Major Recognition for Founders of LGBTQ+ Center in Visalia
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VISALIA, Calif. (KGPE) – It was announced Thursday that the Source LGBT+ Center’s Brian Poth and Nick Vargas were recognized as recipients of the 2024 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.
Poth and Vargas create spaces where LGBTQ+ people can live healthy lives and thrive while promoting inclusivity in the heart of conservative rural Central California.
Since its inception in 2006, The James Irvine Foundation has recognized the accomplishments of more than 100 leaders across California. Now, The Source LGBT+ Center Campus joins this esteemed group as the newest addition to this distinguished cohort of leaders.
With a $350,000 grant and additional support from the Foundation, they are amplifying their impact and sharing their approaches to community wellness and belonging with policymakers and peers.
Data from the Public Policy Institute of California shows that California has the largest LGBTQ+ population out of any other state with nearly three million adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento have lots of resources for the LGBTQ+ community. There are fewer resources available in rural parts of the state like The Central Valley.
The Source LGBT+ Center is the largest center supporting LGBTQ+ youth and adults from Bakersfield to Sacramento. It offers over 20 programs, including support groups for those who are transgender and their families.
Brett Woolman now serves as the Vice Chair of the Board for the Source LGBT+ Center, but he was first introduced to the nonprofit as a dad in search of answers with a young son in middle school who was transitioning.
“I had some level of acceptance and some level of fear. I think my fear as based like most parents on safety. I was worried about, is my son safe? What are these decisions? How far is he transitioning? At first, it didn’t seem that offensive to me, but when I talked to him and say, ‘Hey, where are you with the transition?’ It was disheartening because he didn’t know either, “ Woolman explained.
Woolman’s son, Ty, 17, is now a junior in high school. Thanks to the Source LGBT+ Center, he and his dad have walked the journey of transitioning together.
His dad, who works as a therapist with youth in crisis, has always been supportive of his son.
“I raise him and give him morals and values, and I trust him to make the decision that’s best for him. I just need to be there to support him,” he said.
Like Ty, Mateo Fernandez, 18, also found support and friendship at the Source LGBT+ Center.
Fernandez was raised near San Deigo and this past fall moved to Visalia. He explains that his family has a difficult time accepting him during his transition explaining that his dad still often uses his name given at birth, referred to in the Trans community as your dead name and his mother often cries when talking about the transition process.
“My parents are Mexican immigrants, so a big part of the culture is just ignoring the things you don’t want to talk about.”
Fernandez really grew into his own after the move. He serves as the President of the Pride Club at College of the Sequoias-Visalia and attends the Source LGBT+ Center on a regular basis.
“I moved in with two other Queer people of color and they’re literally my family right now. We have a cat. It’s like the best support network you could have to have two best friends at home,” Fernandez said.
When it comes to acceptance, Fernandez recalled a time in middle school that he still uses when encouraging others to be kind and inclusive.
“Instead of being judgmental, be curious. You don’t need to know everything about someone to respect them. Like, I’m trans, I use he/they pronouns. You don’t need to understand my whole identity or the way I feel in my own skin, you just need to know my name and my pronouns, that’s all.”
Trans support services are just one of more than 20 services offered by the Source LGBT+ Center.
The center also offers other youth support, mental health services, HIV services, and a community food pantry.
For more information about the services available at the Source LGBT+ Center click here.
