ABOUT JQ ADVOCATES
JQ Advocates is a unique volunteer opportunity for our community members interested in building, strengthening, and refining their abilities to affect positive change for LGBTQ+ Jews. Through this highly specialized, cohort-style training program, graduates of the program will be empowered to actively engage in JQ’s mission-fulfillment work through personal storytelling and public speaking around their lived experience and LGBTQ+ Jewish inclusivity in all spaces. JQ Advocates will expand the impact of JQ’s life-affirming work all while gaining capacity as educators, activists, and models of inclusivity best practices, working toward a collective vision of a world where all LGBTQ+ Jews can live safely as their holistic and authentic selves. Stay tuned for info about our next cohort!
Our team of trainers includes JQ professionals and volunteers with deep knowledge of and experience with JQ’s mission & vision, personal storytelling, public speaking, and the JQ Advocates experience.
MEET OUR TEAM OF TRAINERS
Zach Lennon-Simon (he/him)
Storytelling
Zach's Bio
Zach Lennon-Simon is a filmmaker, storyteller and teacher from Brooklyn, New York. He taught a personal storytelling workshop at the Putney School for 4 summers and has also performed at a number of storytelling shows throughout the United States. Alongside his work as a creative and an educator, Zach is currently acting as a bargaining committee member and organizer for Hearst Union as they fight for their first contract. Zach Lennon-Simon’s dream gig is to tell jokes to a group of rabbis where they all laugh and tell him he has nothing to worry about. Please help him achieve this dream.
Robin Gurse Dennis (she/her)
Public Speaking
Robin's Bio
Robin Gurse Dennis is the “B” in LGBTQ+. She learned the basics of public speaking from Toastmasters International and enhanced her ability to naturally be herself with any audience—even if she’s feeling anxious—through Lee Glickstein’s Speaking Circles International.
Committed to clear, clean, open communication that empowers all parties, Robin is a warm, dynamic facilitator of workshops and retreats. In addition to facilitating Courage and My Authentic Self at the Teen JQSA 2017 Annual Retreat & training JQ’s first Speaker’s Bureau, Robin has designed and facilitated numerous workshops for teens and young adults on goal setting, courage, and gentle time management at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the Transgender Center at the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.
Robin has a BA in Sociology from UC Berkeley and a Certification in Family Coaching from Resource Realizations. Currently, Robin is writing a memoir to empower adolescents to be unstoppable in the face of anxiety and fear.
Michelle Dennis (she/her)
Public Speaking
Michelle's Bio
Michelle Dennis has been a transgender activist in the greater Los Angeles area since 2002, creating space and pathways for transgender and gender nonbinary persons to participate effectively in all aspects of society. To this end, she has spoken at universities, colleges, and public and private organizations, and she became the first transgender member of various organizations, including serving as an Elder at her church, a Board member of the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles, and on a women’s support organization for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
She and her spouse, Robin, trained the first group of speakers for JQ International several years ago. Michelle is also a speaker for PFLG (Parent and Family/Friends of Lesbian and Gay Persons) of Los Angeles. Currently, she is a City Council appointed member of the Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee of the City of Culver City, and she has been teaching since 2004 for the Public Policy Department of the UCLA Luskin Graduate School of Public Affairs.
If you’re interested in joining us in support of JQ International and LGBTQ+ Jewish liberation, then we encourage you to apply today or join one of our upcoming info sessions!
FAQS
What will you learn as a JQ Advocate?
Throughout your training program, JQ Advocates will learn:
- About JQ International’s mission, vision, and work celebrating queer Jewish joy and fighting for LGBTQ+ Jewish liberation
- How to share your personal story in an impactful and meaningful way
- Public speaking skills to gain confidence and bolster the power of your voice
- How to work with the JQ professional team and our partners in your role as a volunteer
What happens if I unexpectedly miss a training session?
We know that life can be unpredictable! We hope that everyone will be able to attend the sessions with their cohort members, but if you do have to miss a training session, then you’ll be able to sign up for a shorter Zoom session with the relevant trainer so you don’t miss any important info or learning!
Are there any time commitment requirements after I graduate?
Yes! As this is a volunteer role that will be deeply engaged in JQ’s mission-fulfillment work, graduates will be expected to:
- Commit to their role as a JQ Advocate for a minimum total of [1] year after graduating
- Serve at a minimal total of [6] speaking and/or civic engagements on behalf of JQ throughout that year
- Complete up to [2] of the above [6] during Pride month (June)
- Do prep and post work before and after your speaking/civic engagements
When and where you complete your required speaking and/or civic engagements has some flexibility and will depend on what requests for speakers JQ receives from our partners and community members throughout the year.
I have no experience in public speaking and/or public speaking scares me! Should I still apply?
Absolutely! You do not need to have any prior experience to become
a part of the JQ Advocates program. In fact, this is a great opportunity to gain skills and build confidence that can help you not only as a volunteer, but in your professional and personal life as well!
Will JQ be providing lunch during training for in-person cohorts?
JQ will have snacks and refreshments available for the training days in West Hollywood for cohorts taking place in-person, but members of the cohort are encouraged to either bring their own lunch or purchase lunch from one of the many options in the area.
What does the current training schedule look like?
Stay tuned for more info about the schedule for our next upcoming cohort!
What will I be doing after I graduate?
After graduating from the program, you’ll be supporting JQ International in enacting its Learn pillar of work. This may look like:
- Representing JQ by sharing your story at religious services and community events
- Attending resource fairs on behalf of JQ
- Participating in panel discussions and interviews as a JQ representative
- Supplementing JQ’s allyship and mental health awareness trainings with personal storytelling and fielding Q&As
- Sharing information about JQ International’s mission, vision, and work to spread our visibility and expand our impact
- And more!
As a JQ Advocate, you will be one of the first people JQ calls on to represent us in front of partner organizations, professional institutions, and communities of all kinds interested in joining our organization in the fight for LGBTQ+ Jewish liberation.
Will I get paid for my time after graduating JQ Advocates training?
Being a JQ Advocate is a volunteer position within the overall JQ team, so you would not receive any monetary payment for public speaking and/or civic engagements you take on as a graduate of the program. Any honorariums or fees for service will go toward JQ International as an organization. However, JQ is invested in appreciating all of our volunteers and try to show this appreciation through gifts, discounts, special events, social media spotlights, and more!
I can’t join this cohort, but I’d love to be a part of a future JQ Advocates cohort! Is there a waitlist I can join?
Yes! Please email JQ’s Volunteer Manager, Sidney Harrison (she/her), so she can make sure you’re kept up to date on future cohorts.
JQ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate and strengthen queer Jewish life through community building, educational programs, and support services creating a joyful and healthy future for LGBTQ+ Jews and their loved ones.
© 2018 JQ International. All Rights Reserved.