector Martinez said.
The event included a welcoming ceremony hosted by media personality for “Out of the Closet” online radio show, on-air reporter for Equality News Network and radio show host of “Heart to Heart” Kristy Salazar along with San Diego State communication sophomore Hakeem “Jojo” Peyton-Ortiz.
In the ceremony Miss Trans San Diego 2013, Claire Russell, gave a speech and then San Diego’s 2013 Voice of America’s Pride Melissa Dove sang musical selections.
“It’s organizations like these that empower lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth with the knowledge and skill sets to care for their bodies, their minds and their communities,” Russell said in her speech.
CEO and co-founders Ian Morton and Hector Martinez created Y.E.S. San Diego to give youth the support they never had, Morton said.
Morton said his own life experiences were his drive to start Y.E.S. Morton aspired to go into the ministry after graduating from Bible college. During his freshman year of college, Morton was molested by an upperclassman. Morton said when he told school officials, he was put on probation and felt as if his character was questioned.
Morton said he attempted suicide after his third semester of college.
“It is healing for me to see youth as expressed as they are,” Morton said. “Growing up I learned to guard who you are.”
The Conference had various workshops available in Aztec Mesa and Adams Humanities about an assortment of topics. Distinct workshops were divided between two age groups. The youth, ages 13 through 17, were offered workshops about issues such as trauma, unhealthy relationships and social justice. The young adults, ages 18 through 24, were offered workshops about topics such as HIV, gender-normative stereotypes and sexual health.
Peyton-Ortiz learned about Y.E.S. through the Hillcrest Youth Center and also attended last year’s conference. Meeting the different types of youth through the program has been a great experience, Peyton-Ortiz said.
“You gain knowledge that you don’t get in high school about the LGBT community” Peyton-Ortiz said. “It is really educating.”
A resource fair was also available for conference attendees. Representatives from suicide prevention centers, health clinics, scholarship foundations and activist groups were present.
“This is the next generation,” Salazar said. “It’s going to be this generation that changes and produce progress.”
Y.E.S. San Diego’s major sponsors are SDG&E, the Mental Health America of San Diego County and San Diego LGBT Pride.
Read about the new LGBT Pride Resource Center coming to SDSU.
Photo Courtesy of Hector Martinez, Y.E.S Community Outreach Coordinator.
