For people like Elliot, community-based organizations such as one•n•ten offer a vital safe space to navigate identity. According to the Trevor Project, these safe spaces are critical to help lower suicide rates among the queer community, especially among transgender people, who have nearly eight times the rate of suicide attempts, according to a 2023 national study.

One of the greatest experiences the community center has given him occurred during the organization’s last summer camp program: the ability to see himself growing old.

“I had a counselor who was a significantly older trans man, and it was at that moment I realized I had never seen any trans [men] older than myself,” he said.

“Something I think they provide that I take for granted, or other people don’t realize, is [one•n•ten is] giving you tools to understand yourself too, which I think is such a scarce resource in today’s day and age,” Gilreath said. “For those of us who don’t have resources or know who we are, I think this space gives us the tools to safely explore that in a world that weaponizes our identity.”

One•n•ten’s central location is between 1st and Central Ave. in downtown Phoenix, near to a rainbow crosswalk. The organization hosts daily programs to support LGBTQ+ youth, from more low-key events like movie or craft nights, to identity-led support groups, to career workshops. They also have satellite (temporary) locations throughout the Valley, which are generally only open for specific weekly programming.

Elliot is a frequent attendee of one•n•ten events, going as often as he can to enjoy the community environment it offers.

“This space has been one of the only spaces I’ve found… where I see older queer folk, older trans folk, living happy lives and also supporting their community,” He said. “[They are] able to have enough love for themselves and support for themselves to support other people which I thought was impossible.”

Without the organization’s support, Elliot says he wouldn’t be here today.

According to The Trevor Project’s 2022 Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health, queer youth who live in an accepting community reported significantly lower rates of suicide and attempting suicide than those who do not live in a community that accepted them. Queer youth are also overrepresented among young people experiencing homelessness and housing instability, with the Center for American Progress reporting that while 5-10% of the general population of youths in America are LGBT, they make up 20-40% of the homeless youth population.

Yet in Arizona’s last legislative session, lawmakers introduced 11 bills that target LGBTQ+ rights, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

In addition to the central office in Downtown Phoenix, the organization has 17 satellite locations in an effort to better serve the queer community in other parts of the state. Programs include educational topics such as queer history, community building, or workshops for career building.

“You’re able to see your identity reflected back at you, and also see queer futures, see trans futures, see that you can be an adult and be successful,” said Elliot Rumph, the Satellite Program Assistant Manager.

one•n•ten also offers housing assistance for those experiencing homelessness, but they can’t help everyone. 

“We’re limited in the amount of youth that our program can take in,” said Gina Read, the program manager. “We have about 30 youths, and statistically there’s probably another 460 out on the street, and (...)  it’s probably more than that.”

As a local nonprofit organization primarily funded through donations and grants, the advocacy one•n•ten is limited in their ability to affect change. However, by encouraging both young people and adults to educate themselves on LGBTQ+ issues, they hope to build a better environment for queer youth from the ground up.

For more information, visit the One n Ten website at https://onenten.org.