So, there we were last Saturday night, 8/22/, seven members of the book discussion group, “Skyping” with one of our favorite writers, Frank Anthony Polito, author of Band Fags! and Drama Queers! It was an awesome climax to a year’s worth of buzz.

The youth launched the book club in 2008. One of the first selections was Band Fags!, the sometimes campy, sometimes heartbreaking, semi-autobiographical account of growing up gay in the 80’s. The novel focuses on best friends Jack Paterno and Brad Dayton from their first meeting in …

Soulful. Sinful. Sensual. Seductive: These are the exact electrical vibes that were perceived at Youth First Texas’s first annual Give em’ Heel Fashion Show. On August 8th,  the youth from Youth First Texas along with the aid of volunteers had a dashing display of prizes, finger foods, drinks, models, performers and, above all, original clothing lines designed by a few of our youth.

The fashion show benefit was fantastic! Walking in, the first thing to be seen were the glamorous heels for auction, designed by Johnny De Leon, Laquilla Beans …

Picture it: Wednesday, August 5, 2009. Per a story carried by the Associated Press, the American Psychological Association declares that therapists should avoid directing gay clients toward treatment designed to “cure” them of their sexuality. Instead, the APA advocates a more sensible approach, such as introducing celibacy as an option to relieve conflict, or suggesting that a given patient consider channeling his/her faith in the direction of a religion that exhibits tolerance over unwavering fundamentalism.
This development is interesting because at about the same time an online article reported about a …

Saturday, July 18th, at YFT. We’ve just screened The Crying Game as part of the new Café Cinema series, and now we’re hanging out in the kitchen, “unpacking” our various takes on the movie as we drink either tea (blueberry or lemon-ginger) or French vanilla and mocha flavored coffees. The Crying Game is the popular, much scrutinized, 1992 film about a one-time member of the IRA who acts as the protector of a beautiful—totally hot—hairdresser, the girlfriend of a slain IRA hostage. The twist—SPOILER ALERT—is that both the hairdresser and …

Picture it: Saturday, 6/27/09, at YFT. Some of the center’s most talented poets, writers, and visual artists gathered in the big meeting room to assemble the second annual YouthFirst Texas literary anthology, Queer Subtext. Kenny Schreiber proposed the catchy titlewhile V. Rodriguez designed the cover; Tony Conway drew the back cover illustration. Other youth featured in the anthology are Wajid Aldomour, “G.C.,” Zack Duffer, Kristin Lane (a.k.a “ Squee”), Alex Langley, Jesus Montelongo, Scotty Moriarty, Giancarlo Mossi, Essie Romanik, charley scarborough, A. Senini, and Shawn Trimm. Additionally, Frankyee Popovich and Steven Richmond …

Once again, Youth First Texas will be the sole beneficiary for the Alan Ross Freedom Parade that wraps up the activities for Dallas Pride week and we will be volunteering to help with the parade.

This year we have an awesome opportunity for a youth member from YFT to represent us on the steering committee with the Dallas Tavern Guild that coordinates and plans many of the pride week events including the Alan Ross Freedom Parade.  Steering committee members have historically been recognized in the “Pride Guide” that comes out in the Dallas …

This past Saturday, many youth were seen behind a Western & Country gay bar braving the 105 degree weather for one reason and one reason alone: to raise money for Lifewalk. With fruit popsicles in one hand and a hose in the other, we were able to raise a whopping $705 in just under five hours. As a partner agency for 2009, Youth First Texas is collaborating with AIDS Arms to not only support LGBT youth in the North Texas region but also raise HIV/AIDS awareness.
Many thanks go out …

The Dallas Bears recently held their 16th Annual Membership & Awards Banquet at Eddie Deen’s Ranch with more than 50 members and guests in attendance. This annual event is one that recognizes outstanding members of the organization, the community, and awards proceeds of the Dallas Bears Texas Bear Round-Up 13 (TBRU 13), an annual fundraiser benefiting the International Bear Brotherhood and Dallas GLBT community. In a little over 10 years, the Dallas Bears have established the Texas Bear Round-Up as one of the four largest Bear events in the nation. …

Last Thursday, we promised to post all questions and answers after our Board of Directors shared their role with the youth of YFT. Please see thier replies below. If anyone has any other questions, we would love to answer them.
Where does the Board of Directors (BOD) plan to take Youth First Texas (YFT) from here?
The BOD is currently developing a 5 year strategic plan for the organization. The vision we are basing this on includesLeasing a safer, more modern space for the next 5 years Developing a plan to purchase a …

Since before we were capable of looking in the mirror and enumerating our flaws, the mantra “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” has been etched into our brains. And magazines, television and movies have saturated our eyes with preconceived notions of what it means to be beautiful. Private scrutiny, coupled with public ridicule, can lead to severe body image issues among all youth, though at times it seems that LGBT youth are hit even harder.
At Youth First Texas, volunteer Kyle Erwin is hoping to address some of those …