Youth Outright WNC

Youth Outright holds weekly Youth support meetings for lgbtqia+ Youth ages 11-20. Through the covid-19 pandemic all groups were hosted virtually through zoom and discord platforms. These groups provide peer and adult support, cultural and health-based education, and leadership development. We work with local, state, regional and national organizations and coalitions to provide resources to support lgbtqia+ Youth, their allies, and supportive families. These resources include lgbtqia+ affirming counseling, crisis management services, affirming faith institutions, youth-led gender and sexuality alliance clubs and other similar organizations that offer vital services and education to lgbtqia+ Youth. Through covid-19 Youth Outright created a rapid response grant fund for lgbtqia+ young people 24 years old and younger who were financially impacted by the pandemic and/or experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. In 2020, we onboarded part-time programmatic staff to facilitate Youth programs and support Youth leadership development. As a small part of our work, we also advocated for non-discrimination protections for lgbtqia+ folks across the country as well as for north carolina as a state.