MoPRIDE strives to open new LGBT center

MoPRIDE wants to be known as more than just the party in the park.

In 2014, the fledgling nonprofit MoPRIDE Inc. took over the annual Pride in the Park event, which celebrates the area’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. But the group’s goals always have been larger than just one day. Members hope to open a new, permanent center to serve LGBT Central Valley residents and their allies.

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While the U.S. Supreme Court definitively has settled the issue of same-sex marriage, the struggle for many in the LGBT community is still far from over, MoPRIDE organizers said. In 28 states, it remains legal to fire people or refuse them housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Bullying and harassment continue to be a problem in schools. Suicide attempt rates are higher for LGBT youths.

“Just because (the Supreme Court) made that decision doesn’t mean overnight everything has changed for the better,” said MoPRIDE Treasurer Shanna Marshall. “I think society is finally catching up, but there are still a lot of questions and issues, especially in the Central Valley, which has been a more conservative community traditionally. But there’s also a large LGBT community here.”

MoPRIDE President Kelly Cruz said a center could help provide resources, support and information for the area’s LGBT residents. This would be Modesto’s second LGBT center; the first was called the Stanislaus PRIDE Center, opened in 2007 and closed about three years ago. That center also hosted the city’s first pride celebrations, held each September. Since then, the event at Graceada Park has been run by a series of groups.

In its second year of running Pride in the Park, the all-volunteer MoPRIDE group has tripled in size, going from 25 booths in 2014 to more than 75 in 2015. This year, some 3,500 people attended, and Cruz said they want to continue that momentum to create the new center. The group has started holding fundraisers, including a monthly bingo night at the Tiki Lounge, and will start hosting benefit mixers in January. The hope is to have a physical location open in the next six to eight months.

Cruz said the new center will be open to the public and offer support groups, counseling, meeting space, online resources and library materials. She said it also could help to centralize information about existing area LGBT support groups, school gay-straight alliances, county resources and more. Organizers also want to do outreach and be a resource to area schools and businesses on LGBT issues from sensitivity training to anti-harassment information.

“This community is so underserved. So many LGBT people can’t get help, or don’t know what help is out there,” Cruz said. “Our goal is to pull everything together.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 9:26 PM with the headline "MoPRIDE strives to open new LGBT center."