NWA nonprofit asks for help to continue supporting LBTQIA+ youth

ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A local organization that supports LGBTQIA+ youth is facing an uncertain future and asks for help to keep its doors open.

In 2021, The Equality Crew was established, serving as a place for LGBTQIA+ children to find support and community.

Michael Bennett-Spears, program director at The Equality Crew, says he found inspiration for the organization through his own experiences.

“I was always the kid that was ‘different’ kind of thing. I dealt with a lot of bullying before I even realized myself that this thing that makes me different is actually that I’m gay,” said Bennett-Spears.

The non-profit provides local K-12 students with things like support groups, camp opportunities, and even events like an inclusive prom. Bennett-Spears says creating a place where the children can feel comfortable to be themselves is the primary mission.

“Access to those safe spaces and access to affirming adults that kind of prove them and love them as they are dramatically increases their chance of a better mental health situation,” said Bennett-Spears.

One volunteer with the organization, Anh Đào Kolbe says when they heard about The Equality Crew, their personal experiences inspired them to get involved as well.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t have any mentors to look up to. And I know that if I had, life probably wouldn’t have been as challenging, like dealing with bullying, dealing with just feeling like an outsider,” said Kolbe.

Kolbe also says that not having a place to feel safe can be detrimental to the mental health of young LGBTQIA+ children.

“Isolation is, I would say, a silent killer. I mean, isolation causes anxiety, causes depression. And if you don’t have a support system that is able to raise you up and tell you that you’re enough, you start to feed into those negative messages, especially since this generation is very much attached to their phones, attached to YouTube, attached to their video games,” said Kolbe.

Through working with the organization since 2022, Kolbe says it has witnessed first-hand the benefits it has on participants.

“When you show up, you see them just light up. They just light up and it’s just a beautiful thing as a mentor because like I said, when I was growing up, I didn’t have any mentors to look up to,” said Kolbe.

Now, amid high operating costs, an inconsistent team of board members, and the current political climate, The Equality Crew says it is facing an uncertain future and is calling on the community for help.

“We’re going to admit we’re struggling, but we also know that our work is valued and loved and important. And we have faith that together we can figure out a way forward,” said Bennett-Spears. “We also need more people on our board. We need more volunteers. And I think that right now that would be the best way the communities could support.”

According to The Equality Crew, about $15,000 is needed to keep its doors open right now. However, its annual costs of operation amount to nearly $150,000.

The Equality Crew will hold a “town hall” meeting on August 7 with hopes of gathering insight on how to move forward. The public is invited to attend to discuss the challenges and possible solutions.

Bennett-Spears says even if the organization ceases to exist, he will still find a way to make sure that LGBTQIA+ youth in Northwest Arkansas have access to resources.

“The minute that I had the meeting with the board and we kind of realized that, oh, we are at this kind of critical juncture that determines, there’s two paths forward,” said Bennett-Spears. “One path includes us as an organization. One does not. I immediately started having meetings with other organizations and other resource providers in Northwest Arkansas to say, ‘Hey, here’s what we offer. What pieces can we hand to you? How can we make sure that there’s still this prom? How can we make sure that these families still have access to these support groups? How do we make sure the affirming therapist database continues to be available?’ Because at the end of the day, our dedication is making sure it’s still available to everybody,”

For more information, visit The Equality Crew website .

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