What Is Freedom?
The Free to Be Youth Project (FYP) is thrilled to enter into a partnership with Zealous, a media company that harnesses the power of storytelling to enact social change, to answer that very question.
Clients come to FYP for legal protection of their identity. From name and gender marker changes to public benefits and immigration cases, we serve LGBTQ+ youth living at the intersections of multiple forms of oppression. Poverty, criminalization, and harassment disproportionately impact our clients, who are predominately people of color, immigrants, and those impacted by mental health concerns or HIV. They face a gauntlet of limited or non-existent youth-oriented services, bureaucratic barriers, and high-risk encounters with police. These systems and struggles can close the doors to freedom, but our clients know what freedom means to them.
Thank you to Zealous for providing our clients with a platform to tell their stories, and more importantly, to our clients for sharing their unique perspectives on Freedom. Enjoy the teasers and stay tuned for more!
Meet Ariah!
Ariah, a transgender woman, came to us because she needed a name and gender marker change. As a performer who often travels for work, it was critical that her passport, and other identifying documents, reflected her identity. For Ariah, freedom is having her identity affirmed by the law in the form of state and federal ID.
Meet Davina!
Davina, a transgender woman, needed help with her public benefits case when her share of the rent under her voucher was miscalculated. We corrected this issue, allowing Davina to move into stable housing while she navigated challenges at work. We helped her obtain a new birth certificate that reflected her name/gender marker change and ensured the HR department at her job had the affirming documentation as she transitioned to her new position.
Meet Lemoy!
Lemoy, a native of Jamaica, came to our office seeking immigration assistance, after leaving their country due to gender-based persecution. In addition to filing their asylum application, we helped them secure a name/gender marker change, and obtain an employment authorization that will allow them to work lawfully in the U.S.
Meet Majé!
Majé, a genderqueer advocate who moved to NYC from Louisiana, sought our help in obtaining a name/gender marker change. Since being introduced to FYP, Majé has joined us for our fashion show fundraiser, an episode of the LGBTQ Bar Association’s podcast, and lobby days in Albany.
CONTACT
FREE TO BE
YOUTH
PROJECT
We welcome your questions and comments
Main Office
40 Rector Street, 9th FloorNew York, NY 10006
Telephone: 877-716-1446
Email: fyp@urbanjustice.org
Hours
M-F: 9:00am – 6:00pm
