The Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center (the Center) opened in 1983. In its first year, the Center provided meeting space for 60 groups. As of 2007, more than 300 community groups utilize the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. We have grown to become the nation’s leading and most comprehensive lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community center, with four programmatic departments: Adult Mental Health and Social Services (including Center CARE and Center CARE Recovery) Youth Enrichment Services (YES), Public Policy and Cultural Programs. These departments offer programs, services and activities that provide adult and youth counseling, social services and referrals, educational forums, community organizing opportunities, leadership training workshops and cultural programs.



The Center’s goals and objectives are:

1) to promote health and wellness and prevent illness among LGBT adults and adolescents and their families through development and delivery of disease prevention and health promotion programs and services; counseling for adults and adolescents struggling with alcohol and substance abuse, HIV/AIDS-related issues, bereavement, and mental health concerns; and training and educating mainstream providers to promote LGBT-affirmative health prevention and intervention services;



2) to promote social justice and full inclusion in all aspects of society for LGBT populations through education of our constituencies on relevant issues; advocacy for laws and policies that address LGBT concerns; community organizing at the grass roots level and coalition building at leadership levels in order to implement progressive social policy and legal reform; and



3) to cultivate and showcase the cultural and artistic contributions of the LGBT community through nurturing emerging adult and adolescent artists through opportunities for performance, exhibition and workshops; promoting established LGBT visual, performance and literary artists; and documenting and preserving LGBT culture and arts through maintaining collections and archives.

Center CARE (Counseling, Advocacy, Recovery and Education) offers a continuum of community support for LGBT people and professionally delivered low-cost/no-cost individual and group counseling and social services for substance abuse and recovery support, HIV/AIDS challenges, mental health problems and gender identity issues.