The Welcome Project

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When it comes to healthcare, trust can mean everything—especially for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people who too often face discrimination, misunderstanding, and sometimes outright harm in medical settings. Affirming healthcare isn’t just about using the right name or pronouns—it’s about safety, dignity, and the difference between being seen as a whole person or reduced to a diagnosis. Today In the Den, Sara is joined by Josh Blakesly, Executive Director of The Welcome Project PA, an LGBTQIA+ community center in Hatboro, PA, that’s redefining what affirming community care can look like.

Special Guest: Josh Blakesly

Josh, a Midwest native, holds a B.A. in Theatre at Northwestern College [IA] and a Masters of Divinity [M.Div.] at Princeton Theological Seminary [NJ] and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Josh, along with the Welcome Project PA’s founding Board Members, founded the organization in early 2020. His main focuses include: fundraising and development; diversity, equity, inclusion, affirmation and belonging education and training; interfaith immersion; event planning; workplace development and mentoring; media production; and the arts. Josh is also Pastor of Love In Action UCC, an open and affirming congregation. Josh has 26+ years of nonprofit experience, is a fellow of Interfaith Philadelphia, a founding member of The Society for Faith & Justice, and a Collaborator for Nurturing Justice. He also has written and directed various stage or film productions, and has developed theatre arts curriculum for use in religious and secular settings. Josh enjoys running, playing music, traveling, learning languages, or making strange and funny faces. He lives in Philly where there is typically GOOD trouble to be had.

Links from the Show:

• The Welcome Project website: https://welcomeprojectpa.org/
• Donate to the Welcome Project here: https://welcomeprojectpa.org/welcomeprojectpa.org/?page_id=16/
• See Me, Hear Me, Know Me Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo6Sxh5JA24&t=2s
• Join Mama Dragons here: www.mamadragons.org

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