Mission and History

Mission:

FIERCE is a membership-based organization building the leadership and power of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color in New York City. We develop politically conscious leaders who are invested in improving ourselves and our communities through youth-led campaigns, leadership development programs, and cultural expression through arts and media. FIERCE is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of social justice movement leaders who are dedicated to ending all forms of oppression.

History:

Fabulous Independent Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment (FIERCE) was founded in 2000 by group of primarily LGBTQ youth of color. FIERCE was founded on the principle that LGBTQ youth must realize and manifest our own social and political power to change our conditions, to shape our futures, and to become effective agents of change in our communities. While many organizations provide opportunities for LGBTQ youth to access services, none serve as a city-wide avenue for LGBTQ youth to direct our own social change agendas. FIERCE continues to serve as one of the nation’s few whose mission is to engage LGBTQ youth of color in community organizing.