By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

For many youth who identify as trans, finding a safe space in which to be yourself is one of the hardest facets of life. The likelihood of a trans-identifying youth becoming the victim of violence is extremely high.

Joe Hollendoner, director of Broadway Youth Center, said creating a safe zone for trans youth ages 12-24 is foremost among BYC’s goals. About a third of BYC’s clients identify as trans, according to Hollendoner.

The goal of safety extends to encouraging BYC’s clients to think about what a safe space means to them. Some clients rarely have the chance to experience safety, Hollendoner said.

“We help them understand their role in creating a safe space, creating the cultural norms that define safety,” he said.

BYC’s Trans Women Informing Sister TransWomen on AIDS, an HIV/AIDS prevention and education program directed towards young trans women of color, has been running for about 18 months. It is currently in its third cycle.

The six-session cycle begins by trying to foster a sense of cultural pride in being trans women and delves into important roles that some trans women have played in history.

“Trans women aren’t given traditional role models,” Hollendoner said. “The first session, though, explains that they sometimes have played a critically important role (in society).”

Considering trans women from a historical perspective opens up questions that help BYC clients consider the identities they are growing into and from which vantage point they should be discussing HIV.

“It lets them ask, what does it mean to be a trans person?” according to Hollendoner.

Clients usually end up in fewer unsafe situations if they are housed and employed, so TWISTA participants learn about financial management, holding down jobs and renting apartments, he added.

To that same end, participants can take part in BYC’s GED program for high school dropouts. Those who use the program are given the option of studying for their diploma either in a classroom or individualized setting. Hollendoner said most of them chose the latter option.

“Many of them really thrive when they are working alone,” Hollendoner said.

BYC also offers help for young people who need help in getting an established foothold in the workforce. The Center’s Employment Project “is about more than finding and keeping a job. It’s really about thinking in the long term and having a career,” according to Hollendoner.