Vision
BreakOUT! envisions a city where transgender, gender non-conforming, and queer youth of color can live without fear of harassment and discrimination.
Mission
BreakOUT! seeks to end the criminalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth to build a safer and more just New Orleans.
We build on the rich cultural tradition of resistance in the South to build the power of LGBTQ youth ages 13-25 and directly impacted by the criminal justice system through youth organizing, healing justice, and leadership development programs.
BreakOUT!
2018
Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
Hosted the 2018 annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, Resilience, and Resistance in New Orleans, with a press conference, and event at Congo Square, premiering new artwork created in partnership with Forward Together and the phenomenal artistry of Preach to honor lift up the over 22 transgender people murdered in the U.S. this year and demand…
Launched Building Our Analysis Institute
2.0 of our Build Our Power/Construyendo Nuestro Instituto de Poder Institute. building our analysis on the prison industrial complex, the history of prison abolition, advanced facilitation, delivering and receiving critical feedback and reflection, media messaging and intro to communications.
#MyQTPOCPride
#MyQTPOCPride a bilingual, intergenerational, panel discussion with the legendary MAMA MAJOR (Miss Major Griffin-Gracy) along with Wendi Moore-O’Neal, Sy’ria Jackson, and BreakOUT! members. Remembering our past to shape our future and celebrating our legacy of Black and Brown LGBTQ movements then and now.
BreakOUT! names new interim director
BreakOUT! is excited to announce that Collette Carter will be joining us as our Interim Director. Collette brings over 20 years of experience in organizing and movement building, leadership development, nonprofit management, and the healing power of the Theatre.
2017
BreakOUT!’s founding director bids farewell
“Growing an organization, like all of our work in this movement, is a labor of love.” Wes Ware the Founding Director at BreakOUT! transitioned out of his staff role as part of a long-term leadership transition plan. Celebrating 6 years of growth and a transition for BreakOUT! into new leadership.
Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
Hosted the 2017 annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, Resilience, and Resistance in New Orleans called #GiveUsOurRoses, with a press conference, and event at Congo Square and direct action street theater in the French Quarter to lift up the over 22 transgender people murdered in the U.S. this year and demand jobs, housing, and education.
BreakOUT! moves to our new location
Before the close of 2017 we relocated to our new location at 4327 Canal St! Our new space includes a meeting room, class room, and a healing room.
Launched Construyendo Nuestro Instituto de Poder
A Spanish language version of our Building Our Power Institute – 12-week long, paid youth organizing and leadership development cohort for Queer and Transgender youth in New Orleans. Covering topics like “Movement Building and the Role of an Organizer”, “Intro to Organizing Campaigns”, “Intro to Base building, Fundraising”, and ” Building self-image and self esteem”.
Launched the Trans Defense Fund
Defended trans youth in the wake of the 2016 presidential election results, launching the Trans Defense Fund, hosting a Defend Trans Youth Legal Clinic, and providing legal name changes and other legal assistance for 20 transgender youth of color in New Orleans.
2016
Undocumented Trans Latinx youth in New Orleans
Built a base of undocumented transgender latinx youth in New Orleans through our Vice to ICE Campaign and began conducting bilingual General Member Meetings with simultaneous interpretation.
Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance
Hosted the 2016 annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, Resilience, and Resistance in New Orleans called #GiveUsOurRoses, with a press conference, followed by an event at Congo Square and direct action street theater in the French Quarter to lift up the over 25 transgender people murdered in the U.S. this year and demand jobs, housing, education,…
Street Safety work
Beefed up our Street Safety work in response to the police murder of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, LA, as well as the over 1,100 NOPD officers, 170 State Troopers, 100 FBI Agents, ATF, ICE, French Quarter Private Patrol & dozens of police from other parishes who descended on New Orleans for Mardi Gras in…
Get #PoliceOutOfPride
Responded to get #PoliceOutOfPolice in response to the hyper policed and militarized Pride celebrations happening locally and across the country (and as a result, had our 2016 New Orleans Pride Grand Marshal title rescinded).
Built Deeper Connections with our Elders <3
Built deeper connections with transgender elders at the Transgender, Gender-Variant, Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) in Oakland, CA, including hosting Miss Major Griffin-Gracy at BreakOUT!, and began more intentional and reflective organizational development work to prepare us for the next 4 years!
Launched Training & Technical Assistance Program
Employed 3 youth members to conduct trainings for over 100 healthcare providers on the needs of LGBTQ youth in New Orleans, thanks to a partnership with the New Orleans of Public Health STD/HIV Prevention Office.
Launched New Orleans GSA Network, powered by BreakOUT!
Officially launched the New Orleans GSA Network, powered by BreakOUT! to begin building a base of LGBTQ youth in New Orleans high schools!
2015
First Trans March of Resilience
BreakOUT! hosts the first Trans March of Resilience and brought over 200 people to march and second line to City Hall to deliver a Platform for a Safer City to the Mayor, hosting a die-in on the steps of City Hall.
#MakePennyProud
Penny Proud is murdered in New Orleans, by the end of the year, at least 22 trans women of color were murdered. BreakOUT! launches #MakePennyProud & installs a billboard to lift up violence against the trans community
2014
“The T Word”
BreakOUT! is featured on MTV’S “The T Word” with Laverne Cox.
Ending Violence, Ending Criminalization
BreakOUT! hosted “Ending Violence, Ending Criminalization” regional training academy with the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs in New Orleans, LA and brought youth to present at over 5 conferences around the country from Detroit, MI to Dallas, TX.
Releases We Deserve Better Report
BreakOUT! releases We Deserve Better: A Report on Policing in New Orleans by and for Queer and Trans Youth of Color, the result of over a year’s worth of participatory action research with help from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.
2013
Say My Name Show
Develops and performed our own show as part of the Undesirable Elements project with Ping Chong + Company called “Say My Name”, performed in Jackson, MS and later in New York, Philadelphia, and New Orleans in 2014.
New Orleans Police Department Policy 402
On the 44th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, BreakOUT! secures the adoption of New Orleans Police Department Policy 402, prohibiting profiling on the basis of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.
Rally at NOPD Headquarters
BreakOUT! holds a rally at NOPD Headquarters and pulls together people from the Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association, Safe Streets Strong Communities, the Congress of Day Laborers, STAND With Dignity, Voice of the Ex-Offender, the Independent Police Monitor, and several other community members and organizations to deliver a statement to NOPD asking for a public…
School-to-Prison Action Camp
BreakOUT! members attend the School-to-Prison Action Camp, with local and national organizations dedicated to ending the rail to jail.
Hires First Two Youth Organizers
BreakOUT! hires its first two Youth Organizers through a partnership with Job1’s Workforce Development Program.
2012
BreakOUT! Receives Awards For Our Work
By December 2012, BreakOUT! receives the Out in the Silence Award for Youth Activism, the Justice for Youth Award from the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, the Hell Yes! Award from Resist Inc., and the Malala Youth Leadership Award from the Social Change Film Festival and Institute.
Delivers Proposed Policy to NOPD
BreakOUT! presents testimony in front of City Council’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee Meeting about experiences of LGBTQ youth and the NOPD and delivers a proposed policy, written by members themselves, to the NOPD. They get a public verbal commitment from the NOPD to meet prior to the adoption of any policies.
IGNITE Convening
BreakOUT! members attend the IGNITE Southern LGBTQ Youth of Color Convening in Atlanta, GA and the South Star Safe Schools Convening of the South.
Win!
BreakOUT! wins an unprecedented victory for LGBTQ youth when the DOJ releases a Consent Decree with the NOPD that includes BreakOUT!’s proposed language, among other things, prohibiting profiling on the basis of gender expression, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Second Annual Allied Media Conference
BreakOUT! attends their second annual Allied Media Conference in Detroit, MI.
Right to the City’s Urban Congress
BreakOUT! attends the Right to the City’s Urban Congress and participates in an action and rally outside of ICE and City Hall.
One-year Anniversary!
BreakOUT! celebrates its one-year anniversary!
We Deserve Better Video
BreakOUT! delivers its video, produced with FosterBear Films, “We Deserve Better” to the NOPD for use in officer trainings.
Vigil For Brenting & Githe
BreakOUT! remembers the lives of two community members lost to violence, Brenting and Githe, and holds a memorial vigil at Tulane and Broad.
2011
Members Attend IGNITE! LGBTQ Youth Media Camp
Two BreakOUT! members attend the LGBTQ youth of color IGNITE Media Camp, hosted by SPARK in Atlanta, GA.
BreakOUT!’s 1st Meeting w/ NOPD
BreakOUT! has its first meeting with the NOPD about adopting an LGBTQ policy.
BreakOUT! Holds 1st Storycircle
BreakOUT! holds our first Storycircle with allies at the Congress of Day Laborers. Through a translator, we discuss similarities and differences in our experiences of police profiling, access to jobs, and access to public space in our own City. Calling our partnership “From Vice to ICE,” over the next 2 years BreakOUT! attends a rally…
1st Allied Media Conference
Three BreakOUT! members attend the Allied Media Conference in Detroit, MI.
BreakOUT! Conducts It’s First Survey
BreakOUT! conducts its first survey and finds that 15 out of 15 young Black trans girls in New Orleans have been approached by an NOPD officer for sex.
BreakOUT! Youth Space Opens!
BreakOUT! opens its youth space and hosts an official Coming Out Party on May 17th, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. BreakOUT! is comprised of 6 Founding Members: Milan Nicole Sherry, Jonathan Willis, Lhundyn Palmer, Kenisha Harris, Amhari Alexander, De-De Jackson
Press Conference
BreakOUT! speaks at a press conference with the Center for Constitutional Rights and Women With a Vision about discriminatory and overly-punitive Crimes Against Nature laws.
1st Know Your Rights Training
A group of young people, mostly Black transgender young women, come together for the first Know Your Rights Training with the Independent Police Monitor at Women With a Vision.
2010
Meeting with Department of Justice
In late 2010, people from Women With a Vision, Brotherhood Inc., the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana’s LGBTQ Youth Project, and an unorganized group of LGBTQ young people come together with other community partners to meet with the Department of Justice, who is investigating the New Orleans Police Department. After discussing issues related to the…