Staying Informed: The History of the Utah Pride Center

If there is one big piece of advice to give in today's day and age, it’s to stay well informed about a variety of topics, even if you may not share the same opinion.  

June just so happens to be Pride month, and Utah has a surprising bit of history when it comes to this topic, so let’s take a dive into this often-important topic in today's culture.  

The Beginning 

According to the Utah Pride Center website, the Gay and Lesbian Council of Utah, or GLCCU, was created in 1986 to foster a relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement at the time.  

This was due to many violent acts which were occurring at the time, and to spread awareness of the AIDS epidemic which was so fervently present in the 1980’s. 

The Progress 

With steps being taken to make the general public more aware of the stance of the LGBTQ+ community, the GLCCU needed to establish a haven for anyone willing to look into these sensitive topics. Hence, the Utah Stonewall Center was founded to give that community a safe place to commune and enjoy each other's company. 

The Utah Stonewall Center ended up separating from the GLCCU in 1995 with a rebranding as the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah occurring in 1997. Facilities such as the ones previously mentioned were used for meetings, entertainment purposes and support groups. 

The Now 

2003 was when the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Utah rebranded once again to the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah. It would rebrand one more time into the Utah Pride Center, which is still open even today. 

Pride in Utah has been around longer than you might think, but the thing that’s most important is to stay up to date with what’s factually correct. Not as a required form of support, but as a courtesy to your fellow human peers. If you want to learn more visit the events page of the Utah Pride Center website.