Natasha Jahchan
Natasha Jahchan, like many in the LGBTQ+ community, knows there are far too few queer and lesbian spaces to gather. “I felt like I had a duty to do something about it,” she tells GO. “We deserve better.” Using her knowledge and skillset as a user experience designer, Jahchan created Velly, a social initiative that makes it easier to find local lesbian and queer happenings. Jahchan is a first-generation Lebanese immi- grant and lesbian who recognizes the diversity that makes up the LGBTQ+ community. “We contain multitudes of identities, races, ethnicities, beliefs, backgrounds, and interests, and we deserve that diversity in our spaces and our social platforms,” she says. As she develops the Velly app, Jahchan is intentional about reflecting the community’s diversity, and is purposeful about creating something that makes every- one feel a sense of belonging. “I want to make it easier to access each other both digitally and physically so we can create the world we want to see ourselves,” she says. “My hope is to launch something that helps people find their people.” While Jahchan and her co-founder build the app, she posts events on Velly’s Instagram to help event organizers, community leaders, and activists reach a wider audience and boost awareness of these happenings, so more people in the LGBTQ+ community can make meaningful connections. “From the start that’s all I wanted,” she says, “for people to feel welcomed and like they belonged.” –LC
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