News
The Center Hires Courtney Gray as Transgender Programs Coordinator
The Center is pleased to announce its recent hire of Courtney Gray, who will join The Center team as the Transgender Programs Coordinator. Courtney comes to The Center with an extensive background in Transgender programming, which includes volunteer work at The Center.
“The inclusion of a Transgender Programs Coordinator on our team strengthens our ability to address the social and support needs of our community,” noted Executive Officer Carlos Martinez. “We’re so excited for the experience and energy that Courtney will bring to the team.”
In addition to her new position, Courtney is the Co-Chair of the Transgender Community Advisory Committee. In this role, she orchestrates and moderates support groups, manages a speakers bureau, and plans community events.
Through The Center’s Transgender Community Advisory Committee, The Center provides programming, support and services tailored for Colorado's transgender community, including two social and support groups, a group for significant others, friends, and families, and a transgender resource area at Denver PrideFest. Now, with a staff member devoted to Transgender programming at The Center, we are planning on expanding our offerings. Courtney will also be working on Transgender programs in Northern Colorado.
In May 2011, Courtney planned and implemented The Center’s first transgender job fair, attracting five employers and serving 65 attendees, making Denver the first non-coastal city to host such an event. Due to the breakout success of the fair, The Center is hosting two transgender job fairs this year, one on May 5, and another in October.
In addition to her volunteer work at The Center, Courtney is a well-known, respected instructor and speaker. She teaches courses at Arapahoe Community College Policy Academy, training law enforcement professionals on how to address the unique needs of the transgender population. Courtney has also taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Red Rocks Community College, and Metro State Community College.
Courtney grew up in Colorado and has lived in the state for 35 years. She lives with her wife, Rachel, daughter Leighanne, and their dog, Ginger, in Arvada.
The GLBT Community Center of Colorado announces expansion of programming to Ft. Collins and Northern Colorado to begin January 3, 2012.
The new additional location will allow The Center to provide services for seniors, youth, the transgender community and other LGBT constituents in Northern Colorado.
Beginning January 3, 2012, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado will offer programming, legal resources, and referrals to the Northern Colorado community at 212 South Mason St., Ft. Collins. The Center will also produce PrideFest Ft. Collins on September 8, 2012.
Carlos Martinez, CEO of The Center states about the growth, “This is an historic opportunity for The Center, a chance to expand the programs we currently offer the Denver LGBT community to our constituents in Northern Colorado. We will bring the successful program delivery models we’ve built in Rainbow Alley, SAGE of the Rockies, Legal and Advocacy, transgender programs and PrideFest, and more to a part of the state that is ready to take advantage of the resources we offer.”
The Center announces the expansion on the heels of the successful completion of its 2009 – 2011 strategic plan that included the purchase, renovation and operation of its permanent home at 1301 E. Colfax in Denver, and the renewal of The Center’s brand and remodel of its entire online presence. The strategic plan and the new home resulted in a 25% growth in services delivered to the community through Center programs and an impressive 34,600 visitors utilizing the facility in 2010.
“We could not be in a stronger position to announce and carry out this next step for the organization,” remarks Board Co-Chair Barbara Harrison. “Based on the success of our capital campaign, the strength of our programs and staff, and the vision of our leadership and our board, The Center is ready to fulfill its promise of delivering resources and programs statewide, in partnership with the Northern Colorado LGBT community.”
The GLBT Community Center of Colorado is the third-oldest LGBT community center in the country. We engage, empower enrich and advance our community through statewide advocacy and nationally recognized cultural and educational programming.
Denver PrideFest draws more than 300,000 people; Rainbow Alley, our youth drop-in center sees more than 750 visits per month. SAGE and Family Programs connect the community with each other and with our events; our Legal & Advocacy program represents clients in impact litigation and assists over 350 people a year through the legal hotline. We partner with over 50 statewide organizations and annually serve nearly 25,000 individuals who visit our safe and welcoming space.
The Center will be Tweeting for Dollars on Colorado Gives Day, December 6th
Coloradans are encouraged to “give where you live,” on December 6th during Colorado Gives Day, a statewide initiative benefitting several non-profits, to increase philanthropy in Colorado. The annual event is hosted by the Community First Foundation (http://www.communityfirstfoundation.org/).
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center of Colorado (The Center) (http://www.glbtcolorado.org/) will be hosting a unique 24-hour tweetathon that day, thanking donors and encouraging supporters with the hash tag CO4TheCenter (#ThanksCOCenter) http://twitter.com/#!/COCenter). Supporters who use the hash tag will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
On last year’s Colorado Gives Day, The Center raised $107,000. In 2011, The Center hopes to raise $125,000 to support our operations and community programming. Donations that day will be accepted through the online giving website www.GivingFirst.org, starting at 12:00am.
Colorado Gives day is a powerful day to give to The Center, as the value of individual donations on December 6th will be increased through two matching programs; The Gill Foundation will be matching new and increased donations to The Center dollar for dollar, and Giving First will also be allocating a proportional match from a $30,000 incentive fund. Additionally, GivingFirst will be randomly choosing donors every hour to win $1,000 prizes for their organizations, and twelve $5,000 prizes will be awarded to organizations with the most successful campaigns. The Center hopes to be a recipient of these bonus dollars in addition to the guaranteed matches.
Similar to last year, credit card and processing fees will be covered by Community First Foundation (http://www.communityfirstfoundation.org) and sponsors so that 100 percent of Colorado Gives Day donations go directly to nonprofit organization.
In addition to fundraising, Colorado Gives Day raises awareness of the state’s nonprofit sector and educates communities on the benefits of online giving. Last year on Colorado Gives Day, Coloradans donated $8.4 million online for 529 charities.
October 11, 2012
Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, to tour The GLBT Community Center of Colorado Friday 10/14/2011
Highest ranking openly LGBT official in US government history will make remarks focused on American Jobs Act and job readiness and placement programs through The Center
Community Engagement Opportunity with
John Berry - Director, the United States Office of Personnel Management
The GLBT Community Center of Colorado
1301 E. Colfax Ave., Denver CO 80218
Friday, October 14, 2011, 5pm - 6pm
This Friday, John Berry, Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management, will tour The GLBT Community Center of Colorado. After the tour of the facility we will gather in The Center's commons to hear Berry talk about job opportunities in America and learn more about job preparedness and placement programs in the LGBT community.
Highlighted in the tour will be Rainbow Alley, our youth drop in program, SAGE of the Rockies, our senior's program and their job placement and preparedness collaborations, and outcomes and next steps for our Transgender Career Advancement Project.
Event schedule:
4.45pm - press call and briefing time with Amy Drayer, VP Strategic Initiatives at The Center
4.50p - Director Berry arrives to The Center and meets with CEO Carlos Martinez, conducts tour of the Center
5.25pm - Director Berry concludes tour in Center lobby (open press)
5.30pm - Director Berry remarks on the American Jobs Act (open press)
5.40pm - SAGE Coordinator Shari Wilkins and guests to brief on SAGE job readiness programs (open press)
5.50pm - Transgender Career Advancement Project representative Courtney Gray and guests to brief on TCAP (open press)
6pm - Event concludes
Learn more about Director Berry and his role in the Obama Administration as the head of an important Federal agency and as a high-ranking openly LGBT official:
http://www.opm.gov/about_opm/director/berrybio.asp
September 20, 2011
Denver LGBT Veterans Speak Out About Don't Ask Don't Tell
For The Center by Colorado News Service
The controversial law requiring gay military members to stay closeted in order to serve expires today, bringing cheers from many veterans.
Luiza Fritz, who spent 13 years in the National Guard and is an Iraq War veteran, was forced to resign when a new command discovered she was in a domestic partnership with a woman - even though her superior officers knew, and didn't care.
"I served openly because I didn't feel like it mattered. It really hurt me that - I felt like I was one of the most dedicated of soldiers. I wanted to serve for 20 years."
Fritz hopes she can re-enlist now that DADT has been repealed.
The Department of Defense is downplaying today's action, and the Pentagon has said repeatedly that for troops the repeal will mean "business as usual."
Locally, however, several organizations are recognizing the policy shift. The Colorado GLBT Color Guard will host a celebration at Charlie's Denver on Friday, and the GLBT Community Center of Colorado will recognize the repeal at its 35th anniversary gala on Saturday.
John Kelly is organizing Friday's celebration. He was an Air Force medic in the 1960s, and says that before DADT, gay service members faced not only military repercussions but also social stigma outside of the service.
"It used to be that when you came out of the military and were looking for a job, you were supposed to have that honorable discharge in your hand. If they gave you a dishonorable or undesirable, you were labeled."
Kelly, who resigned rather than risk exposure, says today's repeal is a huge milestone - and Fritz agrees.
"What it does, it takes that constant monkey off your back. It allows you to serve with some sort of freedom."
For the full audio version of this story, click here.