New youth center to provide safe haven for LGBTQIA+ youth in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - On Sunday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the grand opening of a new LGBTQIA+ youth center in Minneapolis.

What to know

Executive director Nicki Hangsleben says Queer Space will be a safe haven where as many as 100 youth can feel safe and empowered.

The center will provide mentorship, gender-affirming care, mental health services, and other activities.

"We know that queer and trans youth are dealing with a lot of mental health struggles and don’t often feel safe at their schools or out in the community; so to have a space where they can come and feel safe, and show up, and be in a community surrounded by supportive adults, can really change lives," Hangsleben said. 

What are they saying?

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and State Rep Leigh Finke were on hand to get behind that vision.

"I’m beyond excited. I mean this has been a long time coming, and to get Queer Space open right here on Lyndale is something really special," Mayor Frey told FOX 9. "It’s important that no matter who you are you have a place where you can go that you feel loved; where you can get the kind of healthcare that you need, and where you have mentors."

"What Queer Space is doing here is a really big jump forward," Rep. Finke added.

"The great thing is this place is really centrally located. We’re right on the corner of Franklin and Lyndale, so if you’re coming from the suburbs or more rural communities, you can just pop right off the freeway. There’s a bus lane and some bike lanes," Hangsleben finished.