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Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada

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Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada
FoundedOctober 15, 1993 (1993-10-15)
FocusSupport and Social Groups, Health and Wellness Programs, Community Center, Arts & Culture, Cultural Competency, Advocacy
Location
Coordinates36°09′43″N 115°08′05″W / 36.162013675669996°N 115.13469001535141°W / 36.162013675669996; -115.13469001535141
Websitewww.thecenterlv.org

The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, known to most simply as The Center, is a nonprofit organization located in Las Vegas, Nevada, that has served the local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community since 1993. The splendid building and the land on which it sits were accomplished following a very generous bequest by Las Vegas educator and businessman Robert L. Forbuss. The idea and scope of the project was suggested to Forbuss by his two closest friends, Las Vegas physicians Jerry L. Cade and Dennis M. Causey. In 2013, The Center moved into the new Robert L. Forbuss Building in Downtown Las Vegas and began also serving the low to moderate income residents of the area.[1] Programs and services are generally free to the public. The Center is a member of Centerlink, the national membership organization for LGBT centers.[2]

Programs and Services

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The Center's staff leads several groups that meet weekly:

Numerous peer-led groups also meet at The Center, including:

Many services are offered free of charge to the public:

  • David Bohnett CyberCenter
  • David Parks LGBTQ Lending Library
  • Free HIV and syphilis testing for Nevada residents
  • Free vaccinations for Nevada residents
  • Information and referrals to other local organizations and services

Noteworthy Happenings

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At a pro-marriage equality rally at The Center's previous location in 2008, comedian Wanda Sykes gave a speech and came out as being in a same-sex relationship, one month after marrying her partner, Alex Niedbalski.[7]

Nevada State Senator Kelvin Atkinson proposed to his partner, Woody, at a rally held at The Center on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, celebrating the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to overturn Nevada's prohibition on gay marriage.[8]

Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Nevada but prior to the Supreme Court's ruling granting same-sex marriage in the United States, The Center hosted its first transgender wedding ceremony on March 21, 2015, between Jazmynne Young and Mark Matthews.[9]

Oregon bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein from Sweet Cakes by Melissa, a business fined for refusing service to a lesbian couple in 2013, mailed a cake to several LGBT organizations, including The Center, in August 2015 with a heart-shaped message on top saying "We really do love you". The cake was accompanied by a DVD of the film Audacity by Ray Comfort.[10]

Vandalism

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The center was vandalized twice in 2019: with an arson in June, and with a spray-painted slur in September.[11] In response, the director of operations explained, "it energizes us to dig in deeper and really work hard to continue what we normally do. ... We want to be happy, joyous and free just like anyone else, but it requires we have to fight and work for it."[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ LYNNETTE CURTIS LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. "Gay center finds home in downtown Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  2. ^ "Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada :: CenterLink Community Center Directory Listing". Archived from the original on 2016-02-05. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  3. ^ The Center. "The Center - ACT III -- for LGBTQIA2 seniors 50 and older". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  4. ^ The Center (30 December 2021). "The Center - Identi-T* -- transgender and gender non-conforming programs".
  5. ^ The Center. "The Center - QVolution Youth Programs -- for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24".
  6. ^ The Center. "The Center - Vegas Mpowerment Project -- for gay/bi/trans* men ages 18-35". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  7. ^ "Wanda Sykes Comes Out as Gay and Married". AfterEllen.
  8. ^ "State Sen. Kelvin Atkinson proposes after gay marriage ruling". LasVegasSun.com. Associated Press. 7 October 2014.
  9. ^ MICHAEL LYLE LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL (15 March 2015). "Gay and Lesbian center hosts its first transgender wedding". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  10. ^ "Former Oregon bakers behind gay discrimination fine ship cakes to skeptical LGBT centers: 'We really do love you!'". New York Daily News.
  11. ^ Ring, Trudy (September 5, 2019). "After Arson, Las Vegas LGBTQ Center Vandalized With Antigay Graffiti". The Advocate. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  12. ^ Grega, Kelcie (September 5, 2019). "For 2nd time this summer, vandals target Las Vegas LGBTQ center". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
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