Rise Up!: A National Conference For Queer and Trans Youth Organizers

Rise Up! 2023: Rise from the Ashes

July 18-22, 2023

Ever wanted to learn more about what it means to be a youth organizer?
Are you already engaging in organizing and activist work in your community, and want to find community with other youth organizers?
Are you interested in learning more about movements for social change like climate action, police-free schools, and gun control?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you should register for Rise Up!: A National Conference For Queer and Trans Youth Organizers.

We’ll have workshops to build our skills and knowledge, chat spaces and affinity groups to connect with fellow organizers, and art and performance spaces to share our visions of a more just tomorrow. You can drop in for just a few programs, or come for the whole thing!

This conference is open to all queer and trans activists and allies ages 13-24, whether seasoned organizers or new to the game— we need all voices working towards justice!

What: A FREE, ONLINE conference

Who: Queer and trans/nonbinary youth (and allies) between the ages of 13 and 24 years old

When: July 18-22, 2023

Where: Sessions on July 18-21 are virtual, the final day of the conference on July 22nd will be held in-person at SMYAL’s DC Youth Center

Accessibility: All Zoom sessions will have live captioning from Otter.ai

Help Shape Rise Up! 2023

Volunteer for Rise Up!

We are seeking volunteers to support Rise Up!

Volunteer opportunities July 18-21 will be virtual, while volunteers on July 22nd will be in-person in DC.

We have 3 different volunteer positions available:

Volunteer Manager
Room Monitor
Peer Discussion Lead

Lead a Workshop

We are looking for youth-led or focused workshops to be presented at this year’s Rise Up! conference. Some sample topics include:

Understanding the relationship between power, privilege, and intersectionality
LGBTQ+ history
Gender beyond the binary
Transformative justice
Safer Sex & Healthy Relationships for queer + trans folks
Youth organizing for gun violence prevention

All workshops should be 1 hour.

Submissions due July 7th at 11:59 pm

What is Rise Up?

Rise Up! is a free, online conference that explores what it means to be a young queer organizer today. The conference is open to any queer, trans/ nonbinary and ally youth ages 13-24 years old, with access to the internet.

Workshops will focus on everything from the intersection of race and queerness, to creating sustainable activism, to exploring how we can expand our scope to include transformative and healing justice in our organizing. Our conference prioritizes the voices, organizing, and safety of black and brown queer and trans youth of color.

In 2023, Rise Up! is planned in partnership with SMYAL, Advocates for Youth, Freedom Oklahoma, PGH Equality Center, and Queer Youth Assemble