This ORR student is taking their LGBTQ+ youth advocacy to D.C. Here's the details.

ROCHESTER — On March 31, 2022, then-Old Rochester Regional High School sophomore Alia Cusolito was in Boston speaking to a crowd in front of the Massachusetts State House at an event called "We Are A State of Love: A Gathering of Visible Solidarity With LGBTQ Youth" when an adult in attendance light-heartedly suggested: "Next thing you know, you'll be doing this at the Capitol in D.C."

"I was like, 'oh, haha,'" said Cusolito, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. But little did they know, exactly one year to the date, that's just what would be happening.

On Friday, March 31, Cusolito will be speaking at the Capitol as part of an event called "March For Queer & Trans Youth Autonomy" organized by the national advocacy group Cusolito is co-president of, Queer Youth Assemble, or QYA.

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"Really the main priority is having the voices of the people affected by so many of the things happening around the country be the voices that are prioritized, so queer and trans youth, people of color and disabled folks," Cusolito said, referencing the Florida law passed last year placing restrictions around LGBTQ+-related education, and health care inequities for trans people as examples of the kinds of issues the event looks to bring attention to.

A united front

But Cusolito says it's not only about speaking out on the issues — it's also about encouraging others to do the same. This idea of advocating for advocacy is at the heart of why QYA was formed in 2021, according to Cusolito.

"Part of what we’ve noticed is there’s so many different actions people have taken all over the country but they don’t get as much notice when there’s one single action, on one day, without a lot of connection to other areas," Cusolito said.

"So we want to bring people together from all parts in the country ... to show there are really so many people who believe these things are important."

Cusolito says the support and advice individuals around the country seek when they reach out to the group is essential. After all, Cusolito knows firsthand that coordinating a gathering isn't easy, from experiences doing so at the local, state and regional levels, to being the lead organizer of the upcoming event in D.C.

"It's been pretty wild. On top of the more predictable forms of organizing like getting the permits for the march or booking flights and hotels, and of course trying to get people there, there's the unpredictable things like who's going to need help with something, what kind of issues are going to pop up," Cusolito said.

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Even in the weeks leading up to March 31, Cusolito says QYA's strategy appears to be working as intended.

"We've had a flood of emails from people saying 'I'd like to start something in my area — could you help me coordinate?,' or 'there's nothing happening in my area,' and we're like, would you like to start something?," Cusolito said, citing the extra exposure that promoting the march has given the group lately.

'No idea what to expect'

"March For Queer & Trans Youth Autonomy" is set to begin at Columbus Circle and end near the Capitol Reflecting Pool, where a number of keynote speakers, including Cusolito, will address the crowd against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol. But Cusolito says it's still hard to predict how large that crowd will be.

"We honestly have no idea what to expect," they said. "It's been shared out a lot in the last couple of days and we're seeing a lot more people getting word about the march, but it's hard to estimate at this point. We're just hoping for the best and continuing to reach out to people."

It starts at home

While the scale of the upcoming event is on the larger side, Cusolito says one message QYA hopes to deliver is that change most often starts small.

"I think seeing how I have been able to have an impact on a local level has kind of inspired me to help others do the same," Cusolito said, alluding to advocacy they've led the charge on at ORR.

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"I really want to encourage people to do things like speak up at their School Committee meetings, vote in local elections and things like that. ... Even something as simple as sending an email to the vice principal and saying, 'We’ve been dealing with this, can you help us?'

"Something like that might feel really small, but it helps people in a really big way."

Donations and info

Donations toward covering expenses of hiring an ASL interpreter, speakers' travel costs, and to provide masks and water for the March 31 event in D.C. can be made to "@queeryouthassemble" via Venmo, PayPal and CashApp; or at donorbox.org/donate-to-queer-youth-assemble.

Proceeds from clothing, stickers and pins "all designed by queer and trans youth" being sold by Queer Youth Assemble will also be used toward running of the event, Cusolito said. To see the items for sale, visit www.bonfire.com/store/queer-youth-assemble.

For more information on QYA or the D.C. event, visit queeryouthassemble.org or email march@queeryouthassemble.org.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: ORR student organizing march to advocate on LGBTQ+ issues in D.C.