P.O. Box 4959 * Fresno, CA 93744 * (559) 266-LINK info@communitylinkfresno.com
FRESNO GLBTQ YOUTH ALLIANCE
A group for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and
Questioning Youth
A program of Community Link, Inc. - a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit
organization
Contact person: Jeffery Robinson - (559) 486-3464
Statement of Purpose:
The Fresno Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Youth Alliance was created to offer
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning Youth a safe
and substance free environment where they can be themselves, express
their concerns and discuss issues of importance that affect their
lives.
Who’s involved:
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgendered and Questioning community is a vast rainbow of
diversity. The Fresno Youth Alliance welcomes and celebrates that
diversity. Our members are teens and young adults of all colors,
differently challenged, from various religious faiths and backgrounds,
and have a wide variety of interests. We encourage and invite any and
all interested youth to come to our meetings.
Where & When:
We meet every Friday Evening at 7 - 8:30pm at the
First Congregational Church of Fresno
("Big Red Church") at 2131 N. Van
Ness Blvd.
See map. (the link opens an outside window)
Support/Rap:
The group offers a comfortable space, almost like a living-room, and
time to focus on family, relationships, friends, school, work, and to
share concerns and achievements.
Peer Counseling:
The group provides an opportunity for
one-on-one discussions with other young people who share your sexual
and affectional orientation who can help you work through difficult
times by listening and sharing their own experiences.
Educational Programs:
The group has access to trained professionals for workshops, lectures,
and discussions. We also co-sponsor along with Gay-Straight Alliance
Network the annual Expression Not Suppression conference.
Advocacy:
The group allows you an opportunity to advocate and lobby other local,
state, and national governmental bodies and community organizations
regarding issues which effect and affect younger Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning individuals.
Networking & Interacting:
The group networks with other Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual youth groups
in the state, along with student groups on the college and high school
campuses. It allows for interaction with the larger Gay and Lesbian
community through participation with other groups’ events and
community activities.
Social Activities:
The Youth Alliance organizes parties,
trips, movies nights, and dances especially for younger people like
ourselves.
Our Original Events:
Each year the group sponsors the Lavender Prom and co-sponsors the ENS
conference. In the past, we'd also hold the Double Prince and
Princess Pageant, our annual Youth Group Reunion, annual Halloween and
Christmas party, Beach Blanket Beauties, and the Pink Flamingos
Fundraiser.
Directed by:
The Youth Alliance is under the direction of, and is facilitated by
Jeff Robinson, who has a Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology and
who has been working with adolescents and young adults since 1996.
April News
The month of April is in full bloom, which means that there is only one thought on the mind of every member of the Fresno GLBTQ Youth Alliance: the Lavender Prom! Our prom has been in the planning stages for months, and it's finally here! Saturday, April 20, 2013, at 6:00 PM, our Lavender Prom will finally happen (at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1343 E Barstow Ave)! The theme of the prom is the Renaissance, which means that attendees can dress in any type of Renaissance attire, the tuxedos and dresses that one normally attributes to a prom, or they can come to the dance casually dressed! The goal is to dance and have a good time! Of course, kings and queens of the prom will be crowned and otherwise deified!
For this year's prom, Michael Butler, from Chase Flower Shop in Fresno, has been instrumental in lending ideas, props, and his precious time to the prom committee. The GLBTQ Youth Alliance is in his debt for his generous assistance with our prom!
As always, DJ Binx has agreed to keep the music flowing for our youth! What would we do without her? The Wesley United Methodist Church has agreed to allow us to use one of its all-purpose rooms once again for our affair! The prom promoters will be providing food and drinks for the affair, and our official photographer, Juan Bustamante, will be taking as many pictures and the youth can request! Now all we need are the youth to show up for the dance!
As usual, the Youth Alliance has been meeting weekly for socializing and support. The group has been a little distracted lately, probably due to our upcoming prom. But as long as we have a place to meet and the time to meet, we're happy to be getting together! Believe it or not, we actually played musical chairs at out last potluck (the last Friday of the month)! It was amazing how competitive everyone became once the music started! Who knew what fun something as simple as a game of musical chairs could be for our youth?
On Friday, April 19, the members of the GLBTQ Youth Alliance have been invited to attend a special theatrical performance at CSU, Fresno.
The Bully Plays, a collection of five plays compiled by author Linda Habjan and directed by J. Daniel Herring, will focus on the issue of bullying and its effect on youth. The proceeds of the one night performance will benefit the Bulldog Pride Scholarship Fund, which is directed by Peter Robertson. Mr. Robertson has invited our youth to attend the performance free of charge! Many thanks to Mr. Robertson for his generous offer and for his continued support of the Youth Alliance!
The Fresno Youth Alliance meets on Friday nights at 7:00 PM in the Fireside Room of the First Congregational Church (Big Red Church), located at 2131 N. Van Ness. We welcome any and all LGBTQ youth and their allies, aged 14-25, to join us on Friday nights!
Upcoming Events
Fridays 7p Youth Alliance meet
(except on, just before or just after holidays)
Saturday 4/20, 6p-10p Lavender Prom
Past Events
See some of our history!