The Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) hosted its 13th annual fall fundraiser yesterday. The grandiose Mandarin Oriental Hotel served as the venue for the brunch which was well attended by over 550 guests. Since 1984, SMYAL has served as a refuge for LGBTQ youth in DC. They support the youth through programs such as youth leadership development, HIV prevention services and community education. Located in Southeast, SMYAL has inspired their participants to embrace their sexuality and advocate for equality and civility. The brunch was preceeded by a silent auction with high-end items up for grabs such as a 32" LCD TV, a weekend stay at Rehoboth beach, and a San Fransico travel package for seven nights.
Eun Yang, morning anchor for WRC-NBC 4, served as emcee for the event and shared her own connection with SMYAL. She once did a story on SMYAL while she was a reporter and was excited about presiding over the day's event. "I have big shoes to fill because Wendy Rieger (fellow NBC 4 news anchor) did it last year. But I love SMYAL. I love to see the work that they do with the youth. It's very inspiring. So I was honored to emcee." Also in attendance were Councilmembers David Catania and Vincent Gray, two big supporters of the LGBT community. Mr. Gray, who recently won the Democratic nomination for mayor, reminded the audience of his support of the gay community in DC through the passing of the same-sex marriage law. "I had a lot of opposition [about passing the law] from my religious friends. My response to them was that it was the right thing to do." The guest speaker was Jonathan Capehart, Editorial Board member of The Washington Post. He spoke about coming out to his mother and friends, courage, and not having all the answers. "No matter how old you get, you'll never be fully self aware. You'll never have it all figured out," stated Capeheart in his address.
SMYAL provides support and hope to the youth in DC who face homophobia and discrimination while trying to establish their place in society. They are a well supported organization but according to Executive Director Andrew Barnett the need for their services is growing larger. "The biggest challenge is the overwhelming need. We've seen an increase in youth without a place to stay at night. We see youth having trouble getting jobs which is important for selfsufficiency. Our challenge is to do more." If the attendance at yesterday's brunch is any indicator of how well SMYAL will do, the LGBT community of DC should expect to see them do a lot more in months to come.
For more information on SMYAL, including how you can help, click here.
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