Rykeland (Ryka) Sweeney (He/they) is a queer and trangsgender veteran of the United States Army and an LGBT+ activist in New York’s Capital District. He primarily works with middle and high school students to help them make their schools a safer place for everyone. Some of their proudest achievements in this sector is the establishment of gender neutral restrooms at both Guilderland High School (2016) and Farnsworth Middle School (2017), and leading workshops on Title IX and the Dignity for All Students Act to ensure the student body at large understand their rights as public school students in the State of New York. Though his Army Career was cut short by an injury, he continues to live his life by the Army Values and hopes to make some sort of difference in the world.
With Poetic Theater Productions:
Participant and Poet in Untold Stories: You Ask, I Tell