CW: N*zis, transphobia, gunsOn Saturday, April 29, 2023, Land-Grant Brewing Company sponsored an annual drag brunch benefitting Kaleidoscope Youth Center. Midway through the event, a group of N*zis clad in red and black arrived wearing masks over their faces and sunglasses over their eyes. They proudly waved a black and white flag bearing a sw*stika while chanting racial epithets, homophobic and transphobic slurs and other harmful and discriminatory phrases.On this episode of Speaking Queerly, Mallory Golski sits down with KYC’s executive director Erin Upchurch, MSSA, LISW-S, and our director of community partnerships and external relations, Jen Kuhn, to discuss the events of that day and how the community worked together to take a stand against the N*zis and rally behind KYC. They answer questions surrounding the police presence at the event, safety at future KYC events, the connection between current discriminatory legislation and the events of this weekend, and how queer joy is the ultimate form of resistance.Have a question you want answered or a topic you’d like discussed on Speaking Queerly? Send an email to [email protected].Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) is Ohio’s largest and longest-serving organization in Ohio solely dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults ages 12 to 24. Services include a drop-in center, community education and training, civic engagement and advocacy, health and wellness programs and housing opportunities. Learn more at www.kycohio.org, and follow us on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @KYCOhio. If you like what you hear, and want to support the continued development of Speaking Queerly, send us a donation at kycohio.org/donate.