Bridgeport, Connecticut, got its first LGBTQ+ center with the grand opening of The Bridgeport Pride Center in June, with State Rep. Marcus Brown serving as the Center’s interim executive director.
Reports Connecticut Public:
Marcus Brown remembers growing up in Bridgeport as a boy, and while many of his peers struggled with their identities, they didn’t have to worry about their safety in doing so. He said having a dedicated place for LGBTQ+ teens would have made things less stressful for him.
“It would have made it a lot easier for me to come out,” Brown, now a state representative from Bridgeport, said.
But now, he said things will get easier, as the city welcomes its first pride center dedicated to area LGBTQ+ teens. The Bridgeport Pride Center, opens on June 20, days after the city’s annual pride flag raising and a year after it was first announced. …
The center’s services will include amenities and emergency resources.
The center will also have amenities like a computer lab, a library and a game room for kids. It’s also located near several transit options, including city bus routes and the Metro North New Haven train line.
While Bridgeport Pride Center received widespread support among residents and elected officials, Brown said hateful comments were made against the center on social media in recent weeks. Those comments make having a safe space to gather in-person even more important, Brown said.
Reflecting on his youth, he said had to find his own identity largely on his own without the support from local LGBTQ+ community members, but many children in Bridgeport will no longer have to do so.
“I wish I had something like this,” Brown said. “I would have loved to live more of my life as authentically as possible.”
Read the complete Connecticut Public story here.
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