Title
Honoring and congratulating Chris Bartlett on the occasion of his retirement from the William Way LGBT Community Center after fifteen years of dedicated service on June 30, 2025.
Body
WHEREAS, Chris Bartlett has fought for LGBTQ+ rights for more than 30 years. He began his work during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s as a member of ACT UP Philadelphia, becoming a leading advocate for research and education on the disease through the AIDS Library of Philadelphia and the SafeGuards Gay Men's Health Project; and
WHEREAS, Chris began his role as Executive Director at the William Way LGBT Community Center in 2010. He worked quickly to solidify and expand the organization's footprint as a leading LGBTQ+ home, advocacy organization, and space for the LGBTQ+ communities; and
WHEREAS, As Executive Director, Chris successfully expanded peer support groups, senior programming, and arts initiatives to appeal to a wide range of constituencies. He managed significant renovations and repairs to the center, increased support for BIPOC and transgender people, and developed closer relationships with national advocates to solidify his organization's voice in political processes from the local to the federal level; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his extraordinary leadership at William Way, Chris developed the nation's first LGBTQ+ jazz festival "Outbeat", the nation's first LGBTQ+ history exhibition at a national museum "Speaking OUT for Equality", and the City's first remembrance of its citizens lost to the AIDS epidemic "Remembrance", thus shining a light on the significant queer histories in the City of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Chris Bartlett has left the center on a stronger footing than ever before, and few individuals have made such a lasting and holistic mark on the organizations they serve. Chris's tenure at William Way serves as proof that leadership through service can grow an organization's impact and network, and his profound influence has ensured William Way'...
Click here for full text