The Center began in 1977 as living room gatherings to discuss issues important to the gay and lesbian community. The Center was officially incorporated in 1980 as One in Long Beach, Inc. and has been providing a variety of health, social, advocacy, legal, and service programs to the LGBT community in the Greater Long Beach area for three decades. As a result of the AIDS epidemic, in 1984, The Center established Project Ahead, the first case management service in Southern Los Angeles County exclusively for gay men with HIV and AIDS. One in Long Beach was, in many instances, the only safe haven where people of all sexual orientations, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and socioeconomic levels could receive HIV information, testing and counseling, healthcare referrals and other support services.
In 1985, through the bequests of several individuals who died of HIV and AIDS, The Center was able to purchase a 7500 square-foot building located near 4th and Cherry, in Central Long Beach. The building was renovated and opened in 1986 as a new home of the agency. In 1987, the agency held AIDS Walk Long Beach which continues today as a separate foundation. In 1997, One in Long Beach became the Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach.
Today, we serve over 21,000 people a year and include an array of services including support groups, youth services, legal assistance, employment referrals, rental and roommate referrals, a hate crimes hotline, mental health referral, women’s health programs, cultural and social activities (including a Film Festival), educational forums, and HIV prevention and support programs. The Center provides meeting space for more than 40 community groups each month. The Center also continues to be at the forefront of LGBT activism and advocacy with the Marriage Equality Project.
