The Center on Colfax Celebrates Its 50th PrideFest

The Center on Colfax opened in 1976 and has grown to become the largest LGBTQ+ community center in the Rocky Mountain region. This year they are getting ready for their 50th PrideFest. The Center had their first Pride in 1974. On June 22 and 23, The Center will host its 50th PrideFest at Civic Center Park. We spoke with CEO Rex Fuller about this very special milestone.

Can you share with us the history and founding story of the Center on Colfax?

It started back in the late 60s, early 70s. At the time, there was a lot of harassment by police. Specifically gay men, same-sex relationships, and dancing in public, that sort of thing was illegal. Police regularly went into gay bars, raided them, and arrested the folks who were there. This became a security issue, and there were a group of activists who decided to try to address this. And they were able to organize and find a lot of evidence that it was specifically targeted to gay men and that there were issues of entrapment at times. They went before the City Council 15 years ago last October and staged a big protest where a couple hundred people spoke before city council and got the laws changed. This really sparked a lot of activism. 

Basically, after that victory, there were a lot of organizations saying  we need a community center where we can address the needs of the community, and they found it. Community Center of Colorado, as it was then known; it later changed names until we just became The Center on Colfax, but that was the start of The Center. 

What are some milestones or achievements The Center has accomplished over the past 50 years?

There’s been a lot. This year is the 50th anniversary of the first Pride event in Colorado, so I think growing Pride into what it has become is a really big accomplishment. The very first Pride event, I believe, was a gathering at Cheeseman Park with a couple hundred people. It became very popular and became a larger event, and then it turned into a parade and a festival, and then it turned into a two-day festival, and now there’s a 5k, and half a million people probably attended last year. 

I think that’s a really big accomplishment. The Center has been very responsive to community needs over the years. In the early days, volunteers really contributed to the founding of what was then known as The Anti-Violence Project to try and collect data on assault and harassment of LGBT individuals.

The Center had a role in the founding of the Gender Identity Center, which started off as a support group here and then moved into its own organization. The Center had a role in responding to the AIDS crisis of the 80s and the founding of the Colorado AIDS Project, which grew into Colorado Health Network. 

In 1992, The Center was very involved with fighting Amendment Two and then fighting when it did pass to have it overturned at the Supreme Court. I think we’re all very proud now. We used to rent space all over town; there was a point for a couple of years where we were homeless, and now we actually have our own buildings. PrideFest has always been a major part of that. The parade, the festival, the 5k, everything that goes on around that—and it is to benefit our year-round programs here at The Center. 

How has The Center evolved and adapted to meet the changing needs of the queer community over the decades?

When we were first founded, we were The Gay Community Center of Colorado; then we became The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Colorado. Then we were The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center in Colorado. After that we became The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center. 

We are continuing to try and serve folks from the asexual community. We have support for friends and families of trans folks. That’s why we ended up with The Center on Colfax, because our home is on Colfax, and as we continue to serve new communities, we don’t have to rename ourselves every time.

Can you describe some of the key programs and services The Center offers to support the queer community?

I think the development of our transgender program, we’ve just seen amazing growth in that. We were pioneers in terms of serving youth through Rainbow Alley. Rainbow Alley serves youth 11 to 17. 

We have a new program called Saga, which serves young adults ages 18 to 24. 

We’ve established our new mental health program and a very active history program. West of 50 is our program for older adults. We have community enrichment events that happen as one-offs as well. We also have RANGE, which is our training program for workplaces.

Can you share any memorable stories or moments from The Center’s history that highlight its importance and impact?

Some of them I wasn’t here for, but I think the fact that we’ve been able to grow so much and to establish our own permanent home, I think is really the biggest one.  

We had a volunteer at our front desk, who was very dedicated. His name was Roy Wood. And he was not able to be out anywhere else. He was not out to his family. He wasn’t out in his workplace. When he passed away, he left a major donation to The Center, which was $1.2 million. And that was the beginning of our capital campaign to buy this building and move in. So I think that’s the biggest one. 

Looking ahead, what are The Center’s aspirations and goals for the future, particularly as it enters its next chapter beyond the 50th anniversary milestone?

We’ve just launched a new strategic plan that we are working to accomplish. There’s a page on our website that will talk about it that has some details on some of the goals outlined on it. But I think, really, it’s about just trying to expand our service to the community through our existing programs and create new programs, as well as making sure that we continue to be a fiscally responsible organization.

As we wrap up, Is there anything else that you’d like to share or mention?

Phil Nash, who was actually the very first employee of the center back in 1976, just wrote this book that just came out. It’s just called LGBTQ Denver, and it’s a wonderful book. And it really has some wonderful images from the last five decades. And I just keep thinking about how many lives The Center and Denver Pride have touched over the years.

I think one of the things that’s really important to me, and that I feel like we have to always remind ourselves (of), is that we are the largest Pride in the Rocky Mountain Region; people travel from other states to come to our event. 

And for many, many people, it’s their very first experience with the LGBTQ community. And I think we can get caught up in the drama dealing with Park Permits or Parade Permits and all that sort of thing, but it’s very gratifying to know that at the end of the day, what a major impact that has on the community.