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CORVALLIS - After three years of working out of a former storage closet, the Oregon State University Pride Center is moving to its own freestanding building at 1553 S.W. A Ave. on the southeast edge of campus.

The space welcomes all community members, but will serve as a "home away from home" for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, said Luke Sugie, Pride Center external coordinator.

A formal grand opening ceremony, free and open to the public, is set at 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 11, at the center.

Organizers said the center will continue to act as a resource and education center for the OSU community, and a focal point for community involvement.

"We're very excited about the grand opening," Sugie said. "The celebration will allow us to showcase our services, history, and future to the Oregon State University community."

The event includes free food, entertainment and tours of the center.

Guest speakers include Roey Thorpe, director of Basic Rights Oregon, and Kathleen Saadat, Portland-area civil-rights activist. Amadan, a Corvallis-based Irish rock band, will provide music at the celebration.

The opening date was chosen because it concurs with National Coming Out Day, a nationwide celebration of LGBT affirmation, visibility and openness, Sugie said.

"We wanted to open on Coming Out Day because we're literally coming out of a closet and into our own space. And we also wanted to let people know that our organization is changing."

As an example of changes taking place, Sugie notes the recent center name change from Queer Resource Center to Pride Center.

The celebration also coincides with the hiring of a program adviser for LGBT Services, a part-time professional staff position to support the Pride Center and other LGBT programs, which places OSU among a small group of universities in the nation with such a position.

"We're hoping that everyone - LGBT or straight and including individuals of all ethnicities and backgrounds - will join us in welcoming our new space," Sugie said, "and see that we exist to serve all parts of the OSU community."

The center's website is located at http://oregonstate.edu/pridecenter/goc.php.