LGBT Youth Theater Honored

First Lady Michelle Obama presented The Theater Offensive’s True Colors: Out Youth Theater which is the country’s largest & longest-running LGBTQ youth theater program the 2016 National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award. This award is the nation’s highest honor for youth arts programs & True Colors which was established in 1994 in Boston is the first LGBTQ organization in history to receive this award. True Colors’ Traeshayona “Trae” Weekes stated, “Accepting this award from the First Lady of the United States at the White House was an unforgettable experience & I’m so proud to be part of the first ever LGBTQ organization to receive this honor. It’s amazing to see that the power of True Colors’ work in helping make communities a safer space for LGBTQ youth while giving us a place to explore our identity & find our own culture in a way that is recognized & valued.” Abe Rybeck, Executive Artistic Director of The Theater Offensive & founder of True Colors concluded “True Colors’ cultural impact over a generation has been instrumental in helping create not only a safe space for LGBTQ youth to express their creativity & tell their stories, but has also contributed to the progress & advances we have seen for the entire LGBTQ community. As we continue to focus on the challenges faced by LGBTQ youth, from family rejection to bullying to homelessness, this honor is inspirational & a validation of our impact. Just as importantly, this inclusive group of talented youth exemplifies America’s dynamic cultural intersections. These are the creative young leaders our overlapping communities need to overcome bigotry & jointly build a more harmonious future. To have affirmation from the highest levels of the arts & the White House is extraordinary.”
For More Info: thetheateroffensive.org
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