San Francisco LGBT Community Center

ok place easy to get too come for aa meetings sometimes

I don’t come here often. However l, everytime I come visit, it seems lots of things go on simultaneously. It’s wonderful that the city has a center like this. The services Lgbt center provide include financial planning, educational workshops on Lgbt rights, Hiv testing, community events organizations etc. keep up the good work!

The center can be accessible by transportation. I jump on the F car to and from the center. I have come across a couple crazies on that car. One of them pressed his body right behind me and tried to pickpocket (at least I hope it was just to steal) me by patting my sides while muttering sorry over and over again. He didn’t succeed in the end. Be careful during night because some of the surrounding areas can be dark and pay attention. The center inside is pretty safe and if you are trans, at least you shouldn’t run into the issue of people being upset about which bathroom you are using.
I encourage youth to check out the youth programs. Even though this country is moving slowly towards peaceful tolerance, being a member of the LGBTQQIA2S community can be isolating, difficult, and sometimes dangerous. Lately the news is filled with stories of LGBTQQIA2S youth committing suicide because of lack of support and resources. This center can help point you to the right direction for resources and support.
I am grateful that this center exists. Some of the programs are for LGBTQQIA2S youth only. There is one night where you can have a dinner meal and watch a movie with other youth. They always have a vegetarian option. Sometimes if you are lucky, there will be a vegan option usually something related to Asian cuisine. There is a harm reduction program where the facilitators educate the youth on safe sex and healthy coping techniques. There are free safe sex supplies in a clear fishbowl. The center has added new programs to their schedule so check out their website or call to see what they have.
The youth counselors were helpful and supportive. No one was pushing their version of the «right» way to be. Counselors come from different backgrounds and ethnicities. I bonded with one and was sad to hear she left. She was very honest and open about her past which helped me with my situation. I have learned some interesting local history from the counselors when they took a group of us to walk around the Castro area. I wish I could go see them more often but I don’t live close by. I have had nothing but positive experiences here.

Jacob Gelfand is a patient, open-​minded business consultant who really took the time to listen to my individualized concerns. He introduced me to the helpful idea of partnering with other businesses, so I could expand my referral network and grow. In the future, if I ever decide to sell related products, I trust I can turn to Jeff to help me overcome any obstacles I might face.

From: Tina D’Elia 1÷10÷15
One of San Francisco incredible non-​profit organization that provides so much diverse communities in the Bay Area is the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center. I love the SF LGBT Community Center and believe this resource is vital for so many of us! I’ve had rewarding and wonderful experiences working with their staff, volunteers, and community members. Many community folks, like myself, have taken part in the outstanding educational and creative opportunities that are free, impactful, and fun at the Center!
If you haven’t experienced the incredible SF LGBT Community Center’s transformative Trans Employment Program (TEEI) and connected with the center as a Small Business Owner or Job Seeker you are missing out. As a queer mixed-​race Latina I have had the most amazing experiences running workshops at the Center, being a guest speaker for Job Club, participating in a crowd-​funding panel, and coaching professionals one-​on-​one at the Center.
If you are a business Owner and Artist like myself I love being able to support a community space and be able to work with other actors, public speakers, writers, and professionals who are working on being presenting their authentic self.
When I launched my business as a Performance Coach/​Consultant/​Workshop Leader I was truly amazed at how many business professionals I met at the Center’s annual Career Fair. Some of my longest-​term clients I’m still working with because of the opportunities with the Center.
I am gaining so much from what I am putting towards the Center. If you have not come to participate at the Center to see all of the resources and events that you can be a part of — Now is Your Chance!
Thanks SF LGBT Center — I am a proud fan!
Tina D’Elia, Performance Coach
Owner of Tina D’Elia Consulting

Bibi | SF is a community organization for SouthWest Asian North African (SWANA) Queer individuals. We recently decided to have a movie night to gather members of the SWANA and other communities together to increase visibility and awareness of SWANA queer issues. We approached Cat Stevans (
) and from the get go Cat was incredibly helpful and attentive! Cat went above and beyond the job description to make sure we were happy, comfortable and ready to go. The night of the event Cat and Mike were available for any help or questions. We knew we were in good hands from the start!
We will absolutely go to the Center for future events, you should do the same!

On behalf of HealthRIGHT 360 I want to send out a huge THANKS to Ragina G, her staff and the Center. We had booked our «Dazzle» event with another venue who happened to cancel our event the night before. Literally, we were scrambling for a venue… visited the SF LGBT Center and without a skip, Ragina let us hold our event in the Rainbow Room. The room was amazing with a huge dance floor & stage for speeches and our guest had the best time. The LGBT Center helped us every step of the way and we are forever grateful for their services. If you are planning on having an event, you must consider this center! The location is perfect and the venue is wonderful! Thanks Ragina!!! Mary Larson | HealthRIGHT 360.

Cat Stevans and her team make the LGBT Center an ideal venue for a party, a memorial, a wedding, a big-​whatever. She is so easy to work with and has been doing events there for a long time. Her advice was solid and our event became a huge success. The spaces are terrific and it was like getting a food/​drink/​conversation space, a ritual/​dance space (great sound btw), and a romantic viewing balcony looking over the entire city in one package. We used little white lights on the balcony terrace — amazing!
Easy in, easy out.
Thanks, Cat, for making throwing a big party so much fun.
Let’s do it again!

This Review is based on my first Visit & Impression of the LGBT Community Center where I experienced a very unfortunate encounter with the Front Desk Staff & will likely follow with a Formal Grievance with the BHAC or DPH. I attended Public Event on Monday June 16^th and was treated horribly by their staff at the front desk.
As I was leaving the event, I needed to use the bathroom & saw that the Unisex Bathroom required a key. There was a sign on the door that said to retrieve the key at the front desk. When I approached the Front Desk & politely asked for the key, the Woman Staff attending the Front Desk declared that the restroom was closed & that I would not be allowed to use it. I tried explaining to her about the sign and the instructions on the door, & she insisted that I could not use it & failed to offer me an alternative nor practiced a polite custom.
I then proceeded to the Men’s Bathroom & the door on the Disabled Stall was missing & broken. I unfortunately could not use the other stall because the space was too small. I recently had Surgery & I have a Disability & require privacy when using the Bathroom along with more Space to move around.
WHen I went back to the front desk in the Lobby I explained that I needed to use an appropriate bathroom that was Unisex or for the Disabled & that their Facility was apparently not equipped & broken, & Woman was still incredibly rude to me, terribly sour, & unfriendly.
This experience made me feel very awkward & unwelcome & I left the premises; went to Alliance Health Project to use their facilities instead. Not only was I treated very badly but this lady gave me a horrible impression of the LGBT Center, I felt judged & absolutely humiliated, and left feeling that the Space was cold & incredibly unpleasant & compromised.
There are many other Institutions that offer Services to the LGBT & HIV/​Aids Community. I could easily take my custom elsewhere, & I certainly dont have to go here for their Services but if I am going to be treated in this manner than Im afraid I am going to have to respond with a Grievance. It is my duty as an advocate for my community to ensure that we are treated equally & not given rubbish excuses & bollocks explanations such as those this Woman felt obliged to dish out.
Instead of playing games & favourites, & only allowing certain people to use the Unisex Restrooms, they ought to be a bit more clear, upfront, & honest. If something is BROKEN it is their responsibility to fix it, take care of the issue, & ensure that signage does not create these sorts of incidents which end up creating messes. I used to let people treat me badly but now I react in a different way, & this is an example of self advocating.

In my professional life, I work for the Health Department as a Health Program Coordinator. We needed a venue for a large training — multi-​tracks, both in and out-​of-​town trainers, 120+ participants. We could not have chosen better than The Center. From taking us on multiple walk-​throughs, to storing materials shipped by some of our out-​of-​town trainers in advance, to setting up the space, to accommodating special requests the day of, staff was warm, flexible, professional, cordial, efficient, and thorough. We used 3 rooms — the Rainbow Room, the Gallery and Community Rooms, as well as the common areas on the 2^nd and 3^rd floor. I look forward to doing some follow-​up events here, and highly recommend The Center if to anyone who is looking for a training or meeting venue.

Cat Stevans is a gem.
The center is open and welcoming. We were on the third floor for the day. It was on occasion a little noisy (we were up against Laughing Yoga at one point next door, and with the window open the street car made it hard to hear). But overall, it was a great place to hold our first ever Annual Retreat at a reasonable price centrally located.
Totally recommend.

The LGBT center was awesome. 4 flights of awesomeness. I came in with my classmate trying to get more information on the community center for our group project.
At first we walked in, and the front greet wasn’t too friendly. Hence the minus one star. However, after we got passed that we notice an abundance of resources for the LGBT community. We walked up to the third floor and a lady in OPENHOUSE walked out of her office to greet us. I was so happy someone was warm and nice enough to notice I looked confused. She sat down with us to give us a general view on what she did. I was happy to hear the information she was giving me.

Our agency recently held a Celebration of Life ceremony for one of the founders of our agency and the staff at the Center were very accommodating and easy to work with. The space is easy to work in and set up as needed. The small kitchen off the Rainbow Room where we had our event is a real plus and the room price comes with most of the lighting and AV equipment one would need for most functions.

Cat Stevans and the operations team help make event planning easy. From small group meetings and presentations to large events of more than 125, we have enjoyed hosting a number of events at the SF LGBT Community Center

We recently held a workshop here at the center and it was great! No only was it a fantastic space to utilize but the best part was the Event Coordinator, Cat Stevans, and her willingness to troubleshoot some issues on our end with us as well as generally be responsive. As an event planner it’s important to have someone who is on it and available during an event. Cat was exactly that plus the Rainbow Room is just a great space. The center overall is really beautiful and centrally located. Parking is an issue, but it’s always an issue when you’re a big city. That being said, many of our participants found side street parking for free because our event was on a Saturday.
If you do hold an event there I highly recommend getting Cat to be your go-​to person, bringing water as the water fountains were hard to drink from, and making sure you warn people about the parking to give extra time when going in. Otherwise, venue-​wise you certainly don’t need to worry about much as Cat will make it happen!

We had a group event here with 135 people and really enjoyed it all.
Working with the contacts at the center was very easy and they were all very helpful during the span of finding dates, doing walkthroughs, and planning the details of the event.
We went with the top floor package (front room, ceremonial room, and balcony). It was a great space for us to have a buffet, dancing, photo booth, and more.
I’d highly recommend considering this as a venue. :)

I can’t say enough good things about our experience at The Center. We held a large memorial service and reception for a friend that passed away, and Cat Stevans and her team could not have been more accommodating and thorough in their preparation for us. At a distressing time for all of us, Cat was patient and understanding, working through the options and offering advice.
We hired the Rainbow Room and lobby area for the memorial, and the layout and quality of the user-​friendly AV equipment were superb and offered excellent value. There are many configurations of the room available — we had 150 attendees who were accommodated with seating and standing, with a stage and projection setup at the front. It met our needs perfectly.
We then held the reception on the fourth floor with the Ceremonial Room, Terrace, and lobby — once again the space perfectly fit our needs, and was set up exactly as discussed. Cat offered a selection of caterers that were excellent, and we’ve now used them for other events. However, it was Cat’s team going above and beyond during the event that ensured its success — they were a step ahead, steered the group, and quietly removed recycling, trash, etc in the background.
The Center’s event spaces represent phenomenal value for money — we’d use them again in a heartbeat.

Creepy

The SF LGBT Center was such a surprisingly great place to host our annual fundraiser for people in recovery. Over the past 3 years, we have hosted it at a catholic church that has been very kind to us, but they changed their rules this year, so we needed to find a new venue for our event. To the credit of the churches members, they individually donated a good chunk of money to offset the cost we would incur at a new location. That was unneccessary, but VERY helpful!
I had the pleasure of working with Cat Stevens on the venue logistics. She is so organized, responsive, pleasant, compentent and willing, that we are starting a Cat Stevens Fan Club! She must have hosted 4 site visits between me, my decorator, my DJ and my Chef. She fielded all of my questions in record time and accurately and had ideas when I needed them.
I have to say that it felt SO GOOD to utilize the SF LGBT Center, so even though there was initial stress when we lost access to our previous venue, this was a gift in desguise. Our event was in the Rainbow Room, which has a commercial kitchen right off of it. Which brings me to the only thing I would say has room for improvement, but it was manageable for my Chef, who used the oven and stove. I would love to see the kitchen upgraded, but for this year it worked out well enough.
The AV situation in the Rainbow Room was great. My AV/​DJ seemed to enjoy his room with all of hid gadgets and Cat showed him what all of his options were.
The room was all set up when we arrived, ready for us to complete the set up. And, at the end of the night, the tear down was great and we were so grateful that we did not need to clean the floors or anything! Not that we trashed them, just super tired by that point!
I feel that the room rental is pretty fair, especially now that we have worked first-​hand with Cat and her man Mike. It costs more for a weekend evening, so that will always result in us paying higher fees because that is when our events are, but we will budget with this in mind.
We are really excited to have many more events at the LGBT Center and hope that more groups utilize this great space and important organization.
Thank you Cat!!!

Have been to many conferences, film festivals, trainings and other events here.
Popped in with my wife today to see a linocut show by queer youth and really enjoyed it.
Adore the gender neutral bathrooms too.
So amazing that this place exists.
Wish the people at the front desk were a bit more welcoming.