A ‘radically welcoming’ space in State College is bringing the LGBTQ+ community together

Tucked away on the third floor of a nondescript building on Calder Way is the culmination of a decade-long dream for the founders of Centre LGBT+. Opened in September, a permanent space for members of the LGBTQ+ community to gather, relax and learn was a long-term goal that has now become a reality, executive director Cat Cook said.

“This was always a dream of the organization, of the people that founded it, that eventually we would love to hire staff, open up a center and here we are almost 10 years later,” Cook said.

The center is the group’s first physical location despite its decade of operating within the State College community. Previously an online-based organization with several regular in-person support groups and events, the physical space allows Centre LGBT+, also known as the Centre LGBTQA Support Network, to reach more people and expand its offerings to the community.

When designing the space, Cook and other support network members latched onto the phrase “radically welcoming” to describe their vision of the center. In practice, radically welcoming looks like paintings from State College Pride’s community art project, colorful beanbags piled into corners and various Pride flags found in every room.

“I want people, that when they come through the doors and leave, to feel like they’ve been hugged,” Cook said.

Although open to anyone, on Wednesday and Friday afternoons the center serves as an after-school space for students grades 5-12 to relax, study or just be themselves. The space also contains a banned books library full of nonfiction and fiction books centering LGBTQ+ topics and stories.

“Say they haven’t really had a great day at school, or they’re not in a very supportive environment beforehand, to be able to come over here and end their day in a truly inclusive and welcoming space, it means a lot to me as a parent,” Cook said. “I want to provide that to everybody that we serve, to all the youth.”

Cook has spoken with local school districts to get the word out about the center as an after-school option for students. Although in early stages, Cook is looking at ways to help provide transportation for students from Centre County schools to the center.

The center’s location downtown State College not only makes it easily accessible to the public and Penn State students but also members of the community who aren’t publicly out.

“We recently had someone that is very new to transitioning come in and spend some time in the space,” Cook said. “She had shared with me just sitting in the lobby and seeing posters with the trans flag and trans quotes on them, and how much that meant to her to feel like she can just let her guard fully down, which she does not feel that she can do in general in the community.”

The support network offers several monthly support groups for adults, teen, queer families and loved ones of LGBTQ+ people. The groups often meet at various locations around town but Cook said there is a possibility that groups could use the space to meet in the future.

Another future aspect of the center is the community closet, which lets transitioning and nonbinary people shop for clothes to better fit their gender identity. With donations still coming in and items being set up, but the center hopes to have the closet open to the public come spring. Marketing chair Fermin Almeida has been organizing a program to work with local businesses to help support the community closet and provide a greater range of clothing available.

“What we’re hoping to do is create a relationship with retail stores around the area where they donate their out-of-season clothing,” Almeida said. “We’re able to provide a shopping experience that is not stressful for people who are transitioning or gender nonbinary.”

Grayson Cook, who volunteers at the center alongside their mom, said having a physical space makes the support network seem more official, especially when explaining to people who are unfamiliar with the support network. The most important aspect to them is making sure the community understands it is a place for all age groups to feel welcome, not just teens or Penn State students.

“The space is for everyone,” Grayson said. “It’s a space for you as well. ... So just letting every aspect of the community be aware like this is a space for all people who are part of like the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s a space for them.”

The center is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 9:21 AM.