History of the Center
Our Location
The Harriet Hancock LGBT Center was originally founded by the Board of the South Carolina Gay & Lesbian Pride Movement (now known as the SC Pride Movement). The first community center opened in September 1993 at the corner of Rosewood Drive and South Shandon in Columbia, SC, and was one of the first gay and lesbian community centers in the southeastern United States.
The converted house located at 1108 Woodrow Street in Columbia was purchased in August 1994 and volunteers promptly began renovations. The Center moved into the new building in September 1994 and our doors have been open ever since. A mortgage burning party was held in front of the Center on October 12, 2003, to celebrate that the final payment signified a first for our state – an LGBT community-owned space in South Carolina.
As part of the anniversary celebration for the South Carolina Gay & Lesbian Pride Movement (SC Pride), a banquet was held on April 15, 2005. At that event, the Center was named in honor of longtime activist and co-founder of both SC Pride & the Center, Harriet Hancock.
Our Foundation
The Harriet Hancock Center Foundation, which oversees the Center’s daily operations and various community projects, was officially recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 1987 (originally known as the Gay & Lesbian Advocacy Research Project). In 2008, the Board of Directors voted for the organization to be renamed the Harriet Hancock Center Foundation.
Since 2008, the Center has received over $75,000 in grants from local community foundations, city and county awards, and nationally recognized progressive and LGBTQ foundations.