Our Goal
Pride Community Center seeks to build community, provide resources and services, offer education and outreach, and more! We are a grassroots organization made up of dedicated community members devoting time, energy, and support…come and help!
Our Story
Pride Community Center, Inc was founded in 2010 by Rachel Boenigk, Lowell Kane, Christine Bergeron and Katy Stewart in an attempt to increase the collectiveness of the LGBTQ+ community in central Texas.
From that initial seed, Pride Community Center grew. By 2015 Pride Community Center was a member of the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce, had an established Film Festival, and was an established presence at community events. We were even on our way to securing our own physical space.
However, an organization needs a constantly evolving and growing leadership team to maintain its momentum and secure its gains. From 2017 to 2018 Pride Community wound down and shuttered its doors.
In the summer of 2019, Katy Stewart, an original founder, again saw the need for Pride Community Center to be a change agent in the Brazos Valley for LGBTQ+ people. She recruited an initial board the immediately began re-establishing itself in the community.
Currently Pride Community Center, Inc is co-led by a staff executive director and a working board. All leadership is volunteer.
Our Mission
In general terms:
To provide a safe place for personal of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions, their families and friends to meet and socialize without having to worry about who they are.
In detailed terms:
Through collaboration and consensus, the Corporation strives to support and empower individuals of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and allied persons of the Brazos Valley (the “Community”). It also provides outreach and education to the public at large which will (1) lead to greater safety, comfort; understanding and respect for all, (2) lessen social tension, and (3) promote harmony between the Community and the citizenry as a whole.
Our Values
JUSTICE:
We will work to speak out against oppression, to work against violations of dignity and violations of integrity enacted on others. We are committed to end injustice as we see it, and to band together to advocate for those without a voice.
RESPECT:
We will honor and affirm others as we affirm ourselves. We respect the opinions and expression of others. We share and interact with others knowing that we speak for ourselves, owning what we say as our own words.
INCLUSION:
We will work to ensure that all voices are heard, and that all persons are invited into community with us. We will embrace, affirm, and welcome all. We will celebrate the gift of diversity and we will celebrate the ever broadening boundaries of our community.
SAFE SPACE:
We will work to ensure that our time in community is open and honest. We will respect the need for privacy as defined by the persons in our community