Editing YMCA (section)

==== United States ====
{{Main|YMCA of the USA}}
{{Further|YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga|YMCA of Greater New York}}

[[File:YMCA Onalaska.jpg|thumb|A YMCA in [[Onalaska, Wisconsin]]]]
[[File:Hollywood YMCA in 2007.jpg|thumb|A YMCA in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood, California]] in 2007]]
[[File:"CANADIAN YMCA Beaver Hut" detail, Beaver Hut Canada YMCA (cropped).jpg|thumb|YMCA's Beaver Hut poster in 1939]]
[[File:Ketchum Downtown YMCA, Front View.jpg|thumb|The Ketchum Downtown YMCA in [[Los Angeles]]]]
[[File:Winona YMCA with Sugar Loaf in the background.jpg|thumb|A YMCA in [[Winona, Minnesota]] in 2024]]

In the [[United States]], YMCA is more commonly known as 'The Y', with national headquarters in [[Chicago]]. It has 800 separate organisational entities affiliated to its national office, based in 2,700 branch locations,<ref name="y-usa-org">{{cite web |date=2017-04-11 |title=Who We Are|url=http://www.ymca.net/organizational-profile|website=YMCA.net}}</ref> working with 21&nbsp;million people, to "strengthen communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility."<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to the Y |url=http://www.ymca.net |access-date=19 April 2015|website=YMCA.org}}</ref> It has about 19,000 staff and 600,000 volunteers.

Major programs include [[After-school activity|after-school activities]], day care, [[youth work]] and physical fitness. A large number of locations have gyms, weight rooms, swimming pools, and sports courts.

The first YMCA in the United States opened on 29 December 1851, in [[Boston]], Massachusetts. It was founded in 1851 by Captain Thomas Valentine Sullivan (1800–59), an American seaman and missionary. In 1853 the Reverend [[Anthony Bowen]] founded the first YMCA for Colored Men in [[Washington, D.C.]] The renamed Anthony Bowen YMCA is still serving the U Street area of Washington. It became a part of YMCA of the city of Washington in 1947. Through the middle part of the 20th century it was associated with covert homosexual subculture, with the athletic facilities providing a refuge and cover for closeted individuals.<ref>Neumann, Caryn E. glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. [http://www.glbtqarchive.com/ssh/ymca_S.pdf YMCA]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130304184310/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/ymca.html|date=4 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=David K. |title=Take the Stranger by the Hand: Same-Sex Relations and the YMCA |url=http://gaybookreviews.info/review/3397/299 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316031710/http://gaybookreviews.info/review/3397/299 |archive-date=16 March 2012 |access-date=16 March 2012 |website=gaybookreviews.info}}</ref>

YMCAs in the USA are one of the largest charitable nonprofits in the US, by public donations received, as listed by ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |title=YMCA of the USA |url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/ymca/ |access-date=2019-12-21 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> YMCA in the USA is one of the many organizations that espouses [[muscular Christianity]].

Its national archives are located at the [[Kautz Family YMCA Archives|Kautz Family YMCA]], at [[University of Minnesota]] Libraries Department of Archives and Special Collections. More digitally accessible archival information can be found at the Texas Christian University (TCU) Digital Repository.