Latest news with #inclusivespace
CBS News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
New group in North Texas creates safe, inclusive space for queer women of color
A new group in North Texas is creating a safe and inclusive space for queer women of color, one event at a time. The group, called Ladies Love Us, was founded in May by partners Yoly Rojas and Domenick Flores. It aims to cultivate a supportive and inclusive community for BIPOC lesbians in the Dallas-Fort Worth area through social gatherings, volunteer opportunities and networking. On an August afternoon at a Dallas restaurant, Rojas, Flores and member Magge Nuñez took a moment to reflect on what it means to be a queer Latina in Texas. "I just didn't see people that looked like me or felt like me in that lifestyle," Rojas told CBS News Texas. "If I even go on TikTok, and look up Latina lesbians, you don't see much. You don't see it on Instagram, so it's like, but we're here." Finding safe spaces, especially for Latina lesbians, wasn't easy. "Growing up it has felt honestly like a taboo topic, that people don't really want to talk to," said Nuñez, who is also a DJ with the group. "A lot of the lesbian bars really curate for white folks." Rojas is from Chicago; Flores is from Irving. As the couple began looking for more lesbian-friendly spaces, they realized there was a lack. Seeing the gap in representation and community in Dallas-Fort Worth, they decided to create the group. "In the gay community we've always had to do it under the table and support each other on the low," Flores said. "Our community needs somewhere to go, needs somewhere safe, a place that they can call home, that's something that they don't have right now, so to feel that void, that's what I want Ladies Love Us to do." Whether it's bingo night or a day party, the group hosts events at queer-owned venues, featuring queer DJs like Nuñez. For these women, the group is more than just a social club—it's a movement focused on community, belonging and visibility. "As a mixture of both, right—a mixture as a queer person, and a Salvadorian person—it's really hard to be seen, so I've taken it upon myself to really be unapologetically my identities wherever I go," said Nuñez. "For me, it's not so much influence, it's impact, and the fact that we're impacting our people and giving them a space to exist," Rojas said. In just four months, Ladies Love Us has garnered thousands of followers online, leveraging social media to promote its events. The group currently has more than 300 active members. "Oh man, they really love it. Every time we have an event people hit us up, 'Man this was so much fun, please do another one, we need to schedule,' so we're always constantly thinking of different ways we can curate something," said Flores. The group plans to host a fundraiser for the Resource Center of Dallas and is working to create a mentorship program for LGBTQ youth. For these Latinas, the group is more than just a night out—it's about celebrating their queer identities and reminding the next generation their existence matters. "If you exist, you belong. There's space for you to belong. You can definitely belong here, and if not, absolutely, you can create that space for you to belong," Rojas said. The group is hosting a major event on Aug. 16 featuring Latina R&B singer Amanda Perez.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Rotary Club gives $20K to North Bay autism youth lounge
Rotary Club donates $20,000 to HANDS for autism youth lounge in North Bay. The inclusive space supports neurodivergent youth with skill-building, social activities and sensory-friendly features.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Accessible restroom project moving forward at Ashtabula Arts Center
ASHTABULA — Several people gathered at the Ashtabula Arts Center Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate to soon-to-start construction of an accessible bathroom at the center. The accessible restroom will include a universal changing table, which is large enough to serve anybody of any size or background. Ashtabula Arts Center Executive Director Lori Starling said arts center leadership are hoping to have the restroom done by the start of indoor theater show season in the fall. 'It's not just a bathroom,' she said. 'For those individuals that struggle finding places to attend because of their mobility issues, or anything else, it is a big deal, because they actually map out the route of where they can use the bathroom.' Starling said to her, accessibility means anyone can come to the arts center and enjoy its programs. 'We want this to be an all-inclusive space,' she said. Accessing an average public restroom is often not simple for someone who has mobility issues, Starling said. 'People that are coming through the area, even if they're traveling somewhere else, can actually look us up on a map, stop here and know that we have that universal changing table,' she said. A portion of the funding for the construction, $45,000, comes from the state's capital budget. Ohio State Senator Sandra O'Brien said she has been a supporter of the arts center for a long time. 'My children grew up here in theater,' she said. 'I tell people that the quality of our arts is pretty amazing, for the amount of people we have in the county.' O'Brien said the art center's program allowed her children to become friends with people of all ages. 'Being in the same play together, they would laugh together,' she said. O'Brien presented a certificate from the Ohio General Assembly honoring the arts center. The Ashtabula County Board of Development Disabilities also contributed $20,000 to the project. Board of DD Community Outreach Specialist Angela Thomas said the board also donated a universal changing table for the project. Board of DD Director of Early Intervention Amanda Clugh said accessibility means that anyone can have a dignified space where they can use a restroom. 'With this restroom, if you're somebody that needs additional space, you could attend services, and have the space that you need,' she said. Clugh said accessible restrooms are being implemented at rest areas across Ohio. 'Our county board has a changing table, and that's the vision we hope to see for the future that any restroom would be accessible,' she said.
