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Utah Pride Center reopens, but community members call for transparency and accountability from leadership

The center has received complaints about management, accounting practices and lack of diversity and accessibility.

(Alex Gallivan | Special to the Tribune) The Utah Pride Center celebrated their Grand Opening at their new location at 1380 S. Main St. on Saturday, May 19, 2018. The center is reopening its doors in April 2022 after being closed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the first time in two years, the Utah Pride Center reopened its doors Saturday. Now, some former volunteer members are calling for accountability and transparency from new leadership.

The center has had a recent history of controversy, including complaints about management, accounting practices and lack of diversity and accessibility.

Jocelyn Johnson is a former volunteer at the center. She was at the opening event handing out leaflets with five central questions.

These questions center around the nonprofit’s financial accountability, how the center is working to serve marginalized BIPOC members and hiring practices and retention.

Over the past couple of months, several staff members have either left or been dismissed from their positions at the center. The last CEO, Stacey Jackson-Roberts — the first transgender woman to lead the center — resigned five months into the job. Johnson said they are looking for a commitment to change from the center’s leadership.

For more on the Utah Pride Center’s reopening, visit KUER.org.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.