Two years ago, we looked at 150 LGBTQ centers around the country.  Most, we realized, were built around a brick-and-mortar community center.  That may work in big cites, but what about rural communities?  LGBTQ people (and other minorities) who live in rural areas suffer a double isolation.  They are isolated by social stigma and by geography.   

Next, we looked around  western North Carolina.  While the news is often dominated by bigots, the fact is, we are brimming with people, businesses, and organizations who strive to be welcoming.  How to bring them to light and give them voice?  How to help our community to find them?  Our community is also home to the highest per capita concentration of non-profits.  How to help them connect to the communities they wish to serve?

A community-maintained calendar of meetings, events, and activities – all of which are welcoming and relevant to LGBTQ and allied communities.  Where appropriate, listings are tagged for LGBTQ audiences that would find them of particular interest.  

• Includes: Entertainment, Fun, Social Justice Events, Workshops, Seminars, Support Group Meetings, Group Outings & Activities, Fundraisers & Networking Events
• Who Should List Here?  We welcome any listings that are welcoming of and relevant to the LGBTQ and allied communities.  Events that target the general public are welcome, so long as they bear relevance.  
• Inclusion & Intersectionality.  While this calendar is focused on the LGBTQ community, we have included tags for events relevant to the BIPOC community, to Spanish-speakers, and to people with differing abilities. If there is sufficient interest, we will create pages devoted to such groups.
• What Should Not Be Listed Here?  Businesses and venues: please don’t spam this site with every event you have.   There are plenty of other directories for that.  Help us to keep this content relevant.  

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A local news center driven by contributions from community organizations, especially non-profits who focus on serving the WNC LGBTQ Community.

• Includes: Announcements, News Items, New Resources & Links, Calls to Action, Editorials, Community Profiles.
• Join Us.  We want to grow an editorial board and staff of volunteer contributors (writers, artists, photographers, videographers).  If you are interested, please fill out this form.  You can also look for specific volunteer openings.

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This is a listing of welcoming businesses, artists, and service providers – just about any business, large or small, that seeks to contribute to a welcoming community.  

• Who should list here?  Just about anyone offering products, services and employment: Doctors, lawyers, artists, DRAG queens, realtors, therapists, restaurants, hotels, manufacturers, banks, and accountants.  
• Next Steps.  This directory includes a LOT of categories.  As the list grows, we will create pages dedicated to specific categories (e.g., Health & Wellness; Dining & Entertainment, Real Estate, Home Owner Services).

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This is a listing of groups the people might join for a variety of reasons: support, fun, networking, service.  

• Who Should List Here?  Support and empowerment groups, groups with a shared interest or hobby, networking groups, supper clubs, sports teams, community service groups and civic organizations, activist groups.  We welcome groups that don’t focus on the the LGBTQ community but who welcome us. 

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This directory is focused on organizations that provide service and support to those in need.   

• Who Should List Here? Emergency Support, Hotlines, Health & Wellness Providers to the Needy, Legal Aid, Counseling & Recovery, Career Advancement, Community Centers, Social & Recreational Programs.
• Who Should Not List Here:
  • For-profit businesses providing similar services at market rates should list in our Welcoming Businesses directory.   
  • Groups that are more focused on shared activities than on providing a specific service, should list in our directory of welcoming groups.
• Categories: We examined community services across the country to develop a list of the most common community services.  We ask each listing organization to identify the service categories it offers and, where appropriate, the audience it is focused on serving.  

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Yes, there are spiritual communities and leaders who teach hate and who set themselves upon a pedestal.  But there are a lot of faith communities who humbly welcome without judgment or condition.  Seek them out! 

• Who Should List Here? Churches,  Synagogues,  Mosques,  Temples,  Spiritual Centers,  Retreat Centers – anyone who welcomes people equally, regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race, nationality or background.
• Who Should Not List Here?
  • If you have an LGBTQ group that is part of a larger organization, list the organization here, and the group under Welcoming Groups.
  • If your faith community welcomes LGBTQ people but doesn’t acknowledge and celebrate their LGBTQ identity, please do not list here. We respect your right to your beliefs, but this directory is here for community members who seek welcome.

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Some of us may like to think that we are equitable and welcoming, but let’s be honest: we could all sharpen our game.  And, even if you happen to be perfect, chances are your colleagues and friends could use a little help.  We have created this directory to enable those with a gift for fostering equity and inclusion to reach their audience – and to make it easier for organizations and individuals to find resources to help them grow.

• Who Should List Here?  Public Speakers, Storytellers, Poets, Trainers, Coaches, Team-Builders and Facilitators who – in some way – help their clients and audiences to become more equitable and welcoming.  This could include anything from equity audits to storytellers who share revealing moments of humanity and grace.
• Who Should Not List Here?  If you do not have services and content that explicitly address equity and inclusion, please use our directory of Welcoming Businesses instead. 
• We want to emphasize that these listings encompass far more than creating a welcome for the LGBTQ community.  We need to learn how to root out systemic discrimination and inequity based on race, religion, national origin, and differing abilities.    
• We offer these listings but play no role in managing engagements and contacts.  Nor do we receive any compensation.

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