Third GLBT center opens, in Sag Harbor

Gaby Hernandez Barros marveled Saturday at the room on the Sag Harbor church's second floor, the one dedicated to her younger brother.

Last October, 16-year-old David Hernandez Barros, who was gay, committed suicide after being taunted and bullied at his East Hampton school.

Shock over his death accelerated the opening of the Long Island Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Services Network's third community center -- a first for the East End.

For now, it will be based at Old Whaler's Church, a historic Presbyterian sanctuary, while organizers raise money for a stand-alone facility.

"It really is wonderful to see David's dream accomplished," Barros, 19, said of her brother.

Outside the church during Saturday's grand opening, Barros and her mother, Carmita, thanked several hundred supporters. With them was New York widow Edith Windsor, whose lawsuit against the federal government over a tax bill led the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act.

Hailing the community center, the 84-year-old lesbian said she hopes it will help put an end to "lying about who we are and suicide" among gay and lesbian youth.

The new center at 44 Union St. fills a void, since the closest comparable facility is 60 miles away in Bay Shore, said David Kilmnick, chief executive of the GLBT network. The group hosts anti-bullying and sensitivity workshops in local schools, along with counseling, mixers and other services.

"We need to remember that the East End needs access," Kilmnick said.

Carmita Barros has said she learned from others in the community that David was taunted by students at East Hampton High School soon after he arrived from Ecuador.

Joel Johnson, 17, president of the Gay-Straight Alliance Club at East Hampton High, said the center is sorely needed for a community still reeling over Barros' death. "A high school was not enough as a community," he said.

Adam Fronc, 22, a Hampton Bays High School graduate, said he was lucky to have a "support system" growing up. For those who don't, he said the new center should help.

"Just knowing this exists, is help enough," Fronc said. "Even for the kids who don't go."