Youth First Texas’s very own Dallas PUMP! guest starred in yet another amazing performance hosted by the Turtle Creek Chorale’s small ensemble, ENCORE!, on June 10, 2009 at Theater Three. This show, “Avenue E,” with special guests, Amy Stevenson and Jenny Thurman, plays off of the rising Broadway hit, “Avenue Q.”
This performance concludes Dallas PUMP!’s outstanding season of great achievements.

The GLSEN School House Rock event marked Dallas PUMP!’s humble beginnings performing at the House of Blues on November 17, 2008
Turtle Creek Chorale’s “Hottest Holidays Ahead!” concert at the Meyerson Symphony …

How does one measure the success of Youth First Texas – is it by the variety of programs, the influx of funding, or even the number of days of its existence?
Although these are all very wonderful, let us be reminded of our mission: to empower LGBTQ youth! In the words of Judith Dumont, “We are here to create fearless youth – and fierce, too!”
What can be fiercer than a high school diploma?
The statistics are staggering. According to the 2007 study done by GLSEN, LGBT students were almost twice as likely …

What Youth First Texas is all about.
Videography by: Heather Viguerias, David Alvarado, Jessica Ogle, Jason Clemente, and Michael Mueller
Graphic by: Michael Todd
Edited by: Michael Mueller

In his darkest days, deepest lows, a young kid who wanted to belong and be like everyone else endured harassment and physical blows just to get through the end of the day. He was crucified relentlessly by those who were supposed to be friends. He was ridiculed by those he was supposed to trust. He was let down by the man who was to supposed to raise him.
This Gay Latino youth in Dallas will not be mourned. He will be celebrated.
He chose life and the promise that comes with it. …

A storm really is coming. It’s as if the heavens opened up and cried that day for the murders of countless individuals. Brandon Teena was an FTM transperson who was viciously murdered because he did not conform to traditional gender roles. Carl Walker-Hoover committed suicide moments away from his 12th birthday due to name-calling because of his perceived sexual orientation.
These are just two of the many cries for help that goes unheard.
Started in 1996 at the University of Virginia, the Day of Silence is the largest student organized demonstration promoting …

LGBTQ YOUTH – SPEAK OUT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL EXPERIENCES!
The 2009 National School Climate Survey is GLSEN’s sixth national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. It is a crucial tool in GLSEN’s mission for fighting anti-LGBT bias in K-12 schools across the nation. The information gathered from this survey will help GLSEN to lobby and advocate for the rights of all students to be treated with respect in their schools. Many students in the past have also used the survey information to advocate with their teachers and principals for …

Every Sunday from 6 -7:30 p.m. and every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from 6:30 – 8:45, two volunteers and a handful of youth arrive to hang out and discuss whatever is on their mind at YFT Collin County, located at 2201 Avenue K
Plano, Texas 75074.
Feeling like a family, many of the youth are very close. On Sundays there are around five to ten youth that come to discuss basically anything that comes up in conversation. Usually, the topic is the drama that has happened in the previous week. Many times …

Just like Fergie, we here at YFT are working on our fitness!
Youth First Texas is super excited to launch our brand new Health and Fitness Program, a collaboration with Anytime Fitness. Dennis Centorbi, a faithful volunteer, created this opportunity to inspire our youth to have a positive body image and a motivated attitude about living healthy.
Launching on Saturday, May 2nd, the Health and Fitness program will run every Saturday from 10:30am-12:00pm at Lee Park for a total of 6 weeks.
To help us reach our fitness goals, Anytime Fitness is providing …

POPWIRED REPORTS — Producer and writer Del Shores announced Monday that the rumored production for Season 2 of popular LOGO tv show, ‘Sordid Lives: The Series’ will not be going any further until situations are straighten out. In a facebook message to his fans he said:
Friends: I fought a good, hard fight, but at this time, there will be no Season 2 of “Sordid Lives: The Series” and I have no answer about Season 1 DVD. It is all a big f***ing mess that I can’t discuss at this time, …

As much fun as all the mayhem that we commenced in Austin, the information that I need to share the most is the training provided by Equality Texas.
During the training, the people of Equality Texas introduced themselves and presented the schedule that they would like for us to adhere to.
They went over some general facts about legislature. Texas has 150 representatives – seventy-six Republicans and seventy-four Democrats. We also have thirty-one senators – nineteen Republicans and twelve Democrats. Both houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives, are in session …