Center on Halsted - Chicago's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center

Chicago's LGBT Community Center

Welcome to Your Center! You and 60,000 or more of your friends and family have an exciting new reason to visit Halsted Street.

TAKE A TOUR OF OUR NEW HOME!
Click here for more information and to register for a building tour.

Center on Halsted opened the doors to our new home on April 30th, 2007, and has become Chicago's premiere lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) destination. Once inside, you'll find an entertainment venue, an organic grocery store, a café, more than a dozen community service partners, a technology center, a gymnasium, a theater and a number of other unique gathering spaces to house our programs and services to the community.

The Center is proud to partner with CMI's Gay & Lesbian Market Symposium in Chicago on Thursday, July 31. You will find attending this session a valuable use of time. Industry-leading presenters will discuss the latest in gay and lesbian consumer research and focus groups, successful marketing approaches, strategies, etc., as well as case studies representing a variety of industries and segments. I am sure that the new information gained, plus the networking connections, will be of great value going forward.

The full day symposium is $195 including lunch, but as a Center supporter, we’re pleased to be able to offer a $50 discount. There’s no reason to miss this important opportunity to initiate, or update, your LGBT market program. More info is on http://www.communitymarketinginc.com/mkt_int_glms.htm

Space is limited to 80 participants, so please register soon. Use this link to download the special Center on Halsted discount registration form: http://www.communitymarketinginc.com/documents/temp/CMI-GLSympo-2008-ChCenter.pdf

Larry McKeon Tribute

Center on Halsted pays tribute to the life and service of former Rep. Larry McKeon, the first openly gay member of the Illinois Legislature. The LGBT community in Illinois owes much to this man responsible for adding “sexual orientation” as a type of discrimination banned by Illinois law. “Larry remains an inspiration to all of us who continue the fight for equality,” said Modesto Tico Valle, Center on Halsted’s Executive Director. “He was a long-time supporter of Horizons/Center on Halsted and we’ve lost a true friend.”

What is being said about Center on Halsted?

"Chicago prides itself on offering the best of everything. I am proud to be part of the leadership that is giving this city a world-class community center that is good for business, good for the community and good for the environment."
-- Richard M. Daley, Mayor, City of Chicago

"Important institutions do one thing well: In a small way they help to make their region, their city or their nation better. I think Center on Halsted will help do that."
-- Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

"Our community organizations are going to have an opportunity to be in proximity to each other in a way they've never been before."
-- Art Johnston, Community Leader and Owner, Sidetrack

"There is a wonderful synergy when various kinds of organizations come together."
-- Nikki Stein, Executive Director, Polk Bros. Foundation

"The new Center on Halsted adds a highly visible, publicly accessible green building to Chicago's growing collection of significant architectural landmarks. The innovative building features can be readily adopted by others in their future building projects and illustrates the strong economics for building green. There is no question that this building will serve as a model for future green buildings to come."
-- James Mann, Executive Director of Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation

"It puts its programs and its purpose as inspiration right on the street for people to see."
-- Elva Rubio

"It's going to improve the quality of life for many, many people for many generations to come."
-- Billie Jean King, Tennis Legend

"It will help all ages, but I think it's especially important for the youth; that they have a place, a safe place, to go."
-- Tom Tunney, 44th Ward Alderman, City of Chicago

"We must be bold enough to dream, naïve enough to believe and tenacious enough to make it happen."
-- Patrick Sheahan, Executive Director of Public Affairs, UBS and Board Chairman Emeritus, Center on Halsted

"It's a gift we can give that can benefit someone else."
-- Michael A. Leppen, Philanthropist and Community Leader

Rental Information

Visit our Community Partners Page to learn about who is sharing our home! Partners include 4+1 Productions, ALMA, Amigas Latinas, Chicago Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, GayCo Productions, Hubris Productions, NAMES Project Chicago Chapter, PFLAG, Windy City Athletic Association, Windy City Performing Arts, Windy City Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, achurch4me / MCC.