BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity focuses on supporting anyone within the LGBTQ+ community.
Volunteers from the Center know the importance of the work they are doing. The doors to the Center open to a world of acceptance and guidance. Organizers say the Center is a safe space for anyone part of the LGBTQ+ community. They offer a multitude of resources for those people.
Chair of the Board of Directors for the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, Emily Fisher, says that services vary depending on needs.
“Those services focus on our community and having a safe space for folks to come and just have one place where you can be yourself and be accepted for who you are,” said Fisher.
To better serve the community, the Center has two locations. The Downtown Bakersfield spot serves as a community gathering space, while the other location offers services like mental health services and workshops.
“[It's a] Lovely location Downtown that's well decorated and you can expect to come in and understand a little bit about the community,” said Fisher while talking about the Downtown location.
The Downtown location operates solely on volunteers, such as Jacqueline Vargas, who also serves as a Youth and Young Adult Council member. According to Vargas, her main reason for applying to be a part of the council was wanting to give back to her community.
As a volunteer, Vargas is in charge of planning monthly events and discussing what changes they want to see happen in the near future. Her latest project was creating an informational pamphlet about native wildflowers as part of their potting event.
Ace Moody is another volunteer at the Center. Moody is in charge of facilitating a group called Gender Rebels, centered towards anyone who is non-binary, transgender, or anywhere in between. The goal of the group is to offer support and resources to those people.
Moody came to the Center because Moody wanted to see and be a part of real change.
“When I was younger here in Bakersfield, we had no resources," said Moody. "A lot of things haven’t changed and I would like to see that change.”
Meanwhile, Fisher says that she loves to see the Center’s impacts on the community and values the importance of welcoming people with open arms.
“A lot of times [with] the LGBTQ community, you can't bring part of who you are to work and part of who you are to your family," she explained. "At least here, you bring your whole self and get to understand your identity with other folks who are part of the community.”
The Center of Sexuality and Gender Diversity is in need of monetary donations and more volunteers. To learn more information, visit its website.
