We Are Family

We Are Family is the oldest LGBTQ+ youth serving community-based organization in the state of South Carolina. WAF began in April 1995 under the direction of Tom Myers, the father of a gay son. Tom recognized the need for support for LGBTQ+ youth, and WAF was born from the love of a father for his son. 😍 

WAF is South Carolina's premiere nonprofit that provides life-affirming and life-saving programs for LGBTQ+ youth -– with a focus on those who are BIPOC, and trans and gender non-conforming -– that have a lasting and measurable impact.

Simply put, We Are Family is where queer youth thrive! 🌈 

In FY22, we impacted over 1,000+ youth across all of our programs!

• Over 700+ hours of free LGBTQ+ affirming mental health sessions have been provided to over 86 youth through our Mental Health Assistance Program
• Over 515 youth participated in our annual signature events (238 Queer Youth Prom participants, 215 Queer Youth Fest participants, and 62 Spirit Week events participants) 
• Over 207 youth have attended our Peer Discussion Groups

• 183 youth engaged in our GSA Support Services
• 171 youth received gender affirming garments/items throughout the state through our Closet Case giveaway program 
• 85 youth engaged in our Discord Server 
• 54 youth were awarded microgrants through the Trans Love Fund
• 20 youth served on the Queer Youth Approval Board to help train our network of affirming mental health providers

Your donation will go towards our life-affirming and life-saving programs that help us fulfill our mission of cultivating affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ and ally youth by providing direct services, leadership development and community engagement opportunities that have a lasting and measurable impact. We offer a wide variety of youth programming (ages 24 and under) and movement building initiatives focused on: leadership development and social support; health and wellness; and community engagement and advocacy. 

With your support:

• A gift of $25 provides gender-affirming gear-- a chest binder, Tuck Kit, TransTape, or packer-- for a trans youth
• A gift of $50 provides leadership development supplies and resources for the GSA Coalition, a network of clubs for LGBTQ+ youth and allies in middle and high schools 
• A gift of $100 provides emergency assistance support for a member of our trans community though the Trans Love Fund
• A gift of $225 provides 3 sessions of mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth

💜 In 2020, we celebrated 25 years of life-saving impacts to LGBTQ+ youth in SC. Check out our celebratory video below! 💜 

Additionally, WAF has an incentivized monthly donor program called Chosen Family. At We Are Family, we take care of each other. We’re a Chosen Family who invests in ourselves and our future. We build community and give back monthly in support of the community. 

join our chosen family

Become part of the Chosen Family and help us continue to build community and provide affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in the South Carolina!