SAY WHAT?

“I know only too well the power and importance of The Center in transforming one’s life,” Paige told the crowd. “When I came to LA some 15 years ago, I was a scared and lost and lonely and broke young gay man. And somebody suggested that I might be able to find some help at The Center. I made my way in and I started seeing a therapist there for $10 a week. It was all I could afford and it was all I needed. Every time I tell the story, I get choked up. There is a direct line from that scared young man to the man that is standing before you and it goes right through The Center.”

“I was with a couple of friends recently and one of them asked me, ‘What do you think the most important service that the center offers?’ I thought for moment and said: ‘It’s whatever one you need. If you’ve recently been diagnosed HIV-positive, it’s medical services. If you’re a victim of domestic violence in your home, it’s domestic violence prevention. If you’re trying to get clean from crystal meth, it’s addiction recovery. If you’re elderly and gay and isolated, it’s senior services. If you’ve been kicked out of your home for being gay, it’s our transitional living facility. For the last 40 years, The Center has always stepped up when confronted with a crisis and I am proud to say we continue to do it today.”

--At a gala, actor Peter Paige talks about the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, where Paige is a member of the Center's board of directors.