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Utah Pride Center Hosts New Girl Scout Troop in Downtown Salt Lake City

The Utah Pride Center in Salt Lake City is home to a new Girl Scout Troop with its first meeting planned Monday.

The program provides youth in grades K through 12 who identify as girls the opportunity to participate. Shari Solomon-Klebba is the head of outreach at the Girl Scouts of Utah. She says the mission of her program is to make sure no one is left out of the Girl Scout experience.

“And it’s exciting! I’m not exactly sure how many folks I’ll have showing up but I’m ready for anything.”

Soloman-Klebba says Girl Scouts of Utah will support the new Troop with leadership training and some supplies to help it become established but will not run the program. She says there is likely a need in the LGBTQ community for a more affirming place for these young girls.

“Because sometimes, you know, that stigma of having parents that are a little bit different, you know, that fall outside of the norm. That can always be a little bit awkward,” Solomon-Klebba says.

Sheila Raboy is the operations director of the Utah Pride Center. She says the center wants to make sure that any girls who are interested in joining feel welcome and they look forward to helping the troop grow. Raboy says including kids at this critical age when they are still forming their self image, absolutely will prevent suicides.  Meetings will be every Monday from 4 to 5pm at the center on 255 East 400 South.

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
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