“The Open Door Fund is a really amazing fit for Boulder County to strengthen the resiliency of our LGBTQ population, and our community overall.”
For many years, the Open Door Fund of Community Foundation Boulder County hosted the annual Open Door Fund Dinner. This year, the event will transition to Out Boulder County, with support from your Community Foundation. Coming up on April 20, both organizations will come together to host The Gayla – a festive, black-tie event benefitting LGBTQ programs of Out Boulder County and grantees of the Open Door Fund.
Heather Crate, OASOS Program Coordinator at Boulder County Public Health, has been involved with the Open Door Fund in various capacities over several years. “I first learned about the fund in my role with OASOS when we received programming support,” says the Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Millennial who’s a fierce advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth.
In their* dedicated efforts to help build communities and agencies that are culturally responsive and inclusive for all – with a particular focus on young people – Heather soon became an engaged committee member of the fund. “For me, the whole point is to bring youth experience to the table, and to ensure that the voices of our youth are being heard,” they* say. “It was really exciting to get young people to be a part of the Open Door Fund annual dinner, and highlight what it’s like to be a young person in Boulder County who identifies as LGBTQ.
“Sharing that narrative, and weaving it into our broader understanding of issues faced by our LGBTQ community, is incredibly important. While many of our LGBTQ youth are having a great experience and thriving, others struggle with rejection and bullying in our schools, or they may live with parents or caretakers who may not be accepting, or their peers and teachers may not recognize pronouns.” The foundation’s TRENDS Report further sheds light on the challenges faced by LGBTQ teens.
Concludes Heather, “The Open Door Fund is a really amazing fit for Boulder County to strengthen the resiliency of our LGBTQ population, and our community overall.”
*Heather’s preferred Personal Gender Pronouns (PGPs) are they-them-theirs.
