Those darn gays — they just want special rights and they never do anything for the community.

Uh-oh.

It appears yet another retrograde anachronistic myth has been exploded in our midst. On Tuesday the Denver-based Gill Foundation announced it has donated a building worth $1.3 million to Rocky Mountain PBS, meaning that the building on the corner of Wahsatch and Costilla streets will once again house a valuable nonprofit effort in downtown Colorado Springs.

Since January the building, once occupied by the Gay and Lesbian Foundation, has been vacant. In addition to being the Gay and Lesbian Fund’s headquarters, the location provided free public meeting space for a variety of local nonprofit groups.

The donation comes on the eve of Colorado Springs PrideFest 2012, a heavily attended event that brings a lot of money to the downtown area. Yet Mayor Steve Bach has consistently refused to sign a proclamation welcoming the event.

The openly gay Tim Gill was on hand for a brief news conference Tuesday, explaining that the gift is just a continuation of the Gay and Lesbian Fund’s policy of making substantial contributions to public broadcasting.

“With all the changes taking place in the media, public broadcasting is more important than ever,” Gill said. “A healthy democracy depends on informed citizens and this new center will help public media have greater impact in Colorado.”

The building now will be dubbed the Tim Gill Center for Public Media and will collaborate with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado College and KRCC 91.5 FM, Pikes Peak Community College, Rocky Mountain Community Radio and the Pikes Peak Library District.

Doug Price, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain PBS, called the gift “the largest private donation in our 56-year history.”

Price said the space, close to the central downtown area, will allow his nonprofit to be “the media arm of the nonprofit community instead of the nonprofit arm of the media community.”

Both Gill and Price stressed that when the building re-opens in September, the large public meeting room that provided free meeting space for local nonprofits again will be used for that purpose.

Bach, who has strongly backed a downtown revival, said “I think it’s wonderful.  I would like to see Rocky Mountain PBS have a larger presence here in Colorado Springs.”

One less empty building downtown. Badly needed help to the nonprofit community, which always finds donations tougher to come by in a recession. Further proof (not that some of us needed persuading) that gays consistently give back to a community that has earned a reputation for not being very gay-friendly.

Very well played, Mr. Gill.

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Listen to Barry Noreen on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM and 1240 AM at 6:35 a.m. on Fridays and follow on Twitter or Facebook or call him at 719-636-0363.