Center Blog

Post by Kaden Freeman, Center Communications Intern

As New York City rejoiced the passage of the Marriage Equality Act, the Center, along with nearly 300 supporters and community members, took to the streets to march in one of most vibrant and energetic Pride parades the city has ever seen. The marchers were a diverse group of people representing many of the Center’s life-changing programs, including the Gender Identity Project, the Immigration Social Action Group, the Youth Enrichment Service (YES) Program, and individuals and families who support the Center and our mission.

Along the parade route marchers danced and waved pom-pons to music from the Center’s float , handed out safe sex kits and greeted enthusiastic crowds from midtown down to the Village. Center Recovery Program participants held a sign which read: “Sober is Better,” and our dynamic group of marchers was rounded out by LGBT families with strollers at the end of the Center’s contingent.

According to Cultural Programs Officer Yojani Hernandez, who helped staff the march, “It was great to see young people in that moment be proud of who they are, part of the legacy that was left by those who marched before us.” The Center would like to thank Anthony Shimek, Volunteer Coordinator, who organized and executed the Center’s presence in the parade, and all who supported the Center and came out to march on such a momentous occasion. We are already looking forward to next year’s Pride, but in the meantime we hope to see you at the Center!

This is an extraordinary night for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers. Marriage for same-sex couples will soon become law, following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center applauds our state legislators in Albany for their historic vote in favor of marriage equality, and stands with all those involved in the New Yorkers United for Marriage coalition; their tireless efforts helped make this a reality. The Center also commends Governor Andrew Cuomo for his steadfast leadership on this issue.

Countless New York same-sex couples come to the Center every day seeking our services, having faced the numerous roadblocks brought on by a lack of marriage protections. Many come looking for LGBT friendly legal or financial referrals. Some come seeking support for their relationships. And even more come to create families with the help of our Center Families program, which has been serving LGBT couples and families for nearly 20 years.

In addition, the Center held several marriage forums in recent months to spotlight this issue and allow a platform for leaders and community members to speak out and advocate for marriage equality. Most recently we hosted a NY Latinos United for Marriage Equality rally and press conference, highlighting significant Latino community support for LGBT marriage protections and garnering significant media attention.

This vote sends a strong message to all New York same-sex couples that their lives and their families matter. It’s vitally important for the state to extend these much needed protections so that loving committed couples can take care of and be responsible for one another and for their families.

CONGRATULATIONS NEW YORK!

Thank you to all those who attended Garden Party 28, the only LGBT food tasting event in the country. This year’s event featured more than 30 restaurants, acclaimed syndicated national talk show host Wendy Williams and honorary chair Florent Morellet.

Thanks to our supporters, we raised nearly $200,000 for the Center’s life-changing and life-saving programs and services that benefit lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender New Yorkers 365 days a year; we sold more tickets this year than any other year in the event’s history!

Garden Party started in 1984 as a backyard barbeque. This year, more than 2,000 friends and supporters flocked to Hudson River Park’s Pier 54 to celebrate our kick-off to Pride Week. Guests savored dining “al fresco” on the pier and watching the sun set over the Hudson River, while enjoying an open vodka bar and bidding on delicious dining packages at the fabulous “Foodies” Silent Auction, a popular activity at this culinary event.

The Center was also proud to welcome back longtime supporter Prudential as our Presenting Sponsor, and thanks Capital One and Diageo for their generous corporate sponsorship. The Center was also grateful for the support of our corporate partners Edible Manhattan, Seamless Web and Zagat.

As the only LGBT food tasting festival in the country, Garden Party 28 was a delicious beginning to Manhattan Pride Week in NYC!

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center’s mission is simple and focuses on the needs of the LGBT community: it provides a home for the birth, nurture and celebration of our organizations, institutions and culture; cares for our individuals and groups in need; educates the public and our community; and empowers our individuals and groups to achieve their fullest potential.

It’s a mission statement worth standing up for.

After all, 6,000 individuals actively use the Center each week. Some come because they need help: young people cast out by their schools or families; couples looking to navigate the maze of legal and emotional issues surrounding adoption or surrogacy; and people of all ages fighting addiction through recovery programs. Others come for community: the LGBT seniors who meet for coffee each afternoon; the LGBT immigrants who cheer each other over the hurdles this city offers up; and lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people who are coping with a cancer diagnosis and get bi-weekly support in their time of need.

But over the last few months, a single issue – peripheral to our mission – has dominated much of the public discourse about the Center: the Israeli/Palestinian divide. And, increasingly, this has generated concern in the Center community.

The issue emerged in February. At that time, we informed a non-LGBT group, organizing around the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, that it could not hold meetings or a fundraiser at the Center. A couple of months later, we told a similar, but LGBT- focused group, that it could. Looking back, both of these decisions were consistent with our space use practices and both were made after consultation with a range of stakeholders. Not surprisingly, controversy followed each decision. People have very strong feelings about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, one of the most difficult and persistent geopolitical challenges in the world. So, too, do they care deeply about the Center and its place in the world.

What’s become clear is that the Center community is not experiencing this as a theoretical or academic issue. The heated rhetoric and passion surrounding this issue is echoing loudly through our corridors – and drowning out other voices within the community. An increasing number of Center users, staff members, community partners, and supporters have expressed deep concern about the tone and volume of the debate. They’ve also questioned the Center’s perceived role or position in these issues. The fact that the Center does not endorse the views of groups meeting in the building has been ignored or flatly dismissed.

A number of our staff members have been told by clients and others who come here for respite or support that they instead feel alienated. These developments are deeply alarming to me; after all, we take seriously our role of being a welcoming place, a safe and calm haven, to all members of our community. Meanwhile, I cannot ignore the extraordinary amount of Center resources that have been consumed in navigating these issues, taking significant time and attention away from Center services, community needs, and our primary responsibility to help people in our community.

And so yesterday, June 2, we announced a time out period – a moratorium, so to speak, on groups using the Center as a meeting space to organize around the specific issue of the Israeli/Palestinian divide. This allows us all to take a deep breath, refocus on our core work of meeting the needs of the LGBT community, and reinforce the message that everyone who comes to the Center for support, community, and a better life will be welcomed.

While many in our community greet this decision with relief, some will also disagree – and passionately. We hope they can understand that individual groups’ missions cannot overwhelm our own mission. In 28 years, we have built an incredible center, but we still have so much to accomplish for questioning youth, for struggling families and for others in the LGBT community who simply need help. That’s our core work – and that’s why it’s time for a time out on Middle East organizing at the Center.

We invite all in our community to send further thoughts to timeout@gaycenter.org.

You can also view our press release here.

Glennda Testone