Twenty-four-year-old Ren Petty may seem a little young to be the recipient of a Champion of Pride award, but once you’ve read a list of her accomplishments and affiliations you’ll understand why she’s being recognized.

Petty is currently the director of Youth Pride, the coordinator of San Diego LGBT Pride’s Youth Xone and a member of the Gay Youth Alliance. She also serves on the LGBT Center’s speaker’s bureau as well as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s (NGLTF) Youth Advisory Council. She is a member of Vibrant Activist Grrls Invoking National Attention (VAGINA) and helped coordinate VaginaFest and the San Diego Dyke March. When she’s not doing all of the above things, Petty, a prolific journalist, works as the assistant editor of Update.

Petty attributes her activism in the GLBT youth community to her mentors, Mandy Shultz and Annie Korn.

“After Mandy passed away, Annie kind of took me under her wing and taught me everything she knew and gave me her position to take over [as Youth Xone coordinator]. So I picked up where Annie left off and kind of took it from there with input from some of the youth in the community,” Petty said.

Petty is very humble about her role as an emerging leader in the GLBT community. She prefers to think of herself as a speaker and an advocate rather than a leader.

“I give the kids a voice who maybe don’t have a voice of their own,” Petty explained.

Petty points out that the GLBT youth community is dealing with the typical concerns that most teenagers are confronted with: difficulty with parents, peer pressure, drug use, dating and sex. On top of all of that, GLBT kids are also dealing with coming out issues and sexuality. Having mentors like Petty and safe havens like the Youth Center and Youth Pride are key. Youth Pride evolved to accommodate teens that were uncomfortable attending Gay Pride.

“We wanted to give [the teens] an afternoon event that their parents would be OK with; it’s during the day, it’s their peers and it’s a safe zone,” Petty explained.

Petty met with several kids at the Youth Center to find out what they wanted their event to entail. With the help of San Deigo Pride, they were able to get funding and create a successful, well-attended Youth Pride event.

“We had over 20 information booths from organizations such as PFLAG, some of the college [GLBT] organizations, health resources, some T-shirt vendors as well as an entertainment stage, food and a rock [climbing] wall. It was basically just to give the kids a fun place to come out and be proud of who they are in a safe environment,” Petty said.

Petty explained that when she was in high school there were no GLBT support organizations, no gay-straight alliances. She was unable to come out until late in her senior year because she did not feel safe. And even then, she was out to only a few close friends. Petty wants to make a difference for kids who are just coming out by giving them a safe place to be out and resources to help them deal with the obstacles of coming out as teenagers.

One of those resources in which she is involved is the Gay Youth Alliance (GYA), a social support and education group for GLBT youth exploring their sexuality who are age 24 or younger. GYA, which offers discussion groups, speakers, events and outreach, is run by youth, although there are adult advisors.

Petty is also involved with The Center’s speaker’s bureau, which allows her to educate other communities on issues facing the GLBT community. Sometimes she’ll speak to a group that has had no exposure to the GLBT community. More often than not, Petty explained, they’re very eager to learn. Being part of the speaker’s bureau is extremely rewarding for her.

Another rewarding experience for Petty is working at LGBT Pride. One of her favorite Pride moments is seeing the PFLAG contingent with their signs that read, “I love my lesbian daughter.” For Petty, Pride isn’t so much about the political message it sends but more about being who we are.

“Gay Pride, to me, is getting together with other people in the community and celebrating ourselves, being proud of ourselves.”