Healthier Together: Seattle LGBTQ+ Center, formerly Gay City, celebrates 25 years

Back in 1995, a group of community activists launched the LGBTQ+ health and community center known as 'Gay City.' More than 25 years later, they are celebrating with new and improved services.

Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Center is settling into its new Capitol Hill home on E. Pine. St. with expanded services.

"I think right now what I see happening is we are becoming a full-on medical service," said Luis Viquez. "So in the future we hope to integrate a lot of the holistic services our community needs which is HIV and STI and PrEP and some of the other HIV biomedical services together with mental health, psychiatric health, counseling, therapy, immigration advocacy, housing. Those are things that together make our community."

Gay City came to be after the closure of the city’s lone major LGBTQ+ community center in the mid 1990s, and it has served as a mainstay for the LGBTQ+ community as times and needs have changed.

"We’ve been in this new space for about three months now," said Bekah Telew. "Part of this move for us includes expanded facilities in general, so our exam rooms are big and beautiful and professional in a way we never had. We have exam tables,  we have phlebotomy chairs, and that is an important step in being able to provide primary care 'light' is our goal."

While the mission has expanded over the years to meet the needs of the community – the goals remain the same – improve the resources, increase engagement and improved access.

"Our rate of clients that come back is superb so that tells a lot about the quality of services that we do and to be able to continue that legacy is very important for Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Center," said Viquez.