Out Youth

Help us celebrate 25 years of Out Youth, Austin's safe haven for LGBTQ young people in Central Texas! We invite you to join us on Saturday, May 9, 2015, for "A Night Out in Austin" under the Palmer Events Center's north canopy overlooking the downtown skyline. We'll dine, drink, dance, and celebrate stories of youth who found a place to belong. Out Youth is the only organization in Central Texas dedicated to LGBTQ youth and offers counseling services, support groups, and the David Bohnett CyberCenter for people ages 12 to 23. Out Youth is also pioneering free HIV testing, prevention, and counseling for youth with our "Knowing Your Status is Smart" program, supported by the Elton John AIDS Foundation. And Out Youth hosts one of the most memorable events of the year - the Out Youth Prom - which gives every teen the opportunity to celebrate a milestone high school moment in a safe, welcoming environment. In 2015, Out Youth will serve more than 500 young people at the Out Youth house in Central Austin. Another 1,500 teenagers will get help through the Texas Gay-Straight Alliance Network, a program of Out Youth. There are waiting lists for Out Youth's services - more kids need us than we can currently help. Despite society's progress, more than half of LGBTQ youth still say they have been bullied, harassed, and called anti-gay slurs. LGBTQ youth are twice as likely as their peers to say they have been physically assaulted, kicked, or shoved at school. We can't, and won't, stand for this. Please join us to celebrate Out Youth's progress, and to prepare LGBTQ youth for society's many challenges. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and our goal is to set up Out Youth for another quarter century of helping promising young people develop into happy, healthy, successful adults. Do you like this page?