The Center on Colfax

The Center on Colfax is a LGBTQ community center in Denver, Colorado. The nonprofit provides programs and services to the queer community including mental health support, historical preservation, and community building.

1970s
The Center on Colfax was founded in 1976 and grew out of the advocacy work of the Gay Coalition of Denver. GCD held the "City Council Revolt" in 1973 which resulted in Denver city council repealing four discriminatory laws. The founders of GCD, Gerald "Jerry" Gerash, Lynn Tamlan, Mary Sassatelli, Jane Dundee, and Terry Mangan, met in apartments and members' homes at first before they got an official home.

In 1975, GCD merged with other gay liberation organizations to form the group Unity, which formed the Gay Community Center of Colorado and was incorporated in 1976. The Center officially opened in August 1977. To be more inclusive, the organization changed to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Colorado, and was eventually shortened to The Center.

The first Denver Pride Parade was also in 1975, of which The Center was one of the original founders and producers.

1980s
With the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, The Center became more necessary than ever. The Center founded the Colorado AIDS Project in 1983. Original founders included Bob Engel, Donna Cecere, Tim Timmons, and Phil Nash, and Dave Holbrook was the original coordinator. The Colorado AIDS Project separated from The Center to become its own organization in 1984.

The Center published the Colorado Gay and Lesbian News from 1981 to 1984.

1990s
Anti-gay sentiment in Colorado rose in the 1990s. In 1992, voters passed Amendment 2, which rescinded rights for LGBTQ people. Colorado Legal Initiatives Project (CLIP), which was the foundation for today’s Legal & Advocacy Program The Supreme Court overturned Amendment 2 in 1996.

The Center started to receive support from the Gill Foundation.

The Center started an anti-violence campaign that eventually became independent, the Colorado Anti-Violence Project.

Lavender University and Rainbow Alley were community education programs started in the 90s.

After 1989, The Center took over running the Denver PrideFest and it became the event we see today. In 1990, the official attendance of Pridefest was 5000 people. In 1991, over 15,000 people attended, and in 1992 after Amendment 2 passed, over 30,000 people attended.

2000s and today
In the 1980s, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) of the Rockies began to support elders.

In 2008, Angie Zapata was murdered in Greeley, which was followed by a wave of activism.

In 2010, The Center moved to its current location in Capitol Hill.

Colorado LGBTQ History Project
The Center established the Colorado LGBTQ History Project, which collects and preserves the oral history from Denver community members. The Terry Mangan Memorial Library holds over 2000 volumes of LGBTQ material, which is the largest library of LGBTQ material in the state.

Awards
The Center hosts local awards such as Pride in Business Award and the Visionary Award.