The primary focus of the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center (Resource Center) is youth programming. Working with area schools we have trained educators on best practices regarding the ramifications of bullying on all marginalized youth populations. We have also fostered a relationship with each public high school in the Kalamazoo/Portage area, working directly with administrators, staff, and students to create an accepting community. Our online harassment reporting system, the Bully Button, is present at all area schools, offering a consistent method of reporting bias incidents in Kalamazoo and the surrounding areas.

The Resource Center recognizes the intersecting identities facing much of our community. Many parts of our identities can subject us to discrimination, so the Resource Center is working with the Alliance For Justice, a local coalition of organizations pushing for comprehensive immigration reform. This coalition is beginning the push to share stories of those who are affected by immigration reform, while being inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues such as binational same-sex couples.

Overall, the Resource Center has been on an incredible upswing in outreach and impact over the past two years. The staff and board of directors look forward to continued growth, expansion, and creating a community that celebrates the diverse spectrum of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

www.kglrc.org