LGBT community center
Encyclopedia
An LGBT community centre (American spelling
: LGBT community center), or pride
center, is a building which hosts services for non-heterosexual youth, seniors, adult men and women, and trans individuals, as well as an an organization which owns and maintains such a building on a non-profit, non-political basis.
A number of LGBT community centers are youth-centric "drop-in" establishments, allowing usage or participation by young people aged 30 or lower.
s are not in effective establishment (e.g., in Israel
, where municipal community centers are established without the presence of a high LGBT demographic concentration); as a result of such local visibility, LGBT community centers often have come under both verbal and violent attack from anti-LGBT individuals and groups.
The first LGBT community center, the LAGLC
, was established in 1971 in Los Angeles
, followed in close succession by other community centers in San Diego
(1973), Chicago
(1973), Salt Lake City (1975), and Atlanta (1976). The first LGBT community centre in the United Kingdom
was the Birmingham Gay Community Centre
which opened in 1976, with the London Lesbian and Gay Centre
following in 1985. More were established in the coming decades in major cities throughout the Western world and Westernized countries due to the increasing visibility and respectability of LGBT cultures and society.
In a few countries, LGBT community centers and their operators have federated into voluntary organizations for coordination purposes, i.e. CenterLink
and the French Federation of LGBT Centres
.
American and British English spelling differences
One of the ways in which American English and British English differ is in spelling.-Historical origins:In the early 18th century, English spelling was not standardized. Differences became noticeable after the publishing of influential dictionaries...
: LGBT community center), or pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
center, is a building which hosts services for non-heterosexual youth, seniors, adult men and women, and trans individuals, as well as an an organization which owns and maintains such a building on a non-profit, non-political basis.
Functions
Common focuses for LGBT community center activities include- provision of material for people who are discovering their sexuality or gender identity
- provision of material and services for LGBT people who suffer from AIDS/HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases
- hosting cultural events, including the beginnings of local pride parades, sporting events, and other cultural outings
- hosting fundraisers and drives for community empowerment and LGBT rights purposes
- hosting town hall meetingTown hall meetingA town hall meeting is an American English term given to an informal public meeting. Everybody in a town community is invited to attend, not always to voice their opinions, but to hear the responses from public figures and elected officials about shared subjects of interest. Attendees rarely voted...
s between LGBT residents of the area and important figures, i.e., politicians, businesspeople, religious leaders, activists, etc. - serve as archives or museums for the LGBT historyLGBT historyLGBT history refers to the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender peoples and cultures around the world, dating back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and sexuality of ancient civilizations. What survives of many centuries' persecution– resulting in shame, suppression,...
of a region
A number of LGBT community centers are youth-centric "drop-in" establishments, allowing usage or participation by young people aged 30 or lower.
Geography and history
LGBT community centers are often the most visible LGBT institutions in high-density municipal areas where gay villageGay village
A gay village is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries where a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people live or frequent...
s are not in effective establishment (e.g., in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where municipal community centers are established without the presence of a high LGBT demographic concentration); as a result of such local visibility, LGBT community centers often have come under both verbal and violent attack from anti-LGBT individuals and groups.
The first LGBT community center, the LAGLC
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center provides a broad array of services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Its clinic and on-site pharmacy offers free and low-cost health, mental health, HIV/AIDS medical care and HIV/STD testing and prevention, although there are no direct...
, was established in 1971 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, followed in close succession by other community centers in San Diego
San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center
The San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center is a community center for LGBT people in the city and county of San Diego....
(1973), Chicago
Center on Halsted
Center on Halsted is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community center in Chicago, Illinois. It is the largest LGBT Community Center in the Midwest with more than 1,000 people walking through its doors every day....
(1973), Salt Lake City (1975), and Atlanta (1976). The first LGBT community centre in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was the Birmingham Gay Community Centre
Birmingham Lesbian and Gay Community Centre
The Birmingham Lesbian and Gay Community Centre was a LGBT community centre in Birmingham, England. Opened in December 1976 as the Birmingham Gay Community Centre, it was the first LGBT community centre to be established in the United Kingdom, and paved the way for the establishment of similar...
which opened in 1976, with the London Lesbian and Gay Centre
London Lesbian and Gay Centre
The London Lesbian and Gay Centre was a lesbian and gay community centre located at 67-69 Cowcross Street, London. It was established in 1985 by the Greater London Council, which donated three-quarters of a million pounds to its establishment....
following in 1985. More were established in the coming decades in major cities throughout the Western world and Westernized countries due to the increasing visibility and respectability of LGBT cultures and society.
In a few countries, LGBT community centers and their operators have federated into voluntary organizations for coordination purposes, i.e. CenterLink
CenterLink
CenterLink was founded in 1994 as a member-based coalition to support the development of strong, sustainable LGBT community centers. The organization plays an important role in supporting the growth of LGBT centers across the country and addressing the challenges they face, by helping them to...
and the French Federation of LGBT Centres
French Federation of LGBT Centres
The French Federation of LGBT Centres is the Alliance of community centres for Lesbians, Gays, Bi & Trans in France, as well as Associate Members....
.