The Health Collective in Hartford, CT, offers competent and professional mental health help for the LGBTQIA+ community. Click here to learn more!
What's Inside! Our New Team Members • Event Recaps • News & Happenings In Our Community
June 20th, 2024 (Hartford, CT) - The Health Collective is excited to host the 30th annual Queer Prom, held at the Bond Ballroom in Hartford, CT on June 28th, from 7pm-10pm. This event is for LGBTQIA+ high school juniors and seniors in Connecticut to celebrate a universal milestone in a safe, affirming and fun way. In keeping with the theme of ‘Starry Night’, students will dance the night away beneath the stars in the Grand Ballroom, overlooking the cityscape and beautiful Bushnell Memorial Park. Angel Rivers, one of Hartford’s favorite drag queens and a frequent collaborator of the Health Collective, alongside DJ Reefa, another Hartford native and queer community staple, will ensure students have a great time throughout the night. The prom will also feature performances from talented CT drag queens Dro-Lopez Fierce and Dolling!” Students will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and refreshments throughout the evening, with space to mix and mingle, take photos, and even have their tarot cards read if they choose. Q-Plus, a grassroots organization for queer youth, will also join us by providing a safe and supportive space in the form of a Sensory Room, with tools to help youth self-regulate and decompress while at the prom. Additionally, students have a chance to win two tickets each to see ‘The Prom’, a hilarious and heartfelt musical comedy performed by West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park. “The Health Collective is proud to offer our Queer Prom as a means to affirm, empower, and heal queer youth within Connecticut,” says David Grant, Executive Director of the Health Collective. “This experience provides a safe space free of the cisgender and heteronormative barriers which often deter LGBTQIA+ students from attending those within their own schools.” Mayor Arunan Arulampalam also acknowledged the significance of the event. “As a City, Hartford is committed to continuing the work necessary to ensure we are an inclusive City,” said Mayor Arulampalam. “It’s crucial that all of our residents feel safe, feel like they belong, and grow up feeling embraced by our community and those around them.” In addition to Health Collective staff, this event is also being supported and chaperoned by a range of dedicated volunteers, including members from Empower, Our Piece of the Pie and Liberty Bank. The Health Collective, founded in 1983, provides medical and dental services alongside support groups and health education tailored to the LGBTQIA+ community. The Health Collective also advocates for LGBTQIA+ issues through a wide range of community outreach initiatives. For more information about the Health Collective’s services and ongoing programming, please visit www.linktr.ee/thehealthcollectivect.
In a unanimous vote, the True Colors Conference Relaunch Committee (TCCRC) has decided to officially integrate the conference into the Health Collective, establishing it as a core program of the organization. This strategic merger signifies a landmark development in LGBTQIA+ advocacy, youth support services, and education within the region. Founded in 1983, the Health Collective stands as one of Connecticut’s oldest LGBTQIA+ healthcare organizations. It has played a pivotal role since its inception, being the first organization to provide dental care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and among the first in the state to offer HIV testing during the peak of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. David Grant, Executive Director of the Health Collective, expressed gratitude to Robin McHaelen and the planning committee for entrusting them with this significant event. He emphasized the commitment of his team to delivering innovative and life-saving programming, ensuring that next year's conference embodies queer joy and excellence in Connecticut, while also nurturing the next generation of LGBTQ leaders and their allies. Grant stated, “I am deeply grateful to Robin McHaelen, and the planning committee, for trusting us with this incredibly important event. My team and I are committed to meeting people where they are to deliver innovative and lifesaving programming. Next year’s conference will be the epitome of queer joy and excellence in Connecticut helping to prepare the next generation of LGBT leaders and their allies.” Robin McHaelen, retired Executive Director of True Colors, Inc., and current conference consultant, emphasized the significance of the decision. She recalled the conference's origins as 'Children from the Shadows' in 1994 and its evolution into the True Colors Conference. McHaelen highlighted the importance of continuing the conference amidst the challenges posed by anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed or passed in the last year. She stated, “Before COVID pulled the plug on in-person events, we hosted a total of 26 annual conferences and were the largest LGBTQ+ youth conference in the country with over 3,000 participants each year. When I retired, COVID ended and True Colors closed, the conference as it had been envisioned ended too. But with over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed or passed in the last year, it has become clear that we need the conference now more than ever!” "Health Care Advocates International is honored to be the "Empowered by" sponsor for the return of the country's largest LGBTQ youth conference. The choice to sponsor an event like this is an easy one when goals and mission align; both HCAI and the Health Collective are determined in ending HIV stigma and discrimination and we are dedicated to providing genderaffirming care for all," said Pattie McKnight, HCAI Executive Director. "We applaud Robin and the team for their commitment to bringing back this prominent event to the state of Connecticut". McKnight added, "The True Colors Conference has provided such a transformative experience for many over the years, we see it as our responsibility to continue this necessary work. This event truly makes an impact in the lives of so many, we can only hope to continue to provide a safe space for adolescents to connect, grow and learn for many years to come." The True Colors Conference has been a beacon of hope and empowerment for LGBTQIA+ youth since its launch in 1994. As it transitions to become a program of the Health Collective, the conference is poised to expand its reach and impact leveraging the infrastructure and network of the nearly 41-year-old health and wellness institution. The official relaunch of True Color’s SOGIEcon will take place the weekend of Friday, March 21st, 2025, at the University of Connecticut, Storrs campus. SOGIE is an acronym that stands for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression. For more information, volunteer and vendor opportunities, or to sponsor the conference, please visit www.HealthCollective.org.
April 8th, 2024 (Hartford, CT) - The Health Collective, in collaboration with the New Haven Pride Center (NHPC) and the Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Chamber Foundation (CTGLC Foundation), launched a scholarship program for LGBTQIA+ high school seniors transitioning into a post-secondary education program after they graduate. This financial award recognizes outstanding future leaders with monetary scholarships being granted to students in each of our state's five congressional districts. “These scholarships are pivotal investments in a future that values resilience, liberation, and the empowerment of LGBTQIA+ youth to become inclusive leaders through the transformative power of education,” said Juancarlos Soto, Executive Director of the New Haven Pride Center. “They are a testament to our collective dedication to creating a world where every young person can achieve their dreams and contribute to a more equitable and compassionate society, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” Interested high school seniors can apply here. The deadline to apply is June 20th with awards being disbursed after July 1st. Students who apply must be transitioning into higher education or vocational training. The Health Collective strives to provide all students with the opportunity to apply without any restrictions of their zip code. “The CTGLC Foundation is committed to enriching the lives of LGBTQIA+ youth by imparting knowledge and helping others in achieving their goals,” said John Pica-Sneeden, Executive Director of the Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Chamber. “We aim to empower today's youth, offering support that enables them to reach their own versions of success and fulfillment.” If students need assistance with the application they are encouraged to contact the Health Collective's Director of Community Engagement, Kay Muñoz, by emailing kaym@healthcollective.org. Information on the scholarship program has been sent to superintendents, principals, libraries, and town youth services across Connecticut. Winners will be showcased at the Health Collective's Queer Prom currently slated for June 28th at the Bond Ballroom in Hartford, CT. "We are proud to celebrate these young leaders and look forward to working with all LGBTQIA+ students in our state to create stronger, more empathetic communities," said Health Collective Executive Director, David Grant. “Our partnerships with the New Haven Pride Center and the CTGLC Foundation, significantly enhances our ability to achieve this critical mission. I am also grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside my peers to strengthen the next generation of advocates.”
Manchester, CT (February 16, 2024) A group of committed volunteers has announced the re-establishment of the True Colors Conference, a national event focusing on LGBTQ+ youth issues. The perennial favorite of LGBTQ+/Ally youth as well as youth-serving professionals has been on hiatus since COVID struck, but will return in March 2025 to the University of Connecticut (UCONN) in Storrs, CT. In 1994, True Colors, Inc. first presented their landmark conference. By 2020, the transformative two-day event became the world’s largest LGBTQIA+ youth conference, drawing more than 3,000 high school and college students, educators, clinicians, and family members from Connecticut and 18 other states. Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference took a hiatus and the organization subsequently dissolved. “Today, many Connecticut organizations have stepped up to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ youth and they’re doing a great job”, McHaelen says the retired True Colors Inc, executive director. “But people continued to tell me how important the conference was and how its absence is affecting kids, because nothing comparable has emerged (since the closing of True Colors). Everyone kept asking ‘how can we fill that gap?’. That question was literally taking over my dreams! After a recent social media poll, it was clear that there was an appetite to bring the conference back.” Zoe Donnellycolt, a recent MSW graduate from the UCONN School of Social Work, said, “ I grew up going to True Colors with my parents. I remember thinking that the conference was a truly unique opportunity for teenagers in Connecticut… (and) how lucky I was to be able to attend it. With all the fear I felt growing up, celebrating and dancing were unique moments of relief. My memory of the joy, pride, and empowerment I witnessed and experienced at True Colors was an anchor of hope for my future…” Longtime conference volunteer Matthew Wallace agrees. “The TC Conference is needed now more than ever. With hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives across the country - including Connecticut - LGBTQ+ youth are under attack. The steady stream of vitriol toward transgender and non-binary youth in particular is taking a terrible toll on them and their families. They need a safe space where they can connect, create community, learn from local and national experts – particularly experts with lived experience. McHaelen added, “We’re honored that The Health Collective has agreed to serve as our fiduciary, allowing us to raise the funds we need to run the conference in 2025 - and rebuild the infrastructure to ensure that it will keep going.” David Grant, Executive Director of the Health Collective, mirrored this sentiment. “Throughout the Health Collective’s history, we have witnessed the profound impact that the True Colors Conference has had on the LGBTQIA+ community,” Grant said. “It is an honor to recommit the Health Collective to this cause, particularly at a time when loneliness is becoming an epidemic in America. I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Robin McHaelen and the conference relaunch committee for allowing us to be a part of this journey.” Veteran volunteer Barbara Curry, noted, “It takes an army of volunteers to make this conference a success. We’re forming teams now to handle all aspects of organizing - operational, marketing, fundraising, inclusivity and workshop selections.” Interested volunteers can get more information and/or sign onto the email list at www.RobinMcHaelen.com
