In addition to being the PR Chair of GLSEN Chicago’s Youth committee this year, Aaron Bowen, 20, has been a founding member and present senior member of the Youth Leadership Council at the Center on Halsted. Aaron is also president of the Gay Poets Society and editor-in-chief of the youth newsletter at Chicago Gay Youth Center. He was a contributor and writer for New Expressions Magazine.
In 2002, Aaron was part of GLSEN National’s First Student Leadership Team as Midwest Regional Organizer, and in 2003 he become the midwest regional editor of their National Student Yearbook. He was founder and president of Kenwood Academy’s Gay-Straight Alliance, and during that time he led initiatives for other youth on how to start GSA’s in their respective schools.
Aaron is also a National Parity Alliance Fellow and plans to work here in Chicago on combating the spread of tobacco and the exploitation of GLBTQA youth by the tobacco industry. He helped plan the Chicago Department of Public Health’s GLBTQA youth health week, and spoke at the national conference in Chicago about targeted marketing and minority youth populations.
DID YOU KNOW? Among the interesting things about Aaron are that he was struck by lightning when he was 11, has traveled to almost 30 countries in 11 years, and that he interviewed Britney Spears back in 1999.