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

Rise Up! 2023: Rise from the Ashes

July 17-22, 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. It’ll all happen virtually— mostly on discord and zoom. 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/nb youth (and allies) between the ages of 13 and 24 years old

When: July 17-22, 2023

Where: The conference is hosted on Zoom and Discord, and pre-registration is required for all Zoom-hosted workshops!

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

Help Shape Rise Up! 2023

Logo Design Contest

We are looking for youth-made artwork to highlight as the main logo image for the event. We will choose 1 winner for this year’s contest.

The artwork will be displayed on our website, registration page, social media, conference agenda etc. It may also be printed on t-shirts, pop sockets, etc.
The artist will always be credited in all places where their artwork appears. We can also link social media profiles and websites as applicable.
The winner will also receive a $150 visa gift card in recognition of their artwork.

Submissions due June 14th at 5 pm

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 June 30th 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 2022, Rise Up! is planned in partnership with SMYAL, Freedom Oklahoma, Identity Inc, and the Pittsburgh Equality Center.