On May 18, we held the first ever Mz OutSFL Pagaent where OutSFL gave out three awards: Community Leadership, Hero, and Community Impact.

We honored Pridelines with the Community Impact Award.

From location changes to shifting political ground, Pridelines has faced daunting, near-existential crises over the past few years. But they persevered and now are well into a resurgence led by first year executive director, Edward Summers.

Now, the venerable organization is honored with OutSFL’s Community Impact Award.

“We are deeply humbled by this honor. For more than 42 years, Pridelines have focused on being a supportive resource for the LGBTQ+ community,” Summers said.

Pridelines is Miami-Dade’s LGBTQ community center, and there is much work to do. In addition to being a hot spot for new HIV infections, there are still deep cultural divides in the county.

Their Project SAFE program helps homeless LGBTQ youth. They help people get on PrEP/PEP, offer mental health services, HIV testing and more. Their impact is far-reaching, even though often they don’t get the praises they deserve.

“We believe in keeping our heads down and doing the important work of providing wraparound services for those most vulnerable while also engaging individuals who are in a position to give back or who are looking to build community and enhance their network in South Florida,” Summers said.

This award allows them to take a step back and, for a moment, feel the gratitude of an entire community.

“We are grateful for this recognition and acknowledge that we still have a tremendous amount of work to accomplish in supporting and empowering our community.”

Donate to the Out South Florida Melissa St. John College Student Scholarship here.

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