Sam Gomez (they/them)
“Queer joy looks like a door that leads to a community where my truest and most authentic self is valued, embraced and validated,” said Gomez, who is deputy director of The Epicenter, a drop-in resource center for youth in Monterey County, California.
Gomez identifies as queer nonbinary. “Queer joy is beyond binaries, beyond expectations and beyond roles that restrict my very existence,” Gomez said. “Queer joy is the freedom and resilience that comes from living my truth, unapologetically so.”