APPLETON (WTAQ-WLUK) – A new resource center in coming to the Appleton area, to help those who may be experiencing violence in the LGBTQ community.
For some advocates in the Fox Valley, the need for a safe haven in Northeast Wisconsin is long overdue.
“Violence against LGBTQ people in the state is on the rise. So it’s really important that we have infrastructure in our community to help people who are facing different kinds of violence,” said Nick Ross.
Ross is an advocate for Diverse and Resilient, an anti L-G-B-T-Q violence organization. For the last couple of months, Ross has been working with other advocates to open a new resource center in the Fox Valley, where people can receive counseling, join support groups and connect with other services.
“LGBTQ people may not feel like they can go to a mainstream support group to get help. So this will help bridge that gap between LGBTQ survivors and others in the community,” he explained.
Program director Kathy Flores said she chose to make the announcement about the new center on Friday, in honor of National Coming out day.
“We recognize not everyone is safe to come out and there are children, teenagers, and adults at home watching this and afraid to come out. So we just want them to know we are here for them too,” said Flores. “This is really a dream come true, I’ve been an advocate for 25 years and I’ve dreamed of having a space that would help LGBTQ survivors, and here we are.”
Right now the resource center is still under construction, but they hope to have it open by January of 2020.
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