YouthPride's troubles are mounting and the nonprofit could be evicted from its Inman Park home.
The financially-struggling organization, which provides support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens and young adults, is facing a lawsuit for nonpayment of rent and mounting community pressure to make changes in the way it is managed. The ongoing problems could eventually force YouthPride to close.
CEO Terence McPhaul, however, said he is doing all he can to keep Youth Pride functioning. "We are still providing services," he said. "We haven't closed and there are no plans to. I'm making my own personal commitment that I want it to continue."
Inman Park United Methodist Church recently sued YouthPride in Fulton County Magistrate Court for nonpayment of rent on its Edgewood Avenue office, which is adjacent to the church. The lawsuit alleges that YouthPride has not paid full rent since June 2011 .
The lawsuit alleges that YouthPride owes the church more than $40,580 in rent and late charges through mid-February, when the complaint was filed, plus attorney fees.
McPhaul blamed the problems on the economy, several expected grants that didn't materialize and a hesitancy by some donors to support an organization that focuses on LGBT youth and a lack of strong financial support from the gay community. Most of its money comes from private donations and small federal and county grants.
YouthPride serve about 1,700 clients as a center for LGBT youth and young adults from ages 13 to 24. Services include counseling, support groups, a computer lab and a suicide prevention hotline.
Charlie Stadtlander, LGBT community activist and chairman of a community initiative to develop strategies to help LGBT youth, doesn't think Youth Pride's has much of a chance to survive.
He claimed YouthPride is in violation of its own bylaws by not having enough board members and not holding an official board meeting since December 2010 -- facts that McPhaul also acknowledges.
‘We who fund YouthPride, as such, have the right and a responsibility to make sure the organization continues to operate," Stadtlander said. "We have the responsibility to ask questions."
Tracy Elliott, executive director of AID Atlanta, also views the nonprofit's future as bleak. " It would take a series of miracles -- not just one miracle -- for it to survive," he said. " What happens to these very vulnerable youth who have turned to YouthPride?"
McPhaul thinks such talk is a distraction.
"That's not to say that if something did happen, we definitely would want to have an alternative," McPhaul said. " But this is taking my attention away from doing what is necessary. I've tried to stay on focus and what we have to continue to do is raise money and look for a new location that is less expensive."
McPhaul said he has hired an attorney to bring the nonprofit back into compliance that includes increasing the board to five members.
The lawsuit was among several issues discussed during a recent, sometimes contentious, town hall meeting. McPhaul accused some critics of spreading false information. They accused him of withholding financial information.
The meeting included a contingent of YouthPride clients, who demanded a voice on the board and in future discussions.
Rachael Robinson, 24, a YouthPride participant and a college student, said she was frustrated that people in the meeting were talking about "more money and liabilities instead of being concerned about the youth who may and may not be getting the services that YouthPride provides. "
YouthPride was a "lifesaver for me. Going to YouthPride helped me deal with my depression and anxiety and I formed a lot of long-standing, strong friendships there with people who were patient with me and tolerant with me."
Fearing the worst, some people are already looking at alternatives. Kathy Colbenson, CEO of CHRIS Kids, a nonprofit that offers an array of services to youth and families, works with a volunteer task force to examine interim services in case YouthPride closes. She said she has spoken with McPhaul, who is amenable to the help if YouthPride closes.
"We want to make sure that the kids who are receiving services just won't be abandoned," she said. "My goal all along was to stay out of the controversy and keep the focus on the kids. We want to have a safety net for the kids."
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