The Cornerstone Campaign
The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center, Inc. is pleased to announce the initiation of the Cornerstone Campaign to support a space to meet the needs of our community. This capital campaign will raise the funds to sustain the Center’s new home at 300 Wall Street in Kingston.
Program needs are extensive: there are no services targeted specifically for the elderly and very little is available for LGBT youth. Gay youth, and those perceived to be gay, are exposed to frequent and pervasive harassment including physical assault. Citing the 1996 study by the Safe Schools Coalition, the National Mental Health Association reported: “Though all children suffer from anti-gay prejudice, gay youth tend to suffer the worst consequences. According to various studies, one third of gay students are physically harassed due to their sexual orientation and one in six is beaten badly enough to need medical attention. Compared to straight kids, gay teens are four times more likely to be threatened with a weapon at school, and three to seven more times likely to attempt suicide.
”
“Our youngsters have a right to attend classes without hearing anti-gay remarks freely made by students and frequently ignored by faculty. Agencies supported by our taxpayer dollars should not need Gay 101 every time they encounter a person from our community needing their services. There can be a space which belongs to us that genuinely celebrates our history, our culture, and our lives.”
—Board President Ginny Apuzzo