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.
History
The center was founded in 1969, by gay and lesbian rights activists
Morris Kight
Morris Kight (November 19, 1919January 19, 2003) was an American gay rights pioneer and peace activist. He is considered one of the original founders of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement in the United States.
Biography
Early life
Kight ...
and
Don Kilhefner Don Kilhefner is an LGBTQ rights activist, community organizer, and Jungian psychologist living in West Hollywood, California. He founded and co-founded multiple gay organizations, including the Radical Faeries, the LA Community Services Center (no ...
, along with other activists. 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. In 1998, the organization named its library the Judith Light Library after one of its benefactors, actress
Judith Light
Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...
. The current CEO is
Lorri Jean.
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
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
(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.
In 2016,
Holly Woodlawn
Holly Woodlawn (October 26, 1946 – December 6, 2015) was a transgender Puerto Rican actress and Warhol superstar who appeared in the films ''Trash'' (1970) and '' Women in Revolt'' (1971). She is also known as the Holly in Lou Reed's hit glam r ...
'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.
Woodlawn was transgender herself.
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
;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
;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
;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).
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)
* 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
See also
*
List of LGBT community centers
*
Torie Osborn
Torie Osborn (born July 27, 1950 Copenhagen, Denmark) is a community organizer, activist, and author.
Education
Osborn attended Barnard College, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Middlebury College and earned her MBA at the ...
*
LGBT culture in Los Angeles
Although often characterized as apolitical, “Los Angeles has provided the setting for many important chapters in the struggle for gay and lesbian community, visibility, and civil rights." Moreover, Los Angeles' LGBT community has historically p ...
*
Deep canvassing
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Los Angeles LGBT Center
LGBT health organizations in the United States
LGBT culture in Los Angeles
LGBT community centers in the United States
LGBT in California
Buildings and structures in Los Angeles
1969 in LGBT history
Organizations established in 1969
1969 establishments in California
Medical and health organizations based in California