Bloomington's Own LGBTIQ+ Community Center - It's Time

I thought this three years ago, but people had been talking about putting together a Community Center for ages. I started collecting material donations as far back as the closing of Rachael's Café, and for so many reasons, it seemed like a good time to get started. On the negative side, our rights and protections were being attacked during and by the previous Presidential administration and State legislators at the rate of one new assault on our hard-fought equality every 11 days. On the positive side, we had just secured Marriage Equality, and there was a blossoming of young LGBTIQ+ kids growing up in more welcoming environments than previous generations could have dreamed for!

We needed a home to call our own, a place for our organizations to have a permanent workspace, meeting space, and entertaining space. We had to have a sober place to gather for everyone of every age because we have families and we are school kids and we are elders and many of us have a history with substance abuse. And this place would need to be intersectionally inclusive, meaning it would have to be a safe, welcoming, and supportive space for all marginalized people because LGBTIQ+ people are members of all communities. A Community Center to bring together and support people and organizations that advance our continued struggle for equality and liberation.

Then came the Pandemic, and some personal tragedies. We weren't able to come together, but I still accepted donations of furniture and computers and clothing and housewares.

And now that our gains are under threat to be erased by the Supreme Court and State Legislatures - especially our own - we need to get together for support, peace, and coordination more than ever. We're reorganizing as a 501c3 to gain access to larger donors and more grant opportunities because we're all feeling the economic stress of the moment. More information will be coming out here when the page goes live on July 15th! Check out and subscribe to our social media pages and listen to BloomingOUT on WFHB, one of the longest-running LGBTIQ+-focused radio shows in the country, for updates on events we'll be hosting and more! It's past time, Bloomington! Let's put this together!