Youth Group

What is it?

The TSA Youth Group is a safe place for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth under the age of 21, and their straight supporting friends/allies. The TSA Youth Group is coordinated by an HIV Prevention Outreach Director, and staffed by a group of volunteers, which include a professional licensed social worker, a social work student, a business professional, an HIV/STD Disease Intervention Specialist, a local Career Counselor, and a Substance Abuse Counselor.

Only with the support of the community will the TSA Youth Group continue to grow and thrive.

TSA is creating Friends of the TSA Youth Group. The goal of this group is to raise money and awareness for the TSA Youth Group. To volunteer, call 812-480-0204, or e-mail 3statealliance@gmail.com.

How do they meet?

This group meets on a weekly basis at a social service agency in downtown Evansville. The TSA Youth Group is a safe place for GLBT youth in our region to come together, socialize and have their needs met. GLBT youth attend not only from Evansville, but also from such Indiana cities as Boonville, Jasper, New Albany, Shoals, Vincennes; Kentucky communities of Henderson, Owensboro and Madisonville; and such Illinois communities as Carmi, Eldorado, Harrisburg, Lawrenceville, Marion, Mt. Carmel, Norris City and Olney. The TSA Youth Group offers a variety of services to at-risk self-identified gay, lesbian and bisexual youth throughout our region.

For more info on meeting times and location contact Wally Paynter by phone at (812)480-0204, or you can e-mail him at 3statealliance@gmail.com

How did the youth group get started?

In August of 1998 a series of hate crimes occurred in downtown Evansville against gay, lesbian and bi youth. As a result of these hate crimes, TSA (our region’s leading GLBT social service organization) created the TSA Youth Group.

Services Provided by Youth Group Facilitators

HIV and STD Prevention: TSA works to provide HIV and STD prevention to this at-risk group. This goes beyond condom distribution, and includes working on such risk co-factors as alcohol and drug abuse, communication skills, self-esteem, and dating skills. TSA provides free confidential and anonymous HIV testing at its youth group. TSA works with high school and college students on study skills and habits, helps youth apply for college, take college-prep tests and even help prepare for the GED.

Other life skills TSA helps its youth with are job hunting, creating a resume, apartment hunting, coming out to your parents, money management and other needs as they arise.

Special Youth Group Events

TSA hosts a variety of special events each month for the youth group. The youth group plans for these events. At times these occur on Saturday nights after the youth group, and sometimes they occur on a special night.

Events such as watching movies, going to putt-putt golf, going to Gay Day Holiday World or other theme parks, dining out, swimming and cookouts are among the special events the youth group plans.

These events are paid for by private donations and through fundraisers conducted by the members of the youth group.

Some major events, like the GLBT Prom, are sponsored by the TSA Youth in collaboration with GLBT student groups from Vincennes University, the University of Evansville and the University of Southern Indiana.

Next year’s prom is approaching fast, and we plan on setting another attendance record. To find out how you can help email 3statealliance@gmail.com