About Us.
Community. Education. Advocacy.
Today YBR is part of a growing ecosystem of LGBTQ+ organizations that seek to meet the needs of the queer communities in the Beloit, Wisconsin area. Our organizational focus is on creating community spaces through events and meetups, educating the broader community about LGBTQ+ realities, and advocating for issues that impact LGBTQ+ lives.
Founding.
Yellow Brick Road Organization (YBR) was founded in 2017 after a group of LGBTQ+ people gathered for Thanksgiving and realized LBGTQ+ families and individuals in the local area needed more safe spaces to gather, more Pride, more advocacy, and more awareness. We hosted Rock County Wisconsin's first public Pride Festival in 2018.
Friends of Dorothy.
The name "Yellow Brick Road Organization" is an ode to the many closeted LGBTQ+ people in the military during World War II. In order to safely find each other, service members would ask, "Are you a friend of Dorothy?" Today, we are proud to honor our queer heritage by openly being Friends of Dorothy and serving the LGBTQ+ communities of the Greater Beloit area.
Our Mission
At Yellow Brick Road, we represent everyone who identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Pansexual, Two-Spirit, Asexual, and an Ally. We side with Love and accepting people for who they are, no matter how they identify.
We provide a safe space for individuals and families to be themselves and not be judged. Our hope is to spread awareness through community events where we can learn from each other and celebrate.
CONTACT.
Our non-profit is completely volunteer run, but we pride ourselves on returning communications promptly. You can use any of our board member emails, or this form. If you have a time-sensitive matter and haven't received a reply, please message via our Facebook page. Thank you!
Yellow Brick Road Organization Bylaws