Center Blog

As we begin 2011 it’s refreshing to look back and reflect on how The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center was able to create a safe and nurturing environment for hundreds of (LGBTQ) youth ages 13 to 22, during the holiday season. The Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (Y.E.S.) program held three events in the fall and early winter. They included: “Thanks for Being Queer Turkey Dinner Event” on November 24, which served 100 youth; “Youth Holiday Event” on December 23, that served over 60 youth; and “New Year’s Event” on December 30, serving over 60 youth. The YES holidays events are part of an overall (Y.E.S.) strategy to ensure the safe and healthy development of LGBTQ youth and reduce the incidence of homelessness, HIV and substance abuse. In addition, these events provide homeless LGBTQ youth opportunities to experience milestones such as the holidays in LGBT-positive ways that mainstream settings and many of their families do not provide.

Our “Thanks for Being Queer: Turkey Dinner Event” included the first public performance by the (Y.E.S.) New Agenda dancers, who shared a performance on Native American cultural expression of LGBTQ identities. Both the “Youth Holiday Event” on December 23 and the “Youth New Year’s Event” on December 30 included refreshments funded by PepsiCo’s LGBT employee affinity group and a clothing swap/share with new and used clothing and shoes donated by Center staff. Each event also included activities, groups and games, as well as gift bags complete with “swag” from RuPaul’s Drag Race and new winter scarves, gloves, hats and bags donated by the MTV and HBO LGBT employee affinity groups.

The Center is committed to offering vital services to the young people in our community who often have no role models and no other opportunities to experience an LGBT inclusive environment. We look forward to providing these kinds of unique youth programs throughout the new year and we thank generous donors like PepsiCo, HBO and MTV for helping to make it possible.