Navigating the complexities of health care, the legal system, education, and local and state ordinances can be formidable. For those in the LGBTQ+ community, the labyrinth of red tape – sometimes accompanied by outright hostility – can be overwhelming.

“Unfortunately, for people who carry that LGBTQ+ identity, doing the things other people would consider ‘normal’ or ‘simple’ or ‘regular’ is more difficult because we have that label. Going shopping, going to school, or seeking certain services is more daunting,” says Keona Prude, Director of Operations and Communications at Pride Link.

Pride Link was established in 2018 to make both everyday tasks and emergencies easier by providing the LGBTQ+ community with health and wellness services, resources and supportive social spaces.

The organization was founded by Ethan Johnstone, who specialized in LGBTQ+ community issues while earning a master’s degree in social work at Winthrop University.

“Lacking in the Upstate were connections to affirming resources and a place where people felt safe,” Prude says.

Johnstone estimated – in 2017 – that 130,000 people in the Upstate are part of the LGBTQ+ community, Prude says. “It would be interesting to see where those numbers are now,” she says.

When Prude joined Pride Link in the spring of 2021, she was the organization’s first full-time staff member. Now, she is joined by a Development Manager, a Program Coordinator, a Capacity-Building Coordinator and four interns. Johnston stepped away from his post as Lead Community Builder, and Jose Giocamea of AID Upstate became interim Executive Director.

Last November, Pride Link joined Amaryllis Counseling and 864Pride to open the Queer Wellness Center at 30 Pointe Circle.

“To have as much staff as we have now is so refreshing,” Prude says. “Our people are great. They are eager. They're ready to do the work.”

Raised in Southern California, Prude crossed the country to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Norfolk State University in Virginia. She moved to the Upstate with her partner to work for Barnes & Noble at Clemson University.

Sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic as she and her partner prepared for the birth of their second child, Prude continued working toward a doctoral degree in human services with a concentration in family studies and intervention strategies.

That focus led her to Pride Link, where she and the staff provide a wide range of programs.

One of the most important, Prude says, is finding people and services that will affirm and welcome those in the LGBTQ+ community.

“People contact us daily to say, ‘I'm looking for a lawyer. We are trying to adopt.’ Or … ‘We're looking for a doctor who is affirming.’ We do all the research and make those connections,” Prude says.

Pride Link also provides financial assistance. Those in need can apply for funds to obtain mental health services or hormone therapy, for help with legal fees so they can change their name or gender on a birth certificate and other documents, or if they need assistance paying bills or rent.

Along with 864Pride, the organization collects canned goods, clothing, and health and beauty products to stock the “GEAR Closet.”

“We have everything from lotion and deodorant to condoms,” Prude says. “We had a donation of a full-size bed. Community members can come grab these items for free.”

Social groups are another important mission. Pride Link sponsors a youth group and a group for those who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC).

Sometimes the group goes out for an evening of entertainment, and “sometimes we meet here in the building and have really candid conversations,” Prude says.

A goal is to start a social group for seniors. “We know that elders in the LGBTQ+ community are often forgotten. I'm trying to make sure they have a safe space to feel a sense of community and to meet other people,” she says.

One outreach, a drop-in every Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m., offers services, workshops and information.

September’s program was called TRANSforming Lives. “It is geared to trans and nonbinary people. Anyone is welcome, but that's who it's created for,” Prude says.

TRANSforming Lives featured a voice coach, makeup artists, professionals from Wavelengths Barbershop, and a stylist who helped participants choose a new look from the GEAR Closet.

In April, a Career Fair drew more than a dozen employers. United Ministries helped participants with resume writing and conducted mock interviews. Pride Link collected professional clothing, set up a fitting room and hired a photographer to take headshots.

“Then we sent people into the career fair. But we prepared them first,” Prude explains.

A Youth Summit may be Pride Link’s next big event. In the meantime, Prude and staff members speak and set up tables of information at events, colleges, high schools and even churches. Prude says they encourage youths to respect one another and provide support for parents.

“More kids are coming out as queer earlier,” Prude says. “We say, ‘If this is your kid, if you're having these issues, or this is happening in your home, here are resources for you. Please contact us. We will get you the information that you need.’”

South Carolina lags other states in providing resources for the LGBTQ+ community, but it’s moving in the right direction, Prude says.

“We have Pride Link. We have 864Pride. The Upstate LGBT+ Chamber. Upstate Pride. We can exist as who we are in our identities and still get things done. We are still professional. We're still educated. We're still family-oriented,” she says. “You are going to see more people come out and more people exist in their regular daily lives as who they are.”

Prude says she is proof that those goals are attainable.

“As a young Black girl from the inner city, people didn't expect me to be able to advance as far as I have. And that's unfortunate. I can do anything I put my mind to,” she says.

And Pride Link can help. “We are ready to serve. We want people to be their authentic selves. We want people to have the support and the tools to live their best life.”

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Pride Link Connects LGBTQ+ Community With Those Eager to Help