From Stonewall to Today: Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month at The Center

By Gus Hernandez

How do we honor the pioneers who fought for LGBTQ+ rights while ensuring they remain connected, supported, and celebrated today? As we observe LGBTQ+ History Month this October, The San Diego LGBT Community Center is answering that question through programs and events that honor our past while investing in our future.

Many of the pioneers who fought for LGBTQ+ rights, built community institutions, and weathered the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are now older adults. Our Stonewall Generation carries lived experiences that younger generations can learn about through stories, conversations, and shared community spaces. They also face unique challenges as they age, including social isolation, barriers to healthcare, economic insecurity, and the long-term effects of discrimination.

The Center is committed to serving LGBTQ+ older adults through programs and services designed to help them thrive. At a Senior Services Listening Session on September 14, community members identified priorities ranging from social connection and healthcare access to digital literacy, legal services, access to the arts and creative expression, and opportunities for engagement. That feedback is already helping shape programming at The Center.

Through November, The Center will host Tech on the Go every Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m., providing personalized support for community members who need assistance with smartphones, tablets, computers, online services, and everyday technology. Whether it’s learning how to access telehealth appointments, avoid online scams, or stay connected with family and friends, digital literacy has become an essential tool for healthy aging.

The Center is also continuing its longstanding commitment to supporting people living with HIV. On October 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., community members can access free guidance through the HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic, helping individuals navigate legal issues that may impact those living with HIV. For many LGBTQ+ older adults, these services remain critically important and reflect The Center’s enduring promise to stand alongside our community through every chapter of life.

Creative expression is another vital part of healthy aging. On October 17 from 1 to 4 p.m., The Center will host the Ageless Artists Art Show, celebrating the creativity, imagination, and talent of LGBTQ+ older adults. The exhibition provides an opportunity for artists to share their work and for community members to see and hear the stories, perspectives, and life experiences reflected through art. This event will also include youth artists for the first time this year, to help forge intergenerational connection and dialogue.

As Medicare open enrollment approaches, The Center is expanding access to health and wellness resources. Medicare Mondays will take place every Monday from October 19 through December 7, offering free enrollment assistance in both English and Spanish. On October 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., community members can attend a Medicare Open Enrollment and Scam Prevention Workshop, providing practical information about healthcare options while helping participants recognize and avoid fraud schemes targeting older adults.

In November, The Old Globe brings Globe for All: Macbeth. The free community event on November 17 will include dinner at 4 p.m. followed by a live performance at 5 p.m. at The Center, creating an intergenerational opportunity for connection through the arts.

These special events complement a robust calendar of ongoing Senior Services programming, including the Congregate Meal Program Monday through Friday, Feeling Fit classes, Trivia and Game Day, Lesbian Café, Women’s Book Club, art groups, and other opportunities designed to foster connection, wellness, and lifelong learning. Together, these programs reflect The Center’s vision of being an intergenerational community hub where LGBTQ+ older adults are a valued and visible part of community life.

LGBTQ+ History Month reminds us that our collective story cannot be told through a single lens. The movement has always been strengthened by the leadership, creativity, and resilience of Black LGBTQ+ community members. On October 23 at 6 p.m., Black Services at The Center will present Voices of Black Angels, a free staged reading and cultural event presented with support from Mounarath Powell Dance. Curated and directed by Bil Wright, the evening will feature classic poetry and prose by some of the most influential Black LGBTQ+ writers of the past century, including James Baldwin, Essex Hemphill, Pat Parker, Assotto Saint, and Barbara Smith.

Through the voices of performers Kirk Brown, Eboni Muse, William BJ Robinson, Kevane La’Marr Coleman, Amira Temple, Winnie Beasley, Iverson Harding, and Yasmina Devos, audiences will experience stories that span love, loss, resistance, political activism, and joy. From the legendary nightlife of New York City’s Paradise Garage to the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis and the enduring power of Black LGBTQ+ culture, the performance serves as both a celebration and an act of historical preservation.

LGBTQ+ history is more than remembering the past. It is about making sure those who made history continue to thrive in the present so that future generations can learn from their achievements.