As a young queer activist, I felt so many barriers to getting involved and staying involved. The work seemed unpredictable, the language used was cryptic and full of acronyms and gaining access to targeted decision makers seemed overwhelming. Then, Working for Equality and Economic Liberation helped me get into a program helping me grow personally and politically. I was lucky enough to participate in the 2002-2004 Western States Center Western Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) program at a critical turning point in my activism. In particular, I remember finishing a meal during a training session and sitting at the table with a diverse group of people having a life changing conversation. We talked about all the things you are "not supposed" to talk about: race, abortion, gender and even body hair at one point. We learned we had much more in common than we had intially expected. But most importantly, we linked the issues and gave each other a human context to a broad range of social justice issues. Today, I am what folks might call "2 years beyond young" and still in the movement. The people that I learned and bonded with at the WILD training, including the stellar staff of the Center, continue to be "living angels" for me, helping me remember to reach out to others who may be in a different situation given their family, faith, culture or set of circumstances. I am committed to linking issues due to my training with the Center. Futhermore, the Western States Center staff has always been there for me, answering my questions and mentoring me for the ongoing work of the movement. Thank you and Happy Birthday!