Long Island Gay and Lesbian Community Center Opens in Garden City

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice and Nassau County Police Bias Crime coordinator joined David Kilmnick, CEO of the Long Island GLBT (Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender) Services Network, in a ribbon cutting of the network’s second community center and first in Nassau County.

The ceremony took place Friday at 400 Garden City Plaza, Suite 110 in Garden City where the center was dedicated to fighting bullying and violence against the GLBT community in Nassau County schools and communities.

According to Network officials, in the past year there has been a 30 percent rise in anti-GLBT motivated hate and bias crimes in Long Island schools; most of these cases going unreported due to fear of further harassment.

The new center is intended to serve as a safe space to document these incidences, provide support and advocacy and work together with Nassau County police officials in ensuring that perpetrators are prosecuted and justice is served.

Additionally, a new PTA program involving the nation’s first Gay Parents-Teachers Association geared to all Long Island high school and college students is also being created.

Netowkr officials believe the center will serve a tremendous gap in Nassau County and will be the most visible resource to protect the health, safety and well being of the region’s almost three million residents.