Boston’s Hispanic Black Gay Coalition Welcomes New Youth Leader to its Team

The Boston-based Hispanic Black Gay Coalition has a new leader on its team.

In a recent posting on the HBGC’s community blog, the organization welcomed Bryce J. Celotto, an accomplished 23-year-old student activist, and announced his role in the organization:

“Bryce Celotto will join our team as program manager for HBGC’s New Leaders Institute. The New Leaders Institute is a leadership development program that equips LGBTQ youth of color with new skills to create social change in their communities. In addition to managing the New Leaders Institute, Bryce will also work with youth organizers to plan HBGC’s annual LGBTQ Youth Empowerment Conference.”

HBGC’s community blog goes on to introduce the program’s young new leader:

“Bryce J. Celotto is a 23-year old queer identified, transmasculine person of color and full-time student at the University of Massachusetts Boston-Honors College studying History and Public Policy & Philosophy. Prior to joining the Hispanic Black Gay Coalition, he graduated with honors with his Associates Degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences from Holyoke Community College in Western Massachusetts.

In his previous professional experiences Bryce has worked at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (among other organizations) to create programming for youth from various backgrounds and communities, help facilitate public policy solutions and build power amongst LGBTQ and youth of color communities.

He is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina and when he isn’t working he enjoys cooking, picking out new fabulous bow-ties, slam poetry and reading.”

Celotto tells Boston Spirit magazine that he’s “most excited about working with local LGBTQ youth of color to build their leadership abilities, and expand the capacity of the New Leaders Program.” He says he’s “also looking forward to leading organizing efforts around the fifth annual HBGC Youth Empowerment Conference, which will take place in September.” His goal for the conference, he says, “is to bring in more young people than ever, and bring in new organizations to present and have a presence at the conference.”

HBGC also recognizes the hardworking efforts of its previous New Leaders program manager, Ricky Granderson, who’s leaving the team to pursue a masters degree in public health.

The mission of HBGC is to inspire and empower Hispanic, Latin and Black LGBT individuals through activism, education, outreach and counseling. For more about the organization, its New Leaders Institute and The Youth Empowerment Conference, visit www.hbgc-boston.org or contact Celotto directly at  bcelotto@hbgc-boston.org.