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End-of-year Support Spurs Growth in 2024

“I had to inform my employer that I would have to break the law if I traveled to Florida for work. As a trans man, I could be charged with a misdemeanor for using the men’s bathroom in public buildings.” “As a nonbinary person who works in a public-facing job, I have been harassed and […]

Appreciation Night Remarks by the Executive Director, Ellyn Ruthstrom

On June 27, SpeakOUT gathered at Club Cafe in Boston for its annual Appreciation Night event. Along with thanking SpeakOUT’s wonderful speakers for all their work, we also awarded our three LGBTQ+ Student Scholarships, thanked long-term board member George Grattan for his nine years of service, and introduced our new mission statement. SpeakOUT’s Executive Director, […]

Lurenzone Theatrics: Bringing Dragsicals to Boston

By Richie McNamara By day, Nick Lorenzen is a school administrator, but by night he produces drag-centered musical extravaganzas within the local Boston queer scene. Creating a network of queer talent has been a driving force for Nick since he graduated from the University of Maine’s theater program. A drag performer himself for eight years, […]

ELYSARC – A Look at Everett’s First LGBTQ+ Resource Center

By Richie McNamara During the summer of 2020, Kay Mangan had just moved back to their hometown in Everett, Massachusetts. “It was the beginning of the pandemic, and I was reflecting on my high school experience in the closet. And when I came back to Everett after graduating (college), I felt eyes on me now […]

At 50, SpeakOUT Recommits to the Work Ahead

SpeakOUT is coming to the end of our 50th anniversary year and it feels like a good time to assess, as one does when one turns 50. First there is the looking back. Over the course of 50 years, there have been thousands of SpeakOUT speakers who have shared their personal stories in order to […]

SpeakOUT Condemns Vandalism at The Pryde

SpeakOUT Boston was deeply saddened and angered to see the vandalism perpetrated upon the construction site for The Pryde in Hyde Park last week. Hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community, including specific threats of violence, can never be tolerated, and its seriousness can never be minimized. SpeakOUT joins all those in the Hyde Park and greater Boston […]

Appreciating Our Members & Continuing to Raise Our Voices for Change

On June 28th, SpeakOUT held its Appreciation Night at Club Cafe to thank its members, board of directors, and supporters for another very busy and productive year. Among the achievements were completing 21 engagements during June alone, with 30 of our speakers completing these in-person and online events! We also announced our three LGBTQ+ Student […]

Being a SpeakOUT Speaker

SpeakOUT is hosting its Spring Speaker Training on Saturday, April 9th at Suffolk University in Boston. This is the first in-person training since the pandemic, so it will be exciting to spend time together in LGBTQ+ community space. Two of SpeakOUT’s trainers share their memories of how they found SpeakOUT and what the experience of […]

When the Catholic Church Oppresses LGBTQ+ People, Dignity Offers Safe Spaces

Theologian Edwina Gateley said it best: “We are the Church; they are the hierarchy.”  This is demonstrated in the latest oppression by the hierarchy in the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan, where LGBTQ+ people are being excluded from the sacraments and roles in the church. In response to these recent discriminatory actions, Executive Director of DignityUSA, […]

Celebrating 50 Years & Moving Forward

As SpeakOUT heads towards 2022—our 50th anniversary year!—we are excited to highlight the work that has kept our organization going for half a century. Fifty years of LGBTQ+ community members participating in peer-led trainings to learn how to create and share an effective story to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ lives. Fifty years of SpeakOUT members […]