Tyler resident Pixie Savant is glad the resource center exists. As a drag performer, she has not been able to perform in Tyler and often goes to Arkansas, their home state. In the future, he hopes to work with the resource center. (Raquel Villatoro/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Tyler resident Erin Bailey, 44, cried when she pulled up to The Glass House Resource Center, the first LGBTQ+ resource center in Tyler, for its open house on Saturday morning.

“I saw all the cars already pulling in and then the more people that keep coming into the office,” Bailey said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ like my heart is beating out of my chest.”

Bailey is president of Alphabet Army, a nonprofit organization focused on providing support for LGBTQ+ youth in Tyler. She began looking for a place for the resource center months ago. At first it was not easy but once she found the right landlords, they were able to help her find a place in South Tyler.

She loves seeing the LGBTQ+ community happy. They have held a few events such as Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, a hair class and board meetings before the official launch.

“Everybody walks in smiling,” Bailey said. “My kids in our group are making friendships and having sleepovers now, I guess they never really did before. The parents are happy to see their kids happy being their authentic selves without any judgment and the community is showing us that this was wanted for a very long time.”

Volunteers of The Glass House will have a background check and be trained in mental health first aid and cultural training. The resource center also has a food pantry and closet for trans and nonbinary youth.

Attendees browsed the Glass House, talked and ate food on Saturday. The center has a room with a TV, paints and games for the youth to hang out. In addition, they have computers for homeschool students to work together.

Bunny Evergarden, 20, is excited about the new resource center. They are looking forward to the D&D nights and volunteering in the future. He is an ambulatory wheelchair user and hopes the space allows for conversations around intersectional identities.

“It is such a wonderful thing for the community and I’m so excited to see everything that it can do,” Evergarden said. “I’m so excited for all of the LGBT youth that are going to get to have this like I didn’t get to have this.”

For Al Whitaker, 22, growing up in East Texas he did not have a space where he could be accepted and faced many challenges.

“I think a lot of us as queer individuals can relate to the idea of being the person that we didn’t have growing up and I’m one of them,” said Whitaker, a former teacher who is excited about teaching again through a future homeschooling program the Glass House will be offering. “I very much want to be someone that a student can come to you with concerns and have a trusted adult in a professional setting.”

Tyler resident Liam MCelrath is glad the Glass House exists. He does not have a car so having a place near him in South Tyler he can visit to meet other LGBTQ+ youth is exciting.

“It always makes me excited seeing more people like me, because I usually don’t encounter a lot of people like me,” MCelrath said. “It’s a great way to network and meet more people and have a better support system.”

Pixie Savant, originally from Central Arkansas, has lived in Tyler for three years. As a drag queen, she often performs but not in Tyler aside from emceeing last year’s Pride March. Instead, they perform in Arkansas. In the future, she hopes to work with Glass House and possibly perform there.

“It’s good to see something like this established here,” Savant said.

Paul Schroder, 55, previously met Bailey and learned about the Glass House. He came out to support the open house. Schroder has a podcast on YouTube focused on political commentary called Coffee with Texas Paul. He wishes people in Texas understood LGBTQ+ people are just people.

“These are just people, people living their lives the best they can for themselves,” Schroder said. “Quit getting in their way. Just let them be happy, let them be themselves. You be happy, we all be happy together. I got a saying that I use, ‘We all do better when we all do better.’”

Bailey would often hear from people, “You’re doing this in East Texas? Who does this? You don’t know your audience.”

However, Bailey knew there was an audience. She hopes people see this and start something similar.

“I don’t like the word no, I don’t like people telling me you can’t do this (or) you don’t know what you’re doing,” Bailey said. “I will figure it out along the way, but I will get it done.”

For anyone interested in volunteering visit https://www.alphabetarmy.org/ or contact erin@alphabetarmy.org. They accept perishable food donations for the food pantry and clothes for their closet.

For information about the center or to visit, please email Bailey at erin@alphabetarmy.org.