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Empowering LGBTQ+ Youth and their Allies

A place where you belong.

Free drop-in nights, support groups, and counseling for LGBTQ+ youth ages 10 to 24 and the people who love them. In Sarasota and Bradenton since 1992.

  • Campers settling onto sleeping bags under a glowing blue tank that arches overhead.
    Aquarium overnight
  • The mummy wrap game at Halloween in the Sarasota Center lounge, with streamers of toilet paper across the floor.
    Halloween 2025
  • A cozy corner of the Sarasota Center lounge with couches, red curtains, a brick wall, guitars, and pride flags overhead.
    The Sarasota Center

Happening next

Checking this week's schedule.

Who are you here for?

Live from the schedule

This week at ALSO

Week & month view

Two taps

Find your night!

Tell us your age and what you are into. We will show the nights that fit, so a 12-year-old never walks into Young Adult Night.

  1. 1Your age
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How old are you?

Newsroom

Our latest news

All news
From the Executive Director

ALSO Youth returns to Sarasota with a new center

After nearly 10 months without a physical home in Sarasota, ALSO Youth once again has a center in the heart of the community.

Annie Berkness (she/her), Executive Director & CEO ·

ALSO Youth in brief

  • 1992

    ALSO has been serving LGBTQ+ youth in Sarasota-Manatee since 1992

  • 10 to 24

    The ages we serve, with a program for each age

  • 1,600+

    Youth visits across two centers in Sarasota and Bradenton (fiscal year 2025 to 2026)

Want the full picture? Read the 2024 to 2025 impact report.

Moments

Moments that made us.

See the gallery
  • A guest in a black lace dress laughing beside someone in a shaggy red monster costume with googly eyes.
    Halloween at the Sarasota Center
  • A young person with pink hair waving from the pitcher's mound before throwing the first pitch.
    Marauders Pride Night
  • A packed ballroom at the Space Cowboy Prom, glowing purple and blue, with giant planets and a UFO hanging over the stage.
    Prom 2025: Space Cowboy
  • Campers and an adult painting a large, bright canvas together.
    Camp True Colors 2024
  • A young artist with pink hair and bold makeup beside their framed artwork on easels.
    Expressions Exhibition
  • Two young people posing in formal gowns in front of racks of donated dresses.
    Prom Closet and salon

For parents & caregivers

Supervised, affirming, and open for a visit.

Volunteers are 25 or older and pass a background check. Read the center rules, meet the staff on a 15-minute tour, and join a support group of your own.

The youth lounge at the Sarasota Center: couches, big bean bags, a guitar on the wall, pride flag bunting, and a rainbow painted art piece.
The lounge at the Sarasota Center.

Coming up

Upcoming events

All events
  • Sat5Sep

    Stitch n' B!tch at FabAF

    A Saturday evening event at FabAF, for ages 18 and up.

    Saturday, September 5 · 5 PM to 9 PM · FabAF, 925 N Lime Ave

  • Sat19Sep

    Queertastic Book Fair

    A Saturday afternoon book fair at FabAF.

    Saturday, September 19 · 12 PM to 4 PM · FabAF, 925 N Lime Ave

  • Sat10Oct

    Downtown Sarasota Open House

    Bring your Pride! Come see the downtown Sarasota Center.

    Saturday, October 10 · 11 AM to 1 PM · Sarasota Center

  • Sat17Oct

    Camping is IN TENTS!

    An overnight camping trip at Oscar Scherer State Park. Tents, campfire stories, camp songs, and plenty of s'mores.

    Saturday, October 17 · Overnight, 3 PM Saturday to 9 AM Sunday · Oscar Scherer State Park, Osprey

  • Mon19Oct

    Youth Town Hall

    A youth town hall. Come in person or join virtually.

    Monday, October 19 · 6:30 PM to 8 PM · Sarasota Center

  • Sat24Oct

    Gulf Coast Pride

    Gulf Coast Pride in downtown Sarasota.

    Saturday, October 24 · 4 PM to 11 PM · Downtown Sarasota

Ways to give

Open the door for every young person.

Your personal gift can be doubled by the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust. Monthly gifts count too, and monthly givers join the Inner Circle.

Thank you

Partners & supporters

See everyone
  • Community Foundation of Sarasota County
  • Manatee Community Foundation
  • Gulf Coast Community Foundation
  • Barancik Foundation
  • Greenfield Foundation
  • Gamma Mu Foundation
  • Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust
  • Embracing Our Differences
  • CAN Community Health
  • Watermark
  • Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation
  • Forty Carrots Family Center
  • The Trevor Project
  • CenterLink
  • GLSEN
  • Project Pride SRQ
  • Equality Florida