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The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) was established
in 1984 when some youth social services professionals held a conference
on sexual minority youth issues. These professionals initially
came together out of concern about the hospitalization of “cross-dressing”
youth in St. Elizabeth’s Public Psychiatric Hospital. For
the first year of its existence, SMYAL operated as a referral
service, providing youth and their families access to supportive
professionals. It soon became clear that the primary need of the
youth was a place to meet and socialize with other youth, to reduce
their sense of isolation. SMYAL, therefore started to offer youth
socialization and support groups on Saturdays. Later these services
were expanded to include a telephone hot-line for youth and educational
programs and trainings for youth services professionals in schools,
run-away shelters, and hospitals. These programs were designed
and developed by professionals and run by volunteers who were
required to undertake extensive training. From the start SMYAL
had clinical social work volunteers; later adding paid licensed
independent clinical social workers providing mental health counseling
and support. In the late 1980’s, SMYAL became a designated
Combined Federal Campaign agency. In that same time period, it
received its first funding from a state (Maryland) and from a
foundation (The Washington AIDS Partnership).
In June of 1997, SMYAL became the proud owner
of the Metro area’s first Youth Center for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Moving into the Center
(actually two adjacent row houses) expanded SMYAL’s useable
space; allowed SMYAL to substantially expand its hours of operations
to offer after school programs; provided greater Metro-accessibility;
and created the kind of youth-friendly space critical to SMYAL’s
work. The Youth Center includes a lending library, a computer
lab, a group room, a comfortable drop-in area, a resource area
with information on topics ranging from safer sex and substance
abuse to nutrition and civic action, a backyard with basketball
court, and an eating area.
In 2003, SMYAL , in collaboration with three partner
organizations, began to develop additional programs based in Virginia;
and also expanded programs to the Maryland suburbs, offering self-esteem,
health and wellness programs in Prince Georges County schools.
SMYAL utilizes proven “youth development”
strategies in its after-school program. As has been the case from
the start, SMYAL continues to advocate for policies that help
LGBTQ youth with regard to safe schools, foster care, health
services, and other important areas.
As a youth service agency serving the metropolitan
area of Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland, SMYAL
has become a well-respected community-based organization providing
direct services to youth, training and education to youth service
providers, and important information relating to sexuality and
gender identity issues to the community at large. From peer-to-peer
programs to HIV prevention and education, to after-school programs,
and counseling services; SMYAL assists LGBTQ youth in becoming
productive citizens, and provides them with the necessary tools
to become leaders.
In 2005, the SMYAL Board of Directors and Staff created and implemented a strategic plan and organizational vision for years to come. We have revised our mission statement to reflect our five focus areas and adopted a youth development framework.
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