A Place to Exhale

The first thing many young people do when they walk into Inside Out Youth Services is exhale. Some come in loud, laughing, with backpacks and inside jokes. Others slip through the doors quietly, scanning the room before choosing a place to sit. For LGBTQIA2+ youth across the Pikes Peak region, this drop-in center can be the first place where they do not have to explain themselves or defend their existence.

Inside Out serves young people through a comprehensive and affirming approach that combines drop-in hours, regularly scheduled peer support groups, leadership development opportunities, sexual and reproductive health education and services, and care coordination that connects youth to housing, mental health care, and other critical supports. The organization’s intentionally designed physical space offers safety, visibility, and a sense of ownership for youth, while virtual programming extends connection to those living in rural or distant communities who cannot easily travel to the center.

After the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs, the need for a secure, safe youth space became even more urgent. Leaders moved quickly to secure a new youth-centered facility that could respond to grief, fear, and the heightened visibility young people were experiencing. Staff describe the work as both professional and deeply personal.

“I did not even realize I was queer until I saw two girls holding hands in public,” recalls Keeley, a staff member at Inside Out. “Young people should not have to wait that long to see themselves reflected. They deserve spaces where they can understand who they are much earlier.”

Staff advocate every day for young people’s wellbeing while also navigating communities where their own identities are often contested. Despite these pressures, youth connected to Inside Out are stepping into visible leadership. They are speaking at school board meetings, helping shape local policies, and building stronger networks of support across the region.

Support from Caring for Colorado has helped Inside Out stay steady in uncertain times. Funding has strengthened staffing, expanded consistent programming, and helped sustain a physical space that signals safety the moment youth walk through the door. Just as important, it has increased opportunities for young people to build relationships with trusted adults, relationships that can change the course of a life.

Inside Out is not simply responding to need. It is helping shape what comes next. A future where LGBTQIA2+ youth are not treated as problems to solve, but as leaders already in motion.

Visit their website to learn more.

Second Chance Center works every day alongside people exiting the justice system across the Denver metro area. The organization provides housing, workforce pathways, behavioral health support, and community connection that help individuals and families move forward.