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Welcome to the latest installment of Front and Center. This week we'll recap our Youth Halloween Party, which not only entertained young people, but also educated them about HIV prevention. We'll also tell you how our Lesbian Cancer Initiative helped bring free mammograms to lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people through the Project Renewal Scan Van. Plus we’ll recap our observance of the Mexican tradition, Dia de los Muertos, paying tribute to deceased loved ones in our community. Please enjoy reading these stories and thank you for your support.


Halloween Party Entertains Youth and Sends HIV Prevention Message

Nearly 100 young people recently enjoyed games, snacks and a costume contest at the Center’s “Creepy Carnival” Halloween celebration. The event was organized by our Entertainment Youth Enrichment Services or EYES interns and gave young people the chance to have a great time celebrating Halloween with their friends. It also allowed our interns to begin conversations among several peer groups about the importance of safe sex, and HIV prevention. Programs like this are part of the “Popular Opinion Leader” model supported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The idea is to have young people with influence send a message to peers that protecting themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases is a hip thing to do. When youth hear from peer leaders, they are more likely to listen and avoid putting themselves in risky future situations. This is one of many projects in our Youth Enrichment Services Program designed to help LGBTQ youth live healthier happier lives.



Center Hosts Scan Van, Bringing Life-Saving Mammography to LBT People

On October 4 The Center’s Lesbian Cancer Initiative hosted the Project Renewal Scan Van, a mobile medical unit that provides clinical breast and chest exams and mammograms to lesbian, bisexual women and transgender (LBT) people. Parked just outside the Center for the day, Scan Van staff provided exams on the vehicle, to LBT people 40 and over, regardless of insurance or residency status. The Scan Van is a very important way to reach out to medically underserved people to ensure they receive breast/chest cancer screening. Project Renewal has worked with the Center on this project for the past four years, screening over a hundred people that may not otherwise seek this preventative care. In general LBT people get screened for breast cancer at lower rates than other populations and encounter barriers when seeking medical care. This collaboration offers a way for LBT people who already have a relationship and a comfort level with the Center to get vital services that they might not pursue through other means. The sooner people get screened; the more likely it is that if they have breast cancer, it will be detected early. And the earlier it is detected, in most cases the less difficult it is to treat. One 50 year old Scan Van participant said "Your project prompted me to have the first mammogram of my life."



Center Commemorates Dia de los Muertos, Honoring Lost LGBT Leaders

From October 28 through November 2 the Center celebrated the life and memory of our friends and family who have passed away, honoring the Mexican tradition, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The Center created a spiritual altar and community members prayed and brought offerings of their favorite foods. The ritual has been observed by indigenous cultures and Latinas and Latinos for over 3,000 years. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, and offering sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed. In this spirit, the Center's altar honored the memory of the members of our community who worked tirelessly to empower and transform us all. It was the only LGBT Day of the Dead altar in New York City, illustrating the importance of the Center's unique role in providing holiday opportunities that are fully inclusive of our entire community.