Center Blog

Photo by Shawn Mac Photography

On Monday June 18^, nearly two-thousand people flocked Hudson River Park’s Pier 46, to experience the Center’s 29^th Garden Party. This year friends and supporters enjoyed food and drink from nearly 40 restaurants, caterers and food trucks.

Garden Party started in 1984 as a backyard barbeque in the Center’s garden, and has grown to be our biggest fundraiser, bringing in vital support for our wellness, recovery, youth, family, and cultural programs. Guests dined “al fresco” and watched 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.

Executive Director, Glennda Testone (Photo by Shawn Mac Photography)

The Center extends a thank you to all the businesses, volunteers and individuals who helped make Garden Party 29 a success and we look forward to seeing you next year!

The Center was proud to welcome back longtime supporter PRUDENTIAL as our Platinum Sponsor. Thanks also to Friend Sponsors BLOOMBERG, CAPITAL ONE, CITI, CONTINUUM HEALTH PARTNERS, NEW YORK LIFE and WELLS FARGO ADVISORS; Social Media Sponsors SEAMLESS, DOT429 and TASTING TABLE; Exclusive Airline Sponsor AMERICAN AIRLINES; Media Sponsor GO MAGAZINE, GAY CITY NEWS, METROSOURCE and THEATERMANIA; and DIAGEO returned as the event’s Beverage Sponsor, featuring BV Wines and Ketel One Vodka. The Center was also grateful for the support of the following participating Corporate Volunteer Teams: AIG-LGBT Employee Resource Group, Citi PRIDE Network-NYC, Credit Suisse OPEN Network, dbPride Americas, Gap Inc., GLOBE – Deloitte, New York Life – NYLPride, PepsiCo EQUAL, Thomson Reuters Pride at Work and VIACOM/Emerge.

Photo by Shawn Mac Photography

As the only LGBT tasting festival in the country, Garden Party is a delicious start to Pride Week in NYC with nearly 40 participating restaurants and food companies, which included: 16 Handles, 508 Restaurant & Bar, Amy’s Bread, Anejo Tequileria, Aria, Benny’s Burritos, Brick Lane Curry House, Corner Shop Café, Dell’ anima, Donatella, Dos Caminos, En Japanese Brasserie, Esca, Fonda, Good Restaurant, Grandaisy Bakery, L’Artusi, La Cremeria, Li-Lac Chocolates, Mappamondo, Mitchmallows, Murray’s Cheese, North Square, Oceana, Peanut Butter & Co., Poco, Presidential Caterers, Redwood Kitchenette & Bar, Rickshaw Dumplings, Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, Smörgås Chef, Sonnier & Castle, The Taco Shop, The Treats Truck, Tiffin and Thali, Uncle Paul’s Pizza and Café and Zampa Winebar & Kitchen.

You can read more by visiting our press page.

See more photos here.

Centerlink, the Community of LGBT Centers, that serves 200 community centers across the country and a handful around the world, is a finalist in the White House LGBT Pride Month Video Challenge.

In April, the White House Office of Public Engagement launched the LGBT Pride Month Champions of Change Video Challenge to explore the stories of unsung heroes and local leaders who are making an impact in their communities. The group of 6 finalists will be featured as Champions of Change at an event at the White House in July.

We here at NYC’s LGBT Center strongly encourage you to watch all the inspiring videos and consider casting your vote for Centerlink, an organization that works tirelessly to support LGBT community centers across the country and around the world. The Centerlink video showcases that vital work, and features information about our own NYC LGBT Center from Executive Director, Glennda Testone. You can learn more about Centerlink here.

Vote here and add your voice to a contest that bolsters LGBT visibility greatly during Pride month.

Happy Pride, and congratulations to Centerlink on this wonderful honor!

Be sure to also read a recent report by Centerlink and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) about the importance of LGBT community centers and their huge impact on LGBT people.

UPDATE: 

More than a dozen people from the Center joined with the LGBT contingent of the march on Sunday, June 17, including the Center’s Executive Director Glennda Testone, the Director of Youth Services, Nicole Avallone, and Center Recovery Counselor, M. Dave Soliven, who volunteered as a safety marshal, was stationed at the front of the march, and took the photo below, which includes key leaders- The Reverend Al Sharpton and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous.

Photo by M. Dave Soliven

–

On Sunday June 17, a coalition of groups, including the Center, will gather for a silent march against racial profiling. The event is set for 3 PM in Manhattan.

Join 1199 SEIU, the NAACP, National Action Network, civil rights, faith, LGBT, labor and community groups in a silent march against NYC’s “Stop and Frisk” policy! On Father’s Day, let’s stand together to show that New Yorkers refuse to let our children be victimized by racial profiling.

Here’s detailed information:

Time: Silent March begins at 3 pm, EST

Assembly Point: LGBT Table Entry Point #3 : 110th Street and Lenox Ave. – also includes RWDSU, Latino/Hispanic table, UAW, Working Families Party

March Route: march south on Fifth Avenue from 110th Street to 78th Street, passing near the Mayor’s mansion on 79th Street.

Posters: organizers will have posters for people to carry, but they also encourage people/groups to make their own signs and banners to carry in the march. It is important to keep the focus on ending the Stop & Frisk policy and ending racial profiling rather than relevant but peripheral issues.

Website: www.silentmarchnyc.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/341929132541010/

You can also read more about the issue in this New York Times article and a blog post from The Task Force, recapping a recent press conference on the topic.

Guest Post by Simeon Mishev

Queens Pride & Multicultural Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary last Sunday, June 3rd, 2012. This year the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center was honored to participate, share its support for the community and commemorate this special occasion in Queens. A number of participants and over 40,000 spectators gathered in Jackson Heights, Queens, between the hours of 11 AM and 6 PM to “promote awareness and education among and of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning community of Queens, New York.”  Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, Inc. has been in charge of organizing the festivities since the very first Pride march in the early 90s.

The weather was in sync with the overall joyous feel of the event, the warm summer sun made the colorful costumes even more vibrant and, at some point, a real rainbow formed over the marching participators (if one believes in signs from Mother Nature, God and/or the Universe, well, here you go).

Newlywed City Council speaker Christine Quinn joined the Pride march alongside Public Advocate Bill De Blasio, New York Assembly Members Francisco Moya, Aravella Simotas and Costa Constantinides, SAGE Queens, Renaissance Charter School, American Veterans for Equal Rights, Metropolitan Community Church of New York, Queens Pride Lions Club, Transsexuals New York, and many, many more.

As rainbow flags, music and free condoms flooded the streets, people of various colors, ethnicities, races, religions and faiths mingled, hugged, kissed, and greeted each other; the feeling of happiness and joy was overwhelming. One could hear discussions about President Obama’s recent statement endorsing same-sex marriage and how that might help eventually end the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); there were a number of bi-national couples full of hope that once married they will be able to stay together in the US legally.

While walking around and enjoying this judgment-free, accepting and tolerant environment, I couldn’t help but wonder when every day would feel just like Pride day. When will same-sex couples be able to walk hand-in-hand without fear?

It is of utmost importance to actively participate in advocacy efforts concerning the LGBT community; every effort counts. We must be patient, yet persistent, relentlessly seeking equal rights. There are a number of organizations one can join, such as The LGBT Center, It Gets Better Project, Empire State Pride Agenda, Marriage Equality New York, etc.,  or why not start one yourself?

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much…” – Helen Keller

On Sunday June 17, a coalition of groups, including the Center, will gather for a silent march against racial profiling. The event is set for 3 PM in Manhattan.

Join 1199 SEIU, the NAACP, National Action Network, civil rights, faith, LGBT, labor and community groups in a silent march against NYC’s “Stop and Frisk” policy! On Father’s Day, let’s stand together to show that New Yorkers refuse to let our children be victimized by racial profiling.

Here’s detailed information:

Time: Silent March begins at 3 pm, EST

Assembly Point: LGBT Table Entry Point #3 : 110th Street and Lenox Ave. – also includes RWDSU, LGBT Table, Latino/Hispanic table, UAW, Working Families Party

March Route: march south on Fifth Avenue from 110th Street to 78th Street, passing near the Mayor’s mansion on 79th Street.

Posters: organizers will have posters for people to carry, but they also encourage people/groups to make their own signs and banners to carry in the march. It is important to keep the focus on ending the Stop & Frisk policy and ending racial profiling rather than relevant but peripheral issues.

Website: www.silentmarchnyc.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/341929132541010/

You can also read more about the issue in this New York Times article and a blog post from The Task Force, recapping a recent press conference on the topic.

There’s a new report out today that emphasizes the importance of LGBT community centers.

CenterLink, the Community of LGBT Centers and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) released the comprehensive report which details the critical services offered by LGBT community centers, as well as a national overview of centers across the country. The 2012 LGBT Community Center Survey Report: Assessing the Capacity and Programs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Centers surveyed 79 LGBT community centers nationwide.

Despite the slow economic recovery, LGBT Centers manage to provide vital resources to 1.7 million people annually. The report details the many ways in which community centers are a lifeline in the LGBT community, offering a variety of much-needed resources including Physical and Mental Health Programs, Information and Education Programs, Legal Services and Programs, Social and Recreational Programs, Community Outreach and Civic Engagement, Computer Centers, and more.

 The full report is available online at www.lgbtcenters.org or www.lgbtmap.org.

Senator Tom Duane at Center's Wedding Reception, July 2011- Photo (C) Tom Sengel

State Senator Tom Duane announced that he will not seek reelection after he completes his current term in office, ending December 31, 2012. Duane’s disctrict spans the Upper West Side to Greenwich Village, and across to the East Village, and includes the LGBT Center.

As The New York Times reported on Sunday, Duane “first burst onto the political scene two decades ago, when he disclosed during a successful bid for City Council that he was H.I.V. positive, and later made his mark as the first openly gay member of the Senate.”

Throughout his time in office Duane has been a fierce advocate for the LGBT community and for the Center.  He’s been here in our home for nearly every major celebration, rally and  pivotal moment in our rich history.  Last July Duane attended our special Wedding Reception, on the first day same-sex couples could legally marry in New York, a day that he helped make possible.

Also from the New York Times:

“Mr. Duane, who was a pivotal figure during the recent battle over same-sex marriage, said that he had only begun to think seriously about retiring a few weeks ago, around the time that he and his longtime partner, Louis Webre, attended the wedding of Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker and his former chief of staff, and Kim M. Catullo.”

The Center wishes Senator Duane the best of luck as he prepares for a new chapter in his life; we applaud him for his numerous accomplishments as a legislator and for his tireless pursuit of social justice on behalf of the entire LGBT community.

He has been a true friend to the Center.

Dear Center Volunteers,

Last Monday, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation declaring April 15 – April 21, 2012 National Volunteer Week. In his statement, the President emphasized the power of service to unite individuals, strengthen communities, and transform our collective future.

At the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, we are privileged to witness this power of selfless service every day, in all areas of our work. Volunteers work alongside Center staff and interns in every program at the Center: supporting Pride events, facilitating yoga classes for Youth Enrichment Services participants, caring for the Center’s garden, and staffing over 150 Center events annually. Several Center institutions – the National Archive of LGBT History, the Pat Parker/Vito Russo Library, and the David Bohnett CyberCenter – are sustained entirely by volunteers.

In these and countless other ways, volunteers contribute 14,000 hours annually to nourish and enrich our home for New York’s vibrant Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender communities. (To learn more about volunteering at the Center, visit our website.) 

In his National Volunteer Week proclamation, President Obama noted that “our Nation has always been at its best when individuals have come together to realize a common vision.” We are honored to work with hundreds of volunteers every year envisioning a better New York, and proud of your impact in the service movement.

Thank you for volunteering at the Center!

Yours in service,

Glennda Testone
Executive Director

Guest post by Julia Moore

On Thursday, March 22nd, The Center hosted the Fire Island Share-a-thon, an event that connected people offering their time shares with those who were seeking shares on Fire Island.

As drinks were poured and the disco ball twinkled, people talked excitedly while they perused the numerous booths that showcased various houses. It’s no surprise that so many were interested in purchasing shares; as far as beach getaways go, Fire Island has a lot to offer. Because it draws a diverse range of people, this vacation spot has something for everyone. “You will find every age bracket, multiple lifestyles, and a range of careers and backgrounds” said Adam, a long-time Fire Island guest. Jim, another Fire Island veteran, echoed Adam’s sentiments while explaining the various types of houses: “there are party houses, vegetarian houses, you name it.” Some choose the Island for the gay party atmosphere, while others simply want a quiet getaway where they can read and cook dinner with friends. With both clubs and cultural events, it’s easy for everyone to find exactly what they’re seeking.

Fire Island’s rich gay history allows for a community where everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves. Guests vacationing on the Island on the Fourth of July enjoy “The Invasion,” a celebration where Drag Queens come to Fire Island for a parade and general merriment. The Invasion started as a response to an unfortunate event in 1976. When a Drag Queen was denied service at a bar because of her gender identity, fellow drag queens and many Fire Island residents were outraged. The Homecoming Queen of the Arts Project Cherry Grove, Panzi, was so troubled by the news that she and 9 friends dressed in drag and returned to the bar. Surprisingly, instead of being met with hostility, Panzi and her friends were welcomed by the owners, and so the invasion soon became a yearly tradition.
For those who own property or have been going as guests for multiple years, Fire Island holds many fun memories.

Those new to the Island are certain to make new friends and fall in love with the island’s unique charm. No matter the reason for coming to Fire Island, everyone can be sure they will encounter a safe, welcoming community and a breathtaking beach.

The way you have designed the Center’s booth at Pride draws a crowd. The lighting is set to enhance the mood of the room. Just the right floral arrangements are placed at the center of each table. You found just the right image to portray the theme of the party. Children smile along the parade route as you pass out pom-poms and balloons that you got donated for the event.

There are internships and there are INTERNSHIPS! Center interns that work in the cultural arm of the organization get to work behind the scenes in a variety of artistic and creative ways and have the opportunity to work on the front lines of community engagement and outreach. Not only do they get to work towards the fulfillment and progress of the community, they have the opportunity to do so while being a part of that community. These internships are real world, LGBT nonprofit experiences that are fast paced and exciting; at the end of the day you worked hard and rest well knowing that you played a part in your community reaching and exceeding their collective goals. 

The Cultural Programs Department at the Center provides an eclectic array of artistic, literary, theatrical and cinematic programs that celebrate and educate LGBT communities throughout the New York City Metropolitan area. These programs allow the Center to acknowledge and support our diverse cultural heritage, through performances, film screenings, art exhibits, speaking engagements, and other events featuring the leading cultural figures of our community. And this is your opportunity to learn while being a part of it.

The Center is currently accepting new applicants for the spring/summer 2012 Cultural Programs internship program. The core areas of focus will include event production and programming and assistance in the coordination of all aspects of the Center’s 2012 Pride activities. The intern will work approximately 15-25 hours a week. What more will you do, you might ask. The duties and responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

 • Assist in curating and producing the Center’s array of LGBT and allied speakers, artists, authors, performers, and filmmakers.

• Assist in basic programming and production management, artist research and communications, season planning, marketing and outreach, and office administration.

• Assist in the development and implementation of the Center’s Pride plan in 2012, supporting the Cultural Programs Coordinator who will serve as Pride Coordinator.

• Attend all Center Pride events in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, any additional special Pride events, and act as a positive representative of the Center.

• Assist in the evaluation of Pride activities and make recommendations for implementation and strategic planning for future years

Requirements: Qualified candidates should demonstrate excellent written, verbal, and communication skills; be proficient with MS Office suite products; be detailed oriented; and thrive at working independently and collaboratively (a good sense of humor is also appreciated). Knowledge and familiarity of LGBT communities and issues is strongly preferred; a high sense of responsibility and commitment to the mission of the Center required. Evening and weekend hours will be required.

Interested in applying? For consideration, submit a cover letter stating desired position with resume by email to jobs@gaycenter.org. Please include “2012 Cultural Programs Intern” in the subject line. Materials may also be sent via fax (212) 924-2657.