If you are from Connecticut and you or a family member is LGBTQ then you probably have heard of True Colors.
Way back in 2000 when I first stuck my head out the door to check which way the wind was blowing I met Robin McHaelen, she was running around at the Children From The Shadows conference at the University of Hartford. For the next several years our paths crossed at the conferences at UoH and then when the conference outgrew UoH and the conference moved to Central Connecticut State University. Eventually the conference outgrew CCSU and moved to the University of Connecticut where the conference has maxed out the even UConn, the conference has become the largest LGBTQ youth conference in the world with over 3900 attendees for the two day conference.
Robin started the conference as a MSW class project some twenty-six years ago (That is how the Trans Health and Law conference started as a class project for the ED of the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective some fourteen years ago) and she just announced her retirement in June.
From that beginning Robin has shaped True Colors into a premier LGBTQ youth and family service agency. They now offer training programs, mentoring programs, youth programs, the Safe Harbor Project, GSAs around the state, and they maintain a list of scholarship to LGBTQ youth.
Her replacement will have big shoes to fit in to.
Way back in 2000 when I first stuck my head out the door to check which way the wind was blowing I met Robin McHaelen, she was running around at the Children From The Shadows conference at the University of Hartford. For the next several years our paths crossed at the conferences at UoH and then when the conference outgrew UoH and the conference moved to Central Connecticut State University. Eventually the conference outgrew CCSU and moved to the University of Connecticut where the conference has maxed out the even UConn, the conference has become the largest LGBTQ youth conference in the world with over 3900 attendees for the two day conference.
There was a total of 3,979 participants representing 122 high schools, 11 middle schools, 14 colleges, and 10 states!In 2006 when I attended the Anti-Discrimination Coalition meeting she was at the table and I got to know her and her wife. Then in 2010-2011 school year I interned at True Colors for my MSW and I now sit on the legislative LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network committee with her and I am doing a workshop for the conference in March
Robin started the conference as a MSW class project some twenty-six years ago (That is how the Trans Health and Law conference started as a class project for the ED of the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective some fourteen years ago) and she just announced her retirement in June.
From that beginning Robin has shaped True Colors into a premier LGBTQ youth and family service agency. They now offer training programs, mentoring programs, youth programs, the Safe Harbor Project, GSAs around the state, and they maintain a list of scholarship to LGBTQ youth.
Her replacement will have big shoes to fit in to.
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