Equality Community Center

The Equality Community Center is a regional nonprofit gathering space and collaborative hub dedicated to creating an inclusive, vibrant, and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied individuals and organizations across Maine. Located at 15 Casco Street in the heart of downtown Portland, the center provides a welcoming physical home that champions social justice, community connection, and cultural vitality for everyone who walks through its doors.

At the core of the center mission is its innovative nonprofit co-working collaborative. The building houses more than 15 resident organizations working in LGBTQ+ advocacy, racial justice, disability rights, immigrant integration, youth leadership, and the arts. By sharing office facilities, reception services, technology infrastructure, and meeting rooms, these partner groups reduce administrative overhead and collaborate closely on intersectional community initiatives that benefit people across the entire state. The collaborative model strengthens the organizational capacity of the broader social justice movement throughout Maine while creating a centralized destination for essential community resources, supportive services, and client referrals across the region.

The facility features versatile public amenities designed to welcome community members of all backgrounds. Visitors enjoy an expansive community cafe and lounge, private conference rooms, a lending library of queer literature, and an art gallery showcasing rotating exhibitions by local LGBTQ+ and marginalized artists. The center large multipurpose hall regularly accommodates film screenings, author readings, panel discussions, theatrical rehearsals, and open town hall forums that bring diverse groups together to address pressing community needs, share resources, and celebrate shared achievements.

In addition to serving as a civic hub, the Equality Community Center coordinates an extensive calendar of direct community programming. Offerings include weekly fitness and yoga classes, open coworking hours, queer youth and elder social mixers, grief support circles, and educational workshops covering financial literacy, legal rights, and physical health. The center also spearheaded an ambitious community development project to create inclusive, affordable housing units on-site. This visionary housing development ensures that older adults, artists, and vulnerable community members can age safely in an affirming downtown neighborhood surrounded by supportive community resources, convenient transportation, and peer connection.

The center serves as an accessible anchor for public civic life, hosting open community forums, educational panels on statewide ballot measures, and volunteer training sessions for local advocacy groups. Staff members and volunteers work continuously to maintain an accessible, barrier-free space with gender-neutral restrooms, quiet sensory areas, and modern audiovisual technology for public gatherings and civic meetings. Community members, organizers, and visitors can explore the building, attend open events, or reserve meeting space through the online portal. Supporters and allies can get involved by volunteering at the reception desk, assisting with facility operations, participating in fundraising galas, or making charitable contributions to sustain this vital community anchor for generations to come.