Get to Know The Center's Values

The Center has committed to embedding racial equity principles into all internal and external work. For our programming and service provision to be truly equitable, and for us to achieve our mission, we must recognize and respond to the long-term, pervasive effects of all forms of racism on our community members, partners, and staff alike.

Establishing equity-centered values is one way we are enabling The Center’s transformation into a more equitable, inclusive home for the LGBTQ+ community. The Center went through an extensive process in 2022 led by a staff committee and feedback from staff, Board, and community members to define explicit values for The Center. These values will guide the organization’s decisions, culture, practices, and policies and help us to avoid white dominant values.

We are now using these values as a compass to ensure that The Center’s programs, policies, culture, and decisions align with our commitments to equity.

We are committed to:

We’re committed to serving all members of the LGBTQ+ community. Within this vast and varied tapestry, our Centered Communities are LGBTQ+ people who have been neglected or harmed by racism, transphobia, sexism, and poverty. This includes LGBTQ+ people who are Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC); transgender; poor/working-class; living with HIV/AIDS; immigrants; and/or youth.

The following values guide us to prioritize our Centered Communities’ needs, voices, perspectives, and experiences in our work. They are designed to push the organization to keep growing, and become who our communities need us to be.

Racial, Gender, and Economic Justice

We work toward LGBTQ+ liberation. We disrupt systems of oppression affecting BIPOC LGBTQ+ people. We work to strengthen the personal economies of LGBTQ+ people who have long been prevented from generating wealth.

“For me, racial, gender, and economic justice means prioritizing inclusivity. It’s important that all of us find a home in this space. That’s a tall order, but it’s something we have the potential to do exceptionally well.” – Lyric Truth, Employment Support Specialist

Collaboration

We work together. We welcome the insights, wisdom, and leadership of our fellow community members.

“My work, and my team’s work, involves interacting with every other department at The Center—case management, youth, arts & culture, employment support, all of it. It’s humbling and inspiring to see all the ways these departments collaborate with each other to put together extraordinary events and programs for our communities.

It also means collaborating externally with partner organizations. As a hub for NYC’s LGBTQ+ community, we need to know what other LGBTQ+ organizations are doing and offering so we can make sure we’re doing our part to contribute to the greater landscape of LGBTQ+ New York. Collaborating also means letting those partner organizations take the lead in their areas of expertise, and stepping in to support as they lead the way. It means utilizing our collective knowledge and resources to respond to the evolving needs of the community.” – Michael Greehan, Director of Visitor Services

Healing & Joy

We celebrate the beauty, strength, and need for rest that lives within all of us and our communities. We strive for The Center to be a safe space of refuge from an unjust world.

“Healing and joy are essential organizational values to me, and I try to bring a positive and festive attitude to my work and my interactions with colleagues.

I am glad to work in a gender-affirming organization such as The Center, because I am able to express myself by creating fashion statements through my work outfits. I’ve worked in past organizations where I had to ‘dress the part’ to make clients and coworkers feel comfortable, but this led to me sacrificing my authentic self. I feel a sense of joy when I get to wear what makes me powerful and invincible, and I end up exuding more confidence in my work. My outfits also invite folx to start a conversation with me, and these talks grow into genuine connections.” – Joey Uy, Government Affairs Project Associate

A Community-driven Approach

The needs and experiences of our Centered Communities fuel our work.

“A community-driven approach is essential to LGBTQ+ people because community support is often a vital source of resilience and affirmation. When an organization centers community voices and values like The Center, it creates space for LGBTQ+ individuals to connect with others who share their experiences and work together towards a common goal. I was a Community Member at The Center before, and now I am working here celebrating identities and experiences.” – Leo Salazar, Programs Administrative Coordinator

 

Equity at The Center
Cristina Jones is The Center’s Chief People and Equity Officer, and Corey Westover is our Senior Director of Equity and Learning. Together, they spearhead our organization’s ongoing racial equity work. They oversee internal education for staff, improve HR practices, support individual departments with infusing racial equity into their programming, and more.

 

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Follow us on Instagram @lgbtcenternyc to learn about the many ongoing events and programs that are designed for our Centered Communities!

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