LGBTQ+ Welcome Center

by RJ SWIFT H

THE WORLD CAN BE A VERY CONFUSING PLACE. It can leave you reeling and punch-drunk or wandering aimlessly. Our only hope as a civilization in finding happiness is sifting through the genuine human experience in search of a connection with someone who understands us and relates to our struggle as an individual.

At the new LGBTQ+ Welcome Center at 413 Broadway in Paducah, visitors are granted the opportunity to meet caring people who can relate to the struggle of not fitting in or being misunderstood. Some of the organizers for this organization are Dustin Havens, Donna Riley, Anthony York, and Elizabeth Duarte. These are just a few of the individuals compassionate enough to launch and help sustain a program such as this. “The main concern for this organization,” Havens, a founding member of the program, says, “is that everyone in the community feels welcome regardless if they identify as LGBTQ+ or not. We want to help the community as a whole.”

The Welcome Center offers various courses and opportunities that can help expedite the process of overcoming adversity. Study groups as well as chill zones are provided. The study groups include classes that cover a wide variety of topics, such as STD coping and awareness lessons, history of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States, and confidential therapy sessions.

This is a judgement free environment that encourages free thinking, self-awareness, and artistic endeavors of any kind. The Welcome Center also helps in providing grant writing for school and small businesses for those who inquire, as well as celebrations and festivities.

by RJ Swift H