Name Change for Center Considered

As previously announced at the January Town Hall Meeting, as well as this March’s Dorothy Awards, the Center is in the process of considering new names for the Center.  The goal is to bring two important changes to the name: the fact that the Center serves more than just New Haven, and that the community is growing and evolving.

To the latter point, the challenge to date has been being as inclusive as possible.  Gay & Lesbian was included in the initial name, but bisexual and transgender are now regularly included in the common “GLBT” or “LGBT” acronym, and the Center continues to reach out to those portions of the community as well.

After much consideration, a final list of names have been brought up for consideration at the Center’s April board meeting.  A name will be chosen as early as May, and the hope is sometime during the summer the name will be rolled out.

While the name change is coming, no other major changes are planned as far as the Center’s operation.  In addition, the NHGLCC “logo,” featuring the New Haven city logo with a triangle in one corner, will remain intact.  The icon, designed by a Yale student when the Center was first incorporated, is an important part of the Center’s branding and will not change.

2009 Dorothy Awards Date Selected

The date for the Sixth Annual Dorothy Awards has been selected.  The event will take place Saturday, February 28, 2009, and will be held onec again at Fantasia, The  Center has had a long and successful partnership with Fantasia for a number of years with the event, and is pleased to continue there in 2009.

Awardees for the event are still under discussion, and we encourage the community to submit names for people who are worthy of a Dorothy Award.  Honorees should be active in Connecticut (but not necessarily exclusively to the state), and have made a major presence in some facet of our community.  Previous awardees have ranged from state congressmen to advocates of a particular part of the community, from  people and organizations that make a difference to groups that offer fun and engaging activities outside the normal 9-to-5. 

If you have a suggestion for a person or group worthy of a Dorothy Award, E-mail us at nhglcc@gmail.com

NHGLCC Partners with True Colors 2008 Tour

The NHGLCC is a co-sponsor of the Foxwoods stop of the True Colors 2008 tour.  The show will feature Cyndi Lauper andthe B-52s, and exciting special guests at the Foxwoods stop include Rosie O’Donnell, Tegan and Sara and The Cliks.

The True Colors Tour was conceived by Cyndi Lauper stemming from her desire to give back to the LGBT community for the love and support they have given her throughout her career. The True Colors Tour is a celebration of the basic values and freedoms that should be shared by all Americans regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. Attendees will experience these values through the music of both legendary icons and the newest and coolest acts this generation has to offer.

Tickets are on sale now at the Foxwoods Web site at www.foxwoods.com. For more information on the tour, visit www.truecolorstour.com.  For information on the Center’s involvement, as well as other potential activities being planned around the tour visit, head to our True Colors page at www.nhglcc.org (click the banner at the top of any page to visit our True Colors Tour page).

Tasting Events to Return

The Center is beginning preparations to bring back all of our tasting events for another year.  One minor change will be spacing the events out more to allow for more time to plan ahead and have the chance to attend more of the events.

The tasting season will kick off in July with the 2nd Annual Beer Tasting. Once again, the Center will bring to light some lesser-known choices, while providing an education into the types of beers available.  Last year’s attendees found the knowledge and tasting to be a great time.

In September, the Center will bring back its Chocolate Tasting and Cemetery Tour, in partnership with Evergreen Cemetery Association. The cemetery has a long and varied history to it, which makes for an entertaining and informative jaunt through the history of New Haven.  Partnered with a chocolate tasting, the evening is divine.

We finish off with our 6th Annual Wine Tasting, which will take place in early November.  Our annual tradition offers a selection of wines to sample in a relaxed and comfortable enviroment.

All three events, while being a lot of fun, also serve as fundraising efforts for the Center, and the proceeds raised will help the Center continue to expand its offerings.

Pricing and exact dates for the events will be announced sometime in May. We will provide additional information as it develops at www.nhglcc.org, as well as via our Yahoo! Group.