Facing Race: A National Conference in St. Louis, MO — November 20-22, 2024

Deanna Gao

Deanna Gao identifies as a queer gender non-conforming US-born Chinese woman and has been working for several years with youth of color in Los Angeles and now in the bay area. She started working in Oakland as the youth organizer at Forward Together in October 2013 following work as the youth organizer at Chinese Progressive Association in San Francisco. Her passion for an ethics and practice of anti-oppression and justice is very much informed by radical (queer) women of color feminisms and organizing


Presentations from Facing Race 2014

Rainbow Warriors: Lifting Up Queer and Trans Youth Resiliency

In this workshop, participants will learn about a national queer and trans youth of color-led culture shift campaign on queer and trans youth resiliency. Members of the Strong Families’ RAD (Revolutionizing a Dream) Youth Movement: Branching Seedz (CO), Young Women United (NM), and Forward Together Youth (CA) will share how their base of queer and trans youth leaders and their allies have launched a campaign to counter the narrative surrounding queer and trans youth of color as victims and lift up stories of resiliency.

Speakers: Deanna Gao, Chay Tadeo, Cecelia Kluding-Rodriguez, Denicia Cadena