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Front and Center connects you to compelling stories about the critical services we provide that address the vast needs of our diverse community. 

Please enjoy reading about this inspiring work!

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Center Provides Vital Support for Jamaican Immigrants Who Recently Won Asylum
Two young gay men from Jamaica won their asylum cases this month and will soon be permitted to pursue legal residency in the United States. The Center's Services for LGBT Immigrantshelped them as part of a collaboration with our sister organization, Immigration Equality. The men attended weekly LGBT immigrant support groups and received individual counseling services from our social work and mental health interns at the same time they were working for asylum with Immigration Equality. During a recent LGBT immigrant support group one of the men said, “I come from a place where being me is [considered] wrong, and now I am free to be me, free to love who I want, and free to have the life I have always dreamed about.” The Center is committed to supporting and empowering LGBT immigrants as they face unique challenges on their road to citizenship and equality.

Thanks to George Fesser, LMSW, Program Coordinator, Center CARE Wellness & Immigration Support


Center's Gender Identity Project Empowers TransLatina to Take Charge of Her Health
Recently a young woman from Mexico started to attend the Center's TransLatina Support Group, a Gender Identity Project (GIP)group that focuses on emotional and physical wellness. The group meets in Western Queens in collaboration with the Hispanic AIDS Forum, Callen-Lorde Center and Queens Pride House. The young woman began to cry because she feared getting an HIV test and having a physical examination. In addition she was concerned that she would face discrimination for being transgender. Other group participants shared their experiences and assured her everything would be okay. That gave her the courage to finally see a doctor and find out she is HIV negative. She came back to the group and reported how excited she was about having the support of the GIP and its community. She was finally in a caring environment with people who gave her the strength to protect herself and maintain her health. The Center continues to bring vital services beyond our walls to reach people in Western Queens and elsewhere.

Thanks to Cristina Herrera, Gender Identity Project (GIP) Counselor


Center Donates LGBT-Focused Books to Prisons Across the Country
The Center's library receives a vast number of book donations every week from people who want to help us expand our collection. But many of these books are duplicates so they are stored in the basement and sold at our monthly book sale. A few months ago we received a letter from an inmate at a prison in upstate New York requesting LGBT-focused books for the institution's library. After selecting books to send to the inmate, the Center researched organizations that connect inmates with resources outside of their institutions. This led us to a national organization called Books Through Bars, which works with prison libraries to create or expand their collections. The group gets many requests for LGBT materials, but does not have the resources to accommodate them. We suggested they visit the Center's library and look through our extensive collection of books to see if anything could be useful. During the first visit a Books Through Bars representative took five boxes of materials, which were dispersed within two weeks. We now make regular appointments for him to collect our surplus books and send them to inmates across the country. This past week, we received a thank you letter from one inmate who was extremely grateful for the books we had sent, illustrating our reach and impact far outside the walls of the Center.

Thanks to Anthony Shimek, Volunteer Coordinator, Cultural Programs


Center's Intersecting Identities Exhibition Empowers LGBT Women Artists
On March 19, the Center hosted, Intersecting Identities, an exhibit honoring women artists and their creative power, the first showing of its kind at the Center. A young artist of color named Damali Abrams was invited to include her video, Linda Montuno and I Walking. Abrams said she was very excited to have her work side by side with artists like Maria Watts, Tamara Wyndham and Marisa Blueston. She was also greatly moved by the number of people who were intently watching her video and reacting to her work. We also selected an image by Eva Weiss titled Lois Weaver in Beauty in the Beasts. Weiss had driven down from Connecticut with her brother and friend. The trip was particularly poignant for her because it was the second time she had been in a Center exhibition. Her first exhibit was back in 1984. The Center was in its infancy and she was then a young activist, elated that the New York lesbian and gay community had a place of its own. She remembered how “rustic” the old space was and marveled at how far the Center had come. Today Weiss is a more mature and established artist and this show made her feel she had come home.

Thanks to Ector Simpson, Director of Cultural Programs and Yojani Hernandez, Cultural Programs Officer

VIEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EXHIBIT



Center CARE Recovery Addresses Unique Needs of LGBT People Seeking Treatment
LGBT individuals have a higher rate of substance abuse than their heterosexual counterparts. Fortunately, research shows that LGBT people have a higher rate of success when they receive treatment from a program that specifically addresses their needs and experiences. Since 2007, Center CARE Recovery (CCR),a New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) licensed, outpatient substance abuse treatment program designed specifically for LGBT communities, has helped thousands of people achieve and maintain sobriety. The majority of current clients in a recent program satisfaction survey indicated that the primary reason they chose the Center's recovery program is its LGBT focus. They pointed out that their counselors understand their feelings, and that makes them feel comfortable and safe while talking about issues of concern. The Center's program is one where LGBT people in recovery can connect and network with other LGBT people. This is not easily found in non-LGBT-specific treatment programs. Today, CCR sees over four hundred clients annually in nearly 5,000 visits and facilitates over 20 support groups, helping more people than ever before.

Thanks to Michel David M. Soliven, LCSW, Clinical Coordinator, Center CARE Recovery


Center's Project LINK Helps Client from Falling through Cracks
The Center's Project LINK Program provides on-site substance abuse treatment and referral services to individuals at sites in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Many of the patients that come to the Ft. Greene clinic are without resources and most are uninsured. “Evie” is a 48 year female who came to the clinic the last week of March. We met with her and she talked about her long struggle with crack cocaine. She also expressed the need for psychiatric counseling. We gave her a referral and let her know if she had any problems she could come back to the clinic. A week passed and "Evie" returned to the clinic, this time in worse shape. She had been on a crack binge. She was visibly distraught, crying, and beating herself up for using crack again. She asked if we could give her another referral and said she felt very comfortable coming back to the clinic for help because we had treated her with such respect. After a few phone calls we were finally able to get her an appointment the next morning. She was very grateful, saying “we went beyond the call of duty to help her.” The next day she came to the clinic again and appeared anxious because she had lost the appointment information. We gave it to her again and called the facility to let them know she was on her way. Luckily it was just up the street and she did make it to the appointment; “Evie” would get the help she so desperately needed.

Thanks to Brian Belovitch, CASAC T., Project LINK Counselor