LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Talk |
by Bill Sievert |
A Tale of Two Cities' Centers
Just as Memorial Day weekend festivities begin to wind down at the Delaware shore, gay people in Central Florida head into their wildest and most "Goofy" week of the year. Gay Days 2001 are expected to bring upwards of 120,000 gay men and lesbians to the Orlando area and its major theme parks for a week of fun-making and fund-raisingmuch of it in support of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida (GLBCC). The growth of "The Center," as it is affectionately known, can provide inspiration to those who are working to create a similar focal point for the Rehoboth Beach area. Since it first received serious support during a brainstorming session of local activistssome might call them visionariesabout 18 months ago, the notion of opening a Community Center in Rehoboth has been embraced by hundreds of people as a top priority for the first decade of the new century. Some folks, however, still wonder whether such a center would be used sufficiently to justify the high costs involvedparticularly that of acquiring a building. Not so very long ago the Orlando Center faced similar questions and a big decision. Located in cramped quarters not much larger than the current offices of CAMP Rehoboth (well, nothing is quite as tight as the CAMP Rehoboth space), the GLBCC had to make a choice. Stay small with limited programming spread far and wide across the metropolitan area, or centralize and try to represent the complete spectrum of needs and interests reflected in our diverse population. It took a couple years to raise enough capital (particularly after an unscrupulous officer absconded with a chunk of the funds donated), but the Center's supporters persevered in their campaign for a building. They purchased an ugly, Fifties-style two-story office structure in the heart of one of Orlando's on-the-verge gay neighborhoods. After many months of renovations and oh-so tasteful remodeling by more than 100 volunteers, the Community Center building opened its doors a year ago. Some supporters remained nervous that, despite all the hard work, the place might not draw enough of a crowdthat it might be underutilized. Not to worry. Despite The Center's 4,000 square feet of conference rooms large and small, it quickly became a challenge to get a space reservation to hold a meeting. The GLBCC sponsors numerous programs of its own, including mental-health counseling and coming-out groups for women, men, bisexuals and transsexuals. Its Rainbow Connection youth group has proven very popular with young people from runaways to suburbanites who get precious little support at home or in their high schools. Because the Center aims to serve all of our people in Central Florida (not just the city of Orlando), it has a special outreach project called "Over the River" to provide social, cultural and political support throughout several neighboring counties. Similarly, a Community Center in Rehoboth most likely would strive to serve folks from Millsboro to Milford to Milton. The Orlando Center's projects also include an active gay business association. Beyond its own in-house programs, The Orlando Center provides free meeting space, staff support and networking for many other gay and gay-friendly organizations ranging from Parents and Friends (PFLAG) to the Front Runners, from Black & White Men Together to the Good Shepherd Catholic Church. As one officer of the GLBCC points out, the way to make a community center successful is to be "truly inclusive from the get-go. If a center houses and hosts a wide enough range of activities, excluding no one's interests, members of the community come to rely on itand they will travel from far and wide to avail its services." The fact that coastal Delaware's off-season population is considerably lower than greater Orlando's does not mean that a Rehoboth site can't be successful in the winter months. Offer enough resources to the residents of Sussex County (as well as visitors) and people will gravitate toward the center. The GLBCC offers plenty of social events, too. A regularly scheduled gay and lesbian film series draws packed houses and complements the huge annual Florida Film Festival, which also takes place in June in Orlando. (Who says Florida is just for winter getaways?). TV nights with screenings of such cable series as "Queer as Folk" also lure in the crowds. The Center even hosts celebrity roasts of area gay entertainers and coordinates an annual awards banquet celebrating local achievements in the arts and in business. A top-notch library of more than 3,000 gay-theme books is particularly popular, and a comprehensive data base to gay organizations, businesses and professionals draws about 2,000 callers each month. The Center has a small paid staff in addition to a large three-county-wide network of volunteerswithout whom, leaders say, it would be "impossible" to host and coordinate so much programming. The Center also is a participant in Gay Days and a major recipient of monies raised during the week-long gala. Originally called "Gay Day at Disney World" a decade ago, the Mardi Gras style celebration now includes half a dozen huge circuit parties, theatrical performances, concerts, fashion shows and a long list of special events. Many of them are set at major resort hotels and on premises at Disney, Universal Studios and (most recently) Sea World. So far, the new fundamentalist Holy Land theme park has declined to align itself with Gay Daysbut time was when few employees of Disney World thought their corporation would ever roll out the welcome mat to a mob of gay revelers the way it does now. If you feel like keeping the party going after you complete your Memorial Day weekend in Rehoboth, why not fly or drive on down to Orlando? The fun begins on May 30 and continues through June 4. You can get all the details at www.gaydays.com and www.gayorlando.com. While you're in the area, stop by The Center (or check out its web site at www.glbcc.org). A visit is likely to whet your appetite for what could soon be tantalizing gay, lesbian and bisexual residents and visitors to Rehoboth Beach. Bill Sievert was a long-time resident of Rehoboth Beach and member of the board of directors of CAMP Rehoboth until he lost his way somewhere on Space Mountain during GayDays 2000. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 5, May 18, 2001. |