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About
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a sense of Escape for LGBTQIA2+ Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients, Survivors, and Caregivers.
Our Vision
Our vision is to cultivate a space for adolescent and young adult cancer patients to feel represented and to highlight LGBTQIA2+ voices.
Working toward a better and inclusive tomorrow in cancer care.
We are a grassroots organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, plus (LGBTQIA2+) adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. We exist to highlight the voices of LGBTQIA2+ AYAs and cultivate an environment that is safe for self expression within the cancer community by providing equitable resources and support.
Currently, we are in the midst of what we are calling a "radical reset" and taking time to intentionally build the infrastructure necessary to continue our work for years to come. When we started Escape, we were the only support space for LGBTQIA2+ AYAs and we were under prepared for the community demand of a resource like ours. Pausing some of our offerings like digital meetups and workshops has been a difficult decision, but this community deserves an organization dedicated to serving your unique needs as LGBTQIA2+ AYAs. We are reaffirming our commitment by taking time to do things in a way that is sustainable for our team (who are all currently volunteers with full-time jobs outside of Escape) so we can provide the ongoing consistency that the LGBTQIA2+ AYA community deserves. We hope to increase our offerings and community events in 2027. We deeply appreciate everyone who continues on the journey with us in this time of capacity building.
Escape currently offers:
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A resource guide for LGBTQIA2+ AYAs and their communities to connect with affirming support.
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A blog for LGBTQIA2+ folx to share their experiences as patients, survivors, and caregivers.
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A Facebook group for LGBTQIA2+ cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to connect with peers, Escape events, and research opportunities. **Group is not searchable to reduce the risk of being outed. Please contact us directly to be added.
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Research opportunities with trusted academic and community partners. **All research opportunities that are shared have been thoroughly reviewed by Escape team members to assess community fit, relevance, and attention to being trauma and community informed.
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Information on cancer patient care for Transgender and LGBQIA2+ folx.
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Information on how to advocate for yourself as an LGBTQIA2+ AYA cancer patient.
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Fee-for-service consulting for medical professional, community non-profit, and other relevant organizations.
Future offerings:
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Volunteer opportunities.
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Virtual and in-person community events for LGBTQIA2+ AYAs.
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Patient, survivor, and caregiver focused educational webinars and workshops.
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A database of affirming oncology physicians and relevant medical professionals-including those in the mental healthcare space.
