PHOTOS: Edie Windsor greeted over 350 guests at the grand opening of the Long Island GLBT Network’s third Community Center on Long Island: The Hamptons GLBT Center. The GLBT Center is located in Sag Harbor’s Old Whaler’s Church, offering easy access to The Network’s programs for East End youth. CEO David Kilmnick and President of the East Hampton GSA Joel Johnson joined Windsor in speaking at the opening.
Carmita Barros and Gaby Hernandez (the mother and sister respectively of David Hernandez Barros — the 16-year-old East Hampton teen who committed suicide as a result of anti-gay bullying last fall) also spoke at the ceremony. They wished the Center had been open a year earlier so David might have found the safe space.
The Hamptons GLBT Cetner will offer numerous programs and activities for seniors, adults, and families. “We have always known that a community center was needed in the East End”, mentioned David Kilmnick, PhD, CEO, and founder of the Long Island Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Services Network. “David Hernandez Barros’ suicide was an urgent reminder that has mobilized hundreds of people to say ‘we cannot wait any longer – we need a gay center of our own now.’“
It is anticipated that over 1,000 local East End residents will participate in activities and programs in the new center.
Images by Cindy Viera
David Kilmnick, Network CEO, Beatrice Alda, Jennifer Brooke and Robert Vitelli, Network COO
David Kilmnick, Network CEO and Town of Southampton Councilwoman Bridget Fleming