This past weekend, Youth Radio was front and center for Oakland’s 6th annual Pride celebration. Youth Radio and outLoud Reporter Rafael Johns played a key role as Youth Grand Marshall for the parade.
He was honored for the work he’s done in media and in the community to advance dialogue around LGBTQ issues.
Rafael has helped to bring attention to civil rights impacting LGBTQ youth in the East Bay, raise awareness among other queer youth and empower his peers to tell their stories.
Check out a few of Rafael’s stories below:
Superhero Set Aims To Rewrite Comic Lack Of Diversity
I’m queer, and black, and a big nerd, and I’ve always liked comic books. But it’s been hard to find characters who look and act like me, who aren’t offensive stereotypes, or worse, boring.
As a member of the Gay Straight Alliance, our group went from class to class sharing our stories and increasing people’s awareness of LGBT issues. But the first time I got in front of a class, I froze.
Teens Try The Pill That Blocks HIV Infection
It’s enticing to imagine a magic pill that could bring about the end of AIDS. But a recent study of young people taking PrEP shows that they take it, at best, 60% of the time. And when you miss doses, the pill becomes less effective.