The San Diego LGBT Community Center Saturday is celebrating five decades of making an impact on and creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people in the San Diego region.
“Our 50th anniversary gala is a time for us to celebrate our history and the remarkable community that made this milestone possible,” said Cara Dessert, CEO of The Center, as it’s known. “It is also an exciting opportunity for us all to look to the next 50 years, and the ways we will continue to build community power for decades to come.”
A center statement said recent decades have seen incredible changes, including marriage equality, but the U.S. has a long way to go before LGBTQ+ people are truly equal.
“Transgender and non-binary people, for instance, face increasing violence and attacks on their right to affirming health care and bodily autonomy in states and communities across the country,” the statement said.
The gala offers a chance for supporters of the organization to see how, through their support, they may join forces with The Center to create a world where everyone belongs and thrives, regardless of background, sexuality or gender identity.
“I think back to the revolutionary vision of our founders who created one of the first spaces, 50 years ago, for LGBTQ people to gather and support one another,” Dessert said. “Over these next 50 years, we will expand on the incredible legacy of building community power, to create a world where every LGBTQ person can live their full lives and thrive in our strong, beautiful community.”
The 50th Anniversary Gala was held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and included a reception, dinner, drag show with DJ Taj Altaji and live music by Sue Palmer and her Motel Swing Orchestra.
– City News Service
