Rustin's Reunion

Rustin’s Reunion is being built within the current political and socioeconomic context for queer and trans people in the US South. Pervasive institutional oppression, state-sanctioned violence, and interlocking systems of oppression, leave queer and trans people disproportionately susceptible to interpersonal violence, unemployment/underemployment and poverty, homelessness, poorer physical and mental health outcomes, etc. Most recently, LGBTQ+ North Carolinians have been under attack and are currently combating an onslaught of regressive and dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that threatens the safety and wellbeing of trans youth, specifically. To address the disproportionate impact of violence and trauma, faced by often grossly underserved LGBTQ+ communities, Architect of Black Space aims to launch the Rustin’s Reunion.Rustin’s Reunion aims to make particular interventions in this landscape by providing programming and educational opportunities that invests in and promotes LGBTQ+ culture, while focusing on building power within LGBTQ+ communities in Guilford County, NC.Through partnerships between Guilford County Schools, local LGBTQ+ organizations and the community at large, we aim to scale up our community-building efforts and engage in initiatives aimed at centralizing and enhancing the network of Gay Straight Alliances (GSA’s) within Guilford County. For decades, LGBTQ+ youth and their advisors have fought tirelessly to create safer and queer- and trans-affirming schools.Architect of Black Space aims to provide increased safety and support for Guilford County individuals and families by creating working and learning spaces for inclusive events and networking, promoting advocacy, building strong and sustained, and community support directly strengthening Gay/Straight Alliance groups, and amplifying the voices of our youth. A primary objective is to enhance protections, support and sustainability for the decades old fixtures of GSAs in our public schools.In an era of extremism, our communities are falsely portrayed as depraved and wanting, we are committed to providing programs that offer counter-narrative messages and illuminate the LGBTQ community enabling us to come together to unify and collectively resist injustices faced by LGBTQ+ communities by leaning into our own strengths, traditions, and culture as chosen family.