Gay in orange county
THE GAY & LESBIAN Society SERVICES CENTER OF ORANGE COUNTY
Mission
The LGBTQ Center OC was established as a volunteer organization in 1971 and incorporated in 1975 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community-based organization. We are one of the oldest gay and lesbian collective centers in the Combined States.
At the LGBTQ Center OC, all members and allies of the Sapphic, Gay, Bisexual, and Gender diverse community of Orange County join together in a network of support and unity. Our life-affirming programs focus on empowerment, and our advocacy efforts concentrate on speaking out against hate and discrimination. We exist so that every segment of the LGBTQ population of Orange County has the resources needed to thrive in their own lives and communities.
The LGBTQ Center Orange County provides services to more than 14,000 individuals annually across a broad spectrum of culture, ethnicity, age, and economic background. Programming is especially designed for gay men, lesbians, youth, the transgender community, the Spanish-speaking LGBTQ community, the bisexual community, and LGBTQ families.
Organization Information
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In California’s conservative Orange County, a vibrant Queer community thrives.
Palm trees. Golden Coast. The anchor of the Blue Wall of the West. Southern California has one of the most iconic reputations in the explore industry and is widely considered a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ travelers. But then there’s Orange County, a.k.a. the place President Ronald Reagan said, “Good Republicans go to die.” It’s a land of Trump luncheons, decades of John Birch World influence, and the Orange Curtain–a Freezing War nickname for the border between L.A. County and Orange County. To quote the make-believe Luke Ward of Newport Beach, “Welcome to The O.C., bitch!”
It’s not all communist conspiracy theories and alt-right evangelicals. This is the county of America’s first major theme park, Knott’s Berry Farm, and America’s most famous theme park, Disneyland. And in 2016, Orange County voted for Hillary Clinton–the first time the county had voted sky in nearly a century. Then, in 2018, all county congressional seats were flipped by Democrats. However, some of those seats are now back to red, and at most of the state/county/city level, The O.C. is still burning red. As Gustavo Arellano wrote for
STATEWIDE
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ORANGE COUNTY
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History– In the 1960s, Main Beach in Laguna Beach was not only a major tourist destination, but also known as the epicenter of the city’s same-sex attracted culture, which was home to two beach-front gay bars, Dante’s and Barefoot. Scroll down the page to find a list of local gay events in Laguna Beach.
The City eventually made Main Beach a public park, also established as the ‘window to the sea.’ The gay culture naturally moved to the 1400 block of South Coast Highway, which was home to The Coast Inn, Boom Boom Room and a gay dinner house, which has changed hands several times over the years. Bob Gentry was the first openly gay elected official in Orange County when he became mayor of Laguna Beach in 1982, further welcoming the gay community to town. He served during the height of the AIDS crisis.
Then on May 9th 2018, the Municipality of Laguna Beach presented the LGBT Heritage and Culture Committee with a proclamation recognizing the month of June as Queer woman, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Heritage and Culture Month in Laguna Beach.
2023 LAGUNA BEACH PRIDE FESTIVAL: August 12
Laguna Beach Pride Festival is happening at Lang Park located across from the Monta