A welcoming plan

RALEIGH -- Raleigh's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community gained a haven when the LGBT Center of Raleigh opened on Cabarrus Street in May.

Now, four months later, the community center is hoping a series of public events will strengthen the bond between the city's gay and straight populations.

"Putting a face on the LGBT community is a big step forward," said Bobby Hilburn, the center's executive director. "We are fortunate to live in a very welcoming city."

A board of 10 Triangle volunteers proposed the center in 2006, conceiving it as a nexus for the area's LGBT residents. The group raised money through sporadic public events over the next four years, finally leasing the current location in February. Since the center opened, Hilburn said, it has provided a meeting space and an information resource.

The next year will see a flurry of fund-raising events, with art galleries, game nights and LGBT youth clubs. The group's second "Raleigh is Coming Out" festival will return to downtown Oct. 16, bringing with it the DC Cowboys dance troupe. The main attraction will be May's OutRaleigh, an outdoor festival the group hopes will attractmany Raleigh residents.

The center's public persona still shocks Les Geller, 64, its treasurer, who remembers when Raleigh was less welcoming.

"When I was growing up, I felt like the only gay man in the world," he said. "Now things are more open."

Justine Hollingshead, a center board member, said nonprofits such as her organization thrive on community ties.

"All marginalized communities need a visible presence," she said. "It creates a sense of equality."

Geller said he remains optimistic that Raleigh's tolerance will expand with its size.

"If I had this in my 20s, my life would have been so much easier," he said. "Raleigh is growing, and we're going to grow right with it."