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Monday, December 13, 2010

Homo Where's that Queer Youth Space?

Posted by Dominic Holden on Mon, Dec 13, 2010 at 4:08 PM

Back in spring, Capitol Hill was covered with pink posters insisting: “We need queer youth space.” Coffee shops, meeting rooms, and service providers like Lambert House were not enough, a set of activists said—they needed space run by queer youth. Then on June 16, the Dept. of Neighborhoods awarded them $100,000 to do it.

Six months later, where is it?

One space the group tried to rent fell through in summer, another is up in the air, and others on the market don’t suit their needs, says Kyle Rapinan, one of group’s leaders. “We don’t want it to be close to a bar,” he explains. Particularly sharing any walkway or being in the same building as a bar, he says, “would be counter to our mission to provide safe and healthy spaces for young people.” The venue must also be wheelchair accessible, as per city granting rules, and located in the city's eastern district (Capitol Hill and the neighborhoods to the east).

“Hopefully within the next six months we’ll know about the landlord,” he says. “Even though it looks like the project is deferred, it is still actively involving queer youth in the community.”

The timeline for actualizing a project funded in part with city money can vary; another project awarded last year won’t begin until next spring, says Anne Takekawa, a project manger for the neighborhood matching fund at the city's Department of Neighborhoods. But if Queer Youth Space were in the same position in a year from now, she says, “I would be extremely concerned.”

So hold tight—your queer youth space is (hopefully) just around the corner. Just don’t let any pesky bars get in the way.

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100K in the hands of queer youth! No no Dear God NO. Please tell me that is not the case. If they don't want to be close to a bar that rules OUT C.H., QA H., BellTown. That leaves all the un-hip, un-trendy, un-cool places where queer youth would never want to go.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on December 13, 2010 at 4:15 PM

And the organizers will all be of drinking age by the time anything happens, realize that giving youth $100,000 is a bad idea, and join the ranks of the 21+ crowd who thought this was a bad idea all along.

Posted by Punditwatch on December 13, 2010 at 4:26 PM

Renting a space next door to Lambert House would be convenient.

Posted by Bub on December 13, 2010 at 4:30 PM

Where?

Budget cuts.

We had to give it to the Billionaires to use for a room to keep their trophies from yachting in.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on December 13, 2010 at 4:39 PM

I've got no problem with the money - the city keeps a pretty tight control on grants like that, so they can't go too crazy - but why do they have such a problem with bars? Who do they think throws the bucks in the hat at GLBT charity events? Drunks, that's who. That's why most fundraisers are held in bars, or in hotels with bars.

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, kids. We all get old, and if you spend all your time looking for the perfect place, you're never going to find it.

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay

on December 13, 2010 at 4:50 PM

Isn't Lambert House the Queer Youth Space? My friend and her girlfriend used to go there a lot. The website says it's for LGBT youth ages 22 and below.

Posted by KetchupSoldier

on December 13, 2010 at 5:24 PM

WTF is a walkway? This is not good for the gays.

Posted by ragold on December 13, 2010 at 7:15 PM

The Fun Forest is available.

Posted by michael strangeways

on December 13, 2010 at 7:26 PM

Has Club Z finally closed up shop? They could use that space, though it's probably to close to a bar.

Posted by Last of the Time Lords on December 13, 2010 at 7:35 PM

I don't get this project.

Posted by seandr on December 13, 2010 at 11:13 PM

Any kids that age who speak in stilted, non-profit slogans like "queer youth space" are beyond the help $100K could offer anyway. Go blow it on Cosmos and hookers, I say.

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball on December 14, 2010 at 2:09 AM

Could someone please tell me what the hell a Queer Youth Space is?

Posted by Angry Sam on December 14, 2010 at 8:14 AM