Latest news with #SavannahPrideCenter
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Local Pride center: ‘We need to move from pride flags to policy change'
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV)– The Savannah Pride Center offers year-round therapy, support groups and help with medical care for their community. The center's executive director Micheal Bell told WSAV that pride is all about becoming stronger as a community but he said this year there is more work than ever. 'We have the fastest growing new HIV cases in the country,' Bell said. 'We are one of the lowest in health care and we have a huge, vibrant, diverse LGBTQ+ population. The work is there to do but we also have to remember to celebrate that diversity.' Recently the Savannah Pride Center announced a new partnership with the Savannah Police Department. The police and the center developed a relationship after one of the Savannah Pride Center volunteers was murdered. 'With the police department, we have an opportunity to train the police on pronouns, history and culture with the LGBTQ+ community,' Bell Said 'This is the biggest step forward that our community has taken to protect our LGBTQ+ community here in Savannah.' The Savannah Pride Center will host an event on June 28 at Starland Yard to honor the history of the Stonewall Uprising. They emphasize that pride is ultimately about coming together and being stronger as a community. The city of Savannah recognizes June and October as Pride Months due to June being the start of hurricane season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Vigil held for Savannah man killed in Dollar General shooting
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — It was a sad night for family and friends of the Savannah man killed the day before St. Patrick's Day at a local Dollar General. A vigil was held for friends of Chris Allen Villegas Frentress, who said he was taken too soon. To be loved by you and to love you was a sentiment shared by those who gathered Thursday to honor the life and legacy of Frentress. 27-year-old Fentress was shot and killed after a dispute took place on March 15 at a Dollar General store located on West Bay Street. Witness accounts said the 27-year-old suspected shooter, Johnathan Manson, started yelling homophobic slurs at Chris and his group of friends right before the shooting. The Savannah Pride Center, where Frentress volunteered, is calling for his death to be investigated as a hate crime, something they said Savannah has a problem with reporting. 'It's clear the shooter needed to confirm that Chris was gay by his line of questioning before specifically attacking Chris,' said Michael Bell, Director of Savannah Pride Center. 'It's important to note that the shooter had a history of posting hate messages about LGBTQ+ people on his social media. And it's important to note that Savannah hasn't reported any hate crimes in years, which is in stark contrast to other Georgia cities throughout the state.' Those who knew Frentress described him as the life of the party and someone who always stood up for what he believed in. 'I know him. He was the life of the party. He wouldn't want us to cry,' said friends of Frentress, Devon Geiger and Malasha Williams. 'He's a very strong person, a kind-hearted person. Just a lighthearted person and everything just like an amazing kind soul. Just a kind soul.' Frentress' partner, Oscar Cerrito Mendoza, said his soulmate was taken too soon. He said they moved to Savannah to start their lives together and find community, something they both took pride in. 'He guided me through some of the darkest moments and was incredibly patient with me through our journey together,' Mendoza said. 'He consistently showed support for everyone who cared about one word. I truly think this person is courage. He stood up for everybody. Everyone loved and was unapologetically his genuine self.' Funeral arrangements have been made for Frentress, and they will be held in his home state of Virginia. Mendoza asked that any donations be sent to the GoFundMe that he's set up. The link can be found by clicking or tapping here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Memorial Health ends gender-affirming surgeries for anyone under 19
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Memorial Health in Savannah is no longer providing gender-affirming surgery for transgender patients under 19. This is in direct response to an executive order by the Trump administration. Savannah Pride Center said that they are deeply troubled by this decision, that gender-affirming care is medically necessary for transgender patients. 'We should care because when it happens to our neighbor, it will eventually happen to us,' Bell said. Memorial Health is the only hospital in the Savannah area that performs gender affirmation surgery under insurance for trans men and women. It's something Bell said is life-saving for many of the people they help. 'This is an opportunity for the city and medical providers and businesses to go beyond pride flags and move into real policy shifts that protect, nurture, and advance our LGBTQ community and other marginalized communities,' Bell said. Memorial health told News 3 that they have performed some kinds of gender-affirming surgery, but have never had a full gender reassignment program. They released this statement. 'Memorial Health has never had a gender-affirming surgical program which would require certain standards of care across multiple clinical disciplines. Like other hospitals, we have a responsibility to follow state and federal laws and regulations. For gender-affirming surgeries there are laws and regulations around age. We follow those. Licensed physicians use their training and experience to exercise independent medical judgment to assess patients' needs and determine the course of treatment within those laws and regulations.' In response to that statement Savannah Pride released this. 'Savannah Pride Center is deeply disappointed in Memorial Health's decision to cancel all scheduled gender-affirming top surgeries and its attempt to obscure this fact when responding to why they made this move. While Memorial Health may not have officially designated a 'gender-affirming surgical program,' the reality is that licensed surgeons have been safely performing top surgeries for adult transgender patients at the health system for years. That changed last Thursday when the hospital abruptly canceled all upcoming gender-affirming top surgeries—leaving patients in distress and without critical care they had already been approved for. No amount of carefully crafted wording can erase the fact that these cancellations are a direct disruption of vital, medically necessary care for transgender individuals in our community. Memorial Health's statement does not explain why these procedures were suddenly halted, nor does it acknowledge the harm this decision inflicts on those who had already planned for surgery. We call on Memorial Health to reaffirm its commitment to equitable, patient-centered care for all members of our community, including transgender individuals. The Savannah Pride Center stands with those affected, and we will continue to advocate for their right to access the medical care they need and deserve.' We reached out to Memorial Health about the decision, and they referred us to the statement above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
