Stonewall Inn, 1969

On June 28th, 1969, police raided a bar called The Stonewall Inn in New York City that was popular with gay and lesbian youth. The youth and their allies in the bar fought back. This event, known now as the Stonewall Riots, was the first major event in LGBTQ Pride History. This event is celebrated in June as National LGBTQ Pride Month, a month of acceptance, awareness, and flaunting cultural diversity.

This is the month where Pride Parades are seen in every major city in the USA. Millions of LGBTQ people of all ages show off their courage, strength, and positive outlook on their lives. In a time where LGBTQ rights are a hotly debated issue among many government officials, 'Gay Pride' is becoming more and more important to young people in one of the greatest civil rights movements of the Millennial Generation (those born between 1985 and 2000).

For millions of youth, LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning/Queer) issues are vital, as more and more teens and young adults choose to embrace who they are and 'come out.' Many older, more conservative opponents feel that the 'LGBTQ Lifestyle' threatens more 'traditional' morals, such as the definition of marriage or the process of raising children. LGBTQ Pride Month raises awareness that, in fact, it is not a matter of morals or traditions, but a matter of civil liberty and diversity. June is a great month for the LGBTQ Community to educate people on the rights, issues, and liberties at stake in this highly contested debate.

Most importantly, it is a month for the LGBTQ Community (and that includes straight allies) to show its' pride in itself and its' contributions to society. It is a month of fun, festivals, and activism that anyone can celebrate!

Acknowledging that May is both Foster Care and Children's Mental Health Awareness month; YOUTH POWER! and FTNYS branched out and hosted their first ever dual awareness celebration. On May 22, 2013, advocates, policy officials, councilmen, commissioners, parents, and youth all gathered to celebrate the success of these two systems and the individuals they serve.

Carrie Holmes, YOUTH POWER!'s Hudson River Regional Youth Partner, carried the vision of this event entitled," Our Time is Now: Celebrating Foster Care and Children's Mental Health Awareness by Fostering Growth and Acknowledging Achievements" like a baby until it reach termed and was delivered. Carrie Holmes expressed her feelings toward the outcome of the event in a few short words, "Like most deliveries, the most exciting and rewarding part is seeing how months of hard work, labor, and time, all turns out to be a precious gift that we can all take joy in". 

Paige Peirce, Executive Director of FTNYS stated "the thing that most excites me about this event is looking down and seeing both YOUTH POWER! and FTNYS listed at the top of the program". Truly, it was the collaborative efforts of both organizations that made this event special. Stephanie Orlando, Executive Director of YOUTH POWER!, states "many times we gather to celebrate the awareness of each system independently, however, this event is special because is acknowledges that mental health and foster care go hand-in-hand."

There were many great speakers at the event that shared their personal experiences in the system. YOUTH POWER! and FTNYS would like to extend a special thank you to Councilman Anton Konev, OMH'S Acting Commissioner, Kristin Woodlock, OCFS Representative, Vicky Hiffa, Parent and Advocate, Lorraine McMullen, NYC Regional Youth Partner,  Pauline Gordon, Youth Engagement Consultant, Melanie Hecker, and Director of Step by Step Counseling and Author, Melanie Gilmore. We would also like to give a special than you to our guest performer, Lily Killar. This event was a success because of YOU!

And to all of our guests, members, and supporters, WE LOVE YOU! Thank you for helping to increase our networks, and make our movements stronger.

Who doesn't love Walt Disney World? The ambiance, the characters, and of course the rides. Even better is that Disney World is considered world-class in the treatment of the disabled. Disabled Disney World patrons, whether physically, mentally, or developmentally disabled, are given access to special lines to make things easier for them.

Because of Disney's excellence in handling the disabled, a new "business" has sprung up. For a large fee, rich families (especially those from NYC) are hiring disabled tour guides for the sole purpose of getting into the special lines, which are usually much shorter. The guides aren't cheap at $130 an hour, but rich moms have been quoted as saying "This is how the 1% does Disney". Said families also rave about how hiring a disabled person to pose as a relative lets them avoid 2 ½ hour lines.

Some people see this as almost a good thing. They point out that services such as the misleadingly-named "Disney Dream Tours" are giving disabled people jobs, something they might not come across easily, and that it's a low-stress and manageable job since it consists entirely of riding rides. A large number of people, however, are against this practice for a number of reasons. Doing this takes away space from the people who really need the separate entrance,  will make it harder for people with non-apparent disabilities to get line access, is exploitative of the disabled guides, and takes advantage of a service Disney intended for the disabled, not filthy rich aristocrats. There is even a possibility of Disney suspending this privilege if enough people take advantage of it.

So, members of YOUTH POWER!, what do you think? Is this practice acceptable, or should it be condemned?

Melanie Hecker is the Youth Engagement Consultant for YOUTH POWER!. She is involved with NYS Success - the Upstate System of Care Expansion Project.