NoVA Prism Center becomes hub for local LGBTQ community
The NoVA Prism Center in Oakton has emerged as a hub for LGBTQ community engagement in Northern Virginia. Leon van der Goetz, a transgender man, founded NoVA Prism Center in 2022 after he returned to the U.S.
from Japan where he had been an English teacher. The organization has steadily grown since. NoVA Prism Center this year had five Pride events, including one at the end of May.
Fairfax County helped NoVA Prism Center organize some smaller events. NoVA Prism Center has also put on workshops, hosted monthly club meetings and other events.
NoVA Prism Center has worked with around 20,000 people even though it only has an annual budget of $12,000 that comes through online and in-person donations. “To the best of my knowledge and research, NoVA Prism Center is the only physical space in the D.C.
