Alicia Lewis believes support for LGBTQ young people must be active. It means showing up, asking questions and standing beside them as they become more fully themselves.
“Being there, showing up and letting the LGBTQ Community know you stand beside them being Out & Proud WITH them!” Lewis said.
Lewis, 62, is a lesbian living in West Palm Beach’s Grandview Heights neighborhood. She worked in the youth department at Compass
LGBTQ Community Center, where she founded and facilitates the Proud Parent Group.
The group began with her vision of creating connection and understanding among families. It grew into a community of parents committed to loving, supporting and advocating for their children.
“Watching so many parents embrace the opportunity to better understand the LGBTQ world has been inspiring beyond words,” Lewis said.
Most meaningful to her has been watching young people gain the courage to live openly and confidently. Their resilience and growth, she said, continually reaffirm why the work matters.
Lewis’s commitment is also personal. Her adult son, Aidan, is transgender and married to his partner, Dayan. Their family also includes a cat grandson named Rumpelstiltskin, affectionately known as Grumpie Rumpie when his mood earns it.
Beyond the Proud Parent Group, Lewis has served several times on the Compass Stonewall Ball Host Committee. She is Equality Florida’s parent ambassador for Palm Beach County and has spent three years as a Big Sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s School to Work Program.
“One of the values that has guided both my personal and professional life is the importance of acceptance, inclusion, and support for the LGBTQ community,” she said. “It has been my privilege to witness so many families open their hearts, ask questions, learn, grow, and stand beside their children with unconditional love.”
Her message to LGBTQ youth is direct and emphatic: “You are amazing and being your authentic selves is the most important thing you can do for YOU!”
Lewis also carries two reminders into her work. One is a quotation from Elliot Page: “We deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise.” The other is her own call for everyday empathy: “You never know what happened to someone 5 mins before you see them; so ALWAYS be kind.”
Through Compass and her wider community work, Lewis helps turn parental love into informed, visible advocacy.
