Atlanta is the largest city in the U.S. without an LGBTQ community center, despite being home to the South’s largest LGBTQ population. That may soon change, thanks to a city-led feasibility study that is currently underway through October. The initiative was launched late last year by Mayor Andre Dickens and is being led by Malik Brown, the city’s former director of LGBTQ affairs.
At the heart of the effort is a multilingual community input survey aimed at gathering feedback on what residents would want from an LGBTQ center — or whether they want one at all. In a recent interview with WABE’s “All Things Considered,” Brown shared that more than 650 people have responded to the survey so far, and the goal is to reach 1,500 to 2,000 responses by the fall.
Early findings have already begun to reveal clear priorities from the community. “The number one request is mental health support,” said Brown. “People want group counseling, affordable therapy, and free sessions.” He added that services for LGBTQ youth and elders rank closely behind, including job readiness programs, social activities and housing resources.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
