Empowering LGBTQ+ Youth to Pave Their Own Path
When I stepped off the Greyhound in San Francisco, I didn’t even know where I could sleep that night. It wasn’t safe to go back to my home country, but my next chapter was a question mark. I was 23, and life was an uphill battle. I was exhausted, running on fumes.
I needed to figure everything out, and fast. My very first stop in San Francisco was the SF LGBT Center because it was the only place I could find that offered same-day drop-in services. When I walked through the doors of the bright purple building on Market street, I felt the sincerity of their radical welcome embrace me, and I was able to meet with a housing navigation specialist from the Youth Services team right away. They were the first real people I talked to— I had to be vulnerable and talk about deeply personal truths, but I felt heard. Finally, I felt seen. I took a deep breath, and felt the tension in my body begin to shift, giving way to something new: the start of my next chapter.
Through the Center, I was able to secure housing, a transportation access pass, resources to get a city ID, referrals to medical care, connection to the newcomers program, a library card— there was a next step for everything I needed, the Center staff either had the answers or knew who to ask. I started to build my entire life from this building. I came in without an idea of what my next chapter could look like, but with the Center’s support, I found the tools to chart a course toward stability. I was able to get a referral to the LGBT Asylum Project, and while I knew this was a lengthy process, the Center was instrumental in showing me the concrete next steps. In a time of so much violence surrounding immigrants and queer folks, these safety nets are critical. These services aren’t just about helping people like me survive— they’re about empowering us to thrive.
In this hostile political climate, we need your support so the Center can continue to be a lifeline for our community, ensuring vital services remain accessible to those in need. To make a donation, visit give.sfcenter.org/winter-giving.
The Center is a second home to me, and its community my chosen family. The queer community takes care of one another, and as I settled into my new life, I was looking to find ways to build collective power for my peers who had faced similar struggles. The Center’s Youth Leadership Cohort was my answer. Through the cohort, I was able to gain experience as an advocate by planning events to engage local queer youth, learning deescalation techniques, making improvements to the Youth Space, and even speaking at City Hall. This program gave me a tangible way to grow my passion for engaging youth. This experience was so rewarding, and it crystallized my desire to build a career in queer community work.
I came to San Francisco because it represents possibilities: like the possibility of finding real connection, of holding hands in public, of finding a life partner, of living fully out loud as exactly who I am. My San Francisco means growing alongside people who want to change the world around them for the better. My Center is empowering me to pave that path for myself.
With the stability I’ve been able to find through the Center, I know now that these possibilities are real for me. With access to resources and community, I’m finally out of survival mode, and now my journey is focused on a better future for myself and my peers. I don’t have to hide, because my San Francisco is a place I can bring my whole self. There is a life for me here; it is scary and beautiful to learn who I want to be.
Thank you for standing with the Center and helping our community find hope, healing, and strength in one another.
With deep gratitude,
Mbakoverua “MJ” Jatamunua (he/him, they/them)
Senior Youth Leadership Council, SF LGBT Center
In a time of so much violence surrounding immigrants and queer folks, these safety nets are critical. These services aren’t just about helping people like me survive— they’re about empowering us to thrive.