In 1995, in about 1000 square feet of space above a mattress store on Massachusetts Avenue, a center was opened to affirm the value and support the wellbeing of LGBTQ youth of color in Boston.
Through a range of wrap-around services, a leadership-development curriculum, and social programming, JRI Health’s Boston GLASS Community Center has been a place of support, affirmation, and empowerment for more than 25 years.
More than a decade (in some cases, two decades) after their time at GLASS, former members look back on who they were then and describe how the community center helped shape who they are today.