By Donald E. Skinner

The ministry that goes on at Spectrum Café at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday nights is as important as anything that happens on Sunday morning.

The same goes for OUTreach Resource Center in Ogden, Utah, a program of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden, and the Rainbow Youth Alliance sponsored by the UU Church of Rockville, Maryland.

All three venues welcome high school–aged lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, and queer youth as well as youth who support them. All provide food, music, games, movies, and conversation.

David Massey is one of the coordinators of Spectrum Café, also known as “Spectrum Diversi-Tea and Coffee House,” which will begin its eighth year this spring. “We advertise it as a safe harbor for teens who identify as LBGTQ and their straight friends and allies, plus any other youth who are being harassed for religious beliefs, appearance, or abilities,” Massey said.

Youth who identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, or queer, or who are questioning their sexuality, have few places in this culture where they can be themselves. Often harassed at school, sometimes excluded by family members, they can feel isolated.

Massey became interested in supporting gay youth after watching a cousin come out to his family. “Almost all of us had grown up in the Southern Baptist and Methodist churches,” he said, “and many of us had a hard time with the idea of someone we know being gay. I learned later that my cousin had a very hard time accepting his affectional orientation, and even put himself through shock therapy to ‘cure’ his homosexuality. Later he found pride in his true self, but I did not want other kids to have to go through that kind of trauma.”

So when the Knoxville church presented the Welcoming Congregation program in 2000 and participants expressed a desire to “do something outside the church,” Spectrum Café was born. (The Welcoming Congregation is a curriculum designed to help Unitarian Universalist congregations welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.)

Sometimes only one person comes to Spectrum Café, but more often there are a dozen or more. Massey estimates the program has served more than 150 youth. “We treat it like any other youth program—no drugs, sex, violence, weapons, or alcohol.” Generally three or more adults are present.

“We know that we’re just hitting the tip of the iceberg here,” Massey said. “There are hundreds of youth out there who are struggling for affirmation of their affectional orientation. And ours is the only such program in this area.”

One of the youth who frequents Spectrum is Conrad Honicker, 16. A member of the Knoxville church, Honicker began attending the café when he was 12. “It’s a way to be around other queer youth,” he said. “High school is so heterosexual it’s good to be part of your own community. For some people this is the only place where they can feel comfortable. It’s very beneficial.”

The center has some live music, but the youth seem to prefer conversation, he said. There are also occasional speakers and film discussions.

There have been two landmark events in the life of Spectrum, said Massey. In 2004 it held a prom, attended by 50 youth. Then in 2006 two male teens, both members of the church’s high school class and Spectrum patrons, were walking hand in hand through a local park and were harassed. When other youth at the church heard about it, they joined with Spectrum to organize a “holding hands” rally and march attended by 150 people.

Massey said there was some initial concern that Spectrum would attract opposition. “At first we asked police to patrol the parking lot and we had people with walkie-talkies out there. We never had any problems. If we were two counties over, it might be a different story. We’re a pretty cosmopolitan county.”

He added, “I’m guessing some churches have decided not to have a program like this because of fear. That should not be the deciding factor.”

“You can’t do work for LGBTQ youth without taking a risk that you’re going to upset a parent,” Massey said. “What we can do is make sure the kids are safe when they come here.”

Adults at Spectrum do not counsel youth, but do “active listening,” Massey said. “We’ve had kids walk in not knowing a soul. It takes a huge amount of courage for a kid to do this.” He said youth are more at risk from repercussions from parents than Spectrum is. “Whatever risk we take pales to the risk teens take.”

LGBTQ youth are at much higher risk for delinquent behaviors than youth in general, he said. “I’m just proud that our church is willing to do this.”

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