Knowing where to go can pave the way

October 19 is LGBT Center Awareness Day. An LGBT is a non-profit organization center that gives services to the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). These centers help the LGBT community by offering free services and sexual education to youth and adults.

The nearest LGBT center is the Solano Pride Center at 1234 Empire St #1560, Fairfield. It was founded in 1998 and provides free mental health services, youth groups, HIV counseling, and support groups for all ages.

It is very important to have these centers bring the LGBT community together while giving them the free help and education that might not be available elsewhere. These places are also important because nearly 1 in 5 hate crimes in America are driven by anti-LGBT bias (NBC) so we need to come as a community to protect and educate people on how to protect themselves and prevent attacks. The free mental health services are a tremendous service to our community because LGBT youth were 3.5 times as likely to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers Transgender teens were 5.87 times more likely, according to Newport Academy. Building allies and community for these teens can prevent some cases.

To honor LGBT Center Awareness Day or any day, you can donate to the work of the Solano Pride Center or