In This Issue

• Celebrity Blog Features Centers
  
  
• Albany Home To Oldest Center
  
  
• LA Center Hosts World's Largest AIDS Fundraiser
  
  
• Center Leader's Viewpoint On Equality
  
  
• Philadelphia Center Announces New Director
  
  
• Staten Island Center Calls For Visibility During Pride

What is Center Links?

About CenterLink

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers was formed in 1994 to support the development of strong, sustainable LGBT community centers and to build a unified center movement. Learn more at www.LGBTcenters.org

Submit Your Story

CenterLink members can submit their stories to be featured in an upcoming issue of CenterLinks, and we will do our best to include them. Please submit to Guido Sanchez, guido@LGBTcenters.org

Perez Hilton Features LGBT Community Centers As Worthy Causes, Highlights Central PA and Raleigh Centers

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is hoping to create a buzz, and hopefully a few donations, for a Harrisburg charity. Under his "Worthwhile Cause" heading, Hilton recognized the LGBT Community Center Coalition of Harrisburg. The coalition seeks to provide a safe and accepting space for the area's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and its allies. It also looks to find common ways to assist the community through spiritual, cultural and educational activities.

In June, Perez Hilton's blog also featured the LGBT Center of Raleigh as a worthwhile cause, which can be viewed here.

Read more by clicking here.

Examination Of Gay Albany Highlights Oldest Center In The Country

Nora Yates, Executive Director for the Capital District Gay and Lesbian Community Council (CDGLCC), also recognizes Albany's support for the LGBT community.  CDGLCC is celebrating 40 Years of Pride this year and was the first Gay and Lesbian community center in the country. "We are very lucky to have the administration, political and business support", said Yates.  "Early Gay and Lesbian activists saw the need in Albany to influence change." Yates further explained how the Albany Mayor and City Council was one of the first to recognize domestic partner benefits and pass hate crime legislation. Although Albany has been welcoming, "it is not all roses" according to Yates.  Hate crimes still happen in Albany, but she is appreciative of the responsive and supportive Police Department and community anti-violence initiatives organized by In Our Own Voices. She also points out that we still have a way to come for Transgender acceptance and understanding. Albany was home to one of the earliest Transgender groups dating back to the 1950's and yet is still a population often the target of violence and hate. CDGLCC provides training and education at schools and in the workplace, as well as a youth programs.

Read more by clicking here.

L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Annual AIDS / LifeCycle World's Largest HIV / AIDS Fundraiser

A colorful stream of 2,400 bicyclists and volunteer "roadies" from nearly every state and eight countries left San Francisco this morning on the way to Los Angeles as participants in AIDS/LifeCycle, the world's largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraising event. In its ninth year, the event is expected to raise $10 million to care for those living with HIV/AIDS and to prevent new infections.  In the seven days it takes to ride to Los Angeles, more than 1,000 people in the United States and 50,000 people around the world will be infected with HIV.

AIDS/LifeCycle is a fully supported, 545-mile bike ride -- not a race -- that supports the HIV/AIDS services provided by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.  It also raises awareness that HIV/AIDS is a growing scourge that continues to have a devastating impact on our communities, especially here in California. More than 1 in 10 of the nation's HIV-positive people live in California and California ranks second among the states in cumulative AIDS cases.

Read more by clicking here.

Viewpoint On The "Queer Equality Movement" By Kalamazoo Center Director

The Kalamazoo Gay & Lesbian Resource Center's Executive Director recently authored this piece in a publication on the Queer Equality Movement.

"We are our own movement. We are a movement of Alan Turing - the father of computer science and hero of World War II, forced into chemical castration and suicide. We are the people of Oscar Wilde - literary genius forced into prison labor. We are the Stonewall Rebellion - and yes, I said rebellion because it was not a riot. We are Bayard Rustin - civil rights activist and architect of the march on Washington. We are Walt Whitman, Matthew Shepard, Harvey Milk, Audre Lorde, Ruth Ellis."

Read more by clicking here.

Philadelphia's William Way Center Announces New Executive Director

After a four-month search, the board of directors of the William Way LGBT Community Center this week selected local activist Chris Bartlett to fill its executive-director position.

Bartlett, 44, will take on the task later this summer after wrapping up his duties as co-interim executive director of LGBT grantmaking agency Delaware Valley Legacy Fund. Bartlett was one of 45 candidates who applied for the position, which was vacated by previous director ’Dolph Ward Goldenburg in the fall.This search was assisted by CenterLink partners McCormack & Associates.

Read more by clicking here.

 Staten Island Center Calls For Visibility At Pride Event

Marianne Brennick, the Staten Island LGBT Center's Director, spoke out during their Pride festival this month. “This is all about visibility,” said Ms. Brennick. “This is about promoting respect and acceptance and reducing bigotry and hatred. We are among you. We are not to be feared. We are your co-workers, we patronize your businesses, we live on your block.”

Read more by clicking here.