SMYAL

SMYAL supports and empowers LGBTQ+ youth in the Washington, DC area. Its mission is to create a world where queer and trans youth thrive through affirming programs and services that develop critical life skills, build community and foster a sense of belonging. The organization began in 1984, when youth service professionals and community activists held a conference on LGBTQ+ youth issues and then formed a safe space, the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League, where young people could explore their identities. What started as support groups has grown over four decades into a full range of programs and services.

The heart of SMYAL is its youth programs, which are free and open to LGBTQ+ youth ages 6 to 24, along with allied and questioning youth. Little SMYALs gives elementary and middle school kids ages 6 to 13 a social group built around games, books, arts and crafts and LGBTQ+ history and culture, with virtual programs on Wednesday evenings and in-person programs on Saturdays at the youth center. Teen and young adult programs for ages 13 to 24 meet weekly in person and through Q Chat Space and Discord, with special events throughout the year. Every new young person begins with a Welcome Session to meet staff, ask questions and meet new friends. Each summer, Camp Free2Be offers week-long sessions for trans, nonbinary and gender-diverse youth ages 6 to 14, with trans and nonbinary teens serving as volunteer junior counselors. PrideCon Youth Pride Fest, SMYAL scholarships for students entering post-secondary education, and the Sophie's Live Out Loud and Youth Leadership Awards celebrate young leaders.

Care goes beyond the drop-in room. SMYAL's mental health services are free for youth ages 6 to 24, in person in Washington or by telehealth, with individual and group therapy, play therapy for ages 6 to 12, support for families and caregivers, and bilingual therapy in English and Spanish. Its clinicians are licensed in DC, Maryland and Virginia, and referrals can come from youth themselves or from another provider.

For young people without a safe place to live, SMYAL offers affirming housing for LGBTQ+ youth ages 18 to 24 who are experiencing homelessness. Options include transitional housing for up to two years, extended transitional housing for up to six years in apartment-style settings, and rapid re-housing with short-term rental assistance across the District. Residents meet weekly with case managers to build individualized service plans and can attend life skills courses in nutrition and cooking, financial literacy, healthy relationships and resume writing.

SMYAL also works outside its own walls. Its in-school support partners with schools in DC, Maryland and Virginia on staff and administrator trainings, student workshops, GSA and Rainbow Club engagement, group counseling and resource fairs. A quarterly Parents and Caregiver Support Group, run with Rainbow Families, gives the adults in young people's lives a place to share their fears, joys and questions.

There are many ways to be part of the work. Youth ages 13 to 24 can volunteer, apply for paid internships or join the DREAM Team that supports Saturday programs. Adults can volunteer at events, serve on the Brunch or Young Donors committees, join Lawyers for SMYAL, attend SMYAL for Summer and the Annual Fall Brunch, or give online.