Key Points:
- Malik Brown, the Project Director of the LGBTQ+ Community Feasibility Study, shared preliminary data from the Community Input Survey.
- 2,802 respondents completed survey, and 97 percent believe having an LGBTQ+ community center in Atlanta is important.
After nearly seven months of collecting responses, the LGBTQ+ Community Center Feasibility Study’s Community Input Survey closed on Oct. 17.
According to preliminary data shared with Georgia Voice by Malik Brown, the project director of the LGBTQ+ Community Center Feasibility Study, the survey garnered 2,802 responses. Brown said the data has yet to be fully reviewed by the team and pro-bono consultants, so the following findings are not definitive.
“What we can say for now is that the early responses show overwhelming support for an LGBTQ+ community center — a lifesaving space that can serve as an access point for our most vulnerable, a welcoming entry point for young people and newcomers, and a space for convening, creativity, and cultural connection for all residents,” he said.
Ninety-seven percent of respondents found having an LGBTQ+ community center in Atlanta to be important, and the top five most requested services were mental health and counseling services (1,731 of 2,802), LGBTQ+ youth programs (1,500 of 2,802), an LGBTQ+ history and cultural museum (1,324 of 2,802), LGBTQ+ elder programs and activities (1,092 of 2,802) and an event and performance space (991 of 2,802).
Of the challenges respondents face in accessing LGBTQ+ spaces and services, the most reported were lack of public LGBTQ+ spaces (62 percent), lack of social or networking opportunities (43.4 percent), lack of intergenerational spaces (39.1 percent), financial barriers (36.2 percent), and safety concerns (35.3 percent).
Most respondents lived in Midtown, East Atlanta, and Lindbergh, and white and Native American respondents were overrepresented compared to 2023 Census data for Atlanta, while Black and Asian respondents were underrepresented. Age groups were generally evenly represented except for LGBTQ+ youth under 18, of which only 0.26 percent of respondents were representative. Notes shared by Brown clarify that the feasibility team prioritized conversations with service providers who work with young people and parents instead of directly connecting with minors.
Brown told Georgia Voice that the next step for the feasibility study will be to analyze the data to present to the City of Atlanta in December.
“Now that data collection is finished, we’re shifting from community engagement to analysis,” Brown said. ‘We’ll synthesize survey input, round table discussions and one‑on‑one meetings into community‑informed recommendations, which we plan to present to Mayor Dickens and the Atlanta City Council in December. Our hope is that this process results in seed funding — support we can then leverage with philanthropy and the wider community for what we see as a once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity.”
To keep up with the LGBTQ+ Community Center Feasibility Study, visit atlgbtqcenter.com.
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