TRAVEL CITY, Mich. (WPBN/WGTU)— A group based in Northern Michigan that focuses on promoting safety and dignity for the LGBTQ+ community has established a new location in Traverse City.
Up North Pride has turned an old structure on 8th Street into a lively neighborhood center.
Adrienne Brown-Reasner, the head executive ofUp North Pride, she shared her enthusiasm for the new space. “Oh, the first time walking in before we truly took it over and began considering what it could become, it was just incredibly amazing,” she said.
The structure, which previously served as a copy center, still shows signs of its history, such as a collection of unique power sockets.
Aaron Wright, the chairman of Up North Pride, stated, “This copy store has a wide variety of plugs. I’m not exaggerating. I’ve come across plugs that I’ve never even heard of before.”
For more than ten years, Up North Pride has been working to support the LGBTQ+ community, frequently using temporary locations for their gatherings and activities. “We’ve always understood that having a dedicated space was essentially our main goal. Our primary objective was to be visible and present within the community in a tangible way,” explained Wright.
Wright stated, “We used to move between companies or venture into various public areas or individuals’ homes, but being able to specify precisely when and where we perform an action, as well as what that action is, holds significant power for an organization like this.”
The updated location enables Up North Pride to organize gatherings and foster a feeling of togetherness without having to request approval or assistance.
Brown-Reasner highlighted the significance of the environment, stating, “What we’re essentially doing is fostering that community spirit, once more that feeling of having someone here, having friends I can rely on, forming new friendships or being able to go somewhere and feel accepted for who I am without needing to change or explain myself. It’s about genuinely being embraced for who I personally recognize myself to be, knowing that it’s completely acceptable and welcomed within this space.”
The group is currently compiling a list of initiatives and gathering contributed items, while organizing a schedule filled with activities to take place in their new location.
Brown-Reasner said, “It’s simply our community here. It’s just the people coming for this, and they can completely relax and be themselves. Just watching someone do that, you can literally see the relief in their shoulders as they walk through the door and think, ‘This is where I can be myself,’ and that’s something expected of me to just be myself.”
Wright feels the new space enhances the community. “I believe it contributes to the community’s structure, forming a bigger and more vibrant quilt that represents who is invited, who is welcomed, and who feels they belong.”
Up North Pride extends an invitation to all to come, connect, discover, and build new relationships.
They jokingly mentioned that any new friends who happen to be electricians would be highly valued.
