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Awards Honor GLBT Youth

Burlington, Vermont - October 1, 2009

Outright Vermont held its First Annual Youth Awards Dinner in Burlington Thursday night. Outright is the state's queer youth center and advocacy organization.

Dozens of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and allied teens and adults gathered at the ECHO Center for an event that included a silent auction.

"Outright has been around for 20 years and this is the first time we've had an opportunity to have a dinner in their honor and they've done exceptional work," the organization's executive director, Chris Neff, said about the youth.

Six youth received standout awards for their contributions to better the lives of GLBT youth in Vermont.

"Honestly to me it means I am able to do something that Outright did for me, which was to open a lot of doors and help a lot of people," said Robyn Bailey, a sophomore at St. Michael's College.

Outright has also named a leadership award after openly gay state representative Bill Lippert. Governor Howard Dean became the first person to receive that award at Thursday's ceremony.

Bianca Slota - WCAX News