FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Goldberg Center's leaders call the facility a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. Two months after their opening day, the Center is working to hit new mile stones.
Visuality and PRIDEare the two non-profits functioning under the same room at the Center.
“We want to get to a place where we’re open daily," Director, Adam Larivee said.
It's looking for computers, tablets and smart boards to enhance the kind of programming the space provides.
Right now the center is open for planned events like adult game nights and beach days. While the non-profit focuses on positivity, Larivee is worried in the wake of Senate Bill 254 and House Bill 1521.
“I want to believe policy makers are doing what they think is best, I just wish they would take time to ask the experts, ask the youth themselves, see some of the statistics before they make these decisions," Larivee said.
Those staggering stats show 82% of transgender people consider suicide, according to the National Institues of Health.
One hot button issue in those bills is students now being required to go by their birth name in school, rather than chosen names.
"One of the ways that we can address this need at this center is to allow people to come here and have adults in this space who will go by your chosen name that you identify with, no questions asked," Larivee said.
Arlene Goldberg is the founder of Visuality. One of her current concerns is the requiring of students to use the restroom congruent with their birth gender.
“Some people you can tell, some people have transitioned earlier, and you can’t tell. What will they do? How will they enforce it," Goldberg said.
Amid all the law changes, Goldberg and Larivee say they’re working to provide stability through future events and programming.
Learn more about two of the Goldberg Center's upcoming events below:
