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Hurricane Milton has left a devastating mark on Sarasota, impacting two safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community: Downtown Saraosota's ALSO Youth location and Fabulous Arts Foundation's new LGBTQ+ Center. Both centers offer support, mental health services, and advocacy, are now grappling with significant damage and need the community’s help to rebuild and continue their work.
ALSO Youth Sarasota Center Closed Indefinitely ALSO Youth, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ youth in Sarasota and Manatee counties, has closed its Sarasota Center indefinitely due to severe damage from the hurricane. This closure comes at a time when LGBTQ+ youth need safe spaces and support more than ever. For now, the organization has moved its operations to their Bradenton Center, ensuring that its critical programs, including mental health services and leadership development, continue uninterrupted. Despite the setback, ALSO Youth remains hopeful. “Our hearts are with all those impacted,” the organization shared. “We feel certain that our community will rebuild together.” For information about available programs, community members are encouraged to visit their website or reach out via email at [email protected]. 
The new LGBTQ+ center faces severe damage even before it opens its doors
The new LGBTQ+ Center, located in the Limelight District, was poised to be a transformative space for Sarasota’s LGBTQ+ community. Spearheaded by Shannon Fortner and the Fabulous Arts Foundation, the center had been designed to offer mental health services, art therapy, and a sober space for those in recovery. It was set to provide a vital resource for healing and creativity during a time when anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislation are on the rise across the nation.
“Every donation will bring us closer to reopening and continuing to hold space for healing, community, and creativity,” Fortner emphasized. The community can donate or volunteer their time to help clear debris and begin the rebuilding process.
A Call to Action
As both ALSO Youth and the LGBTQ+ Center work tirelessly to recover from the devastation, the need for community support has never been more urgent. These spaces have and will provide invaluable resources and support for Sarasota’s LGBTQ+ community, and now, they need our help. Whether through financial donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, we all have a role to play in helping these centers rebuild. How You Can Help
 The highly anticipated Gulfcoast Pride, originally scheduled for October 19th in Downtown Sarasota, has been postponed as our community grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. This inaugural event, meant to unite the Sarasota and Manatee Pride celebrations, is now on hold as Sarasota and nearby areas focus on recovery. Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9th, striking Siesta Key as a powerful Category 3 storm, just weeks after Hurricane Helene brought destruction to northern Florida. The back-to-back storms left significant damage across the region, prompting Project Pride’s board to reevaluate their plans. “The community needs to heal. It’s been a crazy two weeks,” says Project Pride President Jason Champion. “We decided to postpone Gulfcoast Pride in response to the recent hurricanes in our community. This lets us shift our efforts to support those in need.” In these trying times, Project Pride’s decision reflects a prioritization of healing and unity. The nonprofit will continue to communicate with Gulfcoast Pride vendors and stakeholders in the coming days and is working closely with city officials to identify a new date for the celebration. Though the event is postponed, the spirit of Pride remains strong. Our community’s resilience is more evident than ever as we come together to support each other in recovery efforts. Gulfcoast Pride will return, and when it does, it will be a powerful celebration of not only our diversity but our collective strength. |
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