Center co-founders Jeff Myers and Joe Hawkins, opened with a single office in the "Co-Munity" co-working office space, located at 3207 Lakeshore Ave., in July of 2017, in Oakland's beautiful Grand Lake-Lakeshore district. The Center's first board of directors was organized in August of 2017. Over one hundred community members were recruited to help conduct a community needs assessment that included 22 focus groups, representative of Oakland's rich ethnic, cultural, gender, age and socio-economically diverse community. The grand opening for the new Center was held on September 7, 2017. The Center's newly formed board of directors was presented with an opportunity to take over the entire "Co-Munity" offices, after the co-working operator went out of business in December of 2017.

A New Chapter Begins: The Center's board of directors embraced a bold vision for growth and community impact by accepting the challenge of establishing a permanent home for the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. After careful planning and strategic negotiations, the board successfully secured its first official lease agreement for 3207 Lakeshore, effective January 1, 2018. This milestone marked a significant step forward in providing a dedicated space for programs, events, and services designed to support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community, laying the foundation for The Center’s continued service expansion and influence in the region.

The creation of the Center in Oakland marks the first time in the city's history, that a non-profit organization has opened an all-inclusive, intergenerational, multi-service, LGBTQ community center. The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center is also one of few, all-inclusive LGBTQ community centers in the nation, founded by African Americans in service to all LGBTQ+ people, regardless of racial, ethnic, age, or gender identity and the first of its kind in the state of California.

​The Center celebrated a major advancement in its mission by opening its first dedicated clinic, proudly named after Oakland native, Glenn Burke, the legendary major league baseball player and trailblazer for LGBTQ+ visibility in sports. This clinic represented more than just a physical space—it embodied The Center’s commitment to providing accessible, compassionate, and culturally competent healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community in Oakland. The launch of the Glenn Burke Clinic marked a significant milestone in expanding vital LGBTQ focused health services, strengthening community trust, and honoring a pioneering figure whose courage and visibility continue to inspire generations.

The Center secured funding to lease space at a co-working space in downtown Oakland, to house our youth services programming. Unfortunately, the space didn’t work out due to the lack of cultural competency of the shared environment, prompting the Center’s leadership to move our youth programs back to the Center’s main campus. The program staff and leadership team decided that a stand-alone queer and trans youth space would be best to serve LGBTQ youth and immediately began searching for an affordable site.

After months of careful research and site visits, the team identified a location that perfectly balanced affordability with accessibility just a short walk from the main campus, ensuring continuity and convenience for the community it serves. Following extensive planning, design, and community engagement, The Center proudly celebrated a major milestone in June 2023 with the ribbon-cutting grand opening of Oakland’s only stand-alone queer and trans youth club. This new space was designed as a safe, affirming, and vibrant hub where LGBTQ+ youth could connect, express themselves, access resources, and build lasting friendships. 

​Through the collaborative efforts of members of The Center’s leadership, the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District Committee, and the Oakland City Council, the East Bay’s first-ever LGBTQ Cultural District was officially established. This historic achievement symbolized Oakland’s deep and enduring commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion, visibility, and cultural preservation. Encompassing the Lakeshore Business Improvement District (LABID) and the historic Grand Lake neighborhood, the district was created to honor the area’s rich LGBTQ+ history while fostering economic vitality, community pride, and long-term sustainability. The designation marked a powerful step in recognizing LGBTQ+ contributions to Oakland’s cultural landscape and ensuring their stories, businesses, and spaces are celebrated and protected for generations to come.

​The Center’s long-standing vision to expand equitable access to LGBTQ+ services for residents of Oakland was fully realized in June 2025 with the opening of the Trans Wellness Center (TWC). This landmark expansion represented a critical step in addressing long-standing gaps in culturally competent care and support for transgender, gender-diverse, and broader LGBTQ+ communities in Oakland. Designed to be welcoming, affirming, and community-centered, the new space provides essential health, wellness, and support services and reduces barriers to care while strengthening trust and engagement. The launch of TWC underscored The Center’s commitment to health equity, dignity, and the continued growth of inclusive, life-affirming services for transgender people in the Bay Area.

The Center is working hard to fill the void of alcohol-free spaces with the opening of a new intergenerational “third place” for Oakland’s LGBTQ Community in the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District.

The Lakeshore Lavender Lounge will serve as a community space for LGBTQ elders, sober people, youth, families, allies and people seeking an LGBTQ+ centered space that does not sell alcohol. The space will have a lending library and hold alcohol-free events to include dance parties, game nights, drag shows, book signings, family friendly activities, and so much more. Our hope is to raise enough funds to open by or before December 2026.