[3] Gonzalez attended Franklin College in the early 1980s, where he began volunteering for Gay/Lesbian Switchboard as a counselor; while there, he met his life partner Jeff Werner.

[3] Through his work there, Gonzalez realized the support that LGBTQ+ youth needed, and reminded him of his own journey; he was unwilling to let the gay and lesbian-identified adolescents remain "stuck in a self-hatred kind of place.

After five years of operation, IYG was named a Special Projects of National Significance for its programs protecting the mental and physical health of Indiana's LGBT youth.

For years, IYG operated an activity and program facility donated by the Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis, which was renovated and maintained by community supporters.

Nationally recognized as the first nonprofit organization in the country specifically dedicated to gay and lesbian youth issues, IYG has garnered countless awards, grants, and state funding.