Utah Pride Center

The Utah Pride Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in Salt Lake City, Utah. It has also been known as the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah, The Center, and GLBTCCU.

The Center shares a building with the ACLU of Utah at 355 North 300 West.

History

Gay Community Service Center

The first gay community center in Utah was the Gay Community Service Center in the 1970s, which was revived briefly in the 1980s with the addition of a medical clinic during the early days of AIDS.

Utah Stonewall Center

The true history of the present day GLBTCCU actually begins with the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah in 1986. This group attempted to foster communication between various LGBT groups and to provide a community-wide vision. Achievements of this group included a liaison to the Salt Lake City Police Department, programs involving outreach, anti-violence, AIDS awareness, and managing the Utah Pride Festival.

Among the most important contributions of the group, however, was the formation of the Utah Stonewall Center in 1991. [1]

Between 1991 and 1997, the Utah Stonewall Center was the first group to have a drop-in and resource center with a physical location. USC helped build a resource library (some of the surviving archives are now housed at the University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library), provided meeting space for other groups, published a newsletter from 1993–1997 called The Center of Attention [2], and more.

Utah Stonewall Center officially broke from the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah around 1995.

Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah

In 1997, the Utah Stonewall Center closed its doors. In 1998, The Center opened its doors under different leadership with the name, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah. The revamped community center included a cafe (Stonewall Coffee Co., 1998-2004), a lending library, meeting space, and a Youth Activity Center.

In 2002, The Center took over financial responsibility of the troubled Utah Pride, Inc. amidst much controversy.[3] Within a few years, all evidence of a separate organization running the Utah Pride Festival had been erased. In 2005, Utah Pride officially carried the tag "A Program of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah" on all advertising.

Mission Statement and Purpose

Adopted in spring of 2005, the Mission Statement of The Center reads:

"The Utah Pride Center is a community-based organization that provides support, education, outreach and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer individuals and their allies, through programs, services and resources." [4]

The Vision and Guiding Principles Statement reads:

"Our Vision: A LGBTQ community living openly in dignity united in working for acceptance and equality.

The Guiding Principles are:

• We believe in the dignity and equality of all people.
• We believe in innovative thinking and responsible action.
• We believe those individuals who know or who are questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity deserve a safe, nurturing environment.
• We believe in programs which educate, empower and foster integrity.
• We believe in celebrating diversity.
• We believe in the importance of educating the community-at-large about issues affecting GLBT people.
• We believe in working collaboratively with GLBT organizations locally and nationally."

Programs [5]

• Meeting Space Rental
• Support Groups
• Library
• HIV/AIDS Testing
• 12-step/addiction recovery meetings
• Multiple Youth Programs
• LGBT Diversity Education
• Educational Forums and Town Hall Meetings
• Utah Pride Festival

Additionally, The Center provides meeting space or financial assistance and guidance to a number of smaller organizations known as affiliate programs, sponsors inter-organizational programs such the Utah GLBT Leadership Task Force and Utah GLBT Mental Health Task Force.

Executive Directors [6]

Earlier Community Centers

• Dorothy Makin (1975, Gay Community Service Center)
• Ken Storer (1976, Gay Community Service Center)
• Auntie De and Beauchaine (1984, Gay Community Service Center and Clinic)
• Craig Miller (1991, Utah Stonewall Center—a Project of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah)
• Melissa Sillitoe (1992, Utah Stonewall Center—a Project of the Gay and Lesbian Community Council of Utah)
• John Bennett, Renee Rinaldi, Michael O'Brien, and Alan Ahtow (1995-1997, Utah Stonewall Center)

Current Center

• Monique Predovitch (1998, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah)
• Doug Wortham (1998, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah)
• Paula Wolfe (1999-2004, Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah)
• Chad Beyer (2004, Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah)
• Valerie Larabee (2004 - present, Utah Pride Center)

See also

• List of LGBT community centers

External links

• Utah Pride Center — official website
• Discussion and announcement bulletin board for the youth activities (TINT) of the Utah Pride Center.
• Utah Pride Celebration, a program of The Center.
• Salt Lake City WinterPride, a program of The Center.
• sWerve an affiliate of The Center.
• Utah Pride Interfaith Coalition, a gathering of GLBT-affirming churches and religious groups.
• Interview with Michael Westley - Media & Special Events Coordinator, Utah Pride Center
• Interview with Marina Gomberg, Development and Marketing - Utah Pride Center - Salt Lake City, Utah