Center Outreach Meeting Packs Town Hall
October 25, 2005 had begun on the downside, weather-wise. But it turned out to be a historic date. That is when the main chamber of the Kingston City Hall hosted an outreach meeting to introduce the community to a new project: the establishment of the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center (Ulster County chapter). Since mid-summer, committees had been working diligently to prepare for this meeting, aiming to make the community aware of our progress and to enlist support for the continuation of the Center project.
But as the day wore on, the weather took a turn for the worse; a dismal evening of rain and cold ensued. Concerns about a possibly low turnout circulated. Yet, when the general committee’s chairperson rose to open the meeting, the large, ornate room was filled to overflowing, with standing room only.
From the time she spoke the words, “We want to welcome you to what we think will be a historic meeting here in Kingston,” until she closed with, “We can do this, we can make history right here in the Hudson Valley,” one could sense the growing anticipation and excitement. The electricity within the room was palpable!
The audience was treated to several presentations which explained the committees’ work and the tasks ahead. (For more info on the reports of what the committees are up to, see article on Page 3.)
From a slide show of the Pride March to a drive for membership, each committee chair gave a skilled, thorough, and engaging talk. The room was galvanized by how much had been done. And nearly 100 new members as well as 40 new volunteers signed up on the spot.
The most moving moment of the evening occured when to individuals, from separate eras of our LGBTQ community, spoke. They were high school teen Chris Serrano, a gay youth who only recently had come out, and Ted Hayes, a 75-year-old man. Serrano spoke about what the center would mean to him. Ted Hayes reminded the attendees of life before the LGBTQ political movement. He spoke of life without a community center, without personal rights, without legal support. Hayes, a former Southern Baptist minister, reminded people of an era when being gay meant being an outcast from society. The audience was visibly moved by this account, especially when Hayes explained what a community center would have meant to him in those past years. A lively period of audience comments,questions and answers followed. Attendees were thanked for coming and urged once again to visit the membership tables. Then, people lingered for refreshments. Ginny Apuzzo’s inspirational words rang clear in the minds of many as they left the building: “It is about building tomorrows infinitely safer, saner, and healthier than our yesterdays, and doing it in a place we can call our own.” The challenge to establish the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center is there and we CAN do it!