By Lindsey Luker
Published on February 13, 2008
Being openly gay or bisexual is not as uncommon as in the past. However, college students are still struggling with the issue of “coming out.” Some are fortunate enough to have a supportive family. Many have social lives where they can be open about their sexual orientation without fear of being judged. Still, there are those who are learning who they are and may not have support from family and friends. Or, perhaps it would just be nice to have a place to go and meet others who are gay or bisexual.
The GEARS (Guys Empowered and Remaining Safe) center is a place where young guys ages 18-29 can go to make friends and build community.
“We are trying to reach guys who are both self-identifying as being gay or bisexual, as well as those who are not,” HIV Prevention Program Coordinator for Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, Doug Landreth said.
Located at 801 E. Gregory St. in Pensacola, the center is open Wednesday through Saturday and conducts many different social activities.
Friday night is “movie night” and the second Wednesday of every month is “Meet and Greet.” This allows all newcomers the opportunity to introduce themselves and make friends. The last Wednesday of every month there is a free dinner. There are also other activities such as “game night” and the occasional party. The center also has wireless Internet, a pool and foosball table and a fenced-in yard for grilling out or playing volleyball.
Although the GEARS center is a safe and fun place for guys to meet and make new friends, there is an important message to be conveyed: safe sex.
“Doing our research, we just felt that there were some unmet needs of the young gay and bi community,” Landreth said.
“We felt that it would be a worthy endeavor to create a space that is set up to mobilize the young gay and bisexual men of the area so that they can work together to build community and safeguard their sexual health, their physical health and their mental health.”
Landreth said this type of program has never been allowed in the state of Florida until two years ago when the GEARS center opened. Many safe-sex programs are abstinence-based and have a very tangible stigma as far as any gay issues are concerned.
Of course, there are probably readers out there wondering if there is a center similar to GEARS in Pensacola for young lesbians.
“Not currently,” Landreth said.
“I do know there are some organizations that are trying to get some going.”
For more information on the GEARS center, visit www.myspace.com/thegearscenter