The New Haven Pride Center announced Monday that it will “cease normal operations” starting Thursday, Feb. 26. “Hopefully it’s temporary,” said Board President Hope Chávez in an interview on Monday afternoon. According to Chávez, the Pride Center’s staff will be furloughed and the physical space in the Ninth Square will close down starting this Thursday. The Pride Center — a decades-old hub of New Haven LGBTQ+ life and advocacy — sent out an email press release with that news at 5 p.m. Monday. The statement is not signed by any named person; instead, it’s signed by “The New Haven Pride Center Board of Directors.” (The center’s most recent 990 identifies Chávez as its board president and Nicholas Bussett as its vice president.) The statement attributes the closure to $200,000 in federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) debt, the “recent loss of expected grants and key annual funding”, and “a lengthy and serious financial struggle” that dates back to 2022. The Pride Center’s announcement comes after the organization lost its tax-exempt nonprofit status in 2022, and regained it in 2023. The then-president of the board of directors said in 2022 that the Pride Center had lost its tax-exempt nonprofit status “based on the filing of taxes in a timely manner” and thanks to overdue annual 990 forms. The Pride Center’s temporary loss of its tax-exempt nonprofit status coincided with the abrupt departure of the organization’s then-executive director, Patrick Dunn. Chávez said on Monday that the $200,000 in remaining IRS debt dates back to this “previous mismanagement of funds.” She said that the original amount of unpaid taxes is “about a quarter million,” but the precise figure is still uncertain to the board, due to “daily compounded interest” from the IRS that began from the moment the debt was incurred. “We’ve never been able to get a clear understanding of the rate of the interest,” said Chávez. Meanwhile, a lack of an executive director has prevented the Pride Center from retaining some of its key funding sources, said Chávez. In November 2023, the nonprofit — under the leadership of Juancarlos Soto — moved from its longtime basement headquarters at 84 Orange St. to the above-ground former art gallery space at 50 Orange St. Soto stepped down from the top role in April 2025. In November 2025, the pride center announced the selection of a new executive director, Edward Summers — only to have Summers resign within a week. According to Chávez, both the state of Connecticut and city of New Haven have “required — very understandably — permanent executive leadership in place” in order to continue providing funding to the center. The Pride Center’s board is seeking to secure both funding and structural solutions over the next 30 days, according to Chávez. “I can say with confidence that there are people out there helping us fight to create and to be in service and to continue,” she said. That support may take the form of donations that could save the organization, and it may take the form of “solidarity amongst the other LGBTQ+ organizations” in New Haven to fill gaps in LGBTQ+ services. She urged the public to offer support to the Pride Center’s staff as well as the community members who frequently rely on Pride Center’s food pantry and other basic needs programming. At a recent pride flag raising on the Green, the nonprofit’s operations director, Laura Boccadoro, said that she is the Pride Center’s only full-time, in-person employee. As of January, the center was open only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The only other full-time employee is the organization’s bookkeeper. The Pride Center has one other employee and two contractors, according to Chávez. Soto, the Pride Center’s former executive director, reacted to Monday’s news with a mix of emotions. “It’s sad. It’s sad that LGBTQ centers are suffering,” Soto said. “But I refuse to give up hope, so I do have hope that New Haven is gonna step up in one way or another.” Soto remembers the Pride Center as “a space where we saw folks across all ages, across all races, and even religions coming in and just being their full authentic selves.” He spoke of regularly “seeing someone come in sad and lonely and leaving smiling with a group of new friends. That was magical.” The staff at the center “are the most incredible group of people I ever had the pleasure of working with.” He added, “I have full trust that the staff and the board did everything they could. We are living in terrible times for nonprofits, where … funding is very limited.” There are other sources of community and support in the New Haven area for LGBTQIA+ people, Soto said. Anchor Health, the LGBTQIA+ healthcare provider where he now works, provides case management. A Place To Nourish Your Health (APNH) runs support groups and affirming events, on top of providing health resources. There are also local businesses that can function as queer-friendly “third places” — like Possible Futures bookstore, or Elm City Games, or the Bradley Street Bike Co-op, Soto said. Regardless of what happens to the Pride Center, Soto said, “that spirit that we were able to anchor in New Haven — I don’t think that work is gonna go anywhere.” See below for the Pride Center’s email statement in full, which bears the subject line: “Important Updates and Next Steps for NHPC” New Haven Pride Center Statement Dear friends and community members, Today, the Board of Directors, announces that the New Haven Pride Center will cease normal operations beginning Thursday, February 26, 2026. This difficult decision follows a lengthy and serious financial struggle that began in 2022 with the discovery of a significant outstanding tax liability of over a quarter million, the result of previous financial mismanagement and less than adequate oversight. Following changes to the board and staff leadership, we have worked diligently to stabilize operations, reduce the debt, and sustain programs and services for the New Haven LGBTQIA+ community. The recent loss of expected grants and key annual funding brought the organization to a critical crossroads. The board sought guidance from funders and consultants to evaluate potential paths forward, including partnership and merger opportunities. We are currently exploring with long-time collaborators what it looks like to continue providing critical resources to our LGBTQIA+ community.  However, given the Center’s remaining IRS debt — now over $200,000 — and limited operating reserves, we cannot continue to make new expenditures. Without sustainable revenue, both contributed or earned in sight, the board has determined that we must cease operations and furlough staff. We recognize the profound impact of this decision on our dedicated staff, as well as on the vulnerable populations that we serve. During a time of heightened challenges for LGBTQIA+ people, the potential loss of community services and spaces is deeply felt. For many years, the Center has provided vital programs, services, social connection, and safe space for our community, and we all have much to be proud of. We are fortunate to be part of a strong network of partner organizations, including Anchor Health, Q+,  APNH, and others where people can receive critical, LGBTQIA-friendly services. Many of the Center’s support and social groups are volunteer-led, and we are working with volunteers and partners to support continuity wherever possible. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community members, volunteers, donors, and partners who have supported the Pride Center over the years. Your belief in this work has sustained countless moments of connection, care, and belonging. While this chapter is ending, the strength and resilience of New Haven’s LGBTQIA+ community endure. We remain hopeful that this community will continue to find joy, solidarity, and power in one another. – The New Haven Pride Center Board of Directors The post Pride Center To “Cease Normal Operations” appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less