Members of YES Institute’s Youth Advisory Leadership Council (YALC) participated in a workshop on “Disability and Queer Communities in North Macedonia” led by Angel Dimitrievski, a Community Solutions Program Fellow with the International Research Exchange (IREX). 

Angel shared his personal experience with chronic illness, the institutional and social barriers he faced being diagnosed with epilepsy in North Macedonia, and how living with this for over 20 years inspired him to be vocal and advocate for the disabled community. He also spoke on the intersectionality of the queer and disability communities providing insight into how these groups could best support each other and be in alliance with one another, to create inclusive communities.  

YALC members were able to share their own personal experiences with visible and invisible disabilities and provide examples of how discrimination takes place in their own lives. Some of the members opened up about their friends and family who navigate school and home life with varying degrees of challenges and accommodations. YALC members provided strategies and ways to include their peers of various abilities to feel more accepted.  

YES Institute welcomes all youth from various abilities and backgrounds, and is present to those youth where there are intersections between health and orientation. This conversation was incredibly impactful and allowed for the youth to explore what allyship can look like with marginalized groups. These youth leaders gained valuable experiences to leverage the power in their speaking and use their voice as a tool to empower others. 

You can learn more about the Youth Advisory Leadership Council here.

“This program was made possible by a grant from The Floatarama LGBTQ Youth Fund at Our Fund Foundation, an LGBTQ Community Foundation.”