Local activists came together in 1988 around a shared vision to create a community space that would serve as a “front door” to needed services for the local LGBTQ+ community and their loved ones. The following year, the organization was formally established, and leaders from across the community were elected to steward Affirmations in its first chapters. Affirmations began operating out of an abandoned apartment building, providing meeting space and an office for its new toll-free helpline.

Affirmations’ toll-free helpline grew to supporting callers in need five days a week.

Affirmations’ Pittman-Puckett Art Gallery was established in 1992 to honor the lives of two of Affirmations co-founders Susan Pittman and Christine Puckett, who were killed by their next door neighbor in front of their home. Historians mark their death as a turning point for LGBTQ+ issues in the metro region, bringing attention to anti-gay discrimination and uniting the community.

In 1992, Affirmations hosted its first LGBTQ+ Prom, bringing together LGBTQ+ youth to celebrate the right of passage on their own terms.

The March on Washington was the famous civil rights protest in 1963 that Martin Luther King was a part of.

Affirmations established its Center Partner monthly giving program, which continues today as Aff GEMs (Give Every Month). Our monthly donors ensure the sustainability of center programs and services and support operational expenses.

Affirmations opened the Allan Gilmour and Eric Jirgens Community Center: a new, 17,000-square-foot home for Affirmations. Situated on 9 Mile Road in downtown Ferndale, the new location moved Affirmations across the street from the former apartment building where it first hosted meetings and programs.

The economic recession of 2009 left Affirmations with staff transitions and declining membership. Under the leadership of the organization’s first Latino Executive Director, Antonio “Dave” Garcia, Affirmations shifted from a membership model to one that made the center publicly accessible to all.

Affirmations pivoted quickly to continue providing services despite being physically closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The center started a food program to increase food security in the community. Staff shifted gathering its 27 support groups to virtual meetings. Affirmations continued to be a trusted source for resources and referrals throughout this unprecedented time.

In response to community needs exacerbated by the pandemic, Affirmations expanded its mental health counseling program. The organization hired three full-time mental health therapists and a one-on-one resource planner to provide mental health services for 150 clients. Affirmations began accepting health insurance and offered a sliding scale fee for those uninsured or underinsured, so no one would be turned away from needed mental health care.

In 2021, Affirmations received its largest-ever grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for $1.3 million to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and education. This allowed Affirmations to begin providing a robust calendar of COVID-19 vaccination clinics. Additionally, Affirmations partnered with 15 organizations to increase vaccine access beyond the center. When the center reopened its doors to in-person programming in 2021, Affirmations continued to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and resumed its existing programs for HIV/STI testing.

This work laid the foundation for a similar initiative in 2022 during a nationwide outbreak of Mpox, where members of the LGBTQ+ community were particularly at risk. In 2023, Affirmations received additional support from MDHHS to continue education and vaccination for Mpox.

Affirmations managed its largest annual budget of $2.1 million in 2023 and continued to work for equality for all communities, including through the historic Hate Won’t Win campaign and the first State of Michigan investment into LGBTQ+ health disparities.

Today, Affirmations Community Center welcomes 45,000 guests annually for youth and senior programs, confidential HIV/STI testing, vaccination clinics, LGBTQ+ inclusion training, counseling, and support groups. Health services now include vaccines for COVID-19, Mpox, Hep A and B, TDap, pneumonia, Shingrix, HPV, and the flu.

Affirmations remains a hub for the LGBTQ+ community, hosting partner meetings, offering office space, and celebrating LGBTQ+ culture through its Pittman-Puckett Gallery and arts programming.

With its largest-ever staff and budget, Affirmations continues to advance education, advocacy, and community connection, while regularly evaluating its practices to better serve the community.

Early in 2025, Affirmations leadership launched a three-year plan outlining goals in three key areas: sustainable fund development, expanding health and human services, and enhancing its volunteer program. The plan reflects Affirmations’ commitment to improving quality of life for LGBTQ+ Michiganders, and working toward an equitable world where LGBTQ+ individuals have the right to love, live, and thrive. Newly formalized values of Belonging, Intentionality, Transformation, Empowerment, and Equity continue to drive all of Affirmations’ actions.

With a strong foundation and demonstrated history of impact, Affirmations is poised to create lasting change, ensuring a brighter, more inclusive future for members of the LGBTQ+ in Michigan and beyond.