High Country LGBTQ Youth Alliance

10/22/2026

Hey there gals, ghouls, g**s, and theys our next hangOUT is this Saturday! We are thrilled to welcome any and all Q***r Youth ages 12 - 18 in the High Country for an afternoon of — whatever you want!

There will be plenty of free food, drinks, games, sidewalk chalk, etc. but the afternoon activities are set by Q***r Youth for Q***r Youth.

We want you to know that this is a safe space to just BE YOU! No expectations, no agenda, just YOU!

This will be a fully chaperoned event at 3rd Place Saturday October 24th 1pm - 4pm. Free parking is available at the AppState Peacock Lot at the end of Appalachian Street — however you must enter the lot from Rivers Street. 

Please reach out with any questions via email to [email protected]

***ryouth

09/17/2026

Did someone say thrifting? Last month's hangOUT group emphatically requested that we go thrift shopping this month, so here we go!

Meet at our usual 3rd Place Boone at 1:00 pm and we will head up to King St. in Downtown Boone, NC around 1:30 pm.

Heads up Anna Banana's, Ram's Rack Thrift Shop, Off the Rack, and Appalachian Antique Mall, we are headed your way!

We will grab lunch somewhere along the way; however, kids will need to bring their own money for shopping!

***ryouth

08/23/2026

We had seven kids join us for yesterday’s hangOUT field trip to fizzEd Boone and Little Wing Ice Cream! Thanks to both of these wonderful and amazing locally owned small businesses for welcoming and feeding us! And thanks always to 3rd Place Boone for giving us a place to gather!

Now, these photos are from earlier this month when we attended the Back 2 School Festival at Watauga High and we’d like to share some of the feedback we received —

➡️ I’m so glad this is here!

➡️ Boone has come a long way since 1998. I’m so happy to see it.

➡️ I can’t come (to the hangOUT) because I just came out to my mom and she’s not happy about it. But can I have a sticker?

➡️ Do you have a non-binary sticker?

➡️ Do you have the aroace flag?

➡️ I’m bi, but you could probably already tell.

➡️ I’m grabbing this one for my mom.

➡️ All of my Friday night game nights have paid off, I am the ultimate Jenga champion.

➡️ I haven’t come out yet, but can I have a sticker?

➡️ OMG this is so cool! 🆒

➡️ I turn 12 in November, then I can come (to the hangOUTs).

WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE‼️

During yesterday’s pickup after the field trip, one of the parents lamented that some of her child’s friends wanted to come but couldn’t b/c of their parents. If you are one of these kids, we want you to know that YOU are perfect just the way YOU are! We are here for YOU!

Stat tuned to our social media pages and stay connected to your friends and their supportive parents. One day you will get to join with other Q***r Youth, in a space where the only requirement is to BE YOU!

***ryouth

08/22/2026

Hey gang - this cute Squishable has been missing his bestie since our hangOUT in May. If they belong to you send us a DM or email [email protected]. They want to go home!

08/20/2026

WOO HOO 🦄 this month’s hangOUT is a FIELD TRIP to fizzEd Boone!

Who’s ready for Sloppy Mac or Sea Dogs or Bird Dogs or Pork Pie or Juicy Wings or Hand-breaded Chicken Tenders or Classic Cheeseburger or the BEST Hot Dogs 🌭 in Boone⁉️

Meet at our regular spot — 3rd Place Boone — 1pm on Saturday August 22nd and we will walk down to fizzEd for games, food, and fun!

Come hungry, bring your fabulousness and do NOT bring money 💵— this is on us‼️

***ryouth #🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ 🌈 🫧

08/12/2026

Check this out! Gender affirming haircuts and clothing swap!

08/08/2026

Attending the Watauga Back 2 School Festival today⁉️Then stop our booth for temporary tattoos, stickers, and Skittles 🌈 ‼️ Oh - and grab some info about our monthly hangOUTs at 3rd Place!

Our next hangOUT is Saturday August 22nd 1pm - 4pm and we are taking a “field trip” to fizzEd Boone for lunch!

***ryouth

08/03/2026

Let’s do THIS ⬇️⬇️ in NC!

***ryouth

BREAKING🚨🏳️‍🌈 Georgia just CRUSHED every single anti-LGBTQ bill. ALL FIFTEEN OF THEM.

Every. Single. One.

HB 54, which would have banned puberty blockers for trans youth? DEAD.

SB 74, which would have criminalized librarians for making LGBTQ books available to minors? DEAD.

SB 1, the so-called Riley Gaines Act that targeted trans student athletes and their access to locker rooms? DEAD.

They threw everything they had at the LGBTQ community in Georgia. Bathroom bills. Healthcare bans. Book bans. Sports bans. Forced outing policies. And the people of Georgia said not here. Not now. Not ever.

This did not happen by accident. This happened because THOUSANDS of people from more than 60 counties across the state showed up. Called their representatives. Testified at hearings. Organized phone banks. Drove hours to the Capitol. Stood in hallways and refused to leave.

Jeff Graham, the executive director of Georgia Equality, said it perfectly — "This session we stopped every bill targeting LGBTQ Georgians, even in spite of underhanded political maneuvers deployed over the last few weeks."

Underhanded maneuvers. Because that is what they had to resort to. And it STILL was not enough.

This matters because Georgia is not Massachusetts. Georgia is not California. This is a state that has been trending purple but still has deep conservative power structures.

While the ACLU tracks 517 anti-LGBTQ bills nationwide and other states pass bathroom bans and healthcare restrictions, Georgia proves that these bills CAN be stopped. That showing up WORKS. That organized resistance WINS.

Florida stopped four out of five this session. Georgia stopped fifteen out of fifteen. And we will keep going until all of us have equal rights.

Thank you for being here. If you appreciate Gay News, it would mean the world if you followed my page. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

08/02/2026

It gets better! !

07/23/2026

SHOUT OUT to Goofy Foot Taproom Boone and thanks to everyone who had a pint last month in support of their “Pints for a Purpose” program!

If you haven’t all ready, be sure to check out this new funky cool spot in Downtown Boone - 🍺 🍷 upstairs and 🍹 🍷 downstairs!

The money received will support our + Youth hangOUTs!

If you would like to DONATE ($48 will help provide food & drinks for a hangOUT) go HERE:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/be2a5d89-a5dd-4d29-bb36-712415adbb66

Our next hangOUT is coming up THIS SATURDAY July 25th at 3rd Place Boone 1 - 4pm!

***ryouth