It’s truly a pleasure to see Kayden honored as one of Watermark’s Remarkable People. Kayden (they/them or he/him) is a 26-year-old transmasculine individual who resides in Tampa.
He is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Work while working full time at The Spring of Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County’s certified domestic violence center, as a prevention team advocate. He facilitates the LGBTQ+ Roundtable, which focuses on advocacy, support and education of LGBTQ+ domestic violence relationships.
As an attendee of this group, I am incredibly impressed by his organizational abilities and his sensitivity when it comes to leading members from diverse groups to shed light on a topic that severely affects the LGBTQ+ community, but gets very little attention.
His LGBTQ+ Violence Education Series merged diverse communities via Zoom presentations, all within the context of the impact of domestic violence. He pulled from his own Roundtable volunteers to give the presentations, which gave them a raw honesty as they related their own real-life experiences.
He has a way of encouraging volunteers to evaluate and showcase their strengths for the greater good. This is a hands-on group, due to Kayden’s leadership.
Kayden also serves on the Board of Directors for the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF). As his focus has been to improve TIGLFF’s programming and outreach for both the transgender and young adult communities, he co-founded the Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival, in partnership with St Pete Pride, and in honor of the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
I know that he is very proud of this effort.
Kayden is a consistent attendee at PFLAG Tampa, where his own story has been an invaluable help to others, always with a gentle nudge to encourage volunteerism. His own advocacy began when he was a student at University of Tampa and took on a leadership role with UTampa Pride. He founded Tampa Bay Collegiate Pride, since absorbed into Metro Inclusive Health’s 18-25 social nights.
Kayden is a powerhouse up-and-comer who is making Tampa proud. He says he plans to stay in Tampa Bay and serve the local LGBTQ+ community for years to come.
If you are looking for support in an abusive relationship, or want to know how to join The LGBTQ+ Roundtable at the Spring, please email Prevention@TheSpring.org. You can help your community, learn a bit about domestic violence and see Kayden in action for yourself!
To view the full list of Watermark’s Most Remarkable People of 2020, click here.
