Pride Community Center of the Tri-Cities (PCC) welcomes you to our website.

It is our dream to create a positive visible presence for the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) community in the Tri-Cities of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. We want to open a physical space in the downtown area of Johnson City in 2015. Our intention is for the PCC to function as a safe space to gather, nurture, empower, and share one’s experiences. We are creating an environment that fosters understanding, education, acceptance, advocacy and growth. This will be a place where we can nurture and bring together our LGBT community and explore the many possibilities of personal growth. The Pride Community Center will be a space in which we can gather socially, hold meetings, have functions, and pool all the resources of the LGBT community. The PCC will provide information on pertinent issues, such as gay owned or operated businesses, gay friendly businesses, hotlines, LGBT groups, support groups, LGBT activities and events, and LGBT friendly services. Please help us make this dream a reality for our LGBT community by donating to this worthy and much needed endeavor. Thank you for visiting our site today. Tell your friends! By all of us working together we can make a difference in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Greeting to our LGBTQ community and allies.

Celebrations abound! With this recent landmark historic ruling from the Supreme Court in support of marriage equality, great strides are being made in the LGBT community nationwide. There are still many issues of equality that need to be addressed, including the rights of transgender people, senior LGBT, and youth. We need to fight discrimination in housing and employment as well. With these issues in mind, the need for a physical LGBT community center is even more important. A building in which to house the PCC creates an even greater positive visible presence for the local LGBT community. The PCC is a space to gather our resources, form a united front and further these causes. In light of the progress being made in the LGBT community, we are hoping that this is the year that we will raise enough money to actually open the Pride Community Center of the Tri-Cities. With your continued support we can make this a reality. Our goal is to raise $80,000. This would allow us to rent approximately 2500 square feet in downtown Johnson City, pay for the rent, utilities, internet connection, insurance and staffing for two years. Once we have the PCC open we will be eligible for many more grants and funding opportunities that require a physical space. Many of the grants and funding sources can take up to 18 months to receive funds. Our next big fundraiser, which we hope everyone will attend, is the second annual Pride End of Summer Festival in Rotary Park on Sunday, September 13, 2015 from 10am-8:30pm. This year’s event we will have entertainment and speakers all day long. There are also local and LGBT vendors displaying their wares for sale. Information and support groups for the LGBT community will be present, including free HIV testing. There will be food, children’s entertainment, clowns, storytelling and magicians. Please tell your friends and invite everyone to attend! According to the most recent census, there are at least 130,000 LGBT people in Northeast TN and SW Virginia. Let’s show our pride and gather together and celebrate our amazing and diverse community! This is a family friendly event. There is a $10 entrance fee and children under 12 are free. All funds raised at the Pride End of Summer Festival will go toward this $80,000 goal. See you there! In Gay Spirit, Kenn Lyon & John Baker, Co-Directors Pride Community Center of the Tri-Cities