EL PASO, Texas—GLBTs and others gathered the evening of July 17 to celebrate the opening of the El Paso GLBTQ Center, hailed as a milestone for West Texas.

“We want this place to be the hub of the gay community,” the center’s director, Charles Sloane, told KVIA TV.

The new center houses other non-profit groups and hosts a variety of meetings geared to different sectors within the GLBT community.

The opening signified the growth and emergence of El Paso’s GLBT community, officials said.

“Having been born and raised here in El Paso, and growing up here and attending some of the clubs and the social circles, I’ve seen a huge increase in GLBT communities and committees coming together,” said Pifas Silva, communications manager at the El Paso Convention and Visitors Bureau. Silva also worked as a volunteer this year to help organize El Paso’s Pride celebration.