Q-Notes Investigates: Gay youth org CEO under scrutiny
by Matt | June 15th, 2008 |
Q-Notes June 14 issue contains an investigative piece on the Charlotte, N.C.-based Time Out Youth, written by staff writer Jack Kirven and Associate Editor David Stout.
Founded in 1991, Time Out Youth is an LGBT youth support, education and advocacy organization that serves teens and young adults ages 13-23. Their CEO, Janine K. Eustache, has recently come under fire from youth members, former interns and volunteers. Donors and other community members have raised questions and concerns regarding what seems to be Eustache’s inexperience with LGBT issues and her general lack of knowledge when it comes to serving the unique needs of LGBT youth.
As one community member told me, serving “at-risk” youth is entirely different from serving the needs of gay youth: Different issues, different dynamics and definitely, different societal pressures, reactions and attitudes.
For full disclosure, it should be noted that I have been a youth member of Time Out Youth. In fact, I’m still a youth member. To prevent any personal conflicts, I ceded full editorial control of the Q-Notes article and the accompanying editorial to my associate editor, David Stout.
The coverage of the controversy comes in two parts, an article and editorial:
LGBT youth group CEO under scrutiny
by Jack Kirven and David Stout
CHARLOTTE — Time Out Youth (TOY), a local support, advocacy and education organization for LGBT youth founded in 1991, is coming under fire from some youth members, former interns and volunteers who feel that the agency is moving in the wrong direction under the management of current CEO Janine K. Eustache.
Eustache took the helm at TOY last fall. She brought with her an impressive employment history that included 18 years of work with non-profit organizations. She was formerly the southeast regional director of Save the Children, a global child relief organization; an executive at LaFace Records in Atlanta, Ga.; and the executive director of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. In 2003, she was appointed by Gov. Michael Easley to the N.C. Human Relations Commission.
Despite her dazzling resumé, Eustache’s critics charge that she isn’t experienced and comfortable working with the LGBT community and, in particular, serving the unique needs of LGBT and questioning youth. These alleged shortcomings have directly led to internal problems at TOY, they assert. Read the rest at Q-Notes Online
EDITORIAL: Time Out Youth, Adding insult to injury
Since its founding in 1991, Time Out Youth (TOY) has been one of the Charlotte LGBT community’s most important organizations and one of its finest resources. Thousands of LGBT and questioning youth have been guided through the challenging process of coming out and growing up during the agency’s 13 years of operation.
Because the mission of TOY is so vital, people pay attention when there are rumblings of trouble within the agency. When those rumblings turn into air raid sirens, as they have the last few months, a full investigation is warranted. This is what we have attempted to do with this issue’s cover story. Read the rest of the editorial by David Stout
Matt, 22, is an LGBT journalist, activist and youth advocate currently living and working in Charlotte, N.C., where he serves as the Editor of Q-Notes, the Carolinas' LGBT news source. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., Matt attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is still continuing to pursue his bachelors degree. He is the Owner & Editor of InterstateQ.com and has been active in LGBT advocacy work since the age of 14.
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