Several Salem groups are coming together to raise money to open the city’s first LGBTQ+ center that would provide a hub for the city’s queer community to gather and find support.

The initiative is being led by Rainbow Youth, a Salem nonprofit group that supports LGBTQ+ youth. They are joined by Salem Capital Pride, Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays, Black Joy Oregon, Radness Ensues, Mid-Willamette Queer Collective and Crafty Cayotes which are are helping to raise money and awareness.

Rainbow Youth will host the first-ever fundraising event Saturday, Dec. 13, at Salem’s Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5090 Center St. N.E. from 7 – 9 p.m. Organizers hope it will kick off sustained donations of $5,000 per month to support the center’s operating costs.

The Salem group has bee

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