Lambert House and King County Library System Launch LGBTQ+ Youth Support Group in Skyway

LGBTQ+ youth in South King County have a new resource for peer support and community. The King County Library System and Capitol Hill-based Lambert House have been cohosting youth-led support groups in underserved areas over the last few years at library branches in White Center, Federal Way, Auburn, Covington, and Renton. A new group started at the Skyway branch in April.

The monthly groups kick off with introductions and icebreaker questions like, "What's your favorite dessert?" or "If you could morph into any animal, what would it be?" After that, youth interns lead the group in an art activity like zine-making, coloring, or a multiplayer video game.

The goal isn't necessarily to talk about LGBTQ+ specific issues, but to provide a safer space where participants feel welcomed in all aspects of their identities.

"Ninety-two percent of youth say when they join their main objective is to meet other people, meet other friends. So, really, the main topic for the groups is just getting them doing activities together," said Kay, an adult co-facilitator of the Federal Way support group who spoke under an alias. (With concerns that federal and state policies restricting the rights of queer and trans people, especially youth, may lead to a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, Kay chose to safeguard their identity so they won’t be targeted.)

But sometimes a fun activity, like throwing digital water balloons at other players in a video game, opens up deeper conversations.

"Sometimes it can turn at the drop of a hat," Kay said. "We can be playing a video game, and then one of the kids will just be like, 'I need help.'"

Kay has volunteered at the Lambert House for more than five years and co-facilitated the Federal Way support group since 2023. Having lived in both Seattle and Federal Way, Kay noticed differences in visibility and support for LGBTQ+ communities.

"There is more of a community accessible in Seattle proper that will believe [LGBTQ+ youth] if they say, 'I feel in danger. I feel not safe,'" Kay said. "It seems to be harder to find for some of the youth in this area who feel not believed when they say, 'I'm feeling scared.'"

Not feeling heard or supported is a big challenge for some youth who come to the support group. "Not all the kids that come to groups are out," Kay said. "Several of them are even calling from a friend's house sometimes, or calling from school in one of the study rooms. [We] also make sure that we can reach the kids who need more help. So if there's kids that admit to suicidal ideation or self-harm feelings, we want to make sure that we can meet those needs and get them extra support."

The groups are free and open to youth from 11 years old to 22 years old. Participants are onboarded virtually or in-person, and their age is verified before attending. For 11- and 12-year-olds, permission from a parent or guardian is required. At least two vetted adult co-facilitators who have gone through Lambert House's volunteer training are present at all support groups.

The Lambert House was founded in 1981 as a drop-in community resource center for LGBTQ+ youth on Capitol Hill that offers in-person and online programming every day, like "Dinner with Divas," the "Ultra Violet Group" for women-identified and women-aligned youth, a "Boys Who Like Boys" group, "Art Group," a Dungeons & Dragons group, and more. The expansion of support groups throughout King County was made possible through funding by a Best Starts for Kids grant in 2019, designed for outreach and service to BIPOC and underserved LGBTQ+ youth in rural communities or smaller towns, including areas in north and east King County.

"One of the reasons for starting the groups is that we've gotten a lot of parent requests, like, 'Why isn't there programming in my area?'" said Laurie Colacurcio, LICSW and director of King County Programs for the Lambert House. "A lot of these areas are really underserved for LGBTQ+ folks and youth in particular."

Colacurcio said that with this year's "unprecedented assault on LGBTQ+ rights," including the Trump administration's plan to cut funding specifically for LGBTQ+ services on the 988 hotline,  it's more important than ever to help support queer and trans youth, especially those who live in underserved neighborhoods. "The youth that we're seeing have shown increased anxiety, depression, and suicidality," she said. "It's really critical that we continue to have a place for [LGBTQ+] youth."

Youth interns are given a stipend to colead a group through planning games, activities, or discussion topics. Since most of the attendees are middle- or high-school-aged, it's an opportunity for younger kids to learn from older ones about issues such as how to deal with bullying or coping with the loss of supportive friends or family if they decide to come out.

So far, these support groups have had as many as 100 youth sign up to learn more, although in a given group, there are around three to 10 participants, and the number is higher in summer months.

"Lambert House has allowed me to work with other youth and that makes me feel good about helping other people that may be struggling with things that I have struggled with," said a 19-year-old attendee at the Covington library branch. "It has given me confidence to speak up and feel as though my voice matters."

In addition to support groups at KCLS libraries in the South End, Lambert House has more summertime events coming up, including a skateboarding workshop with nonprofit Skate Like a Girl on May 31 in the Central District, and a Renaissance-themed youth Pride party on June 21. The Lambert House website has a full listing of events, support groups, and more info.

Editor's Note: The story was updated on May 22 to clarify why the Emerald permitted a subject to use an alias.