Youth First Texas grew out of the Youth Services Advisory Panel (YSAP). YSAP was made up of a group that worked with GLBTQ youth: staff from Oak Lawn Community Services and Walt Whitman Community School and volunteers from Cathedral of Hope, The Resource Center, Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, and PFLAG.


It was clear that youth in the community needed services, but the youth were not a priority within the GLBTQ agencies. There was little to no money being set aside for youth programming. Through the work with a consultant in the summer of 1999, it was decided that an organization whose mission was to provide youth services needed to be formed. Youth First Texas was incorporated in November of 1999.


We went from renting space in the Resource Center to loaned space through the Cathedral of Hope to leasing our own space at 5415 Maple Ave. We are a unique group in that we are youth run and youth led. It is a core value to have youth involved in every decision. We have a youth board that makes all the programmatic decisions. Youth have leadership in all the programs and have a voice in the Executive Board.


Our goal is to be the premiere youth agency in North Texas. When someone has a question on GLBTQ youth, we are called. When there is a youth event, mainstream or in the GLBTQ community, we are included. We also want to have ongoing relationships with mainstream youth agencies to provide training and consultation.

Summer 1999 Met with Consultant, John Eger, to discuss how several groups from several different organizations could come together and provide comprehensive services for GLBTQ youth.

September 1999 Decided that the only way to provide comprehensive services to GLBTQ youth is to create a separate organization whose sole mission is to help GLBTQ youth.

November 1999 Incorporated. Board of Directors included Daryl Parker, Bob Miskinis, Emilia Menthe, Bob Ivancic

November 1999 First Strategic Board Retreat. Creation of Mission Statement.

Received 501(c)3 status

Fundraising concert with The Woman's Chorus of Dallas and The Turtle Creek Chorale with special guest speaker, Judy Shepherd.

October 2000 Trip to Washington DC for NYAC youth leadership conference (11 youth)

November 2000 Formation of Drama Group "Out There Productions"

November 2000 Began work on Mentor Program

December 2000 Began training series to Dallas Independent School District's Youth and Family Center Directors.

April 2001 Birth of Youth Leadership Board

May 2001 Began Female support group on Friday nights

September 2001 Grand Opening of YFT Youth Center

July 2002 Training with DISD Guidance Counselors

September 2002 First High School Age Support Group

November 2002 Grand Opening of new Youth Center

February 2003 First Transgender Youth Group

May 2003 NYAC National Youth Summit

...and the list just keeps growing!