OUR MISSION
We are committed to supporting and celebrating the health, empowerment, and joy of the North State LGBTQ+ community at every intersection of their identities.
OUR STORY
Stonewall Alliance of Chico is a non-profit agency serving the Northern Sacramento Valley of California. We have an eleven-seat Board of Directors and a variety of volunteer and staff positions. Committees for fundraising, programming, policy, and audit are all staffed by board members, program staff, and community members. An executive committee, composed of the board officers, performs the chief executive functions of the organization.
We know that too often Two-Spirit, Trans*, Gender Non-Conforming, Intersex, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Asexual and Queer people face discrimination and rejection because of who they are. The Stonewall Alliance Center exists to provide a connection to community in an effort to lessen isolation of, strengthen the spirit of, and give voice to the disenfranchised. Our philosophy involves the simple concept that labels are only valuable when they are self-applied. We accept and acknowledge the labels, or lack thereof, you apply to yourself. For young people with questions, it is critical that understanding comes before labels. The Stonewall Alliance Center straddles the junction between personal identity and community. Our success and our strength as an organization are due to the support of our community.
OUR VALUES
We strive for excellence in ethical programming and service to the community in all aspects of our work:
Collaboration - Stonewall seeks the perspective of many voices to strengthen our work through collaboration based on clear communication, active listening, and reflection. We recognize the importance of receiving feedback with openness and intention, while maintaining awareness of our own biases and impact on the community.
Dedication - In order to be a knowledgeable and trusted expert of LGBTQ+ needs, we are committed to being constantly adaptable and curious. We welcome and seek community feedback with a dedication to continual learning, responding, growing, and holding ourselves accountable.
Intersectionality - Stonewall honors the intersectional* roots of the queer community by listening and acting with humility and aiming to amplify marginilized voices. We engage in partnerships with other organizations, mutual aid, and protecting each other, in pursuit of social, environmental, and racial justice.
Respect - Stonewall strives to cultivate an inclusive and affirming space by engaging everyone with openness and humility and treating people with dignity so they feel seen, respected, and valued.
*Intersectional was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw and gave us the framework that Queer, Black, Women of Color feminists have been calling attention to in the struggle for social justice.
*We use the word 'Trans' in its most inclusive sense: encompassing all whose gender identity varies or is different from their sex-assigned-at-birth.