Who We Are

Founded in January 2024, the LGBTQ+ Community Center of Darke County is a volunteer-led nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a Darke County where LGBTQ+ residents and allies feel safe, valued, welcome and heard. Our programs and services are designed to advance equality, foster community connections, and link people with health and wellness programs, community resources, and leadership development opportunities.

Meet the Board!

Board Meetings: You’re Invited!

Our board meetings are generally held the 3^rd Sunday of each month from 6:00-7:00pm. As part of our commitment to accessibility and inclusion, community members are welcome to bring their ideas and input to the board during the first 15 minutes of each meeting. If you have an idea or opportunity you would like to share, contact us here (at least 72 hours in advance) to let us know you’ll be joining. In some cases, our meetings are rescheduled due to work hours of our board members. If you’ve signed up to present, we’ll let you know!

Join the Team!

To join the team, please fill out our Volunteer Form here (We’ll connect soon! Please allow up to 72 hours for a response from our team.) 

• SpeakOut Authors; Safe Space Trainers
• Group Facilitators/Event Hosts (LGBTQ+ Connect and LGBTQ+ Up All Night)
• Center Coordinator/Center Team Members: Scheduling space, greeting people, connecting people with resources and opportunities

Mission & Vision

Our mission is to empower LGBTQ+ people and their allies in Darke County, OH and surrounding areas to secure and maintain civil and social freedom, inclusion and accessibility(equity) by: Ensuring a safe, accessible and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ people and their allies; Advocating for inclusive policies, laws and institutions; Connecting LGBTQ+ people to health and wellness services; Fostering a sense of community; and Connecting LGBTQ+ people with leadership development opportunities. We envision a Darke County where LGBTQ+ people have full equality, are secure in their safety and well-being, and have the opportunity to authentically be themselves at school, work and in the community-at-large. We envision a Darke County where LGBTQ+ people are welcome and included, and their diversity and contributions are celebrated and acknowledged.

Core Beliefs, Guiding Principles and Values

We’re dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming environment that lifts people up and brings people and resources together. Our core beliefs, guiding principles and values help guide our intentions.

• Accessibility and Inclusion – We believe programs and services should be accessible and inclusive. We recognize the incredible diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and aim to ensure all LGBTQ+ people – including our allies – feel welcome and included and are able to access services. We strive to do our best in this regard, and gladly accept community input and constructive criticism to meet this goal.
• Community – We believe that a sense of community and belonging is a fundamental human need, and we aim to foster and nurture a sense of community through our programs and services, the way we communicate and engage with one another, and how we interact with those with whom we may disagree.
• Compassion and Kindness – We believe each and every one of us has a story to tell, and that compassion and kindness can help us honor our own needs and story, as well as the story of others.
• Dignity and Respect – We believe that all people should be afforded basic dignity and respect, and this includes our customers, clients, volunteers, staff, board members, donors, partners and even those with whom we disagree. We believe in positive conflict resolution and working through issues with positive outcomes in mind.
• Freedom and Equality – We believe in individual rights, bodily autonomy, and basic human rights and that LGBTQ+ people, and all other people, should be secure in these rights.
• LGBTQ+ Lives Matter – We recognize that anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, racism, sexism, classism, transphobia, homophobia, ageism, ableism, immigration/nativism and other forms of “othering” seek to tear us apart. We aim to foster an environment that is free from bias or prejudice, where we seek to learn about and understand one another’s needs and experiences, respect and celebrate one another’s differences in culture and beliefs, and to empower and lift each other towards positive and healthy relationships with ourselves, others, our community, the community-at-large, and with regard to policies and laws that impact or intersect with our community.
• Raising the Bar – We recognize that centuries of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment have impacted LGBTQ+ people to the point where LGBTQ+ people are overrepresented in disparities and inequities when it comes to health, mental health, emotional health, addictions, relational health, economic opportunities, homelessness, poverty and in the criminal justice system. We aim to create an environment that lifts people up and eliminates these inequalities and disparities.
• Safe – We believe all people have a right to feel safe and secure in themselves and in their environments. We aim to ensure this environment is maintained in our programs, services and spaces. We also recognize that healthy conflict is a normal part of human growth and relationships and foster healthy conflict resolution skills that encourage people to speak their truths, work things out, value relationship, and work towards common ground and understanding of one another.
• Welcome – Above all, we aim to create an environment where people feel welcome, and their ideas, experiences and contributions are valued and heard.