A reflection on Superintendent Dr. Keith Miles’ keynote at the 3rd Annual LGBTQ+ Giving Circle Celebration
Every October, communities across the country observe LGBTQ+ History Month as a time to honor the contributions and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and to reflect on the ongoing work of inclusion and belonging.
Each year, the Lancaster County Community Foundation’s LGBTQ+ Giving Circle brings people together around the idea that that collective generosity can help create a community where everyone feels welcome.
Through shared philanthropy, the Giving Circle supports local organizations that provide affirming mental health services, youth programming, leadership development, and community outreach. Since its founding, it has awarded more than $200,000 in grants to Lancaster County nonprofits that are helping to build a more connected, compassionate, and inclusive region.
This fall, that sense of purpose was felt throughout the historic Fulton Theatre as the Community Foundation hosted the 3rd Annual LGBTQ+ Giving Circle Celebration. The event honored the individuals, organizations, and partners who continue to strengthen Lancaster.
Superintendent Dr. Keith Miles was invited to serve as keynote speaker, offering reflections on his personal journey and the meaning of visibility, affirmation, and community.
Dr. Miles began his remarks by sharing a childhood photo of himself as a third grader wearing a red plaid shirt, a young boy who, in his words, was “a little awkward, deeply caring, and very dreamy.” He spoke about growing up in a time and place where fitting in often meant hiding parts of who you were, and how those early experiences shaped his understanding of belonging.
Through storytelling filled with both humor and heart, Dr. Miles traced his path from that quiet, uncertain child to a confident leader who found strength in authenticity. He described the people who helped him along the way, mentors, educators, friends, and coworkers who taught him the power of kindness and the importance of encouragement.
One of those lessons came from an unexpected place, his first job as a teenager at McDonald’s. There, he worked alongside two shift managers who were also drag performers outside of work. “They carried themselves with confidence and joy,” he said. “They took me under their wings with the warmth of mothers and the humor of aunties. They taught me how to handle a rush-hour order and, more importantly, how to hold my head high.”
That early experience, he reflected, became a lasting reminder of how affirmation can take many forms. “If affirmation is missing at home,” he said, “you might just find it elsewhere, in the most unexpected of places, sometimes delivered through laughter, kindness, and a conversation at work over French fries.”
From there, Dr. Miles spoke about the three pillars that have guided his personal and professional journey: visibility, affirmation, and community.
Visibility, he explained, matters because it allows young people to see themselves reflected in the world around them, in their teachers, mentors, and community leaders. “When young people see people like them living fully and authentically,” he said, “they begin to imagine new futures for themselves. They realize that their differences are not deficits, but gifts.”
Affirmation, he continued, is what gives that visibility power. It is what tells a child that they are valued just as they are. And community, he emphasized, is what allows both visibility and affirmation to flourish. “Community is what makes visibility and affirmation possible,” he said. “It’s the soil where acceptance grows.”
While Dr. Miles expressed gratitude for finding that sense of community in Lancaster, he also acknowledged that not all young people feel the same level of safety or belonging. He reminded the audience that the responsibility to build inclusive environments is shared among everyone, including schools, families, nonprofits, businesses, and faith organizations.
“When we work together to create a culture where everyone feels they belong,” he said, “no young person ever has to feel that taking their life is their only option.”
As his speech came to a close, Dr. Miles returned to the image of the little boy in the red plaid shirt, a symbol of every child searching for acceptance and hope. “They may not yet see the future that awaits them,” he said. “But we can. And together, we can continue to create a Lancaster and a world where every child grows up knowing they are seen, they are affirmed, and they belong.”
For the School District of Lancaster, that message is at the heart of our work. Every student deserves a safe, supportive environment that nurtures both their academic success and their sense of self. Whether through inclusive classrooms, strong partnerships, or caring relationships, our goal is to ensure that every student feels valued and capable of achieving their dreams.
The Lancaster County Community Foundation and its LGBTQ+ Giving Circle share that same commitment to community. Through grantmaking, advocacy, and celebration, they continue to model what it means to invest in people and create spaces of belonging. We are reminded that progress begins with empathy, grows through collaboration, and is sustained by love and understanding, the kind that helps every person, young or old, know that they belong here.