Pride Collective and Community Center

it was the product of a number of generous donors, and dedicated volunteers, with the right combination of passion and that wonderful Midwestern work ethic, which made this much needed space a reality. The center has moved a few times, but our mission has remained steadfast: “To create a sense of community and promote education and social activities aimed at furthering the social and physical well-being and development of the LGBT community in the Red River Valley.”

We are maintaining our focus, but with a fresh innovative perspective. We have transformed the look of the space to make it more inviting, and are working to implement exciting new programming to better suit the current needs of our community. What we pledge to you:

We will maintain a library of relevant and current mixed media. We will continue to create and host a safe and welcoming environment to socialize, find ‘friendly’ resources, and find timely information on LGBT related issues in. We will advocate/educate within the FM area on issues pertaining to our mission. We will strive to build solid networks and connections within the community; and help you make connections as needed. We will hold fundraisers and seek donors, and find ways to increase our organization’s solvency. We will organize educational, social, and charitable/volunteer activities that are current and relevant to LGBTs in this region. What we ask of you:

Respect differences, we do not judge here. Do not “out” anyone; that is THEIR choice to make. If you mess it up, clean it up. Give what you can to ensure that we can continue to thrive. Communicate with us! Let us know how we’re doing, and share your suggestions. A bit on the alphabet:

The FM Pride Collective and Community Center is an inclusive space. We strive to create an environment that is welcoming of all individuals regardless of their identity or sexuality. As a board we are working diligently to seek out the unmet needs of our community and the individuals it is comprised of. So why are we only using the letters LGBT, instead of LGBTQA, or LGBTQQAAI, or GLBTIQQAAP? There is plenty of debate on which letters are appropriate, how many letters are appropriate, and which order the letters ought to be placed in. After careful consideration, research, and discussion, we’ve chosen to opt for simplicity instead of creating what is commonly referred to as ‘alphabet soup’. Even within each letter, there is a multitude of differences. For example, not all ‘L’s face the same type of issues, not all ‘G’s like to throw parties, and some people identify with multiple letters. If we try to incorporate the vastness of our specific identities into the rainbow alphabet, we would end up with the letter version of pi: not easy to say, not easy to type, stretching out into infinity, and still not even close to covering everyone’s differences. Instead of trying to create the sense of inclusion by assigning everyone a letter, we intend to focus on action by implementing programming to fit your needs, acting as an ally to you, seeking out your input, and advocating for your rights. If you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, intersex, transgender, straight but allied, questioning, queer, asexual, pansexual, polyamorous, etc ad infinitum, you have a place here.