Former name | Montrose Counseling Center |
---|---|
Established | 1978 |
Location | 401 Branard Street Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Coordinates | 29°44′11″N95°23′04″W / 29.736522°N 95.384539°W Coordinates: 29°44′11″N95°23′04″W / 29.736522°N 95.384539°W |
Type | LGBTQ community center |
Executive director | Ann J. Robison, PhD |
Website | www |
The Montrose Center is an LGBTQ community center located in Houston, Texas, in the United States. [1] The organization provides an array of programs and services for the LGBTQ community, including mental and behavioral health, anti-violence services, support groups, specialized services for youth, seniors, and those living with HIV, community meeting space, and it now operates the nation's largest LGBTQ-affirming, affordable, senior living center in the nation, the Law Harrington Senior Living Center. [2] It is a member of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. [3] [4] It is in Neartown (Montrose). [5]
The Montrose Center opened in 1978 as Montrose Counseling Center (MCC), after the widely successful Town Hall Meeting I at the Astrodome. [1] [6] [7] [8] It began by offering primarily behavioral counseling and therapy for LGBTQ people. [9] [10]
The center faced many financial burdens in its formative years, particularly because of the high cost of providing health insurance for its employees living with HIV/AIDS. [10] Then, in 1983, the Montrose Activity Center, another LGBTQ-oriented community center, gave the center $15,000 to keep operating. [11] The center still struggled financially until 1990, when the Ryan White CARE Act was passed, and the center received funding through the act, allowing it to expand its services. [10] It was the first behavioral health center to receive funding under the Ryan White CARE Act. [10]
In the 1990s the center became one of the first places in Houston to offer temporary housing to gay men and transgender people. [9] In 2013, the center changed their name from the Montrose Counseling Center to the Montrose Center, because they felt that they offered many more services than just counseling, and did not want people to feel as though they could only come to the center for mental health problems. [1] [10] Around the same time, the windows of the Montrose Center were painted in rainbow colors to represent that it served the LGBTQ community. [1] [12] The center also unveiled new logos for some of its signature programs.
In 2016, the Montrose Center was a target for protest by the Westboro Baptist Church. The group stated that they were protesting the Montrose Center because "[it] is an oozing, purulent sore of sodomite contagion: pushing proud sin and the proliferation of incurable disease". [13] The Montrose Center urged people not to counter-protest the group, but to instead ignore them. [14] [15] [16] [17] Executive Director Ann J. Robison, PhD, also said she almost considered the group's visit "a badge of honor", and nearly felt proud that the group realized that the Montrose Center existed and was working for the LGBTQ community. [14]
The Montrose Center provides counseling services, group therapy, individual therapy, couples therapy, HIV/AIDS support, support groups, substance abuse services, hate crime support, support for those who experience domestic violence in same-sex relationships, and general wellness programming. [9] [18] [19] [20] It has services available in both English and Spanish. [21] [22]
In 2011, the Montrose Center was part of a report issued by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs that addressed intimate partner violence for LGBT individuals. [4] In the report, it stated that it had served 27 victims of intimate partner violence in the previous year, 52% of which were men, 44% women, and 4% transgender individuals. [4] The Montrose Center believes it is better able to cater to men and transgender victims of domestic violence than other anti-domestic violence shelters, such as the Houston Area Women's center, as these people need separate space. [1]
The Montrose Center's anti-violence program began in 1991 as a reaction to the murder of Paul Broussard. [20] [23] The Montrose Center helps victims of all types of hate crimes, not just LGBTQ-related hate crimes. It provides counseling, case management, and court accompaniment to assist victims of hate crimes. [24] In 2015, the Montrose Center reported helping 42 victims of hate crimes. [25]
The Montrose Center began with providing mental health services to LGBTQ individuals as its mission. [1] Over time, the center has added substance abuse treatment to its services. [1] [22] [26] It provides outpatient care for substance abuse and addiction, in addition to substance abuse support groups or "12 Step Programs". [22] [26] [27]
One of the Montrose Center's cornerstone programs is its youth program, Hatch Youth. Hatch began in 1987 as a separate organization, but became a Montrose Center program in 2003. [28] Hatch Youth supports LGBTQIA+ youth through social drop-in hours with educational programming, cultural events like a prom, and specifically deals with LGBT! youth homelessness. [29] [30] [31] [32] Hatch also works with LGBT! youth who have been victims of bullying, and works to prevent suicide or self-harm. [33]
Out for Education is a foundation that provides scholarships for LGBTQ youth to pursue higher education. [34] Founded in 1999, it is operated and funded solely by volunteers and donations. [35] Hatch and Out for Education have given over one million dollars in scholarships to LGBTQ youth in Houston, giving many LGBTQ youths the opportunity to pursue higher education. [30] [36]
A study done that researched Hatch Youth found that those who attended Hatch programs felt they had increased social support and experienced a decrease in depressive symptoms, especially if they had been attending the program for more than six months. [37]
The Montrose Center has special programming for senior citizens, as older LGBTQ individuals often face various unique problems with accessing healthcare, assisted living, and general issues with retirement. [19] [38] The specific sub-organization for seniors is SPRY, or "Seniors Preparing for Rainbow Years," that hosts many activities targeted towards seniors. [39] The Montrose Center even focuses on training people who interact with LGBTQ seniors outside of the SPRY program to recognize warning signs of senior depression and suicide. [40] One event for senior citizens is "Diner Days" every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, where seniors can socialize and have lunch. [41]
In 2019, the Montrose Center began construction on an LGBTQ-affirming, affordable, senior living center in Third Ward. [42] Named after activists Charles Law, PhD and Eugene M. Harrington, LLM, the Montrose Center completed construction on the Law Harrington Senior Living Center in January 2021. [43] It is the nation's largest, LGBTQ-affirming, affordable, senior living center. [2] The $26.5 million facility features 112 one- and two-bedroom independent living apartments and is open to low-income individuals and couples who are 62 years or older that meet income requirements.
The Montrose Center offers services that are more directed towards community building and general recreation, rather than health or anti-violence.
One such service is through the now closed Equal Grounds café, which was a small coffee shop at the entrance of the building. The renovation to add the café cost the center $25,000. [44] The café closed due to issues with staffing and maintenance. The café was initially planned to be named the Gayborhood Café, as Montrose is often referred to as a gayborhood. [1]
The Montrose Center also offers free LGBTQ-friendly yoga classes. The classes are taught by volunteers, and serve as an inclusive space for people to release stress. [45] In addition to yoga, the Montrose Center teaches free meditation and other well-being related courses. [46] [47]
GLSEN is an American education organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression and to prompt LGBT cultural inclusion and awareness in K-12 schools. Founded in 1990 in Boston, Massachusetts, the organization is now headquartered in New York City and has an office of public policy based in Washington, D.C.
Center on Halsted is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community center in Chicago, Illinois. Kim Fountain serves as Chief Operating Officer.
LGBT culture is a culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. It is sometimes referred to as queer culture, while the term gay culture may be used to mean "LGBT culture" or to refer specifically to homosexual culture.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center is a provider of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The organization's work spans four categories, including health, social services, housing, and leadership and advocacy. The center is the largest facility in the world providing services to LGBT people.
The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance is a non profit organization, founded in 1997, with a community center serving people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. While reaching out with their message of equality and acceptance to all people in Jerusalem and abroad, their main focuses are community building, providing humanitarian services and promoting social change. They work to create a safe, pluralistic and egalitarian Jerusalem that is welcoming to all of its inhabitants, communities and visitors, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Think Before You Speak campaign is a television, radio, and magazine advertising campaign launched in 2008 and developed to raise awareness of the common use of derogatory vocabulary among youth towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people. It also aims to "raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBTQ bias and behaviour in America's schools." As LGBTQ people have become more accepted in the mainstream culture more studies have confirmed that they are one of the most targeted groups for harassment and bullying. An "analysis of 14 years of hate crime data" by the FBI found that gays and lesbians, or those perceived to be gay, "are far more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than any other minority group in the United States". "As Americans become more accepting of LGBT people, the most extreme elements of the anti-gay movement are digging in their heels and continuing to defame gays and lesbians with falsehoods that grow more incendiary by the day," said Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report. "The leaders of this movement may deny it, but it seems clear that their demonization of gays and lesbians plays a role in fomenting the violence, hatred and bullying we're seeing." Because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, nearly half of LGBTQ students have been physically assaulted at school. The campaign takes positive steps to counteract hateful and anti-gay speech that LGBTQ students experience in their daily lives in hopes to de-escalate the cycle of hate speech/harassment/bullying/physical threats and violence.
The Houston GLBT Community Center was a community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies in the Houston metropolitan area and southeast Texas. Its last location was in the Dow School building in the Sixth Ward of Houston.
Sally Huffer is an American LGBT activist that resides in Houston.
Planting Peace is a nonprofit humanitarian organization founded for the purpose of "spreading peace in a hurting world". The organization specializes in diverse global causes, including orphanages in Haiti and India, international deworming efforts, rainforest preservation, and anti-bullying programs. In 2007 Planting Peace founder Aaron Jackson was honored as a CNN Hero for his relief efforts deworming millions of children in Haiti. In March 2013 Planting Peace gained international attention when they created the Equality House, a rainbow-colored home located directly across the street from Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-LGBT group. In 2016, members of Planting Peace walked across Antarctica with a Pride flag in "a symbolic effort to declare full human rights for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people living in or visiting Antarctica."
The Equality House is a rainbow-colored house situated across the street from Westboro Baptist Church, an anti-LGBT hate group in Topeka, Kansas. The house was purchased by Aaron Jackson, the founder of nonprofit organization Planting Peace, after he saw a "for sale" sign on a nearby house when looking at the community on Google Earth. He had the house painted in the colors of the rainbow flag, to show support for LGBTQ rights.
Houston has a large and diverse LGBT population and is home to the 4th largest gay pride parade in the nation. Houston has the largest LGBT population of any city in the state of Texas.
Ruby Corado is an activist who founded Casa Ruby, a bilingual, multicultural LGBT organization in Washington, D.C. Casa Ruby opened in 2012; it identifies its mission as "to create success life stories among Transgender, Gender Queer, and Gender Non-conforming Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people." In July 2022, Corado was accused of mismanagement of Casa Ruby which led the organization to cease operations.
OutSmart Magazine, or simply OutSmart, is a monthly publication serving Houston's LGBT community since 1994. Founded by Greg Jeu, the magazine's outreach has exceeded 200,000 and is distributed at over 350 locations in Houston and Galveston, as well as in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio. Upon its creation, it was the only local magazine to highlight the society, politics, and culture surrounding the LGBT community in Houston, rather than serving as an entertainment guide; most other publications at that time tended to feature sexually-explicit content and advertisements. OutSmart is also certified and verified by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as an LGBT Business Enterprise and is audited by Verified Audit Circulation.
Domestic violence in same-sex relationships is a pattern of violence or abuse that occurs within same-sex relationships. Domestic violence is an issue that affects people of any sexuality, but there are issues that affect victims of same-sex domestic violence specifically. These issues include homophobia, internalized homophobia, HIV and AIDS stigma, STD risk and other health issues, lack of legal support, and the violence they face being considered less serious than heterosexual domestic violence. Moreover, the issue of domestic violence in same-sex relationships has not been studied as comprehensively as domestic violence in heterosexual relationships. However, there are legal changes being made to help victims of domestic violence in same-sex relationships, as well as organizations that cater specifically to victims of domestic violence in same-sex relationships.
LGBT psychology is a field of psychology of surrounding the lives of LGBTQ individuals, in the particular the diverse range of psychological perspectives and experiences of these individuals. It covers different aspects such as identity development including the coming out process, parenting and family practices and support for LGBTQ individuals, as well as issues of prejudice and discrimination involving the LGBTQ community.
LGBT youth vulnerability is the increased social vulnerability that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth face compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Due to this increased vulnerability, there are notable differences in the mental and physical health risks tied to the social interactions of LGBT youth compared to the social interactions of heterosexual youth. Youth of the LGBT community experience greater encounters with not only health risks, but also violence, due to their sexual orientation, self-identification, and lack of support from institutions in society.
Dr. Kim Fountain is Chief Operating Officer of the Center on Halsted, the Midwest's largest LGBTQ+ community center, located in Chicago, Illinois. She was previously Executive Director of the Pride Center of Vermont and Associate Director of Education & Public Advocacy for the New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. Fountain has served on the New York State Crime Victims Board and is a trainer for the Office of Victims of Crime and the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs' Reports Committee. She serves on the board of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequities experienced by marginalized populations, and has had a significant impact on the LGBT community. Gay pride events were cancelled or postponed worldwide. More than 220 gay pride celebrations around the world were canceled or postponed in 2020, and in response a Global Pride event was hosted online. LGBTQ+ people also tend to be more likely to have pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, HIV/AIDS, cancer, or obesity, that would worsen their chances of survival if they became infected with COVID-19. They are also more likely to smoke.
401 Branard Street Houston, Texas 77006- "Our Boundaries". Neartown Association. Retrieved 2019-08-10. - PDF map - transit map