This Pride Month brings great news: We’re thrilled to see the passage of the Safe Haven for Transgender Youth and Families Act, as well as the passage of the LGBTQ+ and HIV Long Term Care Facility Bill of Rights! The Safe Haven Act protects out-of-state youth and their families from separation or prosecution when seeking gender-affirming care in New York State. It also protects physicians who provide that care.

The Long-Term Care Facility Bill of Rights codifies the rights of LGBTQ+ elders receiving long-term care and helps protect them from discrimination.

The Center has been working to advance this legislation for a long time — from cosponsoring and participating in Advocacy Days, petitioning, submitting sign-on letters and memos of support on behalf of our coalition of 55+ organizations, to our continued engagement with legislative and policy coalitions working to secure more wins like these!

Whether you’re eight years old or eighty, children or seniors, we need protection due to the injustices and inequities our community members have faced for so long. Victories like this are evidence that community in action does pay off in real gains for our communities. So…

Register to Vote by tomorrow, June 17!

The New York State Primary is scheduled for June 27. Register to vote by tomorrow, June 17 to ensure your voice is heard! You can help determine who will be on the ballot for municipal and local elections across the state by participating in the primary elections.

Your vote this month will determine who appears on the ballot in November, for many different levels of government—all of which have a direct impact on your life and the lives of your communities. This is an especially important opportunity for queer and trans New Yorkers like us, who often face an uphill battle to get our needs met by systems of power such as government.

Want to learn more about this month’s election? Visit gaycenter.org/vote.

Sunday, June 18 | 12-6 p.m.
13 St between 7th Ave and Greenwich St

Join us to celebrate New York City’s Black LGBTQ+ community and honor the history of Juneteenth. Presented in partnership with D*ck Appointment and Raw Honey, Center the Culture will feature a number of interactive activities which include storytelling, art-making, and community discussions on topics relevant to Black LGBTQ+ communities. Enjoy a summer cocktail with us (must be 21 years old) and stick around for free food and beverages. Visit our community artisans and vendors for an immersive shopping experience.

This event is free and open to all members of the community. In the event of rain this event will be held inside The Center.

Register today!

Thanks for all you do,

Trevon Mayers
Senior Director of Advocacy & Community Engagement

RSVP Today

Happy Pride! Queer joy and celebration is essential for the LGBTQ+ community’s survival. Soak it in, friends—you deserve it! While we commemorate The Center’s 40th year of service, we know our work is far from over. In the face of nationwide anti-LGBTQ+ extremism and legislation trying to force us out of public life, there’s one thing our aggressors don’t understand: no matter what they do, we are not going anywhere. We have lived through threats like this before because when we are under attack, we find strength in each other and our allies.

This Pride, we honor how LGBTQ+ New Yorkers have come together—and will always come together—through cycles of great progress and great pain, to heal, grow, and organize in pursuit of liberation for all. The Center creates a place for us to do this. I give my personal thanks to devoted Center supporters for generously sustaining our efforts. The Center has kept the heart of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers proudly beating. And we will never, ever stop! We couldn’t do it without all of you!

Donate to The Center this Pride.