Our story.
Mission: Our mission is to serve, empower, and advocate for the well-being of our diverse LGBTQ+ communities.
Vision: We envision an inclusive world where LGBTQ+ people are thriving, equal, and valued members of society.
The Beginning
Triangle Community Works (TCW) was founded as Coalition 807 in 1994, when several smaller organizations decided to work together to establish support and resources to help them serve the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina.
The dedicated volunteers that served this community are greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten for their dedication to keeping these important programs and services alive for so many years.
Doors Open
Following the name change from Coalition 807 to Triangle Community Works the Board of Directors of TCW decided to support the efforts of the nascent LGBT Center of Raleigh, as it had been part of their mission to form a community center in the Triangle. The committee to form a center had many open community discussions in the months leading up to January of 2008, but it was then with the formation of the Governance Team and the support of the Triangle Community Works Board that the committee was able to reorganize and start building momentum toward forming the desired center.
As the Center Board was formed and the organization really started to take shape, TCW supported the Center with a fiscal sponsorship and use of meeting space. When the Center was formally recognized, TCW continued to work with the Center as a strategic partner. The two organizations shared office space to lower costs until the formal merger that took place in July of 2010.
In February of 2010 the LGBT Center opened its doors for the first time in a 600 square foot space on West Cabarrus Street (pictured left).
Growing Quickly
Within a matter of months the Center was bustling with activities and programs for the community. In fact, we began running out of space almost as soon as we opened. However, we were more concerned with staying within our means than obtaining more space, so we persevered for over a year until circumstances dictated that we look for another space. In what turned out to be a serendipitous move, we took possession of a space at 411 Hillsborough St. in downtown Raleigh (pictured right) in May of 2011. By almost tripling our square footage, our events grew exponentially, to the point that we were once again bulging at the seams. One of our annual traditions, started in 2011, is our Out! Raleigh street festival, which takes place on Fayetteville Street every year in June.
On The Move
In 2014, we moved again to a larger space in downtown at 324 S. Harrington St. (pictured left). The new location allowed us to have a large meeting space, plenty of room for our expanding LGBTQ+ library (one of the largest in the region) and private offices for our staff. The large meeting room also held local artists’ works of art on the walls for visitors to the center. In 2017, we got a grant from the David Bohnett Foundation and opened our first Cyber Center with 9 computers as we expanded again in this location. At the end of 2018, we had to move to a new location as the building owners had new plans for the building.
Present Day
We moved locations amid the Covid shutdown in July 2020 to our current location at 19 W. Hargett St. in the Commerce building. This 5th floor office houses our staff, a portion of our library and allows us to continue serving the community through our programs. With the pandemic settling down some, we are eager to get a larger space once again to bring those from the community together and offer our services. We have only just begun to fulfill our mission of “Serving the Triangle and Beyond”.
The LGBT Center of Raleigh prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, sex, race, color, religion, creed, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, HIV status, or any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our community.
Central Location
We opened the doors to our next location at 119 E. Hargett St., directly across from the bus station, in January of 2019. This location served as a vital hub for many in the community as our cyber center provided connectivity for many. Our programs continued to thrive as we embraced this new location. A local artist drew a mural (pictured right) for all to see as they visited. Our library continued to be a central part of this location with many books and movies available to rent. We stayed in this location until Covid had other plans for the center.
