Coya White Hat-Artichoker

Coya was born and raised on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota; she is a proud enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Coya has been working doing activist work in various communities and movements since the age of 15. She is a founding member of the First Nations Two Spirit Collective; they are a Collective working to building a stronger political presence for Two Spirit people within the national dialogue of queer rights. The First Nations Two Spirit Collective is also a member of the ROOTS Coalition, a coalition of 14 queer people of color lead organizations throughout the country. She is currently an Advisory Committee member for the Host Home Program, working to provide safe homes for homeless queer youth. She or her writing has appeared in: After Stonewall, (After Stonewall Productions) a film; The Advocate; “40 under 40” LGBT Leaders in the United States for 2010; “Sharing Our Stories of Survival” (Altamira Press 2007), the blogs the Bilerico Project; and The Huffington Post.