Traditionally, long-running GBLT social groups like the Calgary Men’s Chorus (CMC) and Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA) engaged in minimal promotion for new members. They would inform community media and other support groups about their existence and host a few public events each year. People who were seeking a safe and welcoming environment would identify with a social activity they liked, and sign up.

While researching other articles over the past year, I’ve spoken to several groups who have consistently stated their concern about the downward trend of membership from younger contingent of our community, and what this means for their group’s continued existence.

Given all the changes western society has experienced in the last 20 years, it may be easy to blame external causes. After all, the Internet has made it easier for GBLT youth to reach out and find others like them online. Couple this with a society which is now more accepting of our community, where we are protected under Human Rights law, and the result seems to be a youth that can function outside of the safety of our community: “I’m openly gay, so I don’t need to join a Queer group because I meet others like myself online, and my straight friends are supportive or don’t care about my sexuality.”

True, these are all positive changes. While social networking websites are helpful, there is nothing like face-to-face contact when you are growing up and coming out – according to James Dean of the Miscellaneous Youth Network (MYN). MYN is the general catch-all for queer youth aged 10 to 25. In their experience, while social networking sites may initially be of help to Queer youth, there are factors that could limit their access to such services. For instance, if a youth has controlling and homophobic parents who routinely screen their internet use, this may necessitate an “off-line” networking solution such as a youth support group.

These Queer youth groups are experiencing growth in their memberships, in comparison with the adult community groups.

For example, Queers on Campus – the University of Calgary’s club for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Straight, Asexual, Queer, or Questioning students and staff – has seen an explosion in membership. They changed the group name two years ago, and went on an aggressive marketing campaign. The end result: they have become a considerable networking point, with a contact list of several hundred people.

MYN is in the same situation, and the night I interviewed James, we visited the meeting rooms for Inside Out, a peer-supported youth group for those aged 15-25 running through the Calgary Outlink. There were at least 25 kids in attendance.

So despite an open society, despite social networking websites, there remains a growing demand for groups where youth can feel safe and can socialize with others like themselves. Yet there is a disconnect between the youth and the older members of our community. The question is, why?

My theory is that the free form organisational structure of youth groups may be more appealing. For youth, says James, not having to “walk into a community group and put yourself into a box” is a benefit, and is one reason why MYN is flourishing: “Miscellaneous Youth is everybody that society left behind, getting together”. They are open to all queer, trans-identified, two-spirited and questioning youth, and run with an open format – you can meet with other peers who are experiencing similar situations and questions regarding their sexuality; there is no set expectation for members.

Additionally, younger members of the GBLT community may want to belong to a group where there are some peers of the same age. A young gay man could join a group where there’s a difference of 20 (or more) years between the youth and the other members. James told me this is incredibly intimidating.

He also believes that there hasn’t been as much of a push to reach out to youth as there could have been in the past few years. There are several possible reasons as to why not, including the boogie-man scenario that conservatives frequently use. “Kids and queer people in any context always scares people,” James told us. It’s essentially the outdated view that older gay men and lesbians prey on the youth. This unfounded worry may make the older members leery of any recruitment drives aimed at queer youth.

As well, youth may not identify with the life goals of the older generation – usually those between the ages of 35 and 55. The older generation may have goals of career advancement, home ownership, finding and maintaining a partnership, travelling, (etc.), which may discount mentoring a younger member of our community as a priority.

However, the older crowd functioning as mentors for our youth seems vitally important; many GBLT youth have parents who are at best supportive but clueless, and at worst, virulently homophobic. Queer youth need someone to provide support and life knowledge which their parents may not be able, or willing, to adequately provide. Without this, we have situations where (for example), young gay men are having unsafe sex because they are ignorant or uninformed about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases.

Another roadblock for youth: long-running groups like Apollo or ARGRA may not be sensitive to the special needs that youth members have. For instance, requiring parental permission, covering membership costs, transportation, and how dates, times and locations of events may conflict with school schedules.

In James’ experience, “these kids come into a group like that…and find they are a nuisance; they’re an inconvenience because they have special rules. …Everything you do is governed by adults.”

While there’s no easy fix, James suggested one solution: “if they want to encourage younger people, they need to have younger facilitators.” By that, he means peers that are a comparable age to the youth members they wish to attract, who can address these special concerns and act as a bridge to the older members.

With the main concern of accessibility, an example may be a questioning teenager who may not be able to come to that initial meeting on a weeknight in a downtown venue. They may be relying on transit, or may be underage and unable to attend an event held in a venue where alcohol is served. With all these roadblocks, they might decide not to join groups like Apollo or ARGRA.

ARGRA is aware of waning youth interest in long-running community groups – they also know this is a situation being repeated in other cities. Judy Munson is the Communications Director for ARGRA. At a recent conference of the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) she noted “the average age (of attendees) is early 40s. So youth, and getting youth involved, is really a concern for everyone on the rodeo circuit,” especially since younger and first time rodeo competitors usually rise up from this pool of younger members and their friends.

Furthermore, Judy feels the rodeo needs to have roles for younger members of our community in the administration of the group: “you always need to get those fresh ideas.” ARGRA knows youth won’t be content to solely attend events or only participate in a limited fashion.

Unfortunately, the idea of groups like Apollo, CMC, and ARGRA (to only name a few) is fading from the minds of the youth. Previously, these organizations didn’t have that worry. To paraphrase author W. P. Kinsella, “if you build it, they will come.” The older groups may have engaged in softer marketing to youth, if any at all – there may have been the assumption they will always attract new members.

That is not the case anymore, according to Kris Schmidt of Queers on Campus. Youth may know of groups like CMC, but they don’t know what the group does, or how they can get involved. “There isn’t as much outreach to the people of our (age) group” said Kris. “We haven’t seen as much of an attempt to interact.”

True, there was a recent Queer Summit meeting between many community groups with hopes of avoiding the scheduling of competing event dates, and there is some communication between groups. However, this is only a start, and the interaction is not at the level it should be.

Of course involving youth in an established group can be a win for all; but it’s apparent that today, you have to make the effort to get out and promote yourself specifically to them – you can’t just build it in hopes they will come. You need to promote yourself in traditional ways, but also embrace newer ways such as the Internet. You have to go out to the younger members of our community – such as meeting with Queers on Campus, or inviting one of their representatives to come to your meetings. You have to make your group appealing not only to your existing members, but new ones: “…you have to make it really fun and really intriguing and interesting for them to come out,” adds Judy. “The tough part is getting them there in the first place.”

A group which is going forward with more aggressive steps to interest youth is the Calgary Men’s Chorus. Similar to ARGRA, the dilemma was discussed a recent conference: how to increase membership from a younger age range. Eventually, this culminated in their laying out the groundwork for the formation of a youth choir.

Jean-Louis Bleau, Artistic Director for the chorus, did notice flagging membership levels: “when I first started with the chorus (in 2005) there was that fear of declining numbers.” While membership levels have since risen, the chorus realizes spurring the start-up of a youth choir will not only ensure future members, it also opens the choral experience to a younger crowd.

The plan would be to help set up the youth chorus only – CMC is not involved with any recruitment or planning of activities of the youth chorus. From day one it would be its own entity. Age of the members would range from 16-23. Calgary Men’s Chorus would provide performance opportunities to the youth chorus, but the chorus would be for youth and by youth. While it’s a chorus on paper at the moment, they do have about a dozen interested youths (they’d prefer to have closer to 20 members to make the youth choir a going concern).

Until the youth chorus is up and running, the CMC does ensure the younger members are welcome within their organization. Jean-Louis notes, “I’ve never really noticed the age groups being separated”. Music has no age, he notes, adding that he’s never gotten the sense of younger people feeling left out.

For any group to succeed and attract youth in the future they will have to be more aggressive in recruiting. Perhaps stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, we should realize the consequences of winning further acceptance and legal rights. It was inevitable that we would have to change as the GBLT community became mainstream, so that we don’t alienate the next generation, but rather inspire them and work with them.

Long-running groups will have to innovate or evaporate; any group sitting on its laurels thinking they will always have an interested audience will become extinct. We have to listen to what the youth need, and offer a level of mentorship that we currently do not provide.

On a bigger level, we have to embrace the youth as our brothers and sisters in spirit, and share the decisions, share the workload, and make them feel welcome and vital to the community, as they so truly are.

ARGRA: http://www.argra.org/

Calgary Men’s Chorus: http://www.calgarymenschorus.org/

Queers on Campus: http://people.ucalgary.ca/~qcampus/

Miscellaneous Youth Network: http://www.miscyouth.ca/

Inside Out Youth Group: http://www.calgaryoutlink.ca/programs/youthprograms.htm

Positive Space: http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace/index.htm