Connects academics and advocates to advance LGBTQ equity through research and education focused on th
10/13/2025
What an amazing day celebrating 10 years of the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, alongside thousands upon thousands of people at Atlanta Pride.
It’s been quite an exhausting but rewarding few days closing out the IGNYTE Symposium, but we are so inspired by the love and good faith people have in the Institute’s mission to cultivate the next generation of advocates.
We shall…proceed…and continue…to fight for rights!
10/02/2025
We are thrilled to bring a powerful diplomatic conversation curated and moderated by our very own chair -Evangelo Nasser at our upcoming IGNYTE 2025 Symposium hosted at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights. We will be joined by 5 Consulate members who will share their global perspectives on LGBTQ rights, legislation, cross-cultural community building and advancing policies in our interconnected world of solidarity.
It couldn’t have happened without you brother Bayard Rustin. So today, on this 62nd Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, we recommit to speaking truth to power, even or especially when our lips quiver or hands tremble. Courage being so needed in the face of horrific assaults on the very democratic principles you fought for, we both remember and honor your example of what it means to be an angelic troublemaker.”
- Tim’m T. West, Executive Director, LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights
07/17/2025
In a little more than an hour you’re welcome to join the Bayard Rustin Society as one of our young leaders leads a virtual fireside chat about Radical Love and Relentless Justice with Walter Naegle, Emil Wilbekin, and Marcus Lee. Details on the flyer.
Be there! 😊
06/03/2025
🌈 Tonight, just ahead of Pride Night at the Atlanta Braves game, I had the honor of accepting a $5,000 gift on behalf of the LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
This generous contribution, made possible through the Braves OUT Impact Fund, is more than just a donation — it’s a powerful affirmation of inclusion, equity, and the ongoing fight for dignity and justice for all LGBTQ+ people.
We’re proud to stand at the intersection of sports, community, and civil rights — and even prouder to keep pushing the work forward, together.
03/14/2025
The countdown is on! Bayard Rustin Day 2025: Ready to Meet the Moment is happening tomorrow.
Join us on Saturday, March 15, from 2 PM – 4 PM at Saint Mark United Methodist Church for an inspiring afternoon honoring Rustin’s legacy of activism and justice.
Registration closes at midnight on March 14, and while limited spots may be available at the door, we encourage you to secure your spot now. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation and celebrate a civil rights icon.
01/29/2025
The LGBTQ+ Institute and its Executive Director, Tim’m West, are proud supporters of this event.
Men Having Babies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to help gay
men in their journey to parenthood. In the conference you can get:
• Easy-to-understand information on where and how to start
• An introduction of all the resources available for our community to
make the whole process easier on you
• Guidance on budgeting and overview of providers and procedures
• AND a supportive community of gay dads, surrogates, allies, and
prospective dads like you
Don’t miss out the Men Having Babies conference - whether
you are planning to start your journey to fatherhood *NOW*
or thinking about becoming a father *sometime in the future.
Tell friends in education, particularly K-12 education in the U.S. South, to join me for a powerful, FREE webinar:
"Under the Radar Strategies for Support: Supporting LGBTQ+ Students in Anti-LGBTQ+ School Settings" is happening on October 16 from 4-6 PM. If you're an LGBTQ+ or allied educator struggling to create affirming spaces in a non-affirming school, this workshop is for you. Learn subtle yet powerful ways to support LGBTQ+ students when visible signs of inclusion aren't possible.
Let's work together to give our students the education and care they deserve.
Great Day 2 of Freedom Summer 3.0 day learning experience. Today, students learned about Fannie Lou Hamer, orgs like the Congress on Racial Equality, Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Students learned about the quiet leadership of Bob Moses, and the loss of life by students, Black and Jewish, local and national, who risked and lost their lives working to register voters in Mississippi. More than 1000 young people were arrested and activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, whose murders led to the largest search in the FBIs history at the time.
So eager to see how today’s young people draw inspiration from the sacrifices of our ancestors to create their own PSAs connected to advocacy issues in 2024 that they are passionate about.
A great way to commemorate the Freedom Summer of 1964.
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The story of human and civil rights would not be complete without discussion of the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ rights. That is why the LGBTQ Institute was established at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights: to shine a steady spotlight on this struggle, recognize advances, and create a public imperative for LGBTQ equality in the South and around the world. Today, the LGBTQ Institute is a trusted convener for thoughtful dialogue and our education and research programs serve as a catalyst for action.
Programming Overview
The LGBTQ Institute’s research and education strategy creates relevant and culturally competent message frames, increases capacity of LGBTQ and allied organizations working on intersecting issues, and fosters conversations and intelligent dialogue around movement strategy. Additionally, the principle that civil and human rights movements are inextricably linked with one another is seen in our programming and initiatives; with a focus on those who work with LGBTQ youth of color, and at the intersections of sexuality and racial, gender, and economic justice. The Institute also transforms the way people view and understand the LGBTQ movement and its efforts for full equality by helping tell the stories of LGBTQ people through visual history archives and artifacts that are shared virtually to the public online, and within the Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Advisory Board & Program Partners
Our Advisory Board features a collective of LGBTQ advocates and academics that set the agenda for our quarterly public programs, assist in outreach, and determine presenters and facilitators that will include national and grassroots messengers and influencers targeted at youth, people of color, and faith communities. Our Program Partners include local, national, and international organizations and individuals that provide insights and help us explore context, messaging and strategy. In addition, the board, staff members, and the LGBTQ Institute’s Archive at Georgia State University will help collect visual histories and share the stories of LGBTQ Southerners and individuals from around the world.
Research and Education
The LGBTQ Institute’s research partnership with Georgia State University (GSU), features experienced scholars who coordinate the Institute’s research initiatives in three focus areas: 1) Education and Employment, 2) Public Health and Wellness, and 3) Criminal Justice and Safety. Research Associates, with support from key program partners and subject matter experts, also provide technical support and help develop our annual symposium dedicated to LGBTQ scholarship. Filling the research gaps within the focus areas, will create the needed pipeline that connects academics to advocates in order to move from research to action. This infrastructure will assist in developing community intervention resources. It will also bring to light real-world experiences of those who may not immediately benefit from recent legal gains, and whose issues have not been at the forefront.
