by ABC-7 Producer/Reporter Daniel Marin

EL PASO, Texas - The Sun City's gay community celebrated a huge milestone Thursday night.  El Paso's new Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgendered-Queer Center opened its doors to the public.  The center houses non-profit organizations, counselors and even a flower shop.

"We want this place to be the hub of the gay community," said director Charles Sloane.   The facility is the crown jewel of El Paso's emerging gay community; a community that's mobilizing to have their voice heard as never before.

"Just as we are coming out and being louder about our sexuality, as we should, there's gonna be people who are going to counteract that and they're going to be just as loud," said Sloane.  

Still, as with any type of battle, there are casualties.   Sloane says on Monday, he was the target of a hate crime. He says he was assaulted by attackers who used anti-gay slurs.

El Paso police say they don't get too many reports of hate crimes like these, but there could be a reason for that.  "People that practice alternative lifestyles, especially if they're younger ... there's some fear their family may find out," said El Paso Police spokesman Chris Mears.

Sloane, who recently married his partner, says despite what happened to him, he wants the focus to remain on the new GLBTQ center and the future.