By BOB KECSKEMETY

Another piece of South Florida’s LGBT history ended last week with the demolition of the original location for the local Metropolitan Community Church, now known as the Sunshine Cathedral/MCC. The building was 50 years old and was located near the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, south of State Road 84.

Over recent years, the church building had been used as the Christian Romany Church. Despite protests by the local community to save the historic structure, the building had been demolished to make room for a social service facility that will house a drug rehabilitation program and sexual assault treatment clinic.

County Commissioner John Rodstrom joined with the neighbors protesting the demolition saying that it was pointless to tear the building down. The debate over the sale and use of the property has waged for the last seven years.

The Christian Romany Church had been paid $2.2-million by the county in 2007 for the purchase of the property but remained located there paying monthly rent to the county.

In addition to church services, the old Metropolitan Community Church, founded by Reverend Grant Ford, was used as a LGBT community center before there was the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida or Pride Center. Many local organizations were founded and had meetings in the various meeting rooms located on the property. One such organization was the Stonewall Museum and Archives which was a mere cardboard box located in the corner of an upstairs meeting room.

Other organizations that were founded there or used the facility on a regular basis were Gays United  Against Repression and Discrimination (GUARD), Americans for Equality, GLB Vets Group and Sunshine Athletic Association.

Many of our community’s early leaders for equality also met together at the MCC to help plot the course of the progress we enjoy in our community today. Some of those early community leaders include Dennis Delia, Karl Clark, David Stack and Robin Bodiford.

In addition to religious services held by the Metropolitan Community Church being held on the property, Dignity (Gay) Catholics also used the church for their services.

The old MCC is the second former historic LGBT property to be demolished recently.

Two months ago, the former location of the Sea Monster bar on the Middle River immediately west of S.E. 3rd Avenue, was the target of the wrecking ball to make way for a new development.