Earlier this week, The Rush Center ceased operations. Today, Atlanta Pride joins with other tenant organizations in the statement of solidarity below.
Atlanta Pride is committed to supporting LGBTQ+ community spaces, especially those with low financial barriers to access. APC's community reinvestment fund has financially supported the Rush Center in recent years so that organizations without the means to pay rental fees could use the space to gather and fellowship. As long as it remains feasible, we are committed to calling this space our home and doing our part to support all of Atlanta's LGBTQ community having spaces of our own in which to work and organize. _________________________________________________
Tenant Letter regarding The Phillip Rush Center
June 17, 2020
We, the five undersigned tenant organizations of the Phillip Rush Center, are writing to Atlanta's LGBTQ community, our community, in hopes of providing some information about what is happening with the Rush Center.
We are collectively heartbroken by what happened at the beginning of this week. The combined staffs of all of the Rush Center organizations have been like a family and we know that sentiment is shared by so many in the broader LGBTQ community. Our organizations are committed to working together to preserve what we can from what has been built here.
As you may know, Georgia Equality is co-signed on the lease for the physical building spaces that we occupy, and consequently will be taking over the lease to provide stability for organizations that use the space and make sure that organizations can continue to access their offices, mail, and storage. That access is unchanged as of now, and it is our plan to keep it that way.
In the coming weeks and months, we will assess our ability to afford the rent and utilities necessary to continue providing community gathering spaces. It is our hope that when large gatherings are allowed to continue, the space that so many community groups depend on will still be here waiting for them.
We know many folks have additional questions, as do we. Please direct your questions to members of the Rush Center Board of Directors.
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