From the Archives: The above video aired in 2015, when OutYouth executive director Aubery Wilkerson spoke with KXAN about the nonprofit’s 25th anniversary.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin-based nonprofit OutYouth, which provides services and support for LGBTQ+ kids, announced Friday morning that it will say goodbye to its executive director of 15 years at the end of 2025.
Aubrey Wilkerson said he’s looking forward to taking “an intentional break” after working for the organization for 20 years. He joined OutYouth in 2005 as an intern while working on his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
“About 20 years ago … was invited to a fundraiser there, and was given a tour, fell in love with it, could tell that it was making an impact on young people’s lives,” he said. “So I basically then figured out a way to volunteer and become an intern.”
During Wilkerson’s time as executive director, the nonprofit grew from a single location with three employees to four locations with 16 employees; its budget also grew to $2 million annually, according to OutYouth.
“We were really founded with this idea of creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth to come and be with like minded folks, be in a safe environment, and hopefully discover parts of themselves and learn about themselves, and then go out in the world and be a thriving member of their societies and their communities,” Wilkerson said.
He’s led OutYouth through years of shifting public discourse around LGBTQ+ Americans.
“It’s no secret that, you know, the past few years, I think we’ve seen an increase in political conversation and political rhetoric that centers LGBTQIA people,” he said. “When rhetoric is increased in the political sphere, we see a rise in the need for our services. Kids reach out in a greater number, and we try our best to keep up.”
He noted that he’s been a part of OutYouth through six presidential administrations.
For Wilkinson, and likely many others who work for youth-focused groups, the reward is in helping young people grow and get the support they need. In his words, OutYouth is a “magical place.”
“I can call upon so many stories where I got to witness a young person come into our space the first time, shy, quiet, looking for community, and get to meet that same young person three months, six months later, that was almost unrecognizable in the terms of the confidence that they had built in themselves,” he explained. “The way they had been able to really spread their wings and feel love and support from community and blossom into thriving individuals.”
He told KXAN that his departure from OutYouth isn’t an end to his work in the nonprofit space.
“I love nonprofit work. I love the people and staff at OutYouth that I’ve worked with for all this time,” Wilkinson said. “I love a lot of the community partners I’ve worked with, it’s definitely like the space that I will stay in and find my next adventure after a break.”
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