FORT MYERS, Fla. — Pride SWFL and Visuality opened Fort Myers' first LGBTQ+ community center in the downtown area Friday.
The newly-named Goldberg Center t is a first for the LGBTQ+ community in Fort Myers.
"I'm happy that there's a place where my sister can feel supported and have other people who are like her to be with," Jovie Hall, who attended the Goldberg Center ribbon cutting said.
The space is years in the making. Here, people can find youth services including social events, peer and parent support groups, and psycho-education.
There is programming for people of all ages, as the organization leaders say the older LGBTQ+ community is often looked over. To combat this, there are brunches for people 40 and older, dinner clubs and more.
Arlene Goldberg, the center's namesake, is an LGBTQ+ activist here in southwest Florida. She was a plaintiff in a federal same-sex marriage law suit, legalizing marriage for Floridians in 2015. She co-founded Visuality and founded South West Florida Harmony, Chamber of Commerce. She says this space is needed for all ages.
"We have transgender people leaving the state with their kids, because they're afraid now and I don't blame them. We need this, because when I heard all the bills they were passing, for a minute... that scared me," she said.
She worried about opening the center, but had a change in heart and decided it was especially needed now, on the heels of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Florida.
It came as a surprise to her the Goldberg center was named after her. She found out during the ribbon cutting.
Adam Larivee, MSW, presented signage to Goldberg with her name coining the new facility, something that brought her to tears.
"Because of the legislative maneuvers that have been taking place here in the state, our community is scared... They're being denied access to health care and being hurt by other people, and so having safe spaces, even in places where you come to socialize knowing that you're going to be seen and heard and understood, that is so incredibly important on so many levels," Larivee said.
The event brought out many who call themselves allies.
Mina Peters-Ritchie, an attendee with the organization Free Mom Hugs, says she's seen the need for a facility like this firsthand.
"When I was at Naples Pride last week, we had a gentleman that gave me a hug and held on, who didn't want to let go," Peters-Ritchie said. "Tears started coming out of his eyes as he was telling me, he hadn't hugged his mother in 10 years."
Peters-Ritchie is not alone.
"I want to make sure that there's a safe space for my daughter," attendee Sherri Hall said.
Now, she feels she has that.
