Tyrone
Executive Director
Tyrone comes from one of the longest standing black families in Madison, going back four full generations. Graduating from East High School in 2007, Tyrone went on to UW-Platteville to focus on his successful post high school athletics, where he discovered himself and came out at the age of 21. He returned to Madison shortly after, determined to explore and experience the new community he now found himself to be a part of. He joined the Madison Minotaurs, an LGBT rugby team which he played on every year, allowing him to not only make a name for himself, but also interact with many different sorts of people that called the queer community their home. When he was 27, he finally decided to experience life outside of the states, living in Australia for the better of two years working closely with the LGBTQIA+ community and experiencing a different way of life. Upon returning to Madison, he’s gone back to pursuing higher education at MATC, focusing on a Communications degree with emphasis on LGBTQIA+. Tyrone has worked with GSAFE as an adult mentor for over four years, being a staple at the Leadership Training Institute camp that is held every year. Since sports have been a part of his life for so long, he dreams of one day focusing his advocacy in the queer community on LGBTQIA+ young athletes, providing guidance through his experiences and hope to nurture their confidence and activism into their future lives. No matter the occasion, Tyrone brings his leadership, confidence, and loveable personality to the table in hopes of positively influencing everyone he connects with.
Brian Juchems (Brian J.)
Senior Director of Education & Policy
Brian J. has been at the forefront of fostering inclusive schools in Wisconsin for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth since 1998 when he migrated to Madison from rural Iowa where he had previously worked as a residence hall director for Luther College. Brian J. co-founded and grew GSAFE’s annual Leadership Training Institute into a 4-day summer camp for high school students across Wisconsin to develop their skills as activists, allies, and agents of change. In 2002 Brian J formally joined GSAFE’s staff and has served as lead trainer, where he has regularly provided engaging professional development for tens of thousands of K-12 educators with an approachable and playful Midwest sensibility. In 2005 Brian J. partnered with Madison students to successfully pass the state’s first district-level transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination policy and has since worked with dozens of districts to take similar steps. Throughout 2016-2017, with the support of the Wisconsin Partnership Program and Gender Spectrum, Brian J. developed and piloted GSAFE’s Gender Inclusive Schools Project, a multi-level approach that helps school districts create systemic change towards the health and well-being of transgender and non-binary students. A frequent collaborator with Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction, Brian J remains a sought-after trainer and consultant for Wisconsin’s K-12 school.
Rae
Senior Manager of Social Media & Communications
Rae (she/her) was born and raised in Baltimore and moved to Madison after graduate school in 2009 with her MFA in Photography. At GSAFE Rae contributes with day to day office needs social media and planning and organizing of two major fundraisers. Celebration of leadership and the Trick or Trot 5K Walk/ Run. In 2017 she was able to lend her photo stills and produced a photo project with GSAFE called Captured. In 2023 she again will start a new photo series for GSAFE called Athletic Ability (Ability- power or capacity to do)
The photo series will be a collection of portraits of Wisconsin LGBTQ+ High School Athletes. In the hopes to bring light and speak against the the anti trans athlete bills taking place all over the country.
When at home you can find Rae hanging out with her daughter and partner. For self care she enjoys walking in the woods, writing poetry and mediation. Spirituality and connecting to the Universe is very important to Rae.
Katie
Director of Youth Leadership & Advocacy
Katie (she/her) is thrilled to be a part of the GSAFE team. Before stepping into this role, Katie facilitated district-wide LGBTQIA+ advocacy efforts for the Madison Metropolitan School District, and worked as a classroom teacher at Sherman Middle School on the northside of Madison. Katie felt drawn to work with GSAFE to continue her work around advocacy in education, and she is driven by the urgent need for LGBTQIA+ youth of color to see themselves represented in leadership and feel supported as they navigate their identities.
Katie is a Milwaukee native and moved to Madison to attend Edgewood College. She holds a degree in K-12 Education and has experience teaching Spanish at all levels, as well as ESL in the U.S and abroad. Katie is a queer woman and an Indian-adoptee. In her free time, Katie loves hiking, kayaking, writing, traveling, painting and spending time with her family.
Reach out anytime – she would love to hear from you!
Lane
Director of Finance & Development
Hello GSAFE community! My name is Lane Hanson (she/they) and I am excited to join GSAFE in the role of Grants and Compliance Manager. My GSAFE journey began 10 years ago when I worked with the organization during my Social Work internship experience. Since that time, I have continued to stay involved with GSAFE events and also served on the Board of Directors. After my internship I worked at UW Madison coordinating a service learning program for undergraduate students. I recently switched career paths in order to focus more on grant writing and administrative work, which brought me back to GSAFE. I am also the proud parent of two thriving young adults who have benefited from GSAFE programming. I look forward to further supporting GSAFE's mission and vision!
Sue
Director of Family Engagement and Advocacy
Advanced Social Work Field Student
Rachel (she/her) is an advanced generalist student within the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Social Work program with a specialized emphasis in School Social Work. Originally from New York, Rachel relocated to Madison to pursue her Masters in Music as she continued her career as a voice and piano teacher and professional opera singer. While in Madison, Rachel decided to switch career paths to Social Work so that she could make more of a tangible impact serving the community. Being a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, Rachel lives with her wife, baby, and 3 dogs. Her passion for creating safe spaces and fighting for equity for the LGBTQ+ community—especially youth— is what drives her passion for School Social work and excites her for the time she has with GSAFE.