LGBTQ+ Community
Find your community in Middle Tennessee.
LGBTQ+ in Rural Communities
Between 2.9 and 3.8 million LGBTQ+ people live in rural communities across the United States: we are not alone. However, finding an affirming community can be difficult, as so many LGBTQ+ resources are found in cities. Our goal here is to help build that community through finding spaces where LGBTQ+ people can find affirmation and acceptance. These spaces are important to all of us, but especially to young people who identify as LGBTQ+.
Build Community Together
The Cumberland Center for Justice and Peace, located in Cowan, TN, is dedicated to serving Franklin county and the surrounding rural counties of Coffee, Grundy, Lincoln, and Moore, TN, and Jackson county in Alabama. We are here to work with you to build community. Through the Gessell Trust, established by one of our founders, Dr. Jack Gessell, we are able to help with resources and planning. If you would like help founding a community organization, such as a Gay/Straight Alliance or a Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), we can help.
About the CCJP
Founded by devoted community members in 1987, The Cumberland Center for Justice and Peace was created to bring individuals together and build solidarity. The CCJP is a 501(c)3 charitable organization; we are not associated with any political party, and are not part of any local government or religious institution. We have long been dedicated to racial equality, non-violence, and LGBTQ+ rights, including the widely publicized fight for a GSA at Franklin County High School. If you want to get involved with the CCJP, contact us at cumberlandjusticeandpeace@gmail.com, and check out our Facebook page here.
LBGT Rural Youth Fund
In 2016, the Gessell Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga matched $1500 in donations with a $3000 gift for the Cumberland Center for Justice and Peace to establish an LGBT Rural Youth Fund. The goals of the Fund were to provide grants for organizations (such as Gay/Straight Alliances [GSAs], and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays [PFLAGs]), speakers, and conference attendance, as well as crisis funding.