At Yestermorrow, we are celebrating Pride Month in full swing! We kicked off our summer season over Memorial Day weekend with LGBTQ+ Carpentry Fundamentals, one of our first courses just for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Back in 1999, we ran our first Women’s Carpentry course, and the response to having a learning space dedicated to folks who may be otherwise excluded from trade education was immediate and clear. Learning with peers in a classroom led by professionals who have experienced the same hurdles is an invaluable experience for women, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC students of the building trades.

Now we need these spaces more than ever. Having a learning environment dedicated to members of the LGBTQ+ community means that students can show up and participate free from ignorance around gender and sexuality. As one Carpentry Fundamentals student put it:

“My experience learning in a queer environment was so radically different than all other learning experiences I've ever had. I felt safe and supported and like I could let my guard down and be present and just learn. My experience in non-queer spaces, especially lately, has been that I'm not able to focus and take it in because part of my attention has to stay on my safety and presentation as a trans person. I took so much away from this weekend - carpentry skills, of course - but also something deeper…the impact that this course had on me went well beyond the hard skills".

Coming up later in the summer, we will run LGBTQ+ Intro to the Woodshop for people interested in learning the basics of power tools and woodworking techniques. Students will leave the course having completed their own bench, featuring a lid and storage compartment. For those who want to go deeper into carpentry skillbuilding, we will run LGBTQ+ Basic Carpentry from September 4 - 8. Basic Carpentry students will gain a foundational understanding of building whole structures from beginning to end, culminating in a complete outdoor shed. 

Pride is diverse and intersectional, and to that end we are also offering BIPOC Carpentry Fundamentals from August 5 - 6. Led by experienced Yestermorrow instructors Evie Ortiz and Najat Croll, this is a rare opportunity to learn valuable carpentry skills in a cohort of people of color. As part of our continued commitment to equity, we have extended our sliding scale to all our courses. 

We are proud as an organization to be creating spaces of safety and self-expression. We celebrate designers, builders, and makers of all backgrounds and identities and continue to strive for increased inclusivity and accessibility in our fields. Pride month reminds us that we are most impactful when we are a diverse, joyful, and empowered community of people working towards a more sustainable world.