Growing American Youth

Growing American Youth logo

Growing American Youth is a social support organization for youth who live in or near St. Louis and who are 21 and under and may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or asexual, or questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity. Growing American Youth has been serving St. Louis area youth for 30 years.[1] The group meets every Thursday at 7 pm at Trinity Church, located at 600 N. Euclid, and every Tuesday at 7 pm at the Youth in Need building in St.Charles, located at 1815 Boone's Lick Road.[2][3] With adult supervision, the youth members discuss various situations in their lives, issues in the news and government, self-acceptance, coming out, and getting along with peers. Not all of the conversations deal with LGBT issues. Youth can ask for advice or bring up anything on their minds, or the advisers can bring up a topic of discussion.[3][4] Straight allies are very much welcomed to attend and participate in discussions.[2]

Among other events, such as their New Year's Eve lock-ins[5] and their annual GSA Summit,[6] the group organizes a yearly prom for youth who may not be able to go to, or would rather not attend, their regular high school prom due to problems with whom they want to bring or what they want to wear, or if they are having problems with their fellow students at their schools .[5][7] They are represented yearly at St. Louis PrideFest,[5][8] with over 400 LGBT and allied youths marching in the 2011 parade. In 2012, Growing American Youth marched with 500 youth in the Saint Louis Pride parade.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Growing American Youth". Growing American Youth. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kee, Lorraine (October 11, 2001). "Opening Doors to Understanding and Acceptance". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Futterman, Ellen (December 21, 1992). "Gay teens want information, understanding, acceptance". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  4. ↑ Strongheart, Amy Adams Squire (February 2, 1996). "Message of Hope for Sexual Minority". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Howard, Trisha L. (July 11, 2005). "Prom offers gays a night out: "We got to hold hands," one 18-year-old says". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  6. ↑ Crone, Thomas (May 20, 2004). "Lipkin Says Her "Apple Pie" Will Turn Out With Surprises". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  7. ↑ Kim, Eun Kyung (June 23, 2006). "Today's gay teens have more support, but plenty of stigma lingers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  8. ↑ Bell, Kim (June 25, 2004). "Politics could seize the limelight at PrideFest". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  9. ↑ Munz, Michele (June 27, 2011). "New York's gay marriage law boosts mood at St. Louis PrideFest". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.