Ruth Ellis Center

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Upcoming Event

Stride for Pride 2025

Across the country, LGBTQ+ young people — especially our trans youth — are under attack. The very resources that protect their lives, their identities, and their futures are being stripped away.

At Ruth Ellis Center, we won’t back down.

Every mile walked, dollar earned, and team built fuels our mission this Stride for Pride season. Our life-changing support, compassionate care, and empowering opportunities make a real difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness and instability.

This is the moment: our chance to see the transformative power of community and serve the LGBTQ+ youth in need

Join our movement to support life-saving services, gender-affirming care, and welcoming spaces for our next generation

Whether you’re striding solo or rallying your crew, your support makes an impact.

1.  Start or join a team — Rally your crew and walk with purpose.
2.  Make a donation — Every gift brings us closer to safety and care for our youth.
3.  Spread the word — Share the mission. Amplify the movement.

Thank you for believing in our youth and building a future with them.

With gratitude and pride,

The Ruth Ellis Center Team

Upcoming Event

June’s Reading Room Selection: All Boys Aren't Blue

In a series of personal essays, a prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys. Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults. All Boys Aren’t Blue is his debut. 

Join I’sha and Krystina for a spell in The Reading Room, one of our favorite segments of the Voices of REC podcast, as they dive into this gripping novel! Be part of the conversation—share your thoughts, insights, and favorite moments with our community.

📖 Want to join the discussion? Tune into our upcoming podcast episode, follow along on social media, and let us know what you think using #TheReadingRoomREC!

Learn more about the author [here]!

Bringing our vision to the world.

Fundraising, volunteerism, and special events are not just platforms for sharing our mission, vision, and principles. They are opportunities for personal growth, learning, and making a difference.

It is our way of engaging with young people and providing a feeling of community in a range of uplifting and forward-thinking ways.

Each touchpoint also offers the opportunity to educate and spread awareness among existing and future supporters and extend our reach in local areas and beyond.

Ruth Ellis Center events range in subject matter and scale. We are always looking for new collaborators and volunteers. Contact us today if you want to get involved, sponsor an event, or hear more about the Center.

Get Involved

Fundraise

Help us reach our financial goals through collaborative fundraising efforts.

Volunteer

Become a volunteer at one of our upcoming events.

Sponsor

Support REC by sponsoring an event, from an individual or group level.

Our Podcast

Exploring current topics through the voices of those continuing Ruth Ellis’ legacy.

When people craved connection most during the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched the VOICES of Ruth Ellis Center podcast as a small but mighty way to stay in touch with our local, national, and global communities.

VOICES of Ruth Ellis Center looks at current issues through a new lens: candid interviews with REC staff, youth, community partners, funders, and thought leaders nationwide.

Catch the latest VOICES of Ruth Ellis Center on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Breaker, Overcast, RadioPublic, or Pocket Casts.

Listen Now

When it comes to LGBTQIA+ community some relationships are more “accepted” than not. This episode we cover Lesbian love and how it is received differently from the rest of the community.

February 2025

Happy New Year! This episode we discuss queer in education with our producer, Patrick, who not only produces our podcast but teaches too!

January 2025

Our Director of Development & Advancement Nazarina Mwakasege is BACK honey! This bonus episode discusses DEI through a global manufacturing lens with Global Director of Diversity & Inclusion Lamar Thomas of MAGNA International.

December 2024