Oklahomans For Equality announces $800,000 project

OkEq hosted Territory Days on July 30. Photo by Jose Vega.

by Morgan Allen
Journalism Intern

Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq), the Tulsa-based LGBT organization founded in 1980, has announced an $800,000 renovation project for the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center. The center is home to many programs and services for LGBT individuals and their families and allies.

In 2015, over 50,000 people utilized center services and participated in programming. The announcement regarding the renovation of the center comes shortly after requests from OkEq members to expand services and create a larger hosting space for events.

Since its opening in 2007, OkEq went from hosting one to two events a month to 60 to 70 events per week, according to Executive Director Toby Jenkins.

“For the last decade the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center has been the permanent home of those programs and services and the strongest advocacy voice in the region,” Jenkins said.

Because of these expansions internally within the organization, the board of directors and trustees of Oklahomans for Equality approved an $800,000 plan for services like medical expansion addressing LGBT health disparities, converting food service areas into commercial grade kitchen space, developing nutrition and wellness programs for LGBT older adults, broadening substance abuse counseling and support services, serving the growing numbers of LGBTQ youth in foster care, broadening programs for unemployed young adults and those who are homeless, increasing services and programming for LGBTQ families with children and creating more social programming space for fine arts and education events.

These renovations are expected to begin in the spring of 2017.

After completing a ten-year campaign in 2011, OkEq and the Equality Center are debt free. The goal of the new Capital Campaign is to complete the building renovations without encumbering significant financial debt. They hope to achieve this through member donations, foundations and community support.

Kirk Holt, Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee, has been a member of OkEq since its beginning in the 1980s. He helped with creating programming for LGBT youth and older adults, and is now in charge of making sure the Capital Renovation Fund is fulfilled.

“There’s not anyone who understands the center and its history better than [him],” Jenkins said.

“As an interior designer, I love seeing the renovation of any space to make it better functionally and esthetically, especially in a building that has become home to so many in our community.” Holt said.

According to Holt, OkEq has already secured $175,000 from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation with the request that it be used to build a black box theatre to be named in honor of Lynn Riggs.

Rollie Lynn Riggs was an openly gay American author, poet and playwright born on a farm near Claremore, Oklahoma. His mother was one eighth Cherokee. Riggs wrote 21 full-length plays, several short stories, poems and a television script. The Broadway musical Oklahoma! was based on his play Green Grow the Lilacs.

Additionally, Dennis Neill and John Southard also committed $25,000 to the black box theater. Neill is one of the founders of OkEq and works for the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

At the Capital Campaign Kickoff on July 30, 2016, called Territory Days, the committee raised $60,000 over the course of the four-hour event.

“Even with society’s evolving acceptance of LGBT people, community centers remain necessary to forging these deeply meaningful connections and reducing isolation [within the community],” Jenkins said.

“Until LGBT Oklahomans are given the legal recognition they need and protection they deserve, the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center will continue to be a vital community service provider.”

Right now, the Capitol committee is planning another Territory Days fundraiser to be held August 27 at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.

Members of OkEq participating in the hoedown, raising $60,000 for the Capital Renovation Fund.Photo by Jose Vega.