After the pandemic restrictions end, the Bravery Center plans to hold a grand opening in the Lincoln City Cultural Center.
Provided by Beck Johnson
A program for LGBTQ youth on the Oregon Coast is nearing its first year of operation in rural Lincoln County.
Called The Bravery Center, its mission is to provide a safe space and mental health services for the queer community in the county and beyond.
Beck Johnson, founder and director of the Bravery Center.
Provided by Beck Johnson
While the pandemic has forced a virtual reworking of the Bravery Center, founder and director Beck Johnson said, the center’s purpose remains the same: helping queer youth deal with prejudice, self-harm, rejection, and fear.
“All those things get intensely magnified, by factors such as increased isolation, lack of visibility, lack of awareness,” Johnson told KLCC.
“Often increased prejudice toward queer people and general lack of acceptance,” they said. “And there is quite often an absence of acceptable resources within their community.”
Johnson said the Bravery Center is a program of Olalla Center, a nonprofit group in Lincoln County. About 18 youth are currently participating in its programs.
After pandemic restrictions are over, there’ll be a grand opening in the Lincoln City Cultural Center.
Copyright 2020, KLCC.