ou asked for it, Portland. The queer community said it wanted a center,
and one year ago this month, Q Center was horn. The center we’ve
begun to know and love, still in its infancy, has some powerful energy
behind it and promises to provide a significant place in queer Portland’s
Y
Top: Monthly family playdates are a big hit with the parents.
Middle/bottom: "What Is Queer Art?" kicked off Q Center's arts and culture programming with 200 attendees.
It all began in 2002, when future Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams
gathered members of the queer community to discuss the feasibility and desirability of
a center. Out of this ad hoc group, a board of directors was formed in 2003, co-chaired
by David Martinez and Gwenn Baldwin. The board created the LGBTQ Community
Fund, a nonprofit organization. It constructed a feasibility survey titled “Out with It”
to assess the larger community’s interest and demand for a center. More than 1,600
individuals and 30 companies responded that, indeed, Portland needs, wants and can
support a queer center. Survey results showed a clear interest in youth services, art and
cultural activities, events for queer families and senior services. In 2005, Susan
Remmers was brought on as the interim executive director to get things moving with
leadership recruitment, programming and site selection. The decision to push forward
with Q Center was announced to the public at Portland Pride 2005.