Posted on January 14, 2011, 2:56 PM, by Tyler, under General.
The new art exhibit Living Live at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center experiments with the representation of what we live and what we are told is “live.” What is “live”? For instance, “live television” is not live; there is a delay for both technical reasons and producers are given a chance to edit content so that everyone is positively represented. Reality television’s entire concept is perhaps the biggest failure when grasping for live moments as cast members are lead certain directions to fulfill a certain “character” and when we go to a “live” performance we know that it is, in fact for the most part, a rehearsed and well crafted spectacle. You can think of many other instances to illustrate the discrepancy of defining “live” however consider that to be “live” is to be spontaneous, unpredictable, and take an active role in creating one’s life. This ‘live-ness’ is always tempered by routine, by the reenactment of cultural norms and performances, and the expectations put upon actions and people by others.
The concept has a special bearing in the LGBT community, which often hangs in a limbo between forging a new “live” identity and place and re-creating societal gender norms While the exhibition does feature queer artists, it also takes aim at a larger goal: to reveal and explore the distance between what we live and what is imposed, between merely living and “living live.”
If nothing else, the exhibit reminds us ditch mundane routines and be open to the cloud of surprises and moments in life.
EXHIBITION
January 27, 2011 through Monday, February 28, 2011
Opening Reception, Thursday, January 27, 2011, 6:30PM – 8PM
Posted on January 6, 2011, 12:41 PM, by Center Blog, under Advocacy, General, Youth.
As we begin 2011 it’s refreshing to look back and reflect on how The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center was able to create a safe and nurturing environment for hundreds of (LGBTQ) youth ages 13 to 22, during the holiday season. The Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (Y.E.S.) program held three events in the fall and early winter. They included: “Thanks for Being Queer Turkey Dinner Event” on November 24, which served 100 youth; “Youth Holiday Event” on December 23, that served over 60 youth; and “New Year’s Event” on December 30, serving over 60 youth. The YES holidays events are part of an overall (Y.E.S.) strategy to ensure the safe and healthy development of LGBTQ youth and reduce the incidence of homelessness, HIV and substance abuse. In addition, these events provide homeless LGBTQ youth opportunities to experience milestones such as the holidays in LGBT-positive ways that mainstream settings and many of their families do not provide.
Our “Thanks for Being Queer: Turkey Dinner Event” included the first public performance by the (Y.E.S.) New Agenda dancers, who shared a performance on Native American cultural expression of LGBTQ identities. Both the “Youth Holiday Event” on December 23 and the “Youth New Year’s Event” on December 30 included refreshments funded by PepsiCo’s LGBT employee affinity group and a clothing swap/share with new and used clothing and shoes donated by Center staff. Each event also included activities, groups and games, as well as gift bags complete with “swag” from RuPaul’s Drag Race and new winter scarves, gloves, hats and bags donated by the MTV and HBO LGBT employee affinity groups.
The Center is committed to offering vital services to the young people in our community who often have no role models and no other opportunities to experience an LGBT inclusive environment. We look forward to providing these kinds of unique youth programs throughout the new year and we thank generous donors like PepsiCo, HBO and MTV for helping to make it possible.
Posted on December 29, 2010, 1:49 PM, by Center Blog, under Advocacy, General, Youth.
On Wednesday, December 29, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program was featured on the nationally syndicated The Nate Berkus Show in an episode tied to the string of recent gay bullying cases and suicides, entitled “Rebuilding Home After Tragedy.” After meeting and talking with teens at the Center, Nate Berkus made the announcement that he would make over the YES lobby. The one-hour episode included interviews with several of the Center’s inspirational young people, Wendy Walsh, the mother of the 13-year-old Seth, who committed suicide after being bullied because he was gay, Seth’s brother Shawn and an intimate conversation and performance by country music star Chely Wright. The Center was proud to be part of this groundbreaking episode that showcased the vital importance of our youth program in stopping bullying related suicides. We also send a heartfelt thank you to The Nate Berkus Show for transforming our youth space.
Posted on December 15, 2010, 12:59 PM, by Center Blog, under General.
The Center Families Program at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center has historically been the gateway for LGBTQ prospective parents in New York City and neighboring communities to learn about their reproductive rights and options. We are now establishing a stronger support system for those currently on the journey of parenthood. In this vision, we are working towards increasing opportunities for LGBTQ parents to engage in positive socialization and networking. This month’s blog announces our newest Support Group: the Parent’s Support and Networking Group which grew out of thoughts, ideas, feedback, and requests from the community. We are pleased to have our blogger for this month, Hunter College Student and Center Families Intern Pamela Mendelsohn with us. Ms. Mendelsohn is not only the group’s facilitator; through her work she is actively influencing the growth of our families, our program, and our community.
Our New Parent Support and Networking Group at Center Families
We are very excited to announce that November 17th 2010 marked the first meeting of our Center Families newest support group: the Parent Support and Networking Group: a group for LGBTQ parents to connect, share experiences around parenthood, and exchange resources. We are thrilled to continue to connect with all of you whose Center Families journey began in one of the support groups around planning parenthood or navigating pregnancy, as well the opportunity to meet parents who are new to the LGBT Center. This is a safe space for parents to discuss concerns and struggles, share wisdom and experiences, support each other through challenges, and celebrate progress and community.
The Parent Support and Networking Group will meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:30pm to 9pm at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center.
On January 19th 2011 The Parent’s Support and Networking Group will welcome our esteemed colleague Sandra Chapman, an expert on school-related issues for LGBT parents.
We welcome your continued feedback regarding the group, your inquiries, and your participation. We look forward to seeing you in the very near future, and wish you all great success during your parenting journey. It is our hope that you will visit us one evening and share a little of your family with our family.
Posted on December 7, 2010, 1:48 PM, by Glennda Testone, under General.
Each and every day the Center celebrates our community and acts as a beacon of hope and safety for those who come through our doors. Standing strong, through challenges and triumphs, we welcome all into our home and into our hearts.
The 6,000 individuals who visit us each week are seeking different things. Some seek to start a family. Others arrive ready to come out. And still more seek companionship and a sense of belonging – a sense of community. No matter the reason, they all find a home. More than just a building, the Center is a safe space for all LGBT New Yorkers; not just during the holidays, but 365 days a year. As we enter into the holiday season, and I near the end of my first year at the Center, I am reminded of the gifts that the community, our community, has to offer. The LGBT community is the most fabulous, vibrant, exciting and welcoming community that I have ever been a part of. I consider it an honor to be able to work in that community every day. My experiences, whether it be meeting our supporters at the gala Women’s Event, enjoying a taste of pride at our Garden party or riding alongside the amazing bikers in Braking the Cycle, have been immensely rewarding.
During this holiday season, the Center needs your support. As we move into this next year, we take a look back and remember the tragedies that fell on our community. Our young people need our support, and now more than ever, the Center is needed to fight for equality, help those in crisis, and provide all LGBT youth with a safe place to be themselves. With your support you can help ensure a strong everlasting community for generations to come.
Please consider making a donation today
May this holiday season bring you and your loved ones health, happiness and joy.
Posted on December 1, 2010, 1:58 PM, by Center CARE, under Advocacy, General, Health.
On Wednesday, September 29, 2010 the Center testified about the impact of tobacco and smoking on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities at a meeting at Manhattan Community Board 2. Community Board 2 is one of 12 Community Boards in Manhattan and 59 across New York City that are charged with representing community interest on crucial issues of development and planning, land use, zoning and City service delivery, as well as coordination with social services and public education facilities. The following is the testimony delivered by Agapito Velz, a participant in the Center’s LGBT SmokeFree Project Social Action Group (SAG):
The SmokeFree Project
Introduction
Hello, my name is Agapito Velz. I want to begin by congratulating Mayor Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other City Council leadership for their contemplated ban on smoking within city beaches and parks.
In New York City, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. We have a particular problem throughout Manhattan, especially among teens and young adults.
Smoking is also a problem for my community – lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Research indicates smoking kills more LGBT people each year than hate crimes, suicide, and AIDS combined, and more lesbians die of lung cancer than breast cancer. 59% of self-identified LBGT teenagers report using tobacco, compared to 35% of self-identified straight teens. And finally, recent studies in New York state found that 70% of people living with HIV are smokers.
My personal challenges with smoking
Smoking was also my problem. I am 45-years old and have been HIV-positive for 26 years. I started smoking at the age of 14. I remember at that time wanting to fit in, feeling different and afraid. Smoking was the first substance I used to feel a part of.
Smoking has caused me many medical problems throughout the years; Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) twice, two bronchial washings, shortness of breath, low weight, chronic fatigue, many hospitalizations and low self-esteem due to feeling defeated because I could not stop.
How the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center helped me
In January, 2007, I heard about the Commit to Quit groups as part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center’s (the Center) LGBT SmokeFree Project (SFP). I signed up and showed up every week for my meetings and found the support and understanding I needed. At these meetings I was also able to open up about my struggle with other addictive substances. At the end of six-weeks I was smoke free. The facilitator asked me if I needed help with my other addictions and I said yes. He helped me find a rehab and I began treatment. I am grateful I was smoke free and was able to focus on my other addictions. Today I have 3-years and 8-months nicotine free and 3-years and 4-months drug and alcohol free. After rehab, I made my first 12-step meeting at the Center. The Center has helped me by giving me a place to go where I can find love, support and understanding. I would like to give back what was given to me so I will be volunteering in the Center’s SFP where it all began for me.
How smoking cessation programs have worked in New York
In a 2009 Evaluation preformed by RTI International of the New York State Tobacco Control Program Efforts to Promote Smoking Cessation. It was discovered that:
As of 2008, 53.2% of smokers in New York State have attempted to quit, compared to the U.S. national average of 39.0%.
New York State has achieved its lowest adult and youth smoking rates at 16.8% and 14.7 %, respectively.
There are still 2.5 million adult smokers in New York State and 75% of these smokers say they want to quit.
Conclusion
Thank you all so much for giving me the opportunity to share my story and to present data that shows just how effective our smoking cessation programs have been. We hope that we can count on your leadership to continue helping other New Yorkers with the tools they need to become tobacco free. There are still 2.5 million adult smokers in New York State and 75% of these smokers say they want to quit.
For more information: The speaker is a member of the LGBT SmokeFree Project Social Action Group (SAG) – the SmokeFree Project at the Center has been dedicated to helping members of the LGBT community quit smoking for good since 1993. The SmokeFree Project offers groups to provide important knowledge and support around nicotine dependence, cessation medications, and coping strategies for handling withdrawal. Additional details can be found at www.gaycenter.org/health/smokefree.
Posted on December 1, 2010, 1:44 PM, by Center CARE, under Advocacy, General, Health.
September was Recovery Month, an annual observance that “provides a platform to celebrate people in recovery and those who serve them (www.recoverymonth.gov).” As part of that celebration, over 70-LGBT people from the Center and its partners joined the Third Annual NY Recovery Rally at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island Park on Saturday, September 25, 2010.
September also marked the third anniversary of the opening of Center CARE Recovery, the only LGBT-specific, licensed outpatient substance abuse treatment program in New York. Since its opening in 2007, Center CARE Recovery has offered treatment services to over 800 LGBT-identified persons in recovery and over 12,000 units of service. October began with our fifth and largest Center CARE Recovery Graduation celebration.
Center staff have recently been engaged in defining and sharing with each other the six-words that best represents their vision of the Center. Through this process, our staff collaboratively selected Significant, Home, Progressive, Leader, Necessary and Fabulous. Those six-words also have a potent connection to LGBT recovery.
Substance use and abuse are a significant and sad part of our LGBT-story. Lesbians and gay men are at two to three times greater risk for alcohol and drug abuse than the general population and the continuing crystal meth crisis reinforces our need to remain vigilant about the ever-changing needs of our communities.
The Center has been home to the LGBT recovery movement from the day it first opened 27-years ago in 1983. 12-Step recovery groups were the first user groups to call the Center home and still meet here on a daily and weekly basis.
The Center was thinking progressively about LGBT recovery and the needs of our communities when it sought funding for and opened Project Connect (now Center CARE Wellness), the first NYS-funded LGBT substance abuse prevention program in 1987 and in 2007, when we opened Center CARE Recovery – the first New York State, OASAS-licensed substance abuse treatment program. And finally, the Center was thinking progressively when we opened Foundations for LGBT Recovery (FFR) to offer recovery support services in 2009.
The Center has been a leader in developing substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery support interventions for LGBT-people. In addition, the recovery process itself is one where the LGBT people in recovery must take leadership over these interventions and make change in their own lives, in the lives of those around them and in our culture
The Center, Center CARE Recovery and Foundations for LGBT Recovery are necessary because they are part of a slender network of resources to enable LGBT people who use and abuse substances to save their lives. CCR and FFR participants have taken the steps to realize how necessary they are to themselves and our communities and have worked to save their own lives
Anyone joining Center CARE Recovery for its Graduation Ceremony last week or participating in the LGBT contingent at the NY Recovery Rally felt fabulous just by witnessing what the LGBT people in recovery are achieving. We feel stronger, healthier and more whole as we become part of each other’s process of healing and that is always fabulous.
Everyone who has shared their process of recovery with the Center in some way is now part of the Center’s 27-year history of LGBT recovery.
MORE INFORMATION
The Center has offered substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery support services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities for over 23-years through programs offered by Community Services and its antecedents. Additional details can be found at the following – Center CARE Wellness,; Center CARE Recovery ; and Foundations for LGBT Recovery.
For me, it was the birth certificate; there it was, in black and white (well, black and light blue): my wife of 3 years as the Mother, and me as Father/Parent, with sex “F”. Myself being genderqueer, the need for my sex on the birth certificate of my child was problematic, but there was something undeniably vindicating about opening that envelope. Here our marriage is only recognized in a few states, and even here in New York, only recognized in some institutions, but we didn’t have to go through any special applications or appear in court to have this document issued correctly.
I think for all member of the LGBTQ community, there are shining moments they didn’t think were possible, last year, five years ago, or half a lifetime ago. I didn’t think the birth certificate was going to be one of those moments for me, but when it was in my hand, with an embossed seal and thick paper, it became something of which I was very proud.
Our journey into parenting was, in many ways, not very notable: We decided we wanted children (me deciding several painstakingly long years after my wife, if you ask her), we did some research, and we started trying. A few roller-coaster months later, we had the greatest news of our lives. Then the baby came, and ever since, we’ve been doing laundry. But that story leaves out the interesting parts: the research included looking for a sperm donor that I felt most closely resembled a male-bodied version of myself, and then working through the disappointment that I couldn’t be the sperm donor myself; we spent hours carefully telling family members, “We’re going to have a baby, so Kai will be a Papa!” to set our expectations for language; and perhaps most memorably, we had to carry a cryogenic tank across town, pick up sperm, and walk a mile home with a container emblazoned with “Caution: Bio Hazard” through the streets of New York.
At the beginning of this journey, I attended the first meeting of the Center Families Transgender and Genderqueer Parents and Prospective Parents group. I am a co-facilitator at the group, so I am helplessly biased in this respect, but I have had many wonderful conversations receiving support from others in all stages of parenting, giving advice on issues we’ve worked through, and sharing stories of joy and sadness. The group is as diverse as its members – discussions happen organically with someone sharing a thought, or telling a story. Perennial favorite discussion topics include family acceptance and education, parenting through foster care and adoption, what our children will call us, pregnancy in a transgender or genderqueer body, and navigating social situations and the questions of our own children.
Everyone with any interest or experience in parenting is welcomed warmly – there are babies and toddlers at the meetings, pregnant folks, parents of older children, and those thinking of parenting somewhere down the line. The group meets at the LGBT Center monthly on a Sunday late in the month – for November we’re meeting this Sunday, November 21st from 12:30 to 2pm. In January and onward, we meet on the 4th Sunday of the month, from 12:30 to 2pm.
Please come, share your story, ask questions, and join the discussion!
Kai Johnson
Co-facilitator of the Center Families Transgender and Genderqueer Parents and Prospective Parents group.
For any further questions, or to be added to the mailing list, contact ksjohnson3@gmail.com
Posted on November 12, 2010, 11:27 AM, by Glennda Testone, under Advocacy, General, Youth.
Over the past couple months an alarming number of young LGBT people across the country have taken their own lives, and in our city hate crimes against our community appear to be on the rise. At this time we must stand together and support each other. This past Saturday, our YES (Youth Enrichment Services) program hosted a youth dance offering young people ages 13-22 a chance to do this very thing. As I walked down 13th street on my way home from Women’s Event 13, I could hear the sound of music coming from the Center, and a smile came to my face.
When I entered the Center, I was so proud of what I saw. Over a hundred youth filled our first floor beaming with confidence and pride. The Center serves as a safe space allowing each of these young people a chance to be themselves without fear or judgment. I noticed several youth who appeared to be on first dates, and I realized that the Center is the place where these young people feel safe enough to be themselves – and even bring a date! Positive energy filled the Center that night and I was reassured that our community can overcome any hate or intolerance that we face…IF we support each other.
YES participants dancing during Summer Camp
As a Center donor, you can make this possible. Every dollar that you give ensures LGBT youth a place to go, not only for crisis-intervention, but for connection to community 365 days a year. YOU allow our LGBT youth a chance to develop into healthy adults. It gets better, but in truth, YOU CAN MAKE IT BETTER, today!
The Center wants our youth to know they are part of OUR community. To do this we are asking you to purchase a Center membership for a young person today! Your gift of $70 will pay for your individual membership and offer one young person a membership making them a proud card-carrying member of the LGBT community. A generous donor has offered a matching gift for this program, so every dollar you give today will become 2! Help us make this $35,000 goal today!
On Thursday, Oct 7, 2010, a panel gathered to honor the accomplishments of The LGBT Center’s National History Archive on its 20th anniversary. The panel included five local archivists and historians who have made significant contributions to preserve LGBT history:
George Chauncey (Moderator): Professor of History, Yale University, author of “Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940” (1994).
David Carter: Author of “Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution” (2004).
Shawnta Smith: Archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives, CLAGS committee member, and a co-founder and Director of Sister Outsider, a collective to develop social justice projects in Brooklyn.
Rich Wandel: Founder of The LGBT Center’s National History Archive (1989) at the request of Richard Burns and The Center’s Board of Directors, ongoing volunteer head of the archive, and archivist for the NY Philharmonic.
Maxine Wolfe: Archivist at the Lesbian Herstory Archives; Professor Emeritus of Environmental Psychology at The CUNY Graduate School where she specialized in women and AIDS, and lesbian and gay issues; a coordinator of Direct Action for ACT-UP, and a co-founder of the Lesbian Avengers.
The evening started with congratulatory comments by Jimmy Van Bramer, City Council Member for District 26 in Queens. He noted that his gay history began at The Center in 1989 when came out there as a young man.
Robert Woodworth, the Director of Meeting and Conference Services for The Center then introduced George Chauncey, the moderator for the evening. During his comments, Robert noted that we have a tendency to romanticize history, but that the archives require dedication so that we can “tell our own story,” which became a theme during the evening.
“Why are you an archivist?”
Shawnta Smith was the first to respond to George Chauncey’s invitation to describe their archivist activities. She introduced the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn and described her recognition of the importance of a gay and lesbian archive. Like The Center Archive, Shawnta noted that the Herstory Archives is a completely volunteer organization.
Maxine Wolfe then continued a description of the Lesbian Herstory Archives and her initial work with Joan Nestle. Nestle told Maxine that the burgeoning Herstory Archives could be “anything you want it to be.” Maxine helped define the role of the Archives, noting that it’s important to “document our own history, rather than accept the narrow view of others. We need an accurate and complete history of ourselves. And we’re the only ones who can do it.”
Rich Wandel outlined his personal history, “After a year of planning, Vito Russo gave my name to Richard Burns, then the Director at the Center, and I started the archive.” He become an archivist at The Center and then went to college to become accredited. In addition to leading the volunteer archive at The Center for 20 years, Rich is now also the archivist for the NY Philharmonic Orchestra.
David Carter began by acknowledging two attendees: Arnie Kantrowitz, an early vice president of the Gay Activists Alliance (GAA), and Larry Mass, author of the first press reports on the AIDS epidemic and co-founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). David said that in 1975 he read an early book about the history of Gay rights in Europe. This happened at the beginning of Anita Bryant’s homophobic outbursts and “I realized that, like the advances and losses of Gay rights in Europe, our progress was not inevitable.”
“Why is Queer history important?”
In response to George Chauncey’s second question, “Why is Queer history important?”, Maxine Wolfe told several stories of women who have contributed to the Herstory Archives: a nun who did not want the first 50 years of her life to be lost; a young woman who wanted to know what she should call herself: butch (like her grandmother), dyke, or lesbian (like her mother); and a researcher who found a valued obituary with a single phone call to the archives.
Rich Wandel told about the personal value that The Center Archive provides. During the worst of the AIDS years, people called saying that they had materials from a dead partner, brother, or child. “We wanted their photos, diaries, and letters. The Archive proved that their lives, their stories, were worth saving.”
David Carter talked about understanding our history. With an archive, the world can take our history seriously. We can talk about our origin myth (such as Harry Hay and the Mattachine Society). We can record the successes of our movement as LGBT civil rights (with the emphasis on the words “civil rights”). And we can answer basic questions about our identities, including issues in philosophy, religion, and law.
Shawnta Smith talked about how queer history bridges time. “Information is not static, facts are changeable.” She pointed out how an archive can hold those changes in thought. Shawnta also outlined the goals of the Herstory Archives: a volunteer endeavor offering access to everyone; always located in the community to document political struggles in the community; how it can never be divided (and because it’s funded by the community, no governmental agency can ever control our history); and how it is in a home.
Maxine Wolfe continued this train of thought about the Herstory Archives with comments about the different histories that the Archives holds: “Both Communist and anti-Communist, pro-porn and anti-porn.” She said that the Archives offer a way to gauge our progress, to engage in the struggle.
Rich Wandel talked about the incomplete stories told in high school and many colleges that the archives can make whole, and the lies that the archives can repudiate. “When we tie Gay struggles to the struggles of others, it’s hard to tell the difference in our labors.”
George Chauncey talked about meeting John Boswell, the author of several books on gays in early Christian life and pre-modern gay marriages in Christian communities. By using archives and historical accounts, Boswell was able to uncover hidden histories, and to document how Christianity and marriages have changed in the past and will change again. George talked about presenting historical evidence in court cases, in 1992 when Colorado tried to eliminate Gays from political life and more recently in California with the anti-marriage Proposition 8. “Anti-Gay legislation depends on us not knowing our own history.”
“What can we do in the future?”
Shawnta Smith presented a slide show of various materials that the Lesbian Herstory Archives made available to a Black group in Queens recently. Because of the wealth of materials, the Herstory Archives can assemble slide shows depicting the special history for various different groups.
The evening ended with questions and discussion about making LGBT history available, recent gay bashings, donating materials to The Center’s LGBT Archives, and the general lack of history for minorities.
We were reminded again that we must record our own histories, no one else can be trusted to do this for us. Congratulations to The Center’s National History Archive and its 20 years of preserving our stories.
