Today, Asbury Park is a lively and welcoming place for members of the LGBTQ+ community, with many queer-owned establishments and a big Pride celebration. But it wasn’t always this way.
One reason for the turnaround was the vision and drive of the founders of QSpot LGBT Community Center.
The founders of QSpot, a nonprofit established in 2005, wanted to create a safe space and services for LGBTQ+ folks and allies, similar to those in New York and Los Angeles. For 15 years, the group met online or in small, temporary spaces.
In 2020, the QSpot LGBT community center opened, and soon, 200 people a week were coming through its doors.
The center offers events, support groups and services, including yoga classes, book clubs, addiction-recovery programs, cancer support groups and film festivals. A café is open on weekends.
QSpot is intended for those 18 and up, with some programs geared to older folks.
The Early Bird Social Group is a monthly dinner for people over 50; the Buddy Program pairs LGBTQ+ elders who are hospitalized, in a nursing home, or homebound, with companions.
Visit the QSpot website for happenings, and to volunteer or donate.
[RELATED: Asbury Park’s Mercy Center on a Mission to End Generational Poverty]
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