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The Vallarta Gay+ Community Center (VGCC) is experiencing a period of rapid growth and expansion, transforming into a vital hub for Puerto Vallarta’s LGBTQ+ community.
The organization recently quadrupled the space at Morelos #101 Local 3b, occupying the former space that Vallarta Co-Work used to utilize. It now has space to provide the health services it needs but also community meetings and group activities.
“We have been holding focus groups with various constituents, including youth, sex workers, trans, gay men and lesbian women,” said Pedro Lopez, executive director. “And we are developing a host of services to meet the needs.”
Growing from 50 square meters in space (which hosts the health care component) to 290 square meters is now allowing VGCC to provide a welcoming and open space for the LGBTQ+ community to utilize.
Those services include the core health care component that the center was established for – prevention and treatment of HIV and STIs (PreP services, HIV testing, etc.) and now programming for the LGBTQ+ community.
Programming Includes:
Monday: Modern Dance and Stretching
Tuesday: Movie NightWednesday: Ballroom groups
Thursday: Substance Abuse Support Group (soon to begin)
Friday: Living with HIV (support group) and group meeting for those who are deaf and gay
In just a year, VGCC has quickly filled a need in the community – local business leaders organized, established a board of directors, raised funds, hired an executive director, a physician, and more staff, and found a home.
“And,” Lopez said, “We are now also providing PreP services to more than 500 clients.”
As Donald Trump prepares to take the Presidency in the United States, Lopez said the Board of Directors is also looking ahead to provide services to gay Mexicans who may be deported from the United States.
“We just had a board retreat and one of our immediate future projects that the board wants to start preparing for is those gay Mexicans who may be deported and don’t have a family or home to return to,” Lopez said. “They will be displaced with no network to fall back on. How will they survive? We want resources in place to help.”
And another project that will soon be rolled out is to provide legal support for the gay community. Lopez said they will be utilizing students who are majoring in Law to volunteer with the center to help provide legal guidance and support for the community – not legal advice, but a way to help understand the different systems in place and how to help navigate them.
“I am very excited about that program,” Lopez added.
All of these programs require money, and fundraising is ongoing. In addition to the new space and programs, a looming roof repair will require funds before next year’s rainy season begins.
“And we have some office reconfiguration construction that needs to be done, and we want to have some portable wall dividers placed in the large open space that we use for groups so that we can utilize it better,” he explained.
The Vallarta Gay+ Community Center is quickly becoming a vital hub for Puerto Vallarta’s LGBTQ+ community. With its recent expansion, the center now offers a variety of services and programs, from healthcare to social activities, to support the needs of its diverse membership. As the center continues to grow, it is poised to play an even greater role in the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in the region, particularly as they face potential challenges in the coming years.
Esta publicación también está disponible en: English Español
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