At 27, youth worker Tanya Compas has become an essential voice in the LGBTQ+ community, both in London, where she hosted the first, much-lauded Queer Black Christmas event over the 2019 festive period, and online.
“I’ve been very lucky to build a platform on social media while simultaneously doing my work on the ground with young people,” says Tanya, who established herself as a friend of, advisor to and advocate for young queer people of colour (QPOC) having observed a lack of visible role models while discovering her own identity.
Determined to help create safe spaces in which vulnerable young people can find their community, Tanya set up a crowdfunding campaign in order to host Queer Black Christmas, an event that gave young QPOC alone over the festive period the chance to celebrate with a chosen family.
Following in the footsteps of Adwoa Aboah and Amika George, Tanya, who has devoted the best part of a decade to working with young people at risk, is Miss Vogue’s latest Girl on a Mission.
When did you decide to use your voice to advocate for LGBTQ+ young people, especially those from BAME backgrounds?
“I’ve been working with young people on and off from the age of 18. Each experience has moulded me into not only the youth worker I am today, but the person I am. So often, [vulnerable young people] just need someone to advocate for them, to actively listen to them, to understand them – but most importantly to provide a safe space for them to explore their identity and just exist as themselves, without anybody… making them feel unsafe, unloved or unwanted based on their identity.”
Why does this cause feel so important to you?
“I grew up not knowing that black people could be queer, and believed that being LGBTQ+ was a ‘white people thing’. I don’t want other young people to think the same. Whether you are part of the community or not, we should all know that LGBTQ+ people exist outside of the realm of whiteness, and we should all learn how to advocate for, support and love young QPOC loudly, through the good times and the bad.”
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If you could sum up the ethos of your work in five words, what would they be?
“Passionate about creating spaces for joy.”
How do you think being a young woman impacts your success?
“Being a young, queer mixed-black woman has impacted my work greatly, because it has meant that I have had to seek out community and learn how to build a support network. This was born out of a need and desire to be around people who are like me and who just ‘get it’.
“I have managed to build a network of incredible changemakers, creatives and amazing people. It’s through these relationships that I’ve been able to see my work elevated to spaces that I never thought possible, and when the door opens for one of us, we are all trying to find a way to keep it open for someone else. Whether that’s in the form of job opportunities, funding for youth programmes, or mentoring opportunities for young people I’ve worked with, my community is key to my success.”
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What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve faced thus far?
“The biggest obstacle I’ve faced has been trying to secure funding for youth projects, specifically working with queer black young people. Many funding boards, corporations and even brands see it as being ‘too political’, or ‘too divisive’. Which I think is bullshit. Queer black young people live at such a nuanced intersection, and deserve spaces in which they can be joyful and free, without having to minimise their blackness or their queerness in order to fit in.
“I don’t want to have to dilute my work in order to make it palatable to people to secure funding, but equally, I can’t do this work for free, because I have to live and support myself too. It’s frustrating.”
What is the significance of social media platforms for activism right now?
“Social media has become such an integral part of activism. Having my platform has allowed me to share my work and message with people across the world, but most importantly has allowed me to reach out to young queer people right here in the UK, meaning my work is able to impact those who need it most. However, I also think it’s important to add that there are a lot of people doing this work who don’t use social media for their activism, and their work is just as valid and important.”
Read More: Lucy Vincent Is The Girl On A Mission Demanding Better Food In Britain’s Prisons
What needs to be done to ensure that vulnerable LGBTQ+ young people in the UK are given better support?
“Young LGBTQ+ people, especially POC, are being failed – there is not enough support, and the organisations that are able to offer it are stretched beyond their means. We need to be committed to educating ourselves on how we can better support LGBTQ+ young people, and acknowledging the aspects of their lives that make navigating the world difficult. This means supporting those who are homeless, those who are trans and non-binary, sex workers, those who are claiming asylum, those who hail from religious backgrounds, those who have no access to public funds, those who are living with mental health issues and those who are not in work, education or training.
“There is a lot of work to be done, and it goes far beyond adding rainbows and glitter to your shopfront over Pride season, or changing your company logo to include a rainbow flag. Support organisations such as Colours Youth network, Gendered Intelligence, Project Indigo, Misery Party and Kamp Kiki, to name a few. We are doing the work, but we need support.”
You’ve got 150 words in which to say whatever you want about the issue you support - go for it!
“Queer black young people deserve spaces in which they can exist loudly, without having to minimise parts of themselves in order to fit in, or feel safe. Our differences are not a means of division, but accept that not every space is for you. Young QPOC deserve spaces for joy, too – not all activism needs to be trauma-based in order for it to be important. Sometimes, we just want to dance, to take photos, to eat a meal, to talk freely amongst ourselves, to build a community and to simply exist in it. If you work with a company, a brand or a corporation that has the access and the means to support a project like this, be an ally and utilise your networks to help make these services a reality.”
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