Dominican Republic organization works with government and community to promote tourism and economic empowerment for LGBT community

• The Center for Integrated Training and Research (COIN) has roots in the three-decade fight against AIDS in the Caribbean.
• The organization now focuses on economic empowerment , through which it has worked with government and travel industry officials and offered community workshops through its program ProActividad.
• Out U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic James “Wally” Brewster and his husband have worked to support the country’s LGBT community despite opposition in the conservative, Catholic-predominant country.

“We are all looking for the same thing: To eliminate negative things in order for us to build something positive.”