A Letter from Kyle

I want our community and allies to have a clear understanding about what it is that we do at YouthPride. So I paint a picture for them…

Take just a moment and think of all the organizations that serve our community and the many different ways in which they do so – coming out and support groups, HIV/AIDS and STI education and testing, monitoring and combating homophobia in schools and the juvenile justice and foster care systems, suicide prevention and counseling, homelessness prevention and support, empowering individuals to take responsibly for our civil and human rights – then image all those programs and services under one roof for LGBTQ youth.

That’s YouthPride.

YouthPride is constantly growing to meet the pressing needs of LGBTQ youth.

We offer critically important services for our youth, and we are the only organization in Georgia working directly with LGBTQ youth that offer comprehensive support, programming, and services 52 weeks a year.

In the past, YouthPride has relied on generous grant funding from the United Way, Fulton County, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the AEC Trust, and other institutions for the vast majority of its funding. However, the truth is there is only so much grant funding out there for an LGBTQ youth organization and community center.

YouthPride cannot continue to grow and expand our services to meet the needs of the next generation without the financial support of the LGBT community and our allies.

I understand that we all contribute to improving the condition of the LGBT community in our own special ways. Some of you – like me – may have a passion for our community’s political struggle for equality and are invested in the HRC, Victory Fund, Georgia Equality, Atlanta Stonewall Democrats, Log Cabin Republicans, and other political organizations.

Some of you have a particular interest in advancing equality through religious affiliations and networks and touch the lives of others as a part of your religious institutions affinity groups or by being active in your congregations.

Some of you recognize that the media is a powerful tool for advancing equality and are involved in GLAAD. While others recognize that many of the rights we have as LGBT persons are won because of court victories and are invested in the work of Lambda Legal.

But, I must ask you two questions to which I hope you will seriously consider the consequences of your answers:

First, who will continue your work when you’re gone?

Second, what impact would it make on our community’s struggle if the next generation was healthy, successful, thriving and empowered to take more responsibility for every facet of this movement and reach out to their friends and neighbors to grow support for our fair inclusion and acceptance?

Digest that.

Then I hope you will consider supporting the next generation of LGBT leadership and donate as generously as you possibly can to support the work of YouthPride. Please consider joining the other individuals and corporations who recognize the importance of investing in the next generation and become a YouthPride Guardian at the $1000 level or higher.

Sincerely,
Kyle Bailey
Community Relations Director

P.S. If you have any questions about how to become a YouthPride Guardian, please contact Kyle Bailey at 404.521.9711 x 202 or email kyle@youthpride.org.

To download "YouthPride Guardian" brochure, please click here!

To download "The World off LGBTQ Youth" brochure, please click here!

YouthPride receives support from the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Fulton County Department of Human Services, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, The AEC Trust, Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund, Georgia Shares, Delta Airlines, BellSouth, ChoicePoint, Lee Bryan Interior Design, Jai Shanti Yoga, and individuals throughout Georgia.

(Credit cards are also accepted over the phone.)

Get a tax deduction for that unwanted vehicle (and more) while you support today's queer youth! Donate online at http://www.donationline.com or call 1-877-CARS-4-US ext. 1374

All donations are tax deductible. YouthPride, Inc. is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization.

YouthPride Federal Tax I.D.: 58-2220375

Want to send a check? Download a donor form by clicking here.