Los Angeles LGBT Center

The Los Angeles LGBT Center (previously known as the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center) is a provider of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The organization's work spans four categories, including health, social services, housing, and leadership and advocacy. The center is the largest facility in the world providing services to LGBT people.[2]

Los Angeles LGBT Center
Formation1969
FounderDon Kilhefner, Morris Kight
Joe Hollendoner[1]
Websitewww.lalgbtcenter.org

History

The center was founded in 1969, by gay and lesbian rights activists Morris Kight and Don Kilhefner, along with other activists.[3][4] Originally called The Gay Community Services Center, the original center was located in an old Victorian house on Wilshire Boulevard and was the first non-profit in America to have the word "gay" in its name.[5] In 1998, the organization named its library the Judith Light Library after one of its benefactors, actress Judith Light.[6] The current CEO is Lorri Jean.[7]

On October 2, 2010, the center became the recipient of a $13.3 million, five-year grant from the federal United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration on Children, Youth and Families in order to create a model program for LGBTQ youth in foster care. It was the largest-ever grant by the federal government to an LGBT organization, and the only grant out of six total grants that did not go to a government agency or academic institution.[8][9]

In 2016, Holly Woodlawn's estate founded the Holly Woodlawn Memorial Fund for Transgender Youth at the center, to benefit some of the center's programs, including Trans Pride L.A., Trans* Lounge, Transgender Economic Empowerment Project, and trans health care services.[10] Woodlawn was transgender herself.[10]

As a crowd of more than 200 gathered outside a June 2023 Glendale Unified School District Board of Education meeting, the Los Angeles LGBT Center joined organizations such as GALAS LGBTQ+ Armenian Society, the Armenian American Action Network, Southern California Armenian Democrats in voicing support for the school district's LGBTQ+ policies.[11]

Services
Health
  • Primary medical care by providers who specialize in caring for LGBT people
  • HIV/AIDS specialty care through its Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic
  • HIV and STD testing and treatment
  • Individual/group counseling and psychiatric care
  • Crystal meth, alcohol and other drug recovery services
  • On-site pharmacy
  • Health and medical research

[12]

Social services and housing
  • Emergency shelter and transitional housing for youth
  • 7 day/week support services for homeless youth, including meals, clothing, showers, etc.
  • Support services and activities for seniors
  • Legal support, counsel and advocacy
  • Hate crime survivor assistance
  • Domestic violence survivor assistance
  • Youth mentoring and empowerment (LifeWorks)
  • Employment support with special programs for transgender people and youth
  • Family services and programs

[13]

Culture and education
  • Performances and exhibitions on the center's stages and in its galleries
  • LGBT charter high school
  • GED program
  • Continuing education and personal-enrichment program (Learning Curve)
  • David Bohnett CyberCenter and computer lab
  • Community meeting and event space

[14]

Leadership and advocacy
  • Political and civil rights advocacy
  • Suicide prevention in schools (Project SPIN)
  • Technical support and assistance to sister organizations
  • LGBT cultural competency trainings
  • Mentoring and training emerging leaders in strategic domestic and international communities (Emerging Leaders program).

[15]

Locations

The Los Angeles LGBT Center operates facilities in seven Los Angeles, CA locations:

  • Anita May Rosenstein Campus - Santa Monica Blvd at McCadden Place (new HQ in 2019)[16]
  • McDonald/Wright Building - 1625 N. Schrader Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028-6213
  • The Village at Ed Gould Plaza (including Renberg Theater) - 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038
  • The Center Weho - 8745 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
  • Triangle Square - 1602 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028
  • Mi Centro - 553 S. Clarence Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033
  • Trans Wellness Center - 3055 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 360, Los Angeles, CA 90010

[17]

See also

References
  1. "Los Angeles LGBT Center Announces Selection of New Chief Executive Officer".
  2. Albo, Mike (June 17, 2019). "The Biggest LGBT Center In The World Just Got Bigger — And Better". HuffPost. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  3. Morris Kight Papers, 1975-1993 at UCLA Special Collections
  4. "Morris Kight, 83; Gay Rights Pioneer in the Southland". Los Angeles Times. 20 January 2003. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  5. "Los Angeles LGBT Center making more history visually". 30 May 2018.
  6. "Judith Light". Faith in America. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  7. "Management Bios". Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  8. "L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center wins $13M grant to help foster youths". San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. October 2, 2010.
  9. "L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center gets unprecedented grant". Washington Blade. October 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  10. "Warhol Muse Holly Woodlawn Endows Fund for Trans Youth". 15 February 2016.
  11. Harter, Clara (June 6, 2023). "LGBTQ protections and gender policy sparks Glendale school board war". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  12. "Health Services".
  13. "Social Services & Housing".
  14. "Culture & Education".
  15. "Leadership & Advocacy".
  16. "LA LGBT Center's ambitious Anita May Rosenstein Campus opens". Los Angeles Blade: LGBT News, Rights, Politics, Entertainment. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2019-04-15.
  17. "About the Center".

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