Kaleidoscope Youth Center (or KYC) has been there for queer youth since 1994, in fact, they are the organization in Ohio that dedicates itself completely to help queer youth.  Personally, I’ve been attending Kaleidoscope for several years now, ever since I started questioning my gender identity.

KYC, like most places, has its pros and cons; one kid at the center described his visits as “boring” and “lame”.  He told me that he really only went there because his “friends liked going” and he “didn’t really have anything to do after school anyway.”  His friend had a different perspective.  She explained that Kaleidoscope had helped her in many different ways.  She told me that the only reason she came out to her parents was because the center had supported her so completely.  She had apparently met her girlfriend there and several of her closest friends.  The center had provided so much care and support to her.

It saddens me to say that Kaleidoscope has had a decreasing flow of youths at the 1904 N. High St. location since they opened up a new center in the suburbs and also since they changed their age limit from 18-or-younger to 17-or-younger and became a bit stricter on enforcing this new age limit.  There were only three other kids sitting on the various comfortable couches and chairs that were set up in their “drop-in” area.  Still, I had a fun time.

I arrived around the time that “check-in” was scheduled.  Check-in is a half-hour long ice-breaker session.  During check-in, one would introduce oneself and state one’s preferred pronoun and a fact about oneself.  This activity is fairly mundane, but once everyone was introduced, we started talking about the “highlights” and “lowlights” about our weeks, which is basically just asking what was good and bad about our lives within the past week.  It was interesting to hear the stories told by the other youths (which I can not reveal due to privacy policies).  Eventually, it was playfully demanded that we break out a deck of Uno.  Uno seemed to be the game of choice at KYC, as I had played this game twice before on my previous visits.

As we played, we also discussed various topics.  We talked about our lives again, but more in depth.  Specific things that had happened that bothered us.  I talked about the bathroom issue in my school and was given some hesitant support (there wasn’t much mutual knowledge about the trans* community or the issues, but I wasn’t surprised.  A majority of the youths that attend KYC are LGB, and are unfortunately less familiar with the T* part).
I listened and took notes and was told I wasn’t allowed to share anything that came out of the kid’s mouths — politely, of course — but it was unfortunate because a story one of the kids was telling brought tears to his eyes.  It was heartbreaking, but alas.

Eventually, two of the kids had to leave and I was left with the volunteer and the other kid who had come on her own.  We chatted awkwardly with the volunteer until I was called to be picked up by my parents, so I bid the center farewell and went on my way.

Something beautiful about the center is the volunteers.  I have not met so many respectful and understanding adults as I have at Kaleidoscope.  They were supportive beyond expectation and gave excellent suggestions.
One volunteer who was working during one of my past visits had witnessed several of the other youths using the wrong pronouns when addressing me without correcting themselves.  The volunteer later told me that once I had left, she had practically “ripped the kids a new one” for disrespecting my pronouns.  It was a lovely gesture, something I appreciated a lot.  Perhaps expressing anger at that level was not necessary (a simple reminder would have sufficed), but it is, after all, the thought that counts.

The youths that attend KYC are one of the reasons that I have a love/hate relationship with the place.  The kids that go to KYC tend to be less respectful than I would prefer.  I’ve heard harsh arguments and stupid bickering and blatant disrespect of the rules.  I have witnessed more than one volunteer forced to break up an argument or calm down an agitated kid or scold someone for using names when talking about people outside of the center (which is against the rules).
I rarely took pleasure in the company of the other youths.  Every so often there were a few gems and I honestly enjoyed my visits there through and through, but mostly I was disrespected and ignored.

Still, KYC is a place that I often recall stories of and bring back the few fond memories of.  I did enjoy being there a few times, and when I did enjoy it, I really enjoyed it.  Being there on a good day was so enlightening and fun that it almost makes up for the bad days.

To someone searching for a place to explore their identities further and who lives in the Columbus, Ohio area, I highly suggest taking a look at the center.  It may be worth a visit.  One volunteer told me that her favorite part about working at KYC was the variety of people who walked through the doors.  She liked meeting all of the LGBT kids and helping them in any way she could.  She said that being a part of this community has opened her up to new ideas and people that she would have never have encountered anywhere else, and KYC has helped her continue that discovery.

If you would like to visit the center, the two addresses are 1904 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio and 4401 Hilton Corporate Dr., Columbus, Ohio, and you can visit their website at http://www.kycohio.org.

- Dorian