LGBTQ Connection | Napa & Sonoma Counties

Legacy of Belonging

Founded in 2011 as a grassroots initiative of On The Move, LGBTQ Connection has grown into a regional movement led by and for LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and elders.Aligned with On The Move’s mission to develop leaders and strengthen communities, we center cultural resilience, collective healing, and youth-driven leadership.

Guided by Indigenous values and the wisdom of those who came before us, we create spaces where healing happens, leadership grows, belonging is felt and futures are reimagined. We honor our ancestors' resilience, empower today's leaders, and build a future where everyone belongs.

The Challenge: Belonging Under Threat

Across the country—and here in our own communities—LGBTQ+ youth, especially transgender and nonbinary young people, are facing escalating threats to their safety, dignity, and well-being.

Today, 39% of LGBTQ+ youth report seriously considering suicide, and 41% of trans and nonbinary youth say they feel unsafe in schools and public spaces. Rural LGBTQ+ youth, like those growing up in Napa and Sonoma Counties, often face these struggles with even fewer resources or affirming spaces. 

These aren’t just statistics. They reflect the lives and futures of our young people, our families, and our neighbors—and the heart of our community. At LGBTQ Connection, we meet this urgent moment by creating spaces of healing, leadership, and belonging, where LGBTQ+ people of all generations can thrive

Proof of Possibility

In 2023-24:

• 645 LGBTQ+ youth experienced significantly reduced isolation and increased peer connectedness, factors that strongly influence depression, anxiety and suicidality, through peer support groups and mentoring.
• (95% of the) 649 youth-serving professionals and community leaders from Napa and Sonoma Counties increased their skills and abilities to meet the unique needs of LGBTQ+ youth through LGBTQ Connection’s proven Best Practices Training.

Creating Spaces of Healing, Leadership, and Liberation

At LGBTQ Connection, we create spaces where LGBTQ+ youth, adults, families, and elders can heal, lead, and thrive. Our programs are woven together by a belief in belonging across generations—and the power of community to transform lives.

• Youth Leadership & Peer Support – Preparing the next generation to lead with courage and authenticity.
• Community-Based Mental Health & Well-Being – Healing through peer-led support, storytelling, and culturally affirming care.
• LGBTQ+ Family & Parent Engagement – Equipping caregivers, especially in Latinx & Indigenous communities, with the tools to affirm their LGBTQ+ loved ones.
• Elder Connection & Intergenerational Belonging – Ensuring that LGBTQ+ elders have spaces to be honored, share their stories, and guide the next generation.
• Advocacy & Systems Change – Partnering with schools, healthcare, and policymakers to create lasting change in rural communities.
• QTBIPOC Art Council - A community organizing initiative dedicated to uplifting QTBIPOC artists and community members by decolonizing programming and evaluation practices in community service work.

The Future We’re Building, Together

LGBTQ Connection is more than a program—it is a continuation of our ancestors’ fight for dignity, belonging, and liberation.

The future we are building together:

• Expand LGBTQ+ youth leadership in rural schools.
• Grow bilingual family engagement and culturally rooted support.
• Elevate LGBTQ+ elder visibility and intergenerational storytelling.
• Deepen Indigenous and cultural healing practices.
• Strengthen funding stability to sustain and grow our impact.

When you give, advocate, and lead with us, you help make this future possible.