Young people undeniably shape tomorrow — a truth embraced by a coalition of queer South Florida organizations, which has come together under SAVE LGBTQ to launch a forward-looking initiative: SAVE Generations.

Safeguarding American Values for Everyone — better known as SAVE LGBTQ — is South Florida’s longest-serving LGBTQ nonprofit, shielding the community from discrimination through grassroots political advocacy, community outreach, candidate endorsements, and more.

SAVE Generations seeks to link past, present, and future queer leaders, providing clear pathways for collaboration between young people and local nonprofits and advocacy organizations. Its goal is to amplify voices of every generation — whether you’re a rising changemaker or a seasoned advocate — and spark the next wave of LGBTQ activism.

In an interview with Marina Braynon-Moore, SAVE LGBTQ’s Advocacy & Outreach Manager, she shared that the concept originated inside the organization.

“The idea for SAVE Generations grew from a shared desire among Christoph Babka, the Director of Development at SAVE, and myself as Advocacy and Outreach Manager, to create a space where younger, emerging LGBTQ+ voices — particularly those in their 20s to 40s — could get involved more easily and contribute to the movement,” said Braynon-Moore.

During outreach tabling events at campuses across South Florida, SAVE recognized a gap: students wanted to engage but didn’t know where to start.

“SAVE does a lot of tabling around South Florida universities and colleges, and younger people do want to get involved and know more — but they aren’t always sure where they can plug in,” said Braynon-Moore. “Generations engages the younger population in and around [South Florida] to connect with local LGBTQ+ actions while also uplifting organizations that are already doing great work.”

Braynon-Moore pointed out that “collaborative energy” and “generational exchange” are key factors in sustaining advocacy work, and believes that SAVE Generations can bridge the gap in achieving that through the 15 organizations involved in the initiative.

SAVE Generations currently consists of 15 partner organizations: AIDS Healthcare Foundation, The Alliance for LGBTQ Youth, BLINC, Doll LinkUp, House of Trouble, The Greater Miami LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, OUTLaw, Pridelines, PRISM, Safe Schools South Florida, SAVE LGBTQ, SMASH, TransEd, TransSOCIAL, and The YES Institute.

To kick things off, the collective held a launch party on May 8 at R House Wynwood, treating guests to a complimentary welcome drink and 10% off dinner and additional beverages. More than 50 people turned out for the celebration.

When asked how the launch party went, Braynon-Moore said, “Amazing.”

“Bringing together so many partners and young leaders under one roof and allowing them to network in a non-traditional setting — R House in Wynwood — was exactly what we were hoping for,” said Braynon-Moore. “Orgs being able to share their individual missions … outlined the collective vision for what SAVE Generations can achieve.”

Braynon-Moore went on to share that she expects, “We’ll run into coordinating efforts among a diverse group of partners with varying missions and capacities.” There are plans behind the scenes to host a Leadership Council Meeting to establish the best way to communicate and ensure “that every organization receives fair and equitable representation in our event schedule and features.”

SAVE Generations marks an important step toward drawing LGBTQ youth into the advocacy arena, but real progress depends on the community stepping up. If you’re a college student or a young adult in your 20s to 40s, the program can link you with nonprofits and advocacy groups so you can play an active role in driving change. Seasoned queer leaders will also find opportunities to network with emerging activists and partner organizations through SAVE Generations. 

“It’s inspiring to see so many organizations unite around a shared goal of nurturing new leaders while uplifting their own programs,” said Braynon-Moore. “There’s real potential here. It feels exciting, hopeful, and necessary.”

Together, the community can amplify its collective power and create lasting impact.

Sign up for the SAVE Generations Contact Form here.