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Utah Pride Center launches campaign to increase awareness of LGBTQ struggles

Posted at 7:14 PM, Nov 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-15 22:24:23-05

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Pride Center has launched a new campaign to create awareness over unity at a press conference on Tuesday.

They are giving away 25,000 bracelets that state: “We see you, we love you.”

“They only go so far,” said Utah Pride Center’s board chair Michael Aguilar. “They only invite a conversation. What we are asking people to do when they wear the bracelet is to have that conversation - to open up dialogue with someone who might not understand the struggles of a LGBTQ person.”

Aguilar said the recent election results have caused deep concerns and hate toward the local LGBTQ community.

“The LGBTQ community has experienced a level of angst during the month of November,” said Aguilar. “There seems to be something that happened that makes us feel hurt and we want our community to know that the Pride Center is here.”

He wants the bracelets to be a symbol.

“We wear them so senior citizens who have been disowned by their children or who no longer have family or have partners who have passed on know there are people in the world who love them and are willing to chat with them and embrace them," Aguilar said.

Member Mona Stevens reminded Utah this is the second consecutive year the LGBTQ community has felt targeted. Last fall, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chose not to allow children of same-sex couples to be baptized until they are 18 years old.

“Last November was very challenging for so many families, but this November - it seems to be November - it's supposed to be the time of Thanksgiving, but this November they are dealing with the next phase of that which is a potential political system which is not favorable for them," Stevens said.

To learn more about the new campaign or register to have a free bracelet, visit: http://www.utahpridecenter.org/