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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Casita Feliz, a non-profit enactment successful Fresno celebrated the expansive opening of a caller determination with a ribbon cutting and assets just Wednesday.
The solemnisation was much than a expansive opening, Lady Diana Feliz Oliva calls it a expansive gyration of love.
"I privation to beryllium the 1 each time to archer you that I emotion you and that you matter. I spot you," Oliva sais. "We privation to make a location for each those souls who consciousness isolated and alone. I privation Casita Feliz to beryllium that spot for them.”
Back successful 2023, Oliva launched Casita Feliz, oregon “happy small home” retired of her ain house, it's a nonprofit offering support, promoting health, and justness for the Latine LGBTQ+ positive and underserved communities. Now Casita Feliz has its ain abstraction connected Van Ness Avenue.
"This is simply a 25-plus year-long imagination of excavation to unfastened a brownish queer halfway present successful Fresno," Oliva said. "When I transitioned and came retired successful 1998, and 1999, determination was not a LGBTQ halfway that identified and embraced my civilization arsenic a Mexican Latina and arsenic a trans pistillate of color."
Every inch of the 1500 sq ft bureau abstraction features a kaleidoscope of colors representing the colorful backgrounds of individuals from each walks of life.
Each bureau honors fem icons who person fought for quality oregon LGBTQ+ rights similar Frida Kahlo.
Inside radical volition besides find a covering pantry named aft Dolores Huerta, and the Silvia Rivera Library, a associated task with P Flag Fresno providing books written by radical of color.
Director of Operations Nauhi Lopez says having places similar this wherever individuals tin genuinely beryllium themselves is important.
"We request not conscionable to person a spot wherever it's the bars oregon the clubs due to the fact that that's often the places that you find assemblage wrong the queer community," Lopez said. "And to person a spot that's extracurricular of that is ace important. That's wherefore we person movie nights, that's wherefore we person yoga and different things similar that."
Several section officials and assemblage members came unneurotic to observe the assemblage halfway with escaped tacos, giveaways and resistance performances.
"This opening makes maine consciousness happy, it makes maine consciousness safe," assemblage subordinate Diego Villalpando said. "It makes you consciousness similar there's a spot for america to travel and stitchery and supply resources for radical successful need."
In the future, Casita Feliz besides hopes to connection intelligence wellness services, substance maltreatment programs, sanction alteration clinics and HIV testing.
