William Way LGBT Community Center

Philadelphia’s William Way LGBT Community Center has evolved from a modest rented storefront in 1976 to a centrally-located four-story building filled with a diverse array of over 70 monthly programs that serve the Delaware Valley’s vibrant LGBT community.

The Center's doors are open 365 days a year for those who need us most - during the holidays, when everywhere else is closed and our friends without families feel most alone, and on the coldest days of the year, when a warm and welcoming space is so hard to find. Providing services and connection for LGBT seniors, young adults, families, and all who seek community is crucial – and we need your support to ensure that our services remain free and truly accessible for everyone.

We are thrilled to announce very special programming coming this Fall, OutBeat: America's First Queer Jazz Festival (September 18-21st)! Find out more:  www.outbeatjazzfest.com

The Center’s staff and Board believe strongly that the significant increase in program participation speaks highly of its ability to effectively serve the local LGBT community. With your support, we will continue to do so while enhancing current programs and creating new programs based upon the community’s most pressing needs. 

Check out this selected list of our programs that highlight the effectiveness of the Center and its capacity to serve LGBT individuals and allies in need – at William Way there is room for all this and more! What kind of programming do you wish to see?  Check out our full list of offerings at: http://www.waygay.org/site/programs.

-- Senior Services including Connecting Generations, the Center’s friendly visitor program providing friendship and emotional support to LGBT seniors who are homebound or isolated from their community; and weekly MorningsOUT (for senior gay men) and Women’s Wednesdays social and educational opportunities for active seniors.

-- The Center is one of only four official training centers in the country that has been accredited by the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging to implement LGBT Cultural Competency Trainings for aging service providers and businesses.

-- The Peer Counseling Program at the Center is the only one of its kind in the Philadelphia area. Requiring no health insurance or payment and allowing participants to remain anonymous, Peer Counseling is designed for those individuals who lack the resources to access clinical therapy or who do not wish to disclose their sexual orientation or HIV status to insurance carriers or employers.

-- Social Services including TransWay, a friendly, non-political support group for TransPeople; Loft23, a collaboration with the Attic Youth Center providing young adults not interested in the bar and club scene with weekly social, recreational, and educational activities; and Information and Referral Services available for anyone with questions about LGBT-friendly organizations, events, or services.

-- The Center also boasts a thriving arts and cultural program. Its core mission is to make exhibitions, gallery openings, lectures, and performances free or affordable. As such, all art gallery and archive exhibitions are free and open to the public. Tickets to music performances at the Center, which have featured Tony Award nominee Justin Vivian Bond, internationally acclaimed pianist Ching-Yun Hu, and world-renowned composer Jennifer Higdon, are offered at a fraction of what larger concert halls charge.

Learn more about the Center at http://www.waygay.org