In 2017, a group of community leaders met to discuss the idea of building an LGBTQ-friendly housing community. Five years later, Persad Center is excited to share that Presbyterian SeniorCare Network has received critical funding needed to build the first LGBTQ-friendly senior housing community in Pittsburgh!

SAGE of Western PA at Persad is looking to promote friendship and community for LGBTQ+ plus seniors in all areas of the Commonwealth. SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) is a nationwide organization which has been working to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ older adults since 1978. The Western PA chapter of SAGE hosts a regular Zoom meeting on Tuesday evenings from 7p to 8pm for area LGBTQ+ seniors looking for a comfortable, safe and welcoming environment to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

PERSAD Center is thrilled to be celebrating the 30th anniversary of ART FOR CHANGE: The Auction to Benefit PERSAD Center on Monday, April 30, 2018, 6:00 PM, at the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh, 1000 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. We are grateful to all of the art donors and sponsors who help us create Pittsburgh's biggest art auction! Tickets are on sale now. Proceeds make a big impact on vital services for the LGBTQ communities.

Persad Center - western Pennsylvania's leading human service organization whose mission is to improve the well-being of the LGBTQ communities, and the HIV/AIDS communities-is having a fundraiser just in time for Holidays. The event will be held Dec 1-3 at Riverside Design Group Warehouse, 3485 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA. This year will be the biggest sale in Riverside's history as the warehouse is moving early next year and they want to clear the shelves! and come help make this our biggest fundraiser ever.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is conducting a survey of LGBTQ people throughout the state to better understand the health needs of the community. It's time to hear from the people of Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Venango Counties! The surveys are completely anonymous and only take about 5-10 minutes to complete. The deadline to complete the survey has been extended to June 7, 2016.

It's been a big year for PERSAD Center. The move to our new facilities in Lawrenceville in March has opened the door to expanded services, affirming our commitment to improving the well-being of the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV.

Great art can transform the way people see the world. Join Persad Center on April 27 fron 6 to 11 PM at Wyndham Grand Downtown Pittsburgh, 600 Commonwealth Pl, Pittssburgh PA for Art for Change 2015 and experience the power of positive change. PERSAD CENTER’s signature fundraising event will feature verbal and silent auctions of paintings, photography, sculpture, furniture and jewelry. Over 1,000 art lovers gather to bid, mingle and enjoy food from some of Pittsburgh’s finest restaurants. One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit PERSAD CENTER’S Free Care Fund, serving the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV. Tickets are on sale now at persadartforchange.com or for more information please contact Yas Hatcher at (412)441-9786 x226 or [email protected]

PERSAD CENTER is delighted to announce an exciting new chapter for the agency as we move to our new home at 5301 Butler Street in Lawrenceville. We're celebrating with an Open House for the community on Saturday, March 28 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Join us for a tour of our new facility and learn about how our expansion will enhance our service to the LGBTQ community and people living with HIV. "It's an important moment for PERSAD CENTER. Our new home is a visible symbol of support and inclusion for the communities we serve and gives us the space to expand our services with senior, youth, training and medical programs", says Executive Director, Betty Hill.

In 2009, studies found that suicide was the third leading cause of death for individuals age 10-24. Numerous studies report that LGBT youth are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers. Persad Center, is taking a stand to prevent youth suicide. This year Persad Center will train 15 or more youth on suicide prevention. Youth will get an opportunity to impact their community with a youth lead community service projects that will be centered on suicide prevention. 


Persad Center, the nation's second oldest licensed counseling and well being center serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities has opened offices in Erie, Pa. Persad Center is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA and has served Western Pennsylvania's gay citizens for nearly 40 years. It is the only agency of its kind in western Pennsylvania. The agency's mission is to strengthen the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and the HIV/AIDS communities and their allies. This is done through counseling, prevention, education, and advocacy programs. The agency also has offices in Washington, PA and an advocacy program serving Washington, Westmoreland, Beaver, Butler and Armstrong counties. The Erie office is licensed by the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of Pennsylvania's Department of Public Welfare, and is being opened in response to a demand for and lack of specialized services for LGBT people in the area. The new office will bring access closer to home for LGBT individuals seeking counseling, and will provide the county with a resource for improving the human service system response to LGBT needs.

On Sunday, July 18, 80 people gathered at Butler's Alameda Park to share in a picnic sponsored by Persad Center's "Community Safe Zone Project" (CSZP) and Butler County PFLAG. CSZP is a program of Persad Center which provides GLBTQI community building projects and events to non-urban areas outside of Pittsburgh. Directed by Ted Hoover of Persad, this new program and Butler County PFLAG sponsored a showing of "Out in the Silence" in May.