Resource Center of Dallas

Founding and History

The Resource Center was founded in 1983 under the name Foundation for Human Understanding under the auspices of the Dallas Gay Political Caucus, which later became known as the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance. The organization worked to advance LGBT causes in the Dallas area and to provide education and health services to LGBT people. In 1998, it changed its name to the Resource Center of Dallas, and in 2013 it changed its public name to Resource Center, although it is still identified as Resource Center of Dallas Inc. in its tax filings. ^{3 4}

Finances

In the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2021, the Resource Center of Dallas reported $17,613,250 in revenue, of which $5,649,135 was derived from grants and contributions and $11,726,023 was derived from program service revenue. The organization had $15,903,798 in expenses, of which $1,245,500 was paid out in grants and contributions and $5,314,301 was allocated towards employee salaries and benefits. It ended the fiscal year with a surplus of $1,709,452 and net assets of $17,292,496. ⁵

Corporations that contributed at least $2,500 in 2019 and 2020 include Aetna, Allstate Insurance, American Airlines, AT&T, Bank of America, Capitol One, Citi Bank, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Merryll Lynch, NBC Universal, Nordstrom, Northrop Gruman, Salesforce, Starbucks Coffee, Texas Capital Bank, Texas instruments, Thomson Reuters, Toyota, and Walgreens. ⁶

Policies and Projects

LGBT Advocacy

The Resource Center advances left-wing LGBT interests in both schools and government in the Dallas area. ^{7 1} One such effort involves lobbying to oppose so-called “Drag Ban Bills” that would prohibit sexually explicit drag performances in front of minors, as the group extolls the importance of drag queens to LGBT culture. ^{8 9} It also issued a statement opposing the 2023 Supreme Court decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis that protected a web designer’s right to not create an LGBT wedding website. The group called the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade “horrifying”. ^{10 11}

The Resource Center is especially involved in transgenderism and in addition to various medical and support services for adults, it also runs a support group for minors aged 12-18 that provides educational materials on transitioning and other trans-related topics. ²

Opposition to Target Removing Transgender and Pride Clothing

In May 2023, retail corporation Target came under controversy for carrying pride and transgender themed children’s clothing, in addition to transgender clothing for adults allegedly including “tuck-friendly” swimsuits. In response to a popular outcry, Target reduced the prominence of these items in or removed the items from its stores. ¹² The Resource Center was one of 200 organizations that signed onto a statement hosted by Human Rights Campaign (HRC) condemning this decision by Target. ¹³

Leadership

Cece Cox is the CEO of the Resource Center, a position she has held since 2010. In addition to this role, she is involved in various leadership roles in other LGBT organizations and is on the board of visitors of the UNT Dallas College of Law and the advisory council of the Dallas Mavericks. ^{14 15}