ABOUT us

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Black and white semi-circle logo with concentric arcs.

OUR MISSION

OUT MetroWest Fosters communities where LGBTQ+ youth thrive

OUR VISON

We strive for a future where all LGBTQ+ youth are celebrated, connected, and affirmed in the wholeness of their identities.

OUR History

Since 2011, OUT MetroWest has risen to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ youth, launching new programs based on community demand. We have grown from a weekly meeting for high schoolers to now offering multiple weekly programs for middle and high schoolers, monthly programs for elementary youth and young adults, community-wide events and education sessions for hundreds of individuals to foster inclusive cultures in their own organizations.


What began as a weekly gathering in a church hall has expanded to 25+ programs each month, a permanent center in Framingham, MA, and Satellite events around the MetroWest region. Each year, we directly serve more than 375 youth and their families, and engage hundreds of additional people of all ages through our LGBTQ+ education sessions and community events.

Brick fire station with a tall tower, teal garage doors, and an American flag.
OUR Values
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  • Agency

    We believe LGBTQ+ youth have the right and ability to shape their own futures. By centering their voices, we ensure their ideas, experiences, and dreams guide our work. Honoring agency means listening deeply, trusting youth as experts in their own lives, and creating space for confident, informed decision making.

  • Compassion

    We approach each person with kindness, empathy, and understanding. We believe that compassion fosters trust and connection, allowing LGBTQ+ youth to feel seen, heard, and supported. By embracing each person’s unique story, we create a space where LGBTQ+ youth can thrive.

  • Equity

    We are committed to breaking down barriers so that all LGBTQ+ youth can access the resources, opportunities, and support they deserve. We focus on the diversity of LGBTQ+ youth, celebrating every identity and creating programs that are welcoming, accessible, and shaped by the community. Grounded in equity and justice, we keep learning, growing, and standing with those most impacted by oppression.

  • Community

    We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging and connection for all LGBTQ+ youth. Through supportive relationships, mentoring, and caring for one another, we build a community that values every person. Together, we share support, wisdom, and celebrate each other’s successes.


  • Well-being

    We work hard to create a place where LGBTQ+ youth can be themselves without fear, knowing they are seen and respected. Our programs and community make sure every youth has the freedom to explore, grow, and thrive in a space that prioritizes their physical, emotional, and psychological safety.

  • The center of it all: Queer Joy

    We believe that joy is a powerful act of resistance. Queer joy is about embracing the fullness of life, celebrating identities unapologetically, and finding strength in our uniqueness. We are committed to creating spaces where LGBTQ+ youth can experience happiness, pride, and the freedom to express themselves with joy, laughter, and love

OUr catchment area

What is 'MetroWest'?

We concentrate our LGBTQ+ youth programming, community events, and outreach in the 35 towns East of 495, West of 93, North of 95, and South of 3. Community members are encouraged to join us if they live outside of this area!


Our youth center is located in downtown Framingham. We also partner with local organizations to host 'Satellite' programs throughout MetroWest.

commitment to racial justice

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OUT MetroWest is committed to engaging in anti-racist practices and celebrating racial diversity. We engage in ongoing reflection, education, accountability, and action. We do this work acknowledging that we are an organization with a history of predominantly white leadership, in a predominantly white region. We center the voices, perspectives, and feedback of Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color (BIPOC), especially those at the intersection of the LGBTQ+ community.

  • COMMITMENTS

    Below are some of our explicit commitments as we work towards being an anti-racist organization:


    • Provide programming at no cost to participants.
    • Offer free hygiene products, health products, safer sex supplies, snacks, and access to LGBTQ+ therapists during weekly programs.  
    • Ensure that programs are accessible and relevant to LGBTQ+ youth of color.
    • Ensure that our programs, materials, and our resource library are accessible and relevant to LGBTQ+ multilingual youth.
    • Meet or exceed the percentage of MetroWest residents of color among participants, staff, contractors, guest speakers, and board members (the current population of MetroWest is ~22% residents of color)
    • Share our physical resources, including space, with BIPOC organizations (to make a request, email us or reach us via social media @outmetrowest)
    • Regularly curate our queer library to reflect racial diversity
    • Minimize our engagement with law enforcement (email us to view the entire policy)
    • Promote LGBTQ+ BIPOC-led fundraising and advocacy efforts that align with our organizational values (to make a request, email us or reach us via social media @outmetrowest)
    • Continually review and revise our policies and practices (human resources, development, etc.) as they relate to racial equity, in an effort to eliminate racial bias and the influence of white supremacy culture

  • ACTIONS

    Below are current and recent examples of how we put these commitments into action. This list is not exhaustive of all of our anti-racist commitments and actions, and will be updated periodically.


    2025

    • Began paying voluntary land tax to No Loose Braids
    • Expanded resources in our space to include ASL translation, and a gender-affirming clothing closet and a food pantry in collaboration with GEMS @ the Arts.  Additionally, we added hair care products for all hair types to our personal hygiene product pantry.
    • Reviewed and updated staff evaluation processes, and created the supervisor evaluation processes, through a racial equity lens
    • Hired a DEI consultant to support our strategic planning process, and incorporated exercises and learnings
    • Staff participated in de-escalation and Know Your Rights trainings
    • Reviewed our safety policies and engagement with law enforcement policy, and added a law enforcement liaison to our procedure 
    • Expanded our community partnerships to reach more BIPOC youthoffering bi-monthly programs with the Boys & Girls Club

    2024

    • Staff completed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fundamentals and Beyond 8-hour module with Brave Space Consulting.
    • Our Human Resources Committee began a full review and revision of our Employee Manual, specifically through an equity lens. 
    • We re-started the Racial Equity Working Group to ensure a devoted anti-racist, action-oriented working space. When this group met previously (2020-2021), it developed our Engagement with Law Enforcement Policy and revised our current Staff Assessment Process through an equity lens. 

    2023

    • We contracted with Brave Space Consulting to conduct a comprehensive organizational Equity Audit. The main takeaway from the Audit was that “individuals at all levels of the organization experience OUT MetroWest as a welcoming and inclusive organization.” Brave Space also made a number of recommendations, mostly related to organizational policies and employee benefits, which we have started to implement.
    • Staff completed the 10-hour “Calling In: Creating Change Without Cancel Culture” course with Loretta J. Ross.
    • Staff completed the 10-hour Workplace Psychological Safety and Resiliency training with Brave Space Consulting.

    2022

    • We translated our website and brochures into Spanish and Portuguese. 
    • We began including a verbal land acknowledgment at gatherings and programs, as well as a written land acknowledgment in our communications.

    Prior to 2022

    • Racial Equity initiatives became, and remain, a standing portion of every weekly staff meeting agenda
    • In our bi-annual survey of youth participants, we began gathering information about racial identity, as well as feedback about the inclusivity of programming. We continue to update our survey to ensure we are collecting information that accurately reflects our youths’ intersectional identities. 
    • We facilitated several paid focus groups with BIPOC youth and adults in our community to help inform and shape the inclusivity of our programs for BIPOC youth.

    For questions regarding our ongoing commitment to Racial Justice, please contact us a info@outmetrowest.org

  • LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

    OUT MetroWest recognizes the Nipmuc and Massachusett nations, on whose traditional lands we deliver our programs. We acknowledge these Indigenous peoples as the past, present, and future caretakers of the land now known as the MetroWest Boston region.


    Nipmuc homelands include areas such as Natick, Sudbury, and the state-acknowledged Hassanamisco reservation in Grafton. Massachusett homelands include areas like Dedham, Newton, Milton, Sharon, Wayland, and Wellesley. A precise map reflecting contemporary town lines is impossible to draw, but we know that Indigenous people inhabited the MetroWest region for thousands of years before Europeans displaced, enslaved, and killed the majority of the local population. Despite settler-colonizers’ systematic efforts to wipe out native cultures, hundreds of Nipmuc and Massachusett people remain to this day.


    As an LGBTQ+ organization, we note the particular harm inflicted upon Two Spirit people under European settler colonialism. We honor the resilience of those on whose ancestral lands OUT MetroWest operates and recognize that LGBTQ+ liberation is not possible without Indigenous liberation. 


    We are committed to continued learning and growing partnerships. We are annual sponsors to Indigenous People's Day Newton and pay voluntary land tax to No Loose Braids.

  • Hiring and recruitment PRATICES

    We particularly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other candidates of color, and those whose identities and lived experiences reflect the rich diversity of our LGBTQ+ youth participants. If you identify as LGBTQ+ and a Person of Color and would like us to keep you in mind for future job openings, please consider submitting an application, selecting “For Future Consideration” in the position drop-down menu, to share your interest. We are happy to keep your materials on-file for when openings occur!