In Loving Memory of
Julie Novak (1972-2024)
Producer, Program Director (I'm Feeling Queer Today Podcast)
Our dear friend and colleague, Julie Novak, passed away on the last day of August 2024. Though we miss her terribly, her spirit will always be a part of FPP. She gave us more than just hours of labor; she poured her whole heart and soul into the work of amplifying the voices of LGBTQIA+youth, which is to say she wholeheartedly loved every one of the young people who had the good fortune to know her.
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Her devotion to the particular genius of this generation of LGBTQ+ youth is evident in all the beautiful work she created in collaboration with them. Over the years, she worked as co-producer to the young artists we serve, encouraging and supporting them to create several animated series, including "Queer Youth Animated", "Queer Qomics", and "Queer Youth Guide to Life." And in the past two years she acted as the creator and lead producer of our podcast, "I'm Feeling Queer Today!"
I once asked Julie what it was she learned from working with the young people at FPP and this is what she said:
“What happened for me was that while watching them experiment with their identity, exploring different pronouns and different names from week to week, I began to see that their experimentation wasn't confusion. It was CURIOSITY! The reason I love this generation is because they know exactly who they are, even when they DON'T! They see the world as a love-lab, and they're brave enough to constantly mix up customs, notions and traditions to create something new, something never seen before.”
We at FPP feel the same about Julie. The reason we love her is because she knew exactly who she was, even when she DIDN'T! She saw the world as a love-lab, and she wasn't afraid to create something new, something never seen before - which turned out to be herself.
— Celeste Lecesne