Oasis Youth Center: A safe space for LGBTQ+ youth

When Phoenix Ramsey (they/them) first walked through the doors of Oasis Youth Center six years ago, they couldn’t imagine what a powerful community they were about to join.

Ramsey had recently moved from the Midwest and attended high school online, making it difficult to find connections in their new town.

Not only did Ramsey seek to build friendships, but they also wanted a place that could help them navigate gender dysphoria and questions about their identity. That’s when they heard about Oasis.

“I was dealing with a lot,” says Ramsey. “Once I started going to Oasis, it was a huge change in my life, and I’m so glad I joined. It’s extremely valuable to have a place where you feel like you belong and you can be yourself.”

Oasis Youth Center is the only queer youth center in Pierce County, and it serves LGBTQ+ youth through leadership, advocacy and prevention programming.

Oasis was founded in 1985 to address many of the same issues LGBTQ+ individuals still face today: family rejection, bullying, HIV and needing a place to learn about healthy relationships, explains Executive Director Matthew Wilson.

Today, Oasis helps youth and young adults — primarily ages 11-24 — navigate systems and resources to assist with a variety of needs. Despite being colocated with the Rainbow Center and sponsored by Pierce County AIDS Foundation (PCAF), Oasis Youth Center is its own organization, meaning it offers dedicated space, time and personnel in support of LGBTQ+ youth.

“Youth don’t talk about things the same way adults do,” Wilson says. “We provide a safe space and supportive environment that can help youth navigate the systems that are set up for adults.”

Activities span from a youth leadership council to open mic nights and QTIPOC (queer, trans, intersex people of color) peer connection to mentorship. Oasis can also help with emergency financial assistance and connecting youth to additional community resources.

Most important: It’s a safe space where individuals are celebrated and supported.

“Oasis is a place to be yourself and not have to worry about the stress of your identity,” says Wilson. “Some people joke that when you’re at Oasis, your sexual orientation or gender identity is the most boring part about you, whereas other parts of your life, it’s a point of fascination or tension or harassment. You get to show more of yourself here.”

Phoenix Ramsey found support and community at Oasis Youth Center in Tacoma.

For Ramsey, Oasis not only provides a source of support but also opportunities for personal growth — both formally through leadership roles on the Youth Council and informally through workshops for younger attendees, such as resume writing or job searching.

Both Wilson and Ramsey admit that taking the first step to get involved can feel intimidating, especially for youth who haven’t previously felt accepted in other spaces. That’s why Oasis strives to meet youth where they are — literally and figuratively. The center offers mobile intake, where a staff member or volunteer will meet youth at a coffee shop or library.

“I didn’t know what walking into Oasis would be like,” Ramsey says. “Once you take that step, you realize this is a really welcoming place. Even if you feel like you haven’t been welcome in other places before, Oasis will be that exception.”

Oasis Youth Center operates six days a week and is ramping back up to its pre-pandemic operations, when it served about 900 youth a year. Oasis relies on volunteer support and community donations to serve LGBTQ+ youth throughout greater Pierce County. Visit their Facebook page for more information or to get involved.

“Pierce County is only going to be more vibrant when more people can be themselves and be confident in who they are,” says Wilson.

“Partnering for healing and a healthy future” is MultiCare’s mission, and it inspires us to form connections that help improve the quality of life for our communities. Community organizations all around us are doing amazing work, and we’re inspired and excited to support that work.

Stories from our Community is an ongoing series conceived to dive into some of these organizations*, bring their stories to life and spread the word about how they are making our communities better.

*Some of the organizations profiled in this series are recipients of MultiCare’s Community Partnership Fund, which awards funds to nonprofit organizations working on initiatives, programs and projects that improve our community.