Rainbow Celebrates 30 Years of Community, Pride, and Impact

On Friday, October 10, Rainbow Community Center proudly celebrated its 30th Anniversary, a milestone honoring three decades of service, resilience, and love in Contra Costa County’s LGBTQ+ community. It was an evening filled with joy, powerful stories, community leaders, and heartfelt recognition of all those who have helped build and sustain Rainbow’s mission over the years.

From our grassroots beginnings to the expanded community center we are today, this celebration reflected not just our history but our future.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in marking this unforgettable moment in Rainbow’s journey.



With pride and gratitude, we celebrate 30 years of community, service, and love.

A message from our Executive Director, Jorge ‘JC’ Chamorro. 



THE HISTORY OF THE RAINBOW COMMUNITY CENTER OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

by Melitta Rorty, Founding Member

In 1992, Margaret Walker opened the doors of the first gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) community center in Contra Costa County: the Pacific Center of Walnut Creek, a satellite office of the Pacific Center in Berkeley. The Pacific Center Walnut Creek quickly outgrew our little office space at 1250 Pine Street in Walnut Creek.

However, we were constrained by our parent organization, Pacific Center Berkeley. To deal with our growth and our situation at Pacific Center Walnut Creek, in 1994, Margaret Walker organized an advisory committee that consisted of volunteer leaders at Pacific Center Walnut Creek, including Gwen Swenson, Melitta Rorty, Alison DiPace, Kay Teeters, Helen Zink, and Nan Breedlove. Back then, we called ourselves the Contra Costa Futures Planning Committee.

Eventually, this advisory committee determined that it was advisable to separate from Pacific Center Berkeley. Kay Teeters, a lawyer, worked on and filed the paperwork to achieve non-profit status for our fledgling organization. The RCC Articles of Incorporation of the non-profit organization were signed by Nan, Alison, Melitta, Gwen, Kay, and Helen, and accepted by the State of California on October 31, 1995.

We agonized over the decision to strike out on our own. We held a town hall meeting at the Concord Library and received input from the community on what the center should be. We took the bold step of moving forward.

In the fall of 1995, a Board of Directors Nominations Committee was assembled, and the process of putting together the board for the new and independent community center began. The first board was selected, and the first meeting of the Rainbow Community Center Board of Directors was held on March 26, 1996. The board consisted of the following members: Mike Counihan, Jon Crovo, Brian Deckman, K. Sue Duncan, Ferdinand Garcia, Ruth Gewing-Mullins, Brian Harradine, Mark King, Neal King, Jamie Lotstein, Arlene Mose, Melitta Rorty, Kent Sack, Gwen Swenson, Randy Tarkington, and Kay Teeters.

Over the next months, we held fundraisers and looked for possible locations for our center. We found an appropriate space in Pleasant Hill, took the scary plunge of accepting fiduciary responsibility as a board, signed a lease, and opened the doors of the Rainbow Community Center in December 1996. Our beginnings were humble, and we had only the strength of our convictions to carry us.

A Powerful Recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rainbow Community Center is honored to receive a formal congratulatory letter from Congressman Mark DeSaulnier in recognition of our 30th Anniversary and decades of service to the LGBTQIA+ community in Contra Costa County.

Congressman DeSaulnier acknowledged Rainbow’s leadership in:

• Advancing racial and social justice
• Providing critical mental and physical health services
• Supporting LGBTQIA+ youth through life-saving programs
• Building inclusive, affirming community across CA-10

His words affirm the impact of our mission and the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and supporters who make this work possible. We are deeply grateful for this federal acknowledgment and proud to stand as a beacon of hope, resilience, and love for our community. Here’s to the next 30 years of advocacy, healing, and transformation.

Together, we continue to build a future where every LGBTQIA+ person is seen, supported, and celebrated.

Rainbow Community Center is honored to be officially recognized by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors!

In celebration of our 30th Anniversary, the Board passed a unanimous resolution acknowledging Rainbow’s decades of leadership, advocacy, and life-saving services for the LGBTQIA+ community.

This proclamation affirms our continued commitment to equity, mental health, HIV services, housing support, and creating safe, affirming spaces for all.



We are deeply grateful to the Board of Supervisors for this powerful recognition and for standing with us as we build a more inclusive future for Contra Costa County.

30 years behind us. A lifetime of impact ahead.

Rainbow Community Center is deeply honored to receive an official Proclamation from the Mayor of Concord, declaring October 10, 2025 as “Rainbow Community Center Day” in the City of Concord!

This historic proclamation celebrates:

• Our 30 years of service to the LGBTQIA2S+ community
• Our journey from humble beginnings to becoming a vital, life-affirming community center.
• Our continued impact in advancing equity, mental health, housing, youth services, and community connection throughout Contra Costa County

We are incredibly grateful to Mayor Carlyn S. Obringer and the City Council for recognizing Rainbow’s legacy and reaffirming the importance of LGBTQIA+ spaces in our community.

This honor belongs to every staff member, volunteer, participant, and supporter who helped build Rainbow into the beacon it is today.

Rainbow Community Center Day is more than a recognition, it is a celebration of visibility, resilience, and the power of community.



Thank You to All Our Generous Sponsors!



Visit our website to view the 30th Anniversary Photo Album