Posted: December 21, 2002

Has IYG Finally Come Out?

An open letter to the Indiana LGBT community

I was recently at a party talking with a 70-year old gay man. He turned to me and said, "IYG does really great work, but I've never supported the group because you hide your location." I'm sure he saw my heart drop when he said it.

Past leadership at IYG chose to keep the address of IYG secret to protect the youth who attended. They feared a hostile anti-gay community that might try to damage the facility. And while its nowhere in the records, I suspect they feared some members of the LGBT community knowing the address as well.

However, when I started as Executive Director in the fall of 2000, IYG was in shambles. The board and staff had disintegrated, yet the youth kept coming in. In my job interview I told the board members that for me to take the position, two things had to be agreed upon. First, since IYG historically was a leader in the nation for LGBT youth programming, my expectation was that we would return to a position of national prominence. Second, the location of IYG would no longer be kept secret.

How can an agency that serves such an important need hide itself? How can an agency that relies on the support of the community, not allow the community to see where its support goes?

From that moment on, the agency has never turned back. The location and programs at IYG have been public for over 2 years, yet my 70-year old friend had not heard it. That is the purpose of this letter. IYG is out and proud. We are a beacon for LGBT youth and something for the community to take pride in. We openly welcome caring volunteers and supporters of all types. Our facility has been and will continue to be available for other groups to use (until we get an LGBT community center!).

Friends, IYG is out and we want you to know it. And, by the way, our address is 2943 E. 46th St. on the corner of 46th and Binford. Stop by and see us some time.

Sincerely,

Rob Connoley
Executive Director