Welcome back to the Own it All podcast! On this week's episode, I'm sharing my conversation with Kurtlan Massarsky. Kurtlan has worked with the Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (aka BAGLY) for 8 years as director of development and marketing. He's an advocate for animal rescue organizations, and heartily recommends fantasy and urban fantasy fiction.

Kurtlan and I spoke during June of 2019, aka Pride Month, so we talked a lot about his work with BAGLY, the challenges that queer youth face, and how to engage in meaningful allyship. Last June feels like a long time ago — to be honest, last week feels like a long time ago — but my conversation with Kurtlan is more relevant than ever. Times of uncertainty and upheaval are especially dangerous for marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ youth, but small contributions can have massive benefits.

"You can never underestimate the power of caring, and putting your money where your mouth is. A lot of these young people have been told in so many different ways that their effort is minimal because of their age, or that they can't do something because of their gender expression or identity. When they realize that there are literally hundreds if not thousands of people who are willing to take a little money out of their paycheck to support their work or to support their getting therapy, that makes a real difference to them."

Kurtlan, I can't thank you enough for coming onto the show and helping us all to strike the tricky balance between feeling bothered by what we see in the world and feeling hopeful. Thank you as well to everyone out there listening, reviewing, and sharing the show. If you'd like to learn more or contribute to BAGLY, I urge you to visit their website. Thank you again, and see you next week!