While end-of-season barbeques are ubiquitous this time of year, three local LGBTs will send off summer alongside a very special party host.
Vice President Joe Biden will host a barbeque reception for young LGBT leaders Sept. 19 at the White House, and locals Anna Aagenes, Joshua Myers and J. Rudy Flesher made it to the guest list.
All three are current or previous fellows at the Center for Progressive Leadership, whose state program director, Paula Umana, nominated them for participation in the event.
“One of the finest opportunities that my position presents is to share with the world the passion that amazing leaders bring about making political and policy change in the state, and connect them to broader networks with the hope to increase the impact of their work plans,” Umana said.
While Myers, chairman of the Riverton Democrats for New Jersey’s Burlington County Democratic Committee and manager of development and information technology at Project H.O.P.E. Inc., knew about the nomination, the email invite caught him off-guard.
“We talked about it and I was definitely interested, but it eventually went out of my mind, and then I get an email from Joe Biden,” he said. “It was a little shocking.”
The event will mark the first time at the White House for Flesher, a writer, officer of Spruce Foundation’s new LGBT program and a board member at William Way LGBT Community Center.
“I was really excited when I found out, especially when I heard that my fellow CPL alums will be with me; that reflects really well on the training we got through the program,” said Flesher, who turns 28 days before the party. “And I’m very excited to meet Vice President Biden, especially with the fact that I think his unexpectedly timed announcement on marriage equality moved President Obama forward on that issue.”
Aagenes, 24, has been to the White House for group trips but never as an invited guest.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researcher and executive director of GO! Athletes said that, as a “diehard Philadelphian,” she’s eager to share the city’s progress with the other attendees and also bring back ideas from her fellow invitees.
“It’s going to be exciting meeting Vice President Biden and connecting with other people who are active in their communities to talk about their experiences,” she said. “Right now, I’m helping relaunch GO! Athletes, which is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering and educating young LGBT athletes, so I’m excited to talk with people there about the work we’re going to be doing on a national level. I want to share all the changes going on in Philadelphia, like the fact that we’re going to be electing our first openly gay state legislator, and also hear about what people in other areas of the country have been able to accomplish in politics.”
Myers also plans to network with fellow guests involved with topics important to him.
In particular, he hopes to address the epidemic of LGBT youth homelessness, an issue he deals with frequently at Project H.O.P.E., a federally qualified health center that focuses on homeless outreach.
“It’s estimated that 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT. I’m anxious to hear the options and strategies that are being used to empower a really dangerously fast-growing segment of the LGBT community,” Myers said. “I want to see who’s out there in this emerging generation of LGBT leaders and share best practices with other people who I’m sure will have some great ideas.”
Flesher’s main cause will be LGBT youth bullying.
“One of the things I will focus on will be bullying and how we can work to create safe schools and safe spaces for our youth,” he said. “As part of CPL, we had to do a messaging project, and mine was on connecting people to work on legislation languishing in Congress — the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act. Between that and my work with the Spruce Foundation, I hope to bring back some great resources for LGBTQ youth.”
Umana said the honor of attending is equally deserved by all three participants.
“The investment they put into their leadership development, interest to advocate for more adequate representation in elected office, LGBT athletics inclusion and diversity, antidiscrimination, antibullying, marriage and employment-rights equality constantly inspire our community,” she said.
Myers, Aagenes and Flesher will be among the guests of honor at CPL’s annual Celebratory Event from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at the Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square. Former Gov. Ed Rendell will serve as keynote speaker.
For more information, see www.progressiveleaders.org/event/pennsylvania_philly.html.