In 1985, as the HIV/AIDS crisis was terrorizing gay communities across the nation, The Rowe Center took the bold step of opening its doors and creating a public weekend for men who love men. Men experiencing suffering and loss found comfort and companionship. Some, estranged from parents and relatives, created new families. Some who felt abandoned by society, the nation, and sometimes even God, found the embrace of a brother, a community, and sometimes, even God. Many who were grieving also found something to celebrate.

While a great deal has changed in the nearly 40 years since, we still gather for comfort, companionship, a sense of family, and a celebration of this life together. We are the oldest continuous gathering of our kind in the nation, a place where hundreds of lives have been transformed across the decades, and a place where all who seek to join us are warmly welcomed.

We are peer-led and co-facilitated, with no hierarchy, gurus, or masters. Just as in the 80s, we are a group of men gathered in the forest, committed to sharing wisdom, experience, and connection.

Because the weekend is designed and created by all the men who are part of it, each weekend is unique. However, after nearly forty years, we have our traditions. 

There are no “mandatory” activities during a Rowe retreat. Our retreats encourage participants to “self-curate”: you determine your own level of engagement, areas of interest, and daily activities. Some Rowe participants find themselves attending as many workshops as possible while others prefer to devote most of their time to relaxing, reading a book in the Farmhouse lounge and catching up with old friends near the snack table. The weekend is yours to create.