The Muslim Youth Leadership Council (MyLC) is a group of Muslim-identifying people ages 16-24 from across the country, working locally and nationally as activists, organizers, writers, and leaders on intersectional issues affecting young Muslims. MyLC focuses on four main areas of work: countering Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate, strengthening sexual health and reproductive rights for young Muslims, promoting LGBTQ rights and supporting queer Muslims, and working towards racial justice and countering anti-Blackness in our communities.

Note: We recognize the diversity in the Muslim community. Our involvement in this project is in Muslim youth leadership development around Reproductive Justice in the United States including LGBTQ health and rights, immigrant rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. This project is based on Muslim youth development in the United States and is not focused on theological perspectives.

What do MyLC organizers do?

MyLC is a year-long leadership council dedicated to bringing together young Muslim-identifying people in the United States and furthering their goals of organizing for change within their communities and beyond. The Council runs from September to May, with some additional opportunities for summer work.

Youth Leaders will work to educate, mobilize and amplify issues impacting their communities by engaging in a variety of ways including:

• Raising awareness among Muslim identifying young people, especially amongst LGBTQ Muslim youth and immigrant Muslim youth around Reproductive Justice issues such as abortion, comprehensive sexuality education, menstrual justice, or contraceptive access.
• Developing social media campaigns (#MuslimAnd), opinion pieces, and cultural content like Instagram carousels, zines, podcast episodes, or art to spread the word about the issues we care about
• Engaging and mobilizing Muslim youth in our respective locations around issues that impact them and their communities/campuses
• Building partnerships with traditional Muslim communties and the mainstream LGBTQ movement to highlight the existence of queer Muslim youth
• Developing resources on LGBTQ inclusive Muslim sex-ed, and conversation guides on addressing racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination in our communities

In addition to receiving trainings, resources, and peer-to-peer education throughout the year, young people accepted to the program will attend the Youth Activist Institute from September 5-9th, 2024. All MyLC organizers will receive a $600 stipend each semester and a scholarship to cover all costs related to attending the annual Youth Activist Institute. MyLC members will be required to regularly attend virtual meetings, engage in check-ins with the council coordinator, and actively work in their community towards an organizing campaign or goal. 

Who can apply to MyLC?