Gala for LGBTQ Youth

The Hetrick-Martin Institute, the oldest and largest nonprofit agency to provide social services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its annual School’s Out gala next Saturday, June 16, at the East Hampton home of Lisa and James Cohen. 

Tickets, which range from $375 and up, offer access to cocktails only at 5 p.m., or, in addition, to a seated dinner at 7:30, in the company of Joseph Altuzarra, Tracy Anderson, Martha Stewart, and others.

According to the Hetrick-Martin Institute’s website, “The summer months are often difficult for our young people, as schools are closed and resources scarce. The money raised from School’s Out will help to ensure that our doors stay open, our hot meals continue to be served, and all our wraparound life-saving vital services remain available.”

The institute, with offices in Manhattan and Newark, offers youth between the ages of 13 and 24 and their families the opportunity to explore the arts, culture, tutoring, job skills, and health issues, all with an LGBTQ focus. Supportive services also help with housing, H.I.V. counseling, and family therapy.

It was founded in 1979 by Dr. Emery Hetrick, a psychiatrist, and Dr. Damien Martin, a professor at New York University, who were life partners. After hearing the story of a homeless 15-year-old boy who had been beaten and thrown out of his emergency shelter because he was gay, they created what was then called the Institute for the Protection of Lesbian and Gay Youth. In 1988, the organization was renamed the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

Tickets for Saturday’s School’s Out gala can be purchased on the institute’s website at www.hmi.org.