Beginnings
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Their first meeting in 1993 was held in the lower level of Planned Parenthood in Harrisburg, PA, with seven teens attending, and the initial goal being to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth to be themselves.
After that first meeting, the group met once a month, which later changed to every other Friday, and then moved to every week because the youth stated they needed a safe space more regularly. The average age of teens was in the 17+ range, with the youngest attendee being about 15 years old, and attendance varied from six to twenty students a meeting. Initial programming included a presentation or activity, with an open discussion to follow. Sharon wanted to create this space for the LGBTQ+ youth that filled it and wanted it to be “theirs”, so as a group they named themselves the Bi, Gay, and Lesbian Youth Association of Harrisburg (Bi-GLYAH). They met in the Planned Parenthood location until about 1996, when they moved to St. Michael’s Lutheran Church on State Street in Harrisburg, PA. |
Bi-GLYAH Business Card, circa 1995.
Courtesy of LGBT-021, DCA.
Sharon talking about the naming of the group and fostering a place of belonging
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