Previously, they spent over a decade in higher education in roles that supported and empowered students of color and LGBTQ+ students and communities. They ran the Bonner Program at the College of Charleston— an access to education leadership program that centers service learning and civic engagement in larger social justice contexts. Domenico also directed the ALANA (African American/Black, Latinx, Asian/Asian American and Native American) Cultural Center and LGBTQ Center at Vassar College, was an academic advisor at Bard College, and was the assistant director of the Multicultural Resource Center at Oberlin College in Ohio.

Domenico is one of the co-founders and facilitators of the Transformative Teaching Collective, a predominantly female, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC-owned cooperative that provides social justice education and consultation to non-profit organizations, university faculty and student groups, government organizations, k-12 teachers, volunteer groups, and faith-based organizations. They are also formally certified in social justice mediation from the Social Justice Mediation Institute, UMass Amherst, and has skills in multipartial mediation, facilitation, and conflict resolution.

In their free time, Domenico serves on the boards of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston City Paper, and is an active member and vice president of the Charleston Blockade Rugby Club— the state’s first queer and inclusive sports team. In 2023, they were awarded the LGBT+ Icon Award by the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, a Forty Under 40 honoree by the Charleston Regional Business Journal, and a Jefferson Award by Multiplying Good South Carolina. Most recently, Domenico was a 2024 Forty Under 40 honoree by his alma mater, SUNY New Paltz.

After graduating from the Art institute of Charleston, his career in the fashion industry took off as he collaborated with industry leaders through design, styling, and production which led him to work alongside partners such as Charleston Fashion Week, Southern Living Magazine, Bravo TV, Nickelodeon Studios, Buzzfeed, NPR, BEAU Magazine, and many others. While working in fashion, he realized how powerful his voice was and started volunteering with We Are Family (WAF), a Charleston based organization that provides direct support to LGBT+ youth. While volunteering he was able to use elements from the fashion industry to empower youth and uplift their voices to be more confident in order for them to thrive unapologetically in the world.

In March 2019, Jonatan officially joined the WAF staff to open up the organization's social enterprise Closet Case Thrift Store. His idea of creating a space where folks could have a gender inclusive shopping experience, while being sustainable, and supporting queer youth led the Closet Case to be a 5-star rated thrift store and a staple in the community. 

Jonatan is an honoree of the Honor41 list and named one of Charleston’s  Best and Brightest 35 under 35 by Charleston Business Journal. He is proud to share his story, which has been highlighted in Univision and Hola News, in the hopes it will fuel younger generations to keep moving forward and to take action to do their part to create the world we want to live in. His passion for helping youth find their purpose extends into the classroom where he teaches with YoArt Inc. as an adjunct teacher. He also shares his skills by providing support to other organizations throughout the nation such as Latinos in the South, FWD.US, ACLU and many others. Seeing the positive direct impact of his advocacy and social work fuels his mission of creating Queer Southern Magic. 

During his free time, Jonatan can be found shopping, hanging out with his friends, or at home with his husband and fur babies Yuki, Milo, and Chip working on one of his many DYI projects.

Click here to watch Jonatan’s Creating Mornings presentation, “What PRIDE means to me”.

She has led and designed culturally responsive programs focused on HIV prevention, mental health, and substance use among Latinx transgender women of color—serving in roles ranging from Lead Care Manager to Program Manager for trusted organizations like Instituto Familiar de la Raza and the San Francisco Community Health Center. Currently, she consults nationally on workshops that center the lived experiences of trans women of color through the GLOW Program with Gilead and NMAC.

Alejandra is also a dynamic facilitator, speaker, and emcee. She’s hosted prominent events including San Francisco Trans March, Gay Pride, Transgender Day of Remembrance, and Transgender Day of Visibility, using her platform to elevate intergenerational wisdom, cultural pride, and trans liberation.

Fluent in English and Spanish, and trained in HIV counseling, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing, Alejandra brings heart, humor, and unmatched expertise to everything she does.

During her service as an elected school board member, she received training in Restorative Practices, DEI from the Racial Equity Institute (Phase I and Phase II), FOIA compliance, and rigorous board governance training. Her PhD is in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and her post-doc included an investigation of health disparities related to environmental exposures in the Neck area of Charleston County, including a Community Based Research Grant in cooperation with Herb Frasier Lahim of the Lowcountry Alliance of Model Communities.

Kristen’s approach to fundraising focuses on connection and community. When we work together in community, we are more willing to invest in each other. As she begins this new role with We Are Family, she looks forward to building a resilient resource base which can be mobilized to provide increasing levels of support for LGBTQIA+ youth throughout the Lowcountry and all parts of South Carolina.

His involvement in the Charleston community was present as he became Bonner leader and volunteered with the afterschool program called Cusabo Scholars and the We Are Family. While interning and volunteering with local organizations his focus was always on youth outreach and education. 

After graduating in 2021, Troy worked as an Education Specialist with the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry where he engaged in various activities that sparked joy, imagination, and wonder to all the children who would visit. It was there that he learned the true value of Queer representation in rural areas and developed a passion for youth advocacy. Today, his passion to connect trans and queer youth to necessary affirming resources is his drive to keep fighting for a safe community for Queer students in the local area to thrive! 

In his personal time, Troy can be found outside in his garden, trying new vegan recipes in the kitchen, or relaxing with his cat, Arlo. 

Her work spans across roles dedicated to empowering children, adolescents, and their families. She began as a Registered Behavioral Technician, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with youth on the autism spectrum. This early experience fostered a passion for understanding behavior and embracing the unique strengths and needs of individuals.

Today, Chandler continues this mission through her thriving therapy practice, where she works with youth, adolescents, and their parents. She is committed to helping families navigate challenges, strengthen connections, and foster growth. Driven by a deep commitment to social justice, service, and integrity, Chandler approaches her work as a social worker with compassion, empathy, and a focus on long-term positive impact.

She loves helping people find something they’re confident in or excited about. After all, everyone deserves some good retail therapy especially when it benefits a good cause! Originally from Central Maryland, Lilly is grateful to be embraced by the Charleston community and her chosen family at WAF.

Now serving as We Are Family’s Evaluation and Social Media Specialist, Carlz combines storytelling with strategy to amplify youth voices, optimize impact, and make every post, report, and campaign sing. With global experience and a passion for queer advocacy, he’s here to make digital spaces more inclusive, powerful, and just a little more fabulous.

When he’s off the clock, Carlz is either belting out Les Miserables, planning his next international adventure, or turning his latest spreadsheet into a thing of beauty. A firm believer that data can be fabulous, he brings just the right amount of drama (the good kind) to every project he touches.

For nearly 10 years she has been an instructor for physical education and emergency medicine courses through The Citadel and Lowcountry Regional EMS Council, overseeing the skills education for students seeking EMT and Paramedic certifications for the latter. She is also an American Heart Association instructor for Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support courses.

Her other great passion for the last 20+ years has been the sport of Rugby, where she is still an active player, coach, medic, and referee.  Her home club is the Charleston Blockade - an inclusive team that embraces LGBTQ+ membership from all people, and supports WAF as their primary charity.  She is a staunch ally, and excited to be a part of the WAF team ensuring youth have a safe place to be themselves.

She has always felt different and knew she was female at heart for as long as she can remember, and she fully came out at age 12 on the first day of Pride Month in June 2021.

Annie is the second oldest of six siblings, with one older sister, two younger sisters, and two younger brothers. Annie is proud of who she is, lives authentically every day, and strives to make the world a better place by leading with kindness wherever she goes.

They have been working with WAF as a committee member for their Trans Love Fund, a moderator for their Discord servers, and are so proud and excited to be joining the Ambassador Program! Indie’s passion extends to their work as a Holistic Healing and Reality Creation Coach, trained through The Institute for Coaching Mastery. They’re most fulfilled through helping people learn to take back their agency, supporting them in healing from the inside out, and empowering them to live authentically and follow their most aligned path.

In his free time, he paints, listens to music, and spends time with his family and friends. He is looking forward to working with We Are Family and participating in events and outings. He looks forward to helping the community and other queer youth like himself.