Joe Hollendoner, 23, (pictured right) is currently the Manager of Youth Services at the Howard Brown Health Center. His work there includes HIV and STD testing, organizing health education events and coordinating services and community outreach for GLBT youth. He is also active in creating safer schools through his work at Coalition for Education on Sexual Orientation (CESO) and as the Youth Involvement Committee Chair. In the past, Joe has conducted teacher training through GLSEN Chicago and organized 1,500 students from more than 80 school communities to participate in the Day of Silence.
As part of his work at the Howard Brown Health Center, Joe created monthly SYNERGY Dances at Ann Sather’s Restaurant, ‘a drug and drama-free’ event for GLBT youth and their straight friends. Currently, more than 300 youth come out every month for the SYNERGY Dance. One of the biggest issues facing the GLBT community is the lack of the creation of a broad-based movement which fights to end all ‘-isms,’ Joe said. His work to make schools a safer space is not just addressing queer youth, he said, but is aimed at all marginalized groups.
Joe graduated in May from the Jane Addams College of Social Work with a Masters degree in Community Organizing, Administration and Policy.