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- Entertainment
- Author:
- Guest Column
- Posted:
- Tuesday, 8 September 2009
BY REBECCA REYNOLDS
Often people say to me, “It must tug on the heartstrings to work at Twenty10”. And my answer is, yes, sometimes it does.
More often than not, I am filled with a sense of immense pride and joyfulness. While some young folk do come here to speak to workers and most will eat while they are here, others come to use the art room to create amazing outfits and masterpieces or the computers to get assignments done or jobs organised.
There are amazingly talented and motivated young folk who come here. They are proactively educating a wider community of young people around queer perspectives. Some are involved in Government consultative forums, others in organising community events, others are academics, artists, gardeners — the list goes on.
Twenty10 has the capacity to provide young folk with a space to explore what is possible, with some practical supports. Sometimes that is an ear to listen; eyes to look over a resume; or someone with whom to practise having that conversation about coming out to work colleagues.
Success for young people is everything from finishing school to living independently, from securing that amazing job to negotiating the relationship they want.
Recently I hosted a dinner at Twenty10 which celebrated the success of the people who attended. Our guests were all, in their own right, successful. Added to that, they are all vibrant, vocal and visible members of the queer community.
One of the guests was a young woman whom Twenty10 has been working with over the past two years. But on that particular night we were celebrating her graduation from uni, her departure from supported accommodation, and her ability as a singer/songwriter.
As a group, we were collectively acknowledging that how far you travel in life is not necessarily about how many years you have been around, but about what action you take in your world and the decisions you make on a daily basis.
And that resonates with how we celebrate success here at Twenty10. The diversity of the young people who walk through our doors lets us celebrate many achievements — big and small. It’s a place for many people, including me, to celebrate the personal power and freedom that comes from having a place to be you.
Tags: Twenty10
