I founded Dear Queer Youth in January of 2025 because I was feeling really targeted by the state of the new political administration in America. As a queer teenager, I felt terrified, confused, and alone. Feeling incredibly helpless, I turned to making art as a means of coping. I soon realized how powerful art can be, and how it a unifying catalyst for a movement. I founded Dear Queer Youth because I wanted a place where queer youth could come together and be resilient. A space for us to be joyful. A space for us to cry together, to fight together. A space where we could just be. As in our name, this organization is by, and for, queer youth. If you are someone out there like me, please submit your art/writing, attend one of our events, or join our leadership team. Only together can we fight back. Your voice matters. Your art matters. You matter.

— Founder, Sophia Wong