SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A leading LGBTQ support group in Utah has a new director and new a headquarters.
The Utah Pride Center’s new director is Rob Moolman, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday.
The center’s new location is near Smith’s Ballpark on S. Main Street. It once housed a bank and, later, the Mexican Consulate. The outgoing executive director, Carol Gnade, made the center’s new home a priority before retiring.
The new building provides a warm environment and will allow the agency to expand programming and activities, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
“We own the building free and clear,” Moolman said. “But our services have to be paid for by massive fundraising. Maintaining our financial stability will be a continuing challenge.”
Moolman is from Australia and has lived in Utah for two years. He earned a master’s degree in education leadership at the University of Melbourne and is completing a doctorate program in education with emphasis on LGBTQ youth.
“We have an opportunity to help people in crisis,” Moolman said. “That’s one of the wonderful things this organization can offer.”
Moolman said a top priority will be building an inclusive model for all members of the LGBTQ communities.
“We need to understand the marginalization of different people in different communities,” Moolman said. “One of the things I want to get across is that we need to work together. I want an open-door policy to invite people into the center to tell us what is relevant to them.”
The new center’s grand opening is scheduled for May 19. Tours will be offered, along with a chance to meet the staff.
The new building was purchased with the aid of Elizabeth Solomon, a stalwart underwriter of the Utah Pride Center.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, http://www.sltrib.com
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