💚 Happy Earth Day from IOYS! 💚 Today, IOYS staff, volunteers, and young folx honored the Earth by picking up trash around our community center. Let's continue taking care of our planet, our communities, and each other now and for the generations to come ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
It was a powerful evening centering trans stories and creating space for supportive adults and youth to be in community. We were honored to be a part of such a special event ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
Thank you so much to Prism Community Collective, ChangeLine, Hysteria Brooks, First Congregational Church, and of course, Nico Lang (they/them), author of "American Teenager" for an incredible community event last week!
Happy Volunteer Appreciation Week from IOYS! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
We've set a date for Ally Up! 2026 and YOU'RE INVITED. Save the date for September 24, 2026. More information to come ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
Thank you to Belzin Whistlez for coming to the IOYS community center to facilitate Drag Lab this month and supporting young folx in creating their drag personas! We are so grateful for our local drag artists for always making time to spend with our young people & offering their skills! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
Get your spot today, because Pride: Inside & Out is going to be out of this world 👽🚀👩🚀
This could be YOU at Pride: Inside & Out 2026! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
That's right, vendor applications for Pride: Inside &Out are now OPEN! You can submit your application to have a table at Pride: Inside & Out here: tinyurl.com/PrideTable26
We are so grateful for such a beautiful day full of community and care ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
We also had a lovely time learning about the LGBTQ+ history of Colorado Springs with History Colorado and our incredible IOYS Outreach Coordinator, Nico (they/he), who's been working on this project in a personal capacity.
IOYS hosted another successful open house this past weekend! Thank you so much to everyone who came to support, including Be You Colorado, who offered free HIV/STI testing to community members.
🌈🦄Happy National Unicorn Day from Gemmy (they/them) and IOYS ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
The event will be held at the IOYS community center (516 W. Colorado Ave.) for young people ages 13 to 24, affirming educators, trusted adults, and chosen families. Security will be present, and dinner provided! Hope to see you there ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
We will also have a presentation about IOYS and the PPSASC for anyone wanting to learn more about the work the Coalition does and how they can better support safer schools in Colorado Springs!
Trusted adults and affirming educators are important, so we want to lift them up, support them, and celebrate them in all that they do for LGBTQIA2+ young people with a community dinner, button making, bracelet making, card writing, and resources to support them and their students.
Join Inside Out Youth Services and the Pikes Peak Safe at Schools Coalition on Monday, April 20th from 4:30 to 6:30pm for our Allied Educator Party!
Congratulations to our grads. This is an incredible and inspiring group of young people, and we are SO PROUD of them! 🌈
Also, shoutout to the IOYS Leadership Specialist, Moe (she/they), for leading this program and supporting these young folx in their journeys ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
They spent the last 3 months bolstering their leadership skills and are equipped to articulate the purpose of youth leadership, understand current strengths and areas for growth, understand biases and how they may show up, and facilitate programs and mentor peers while at the IOYS community center.
🎉 Congratulations to our Leadership Graduates! 🎉
If you are looking for a concrete step to take this Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action, consider requesting a training here: insideoutys.org/trainings-pa... 💙
For Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action, Inside Out Youth Services is proud to announce a new training available to businesses, organizations, and groups: Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention for LGBTQIA2+ youth, created in partnership with CASA and the Office of Violence Against Women.
Happy International Asexuality Day from IOYS ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
In honor of International Asexuality Day, one of our incredible Board Members, Liv (she/they), has some reflections on her Asexual and Aromantic identities 🖤🩶🤍💜
Something OUT OF THIS WORLD is coming to the Tava-Kaavi (Pikes Peak) region... 👽🚀👩🚀
Mark your calendars for QUEER PROM & PRIDE: INSIDE & OUT on May 30th and June 6th, respectively🌈
Shoutout to PFLAG Colorado Springs and X1039 for helping to make Prom & Pride possible ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
Affirming individuals and families are invited to these events next weekend!
Thank you so much to Ella (she/her) for coming to the IOYS community center to teach acting exercises and theatrical writing techniques to young folx! We so appreciate you sharing these skills and tools with young folx that can support them in their artistic expression ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
...Being in a community center filled with like-minded queer people is pretty rad 🙂"
Thank you so much, Kate, for being an amazing IOYS volunteer! We greatly appreciate your time and support of LGBTQIA2+ young people. Your time and care truly make a difference ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎💙🤍💗
Additionally, I believe it is important for them to see us as adults struggle with the same things they are to validate their experience. I also volunteer at IOYS for me and that younger version of me who did not have any understanding of or access to any space like IOYS...
...I think this is especially helpful for the IOYS youth so they have examples of adults with similar identities who are successful, joyful, and confident in who they are, despite interlocking systems of oppression working against us...