After seven years of serving the Osceola County LGBTQ+ community, the LGBT+ Center Orlando has announced it will close its Kissimmee satellite office effective August 31, 2025, citing significant funding cuts as the principal cause.
The branch, which opened in 2018 following the Pulse nightclub tragedy, has served as a resource hub, offering mental health counseling, support groups, HIV/AIDS prevention and testing, and a safe gathering space for the local community.
In response, CEO George Wallace stressed how difficult the decision was in a recent interview with Watermark, praising the Kissimmee office for operating “as a haven for thousands of Osceola County residents.” Though the physical office will be closing, the organization has affirmed its ongoing commitment to the region through expanded mobile services and local partnerships to continue outreach efforts and ensure no one is left behind. All staff from the Kissimmee location will be reassigned to the main Orlando offices, except one, who is moving on to a different role
As the organization adapts to the realities of a shrinking budget, fueled by reductions in federal, DEI-related, and grant funding, it has launched a new “Journey Forward” fundraising campaign. Contributors to this effort will be honored on a donor wall installed at the Center’s Mills Avenue location.
