A Place in the Valley: The Center in Our Lives
When I first arrived in the Hudson Valley in 1989, there was a vibrant and active gay community. I was working in secondary education at that time and had many introductions to the area’s community groups and organizations. Poughkeepsie GALA (Gay and Lesbian Alliance) was the most organized of the LGBT groups. We spent many fun evenings together planning fundraising events, supporting people with AIDS or just promoting gay freedom in the valley. We were active in “Day Without Art” and the New York City Gay Pride parade. We had a gay bowling league and gay volleyball. We were fortunate to have use of the Christ’s Church meeting hall in Poughkeepsie for our meetings. People came from Kingston and Saugerties, and from Poughquag, Amenia and Stormville in Dutchess County. It was the one place I found through the ‘90s to enjoy a strong gay community in the Hudson Valley.
I met my partner, Rob Conlon in 1997. A year later, we moved with our careers south to Nyack and then to Ossining. As hard as we tried, we did not find as welcoming or as cohesive a gay community in either place as we had known in the Mid-Hudson Valley. In 2004, we decided to move back for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that we longed for the comfort of the LGBTQ community there.
Indeed, we returned to a community that in many ways was more vibrant than when we had left. We found dinner groups, charity auctions, barbeques and “hot spots” of activity all over the Hudson Valley. What we did not find was any central gathering place for gay activities. Often we found out after the fact, that we had missed a great movie, event or gathering.
That all changed when the community “came out” to celebrate the first Pride March and Festival in 2005. The energy and spirit of Pride inspired the creation of a new organization, the Hudson Valley LG BTQ Community Center. My hope for our new Community Center is a bonding of all the people, events and causes under one roof that will allow new and long-time residents to find and support one another.
A lot has changed in the world around us in a few short years. The Center can be that central meeting ground that allows us to come together and face those changes together. It can be the place to hold important meetings and events. I see a Center that will provide a central point from which our community can radiate and shine in our contributions to valley life.
Some of our friends have said to Rob and me, “Why do we need a community center? We already have a fulfilling life.” I don’t see the Community Center as a replacement for clubs or bars or the social history we have here. I see it as an enhancement of those things. The most exciting part about the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center is that it is not just a hope or a dream at this point. It is a reality. Δ
- Tim Lawton