On this, our four-year birthday as a nonprofit organization, the Rainbow Rose Center acknowledges the closure and dissolution of the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition. This is a sad day, not only for Lancaster LGBTQIA+ folks, but for all who love and serve our wonderfully diverse community.
We acknowledge the challenges that the Lancaster community faced, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, in connecting with their local LGBTQ+ center. We supported folks where we were able and helped in building up the local centers that grew in their absence. We know that the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition was founded upon solid principles of advocating for the health, rights, and visibility of our community. In some spaces they strived toward their mission, and in others they failed to live up to the community’s expectations and needs.
As a majority-led volunteer organization, the Rainbow Rose Center Board of Directors understands the work and oversight that running a nonprofit organization requires. We acknowledge the challenges in managing budgets and providing staff oversight. While a difficult decision to make, we honor the decision of the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition’s Board to close rather than rebuild.
Working together with like-minded organizations, including Lancaster Pride, Lititz Chooses Love, Rivertown Pride Center, and Trans Minor Rights, along with others in the region, the Rainbow Rose Center will continue to meet the needs of the South-Central PA LGBTQIA+ Community. While our primary mission is to serve those in York County, all of our programs are available in a hybrid format so that people who live outside the area, along with those who cannot attend in person, can still engage in fellowship and community.
Having anticipated this closure, we have created a Quiet Area at York County Pride this Saturday that will provide a sense of calm in an otherwise busy environment. Therapists will be available for free to help support you and the Rainbow Rose Center will provide resources available in our community for ongoing support.
The LGBTQIA+ Community is as diverse as it is courageous and resilient. We have faced challenges throughout our existence, and while the closure of the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition poses a setback for our community, we will together continue to grow and support one another for a better, brighter, and more accepting future.
With Affirmation for All and Wishing All a Safe and Joyful Pride!
Rainbow Rose Center Board of Directors
