RU12? Community Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Vermont

Dialogue and Desserts

This Tuesday, November 3, the sixth installment of Dialogue and Desserts will take place at the RU12? Community Center from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Last Tuesday folks gathered to discuss families and snack on delicious desserts. The group discussion focused on the relationship between families of origin and families of choice and the question of, "Who is our family?". This week the topic for discussion is intersection. We will discuss how sexuality interacts with our identities and what identities shape how we see our sexuality. We look forward to seeing you there! If you would like more information on Dialogue and Desserts please email sharon@ru12.org

*These discussions are nonsequential, and all newcomers are welcome*

Health and Human Services Announces Formation of National Resource Center for LGBT Elders

Last week the Department of Health and Human Services announced the development of a national resource center to help communities across the country in providing services and support to elderly members of the LGBT community. The center aims to provide information, assistance, and resources at the state and community level to LGBT organizations as well as service providers focused on aging. 

Another goal of the center will be to educate the LGBT community about planning ahead for future long term care needs. In addition to this, the center will assist community-based organizations comprehend the unique needs and concerns of older LGBT people. This includes providing assistance to caregivers of LGBT people who are caring for an older partner with health or other challenges. 

The Administration on Aging will bestow a single Resource Center grant at approximately $250,000 per year. Public and private nonprofit organizations experienced with LGBT issues on a national level will be eligible for this grant.  

Hate Crimes Legislation Signed Into Law By President Obama!

A great and historic moment in the fight for LGBT equality in America occurred today as President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. After passing in both the House and the Senate by comfortable margins, and receiving today's signature from the President, the new law extends authority to fully investigate and prosecute bias-motivated crimes where the victim has been targeted because of actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

The passing of this act is a milestone. For the first time both Houses of Congress and the President have said, via legislation, that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans are equal Americans, and they deserve to be protected against attacks and protected from bias.

While the legislative process is slow, we must see this for what it is: the first major civil rights legislative victory in the history of the LGBT movement, and proof that progress is possible. The passing of this bill will also draw national attention to the amount of violence faced by LGBT people every day.

In the months to come many other major pieces of LGBT related legislation will hit Congress, beginning with the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). If the Hate Crimes Act taught us anything, it is that we can get Congress to pass pro-LGBT legislation. ENDA is a vital next step to recognize and protect the rights and safety of LGBT Americans.

The Hate Crimes act could not have been passed were it not for the hundreds of thousands of ordinary people like you who reached out to their members of Congress. All those letters, e-mails, telephone conversations and personal meetings are what helped convince your Representatives and Senators to do what is right. For ENDA, we need even more people to get involved. We all can make a difference in our worlds!

(Content from Centerlink)

Celebrate Halloween Saturday night to benefit the LGBTQ Community!

From the Producers of the successful 2007 and 2008 Halloween event "Ghouls Gone Wild," we present "Skeletons in the Closet" for this year's huge Halloween bash.

This Saturday, Oct. 31st at Higher Ground in South Burlington, 8pm doors open.

Get your Tickets Today! ($15 advance, $20 door) at www.highergroundmusic.com, by calling 652-0777, at the box office or at the door).

More about the event from Precious himself: POOF! A Drag Cabaret is coming back!! POOF! begins at 9pm. The show features Celeste LeRue, Crystal Lite, Fonda LeCox, Spice, and more! DJ Precious spinning retro, party favorites, divas, and definitely...the best house in B-town. The girls from POOF! will also be your costume judges. They will be circulating around the crowd at the event and picking the top five. Get yourself noticed if you want to win! Then from there Precious will narrow down to the winner by crowd approval. We have a great prize, so get ready. Dancing all night, yummy drinks, and fierce music.

Thanks to Precious for organizing this year's Halloween party to once again benefit the LGBTQ community, and the RU12? Community Center!

Theatre for Social Change!

Weekend Introductory Workshop in Theatre of the Oppressed Techniques

Saturday October 31 & Sunday November 1*

11AM-4PM

$120.00 Flynn Center for the Performing Arts* Burlington

FORUM THEATRE DEMONSTRATION & PERFORMANCE

Sunday November 1 at 5:00 PM * FlynnSpace * open to the public

Explores techniques and approaches to empower and promote change within individuals & society, developed by Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Anyone interested in using theatre as a tool for debate & social change within communities, theatre practitioners, social activists, students age 16 and up, teachers, community workers, youth workers, citizens.

To register contact FlynnArts Coordinator at (802) 652-4548 or www.flynncenter.org *

For questions call workshop facilitators Kim Jordan at 318-0934 or Jen Berger at 862-8127

Trans Guy Group Cancelled Tonight

Hello there! The Trans Guy group is cancelled tonight (Monday, Oct. 26th) but will meet NEXT MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd instead, same time, 6:00-7:30pm.

Also, for Partners of Trans Guys, we have a group at RU12? for you too! We meet the 3rd Thursday of every month from 6:30-8pm; our next meeting is November 19th. Contact kara@ru12.org for more information.

HUD Makes Historic Announcement

Last week the Department of Housing and Urban Department (HUD) announced new policies banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This is a substantial gain for the LGBT community, considering the fact that HUD's public housing and voucher programs help more than three million families to rent an affordable home. 

Under the new guidelines the word "family" will now include all eligible lesbain, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, couples and families and subsidized housing will be made available to those who need it. The proposed rule will also require grantees and participants in the Department's programs to abide by local and state nondiscrimination laws that cover sexual orientation or gender identity. The announcement also specifies that any FHA-insured mortgage loan must be based on the credit-worthiness of a borrower and not on unrelated factors or characteristics such as gender identity or sexual orientation.

In addition, HUD stated that it will launch a nationwide investigation into the discrimination that LGBT people face in housing! HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan stated, "The evidence is clear that some are denied the opportunities to make housing choices in our nation based on who they are and that must end." Donovan went on to say, "President Obama and I are determined that a qualified individual and family will not be denied housing choice based on sexual orientation or gender identity." Way to go HUD! We commend your advocacy for the LGBT population! 

A Sneak Peak at the Speakers lined up for the SafeSpace Conference November 13th!

The SafeSpace Conference is coming up!  On November 13th from 8:30-4:30 we will be gathered together at the Double Tree Hotel on Williston Road in South Burlington.  The Conference "Transitioning Our Social Programs:  Creating Safety and Access with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Community" promises to be a day filled with good people, good information and great resources.  We hope that you will join us! 

In the meantime....we wanted to give you a glimpse of who will be joining us...

AVY SKOLNIK:  Our Keynote Speaker and co-facilitator of the afternoon session titled "Road Blocks and Traffic Circle Solutions to Sheltering All."

Avy currently works as an independent LGBT Cultural Competency Consultant while attending Columbia University in pursuit of his PhD in Counseling Psychology.  Previously, he worked as the coordinator for the Statewide and National Programs at New York City Anti-Violence Project where he facilitated the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, a national network of grassroots organizations dedicated to ending violence in all its forms against LGBTQ people, as well as the New York State LGBT Domestic Violence Network, a work group comprised of individuals and agencies working to end domestic violence and increase access to services for LGBT people experiencing domestic violence.  As a consultant, Avy provides training and technical assistance to community groups, human service agencies, schools, hospitals, clinics, and law enforcement on LGBT violence-related issues including intimate partner violence, sexual assault and bias motivated crimes. 

The workshop Avy is co-facilitating in the afternoon will consist of talking about the struggles with space, and numbers of people who require sheltering and all of the varying needs.  He will adress the question, how do we ensure that we and the organizations we work for are ready?  There will be a discussion on how to build personal knowledge and organizational buy-in, identify pressing issues abd advocacy ideas, and energize participants for moving into action! 

Are you registered to attend yet?  If not, contact us!  We would love for you to join us!  Please call Ann or Brenda with questions or registration needs.  802-860-7812.

Dialogue and Desserts

Next Tuesday, November 27th, the RU12? Community Center invites you to attend the fifth installment of Dialogue and Desserts. This past Tuesday the topic of discussion was laws and policies. The questions posed focused on how laws and policies affect the LGBTQ community and how the LGBTQ community impacts the laws and policies that currently exist. This week's topic is families, and from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm we will discuss questions such as, "Who is our family?' and "What is the relationship between families of origin and families that we choose?". We hope you can join us! If you would like more information please email sharon@ru12.org

*These conversations are nonsequential, and we encourage newcomers*

Hate Crime Law Passes!

Today, the Senate passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act!

Now that this bill has passed both the House and the Senate, it’s on to President Obama’s desk for his signature.For years we have spoken out, written letters to Congress, and signed thousands and thousands of petitions demanding federal hate crimes protections for LGBT Americans. We are now just a signature away from making these protections a reality.

President Obama has promised to sign this bill into law. When he does, it will usher in a new era, one in which hate-filled violence will no longer be overlooked, undercounted or tolerated.

This is a victory for the LGBT community, for LGBT people everywhere, and for everyone committed to justice and equality. Together we rejected efforts to protect some but not all by demanding that gender identity be included in the law. And you spoke out — loudly and clearly — against efforts to twist hate crimes protections into an excuse to expand the injustice of the death penalty. 

Today, we have taken an important step forward on the march to full equality. We still have a long road ahead of us, but with your continued support and action, and with the unwavering commitment of the LGBT community and straight allies, we will finally create a world where no one will be subjected to violence or any other injustice simply for living their lives, honestly and openly, and being who they are.

Thank you to all the organizations and individuals who have made this historic victory a reality!

Victory! Appelate Court Abolishes "Doctor's Note" Requirement for Transgender Name Changes

This week a New York State appeals court overruled a lower court's decision that required transgender people seeking to change their name to provide medical evidence of their need for a name change. The ruling was handed down in an appeal filed on behalf of Olin Winn-Ritzenberg. Olin's petition to change his name was denied by a lower court due to a lack of a letter from a doctor, therapist or social worker verifying his need to change his name.

In the decision the appelate court wrote,"There is no sound basis in law or policy to engraft upon the statutory provisions an additional requirement that a transgendered-petitioner present medical substantiation for the desired name change." This decision sends a powerful message that transgender people are to be treated equally and that they cannot be subjected to different legal requirements than other individuals. People's names are an integral part of their identity, and the court's decision validates the belief that each one of us has the right to be known by a name that we choose. The decision also confirms that one's chosen name cannot be second-guessed by service providers (i.e. doctors, therapists, etc.) simply because someone is transgender.

When Olin received the news of the court's decision he said, "This means that I can finally change my name and move forward with my life. My gender transition has been a very personal journey, and no one is in a better position to decide that I need to change my name than I am." Congratulations Olin, and thank you for your perseverance throughout the appeal process!

We Want You!!

With less than a month to go before the eleventh annual Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial we invite you to participate in the planning of the event in any way that you can! The TDOR planning committee meetings will be held every Tuesday, from October 27th through November 17th, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm at the RU12? Community Center. We understand that this time and location does not work for everyone, and so we encourage you to participate in a different capacity! We welcome all forms of volunteering, from cooking or baking something to bring to the event to hanging up fliers around the community. The Transgender Day of Remembrance provides us with an opportunity  to express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred, and community member involvement is critical to the success of this event! Please email sharon@ru12.org for more information or to get involved!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month...Last Event for 2009

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Join us for the last event of 2009!
When: Thursday, October 22 starting at 5:30 PM
Where: Church Street at City Hall and One Main Street Landing

Organized by:
Women Helping Battered Women
Women's Rape Crisis Center
Safe Space @ RU12? Community Center
Domestic Abuse Education Program
UVM Women's Center

Now is your chance to get involved and make a difference!

Walk the Walk...
Join us in an empowering march down Main Street to raise awareness about domestic violence and  let our voices be heard!!  We will convene in front of City Hall on Church street in downtown Burlington at 5:30, and march down to One Main Street Landing.

Honor Survivors...
After the  empowerment march, we will gather in front of One Main Street Landing and light candles in honor of the many survivors, victims, family members, friends and/or  children whose lives have been touched by Somestic Violence.  We will have a moment of  silence and personal reflection time, followed by a musical performance from the UVM musical group, the Top Cats.

Speak-Out!
This is a chance to honor the courage of victims and survivors.  It is also an opportunity to  create awareness through real life experience.  Support those who share their stories and/or take the opportunity to have your voice be heard.  Break the silence, speak out, and support all survivors of Domestic Violence.

This event is free and open to the public.  Individuals are encouraged to bring friends, family, co-workers, etc and to attend part or all of the event.

For more  information please contact Amy at 658-3131 x 1076.

Dialogue and Desserts

This Tuesday, October 20, the fourth installment of Dialogue and Desserts will be taking place at the center from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Last week our largest group yet enjoyed double chocolate chip cookies and sipped tea and hot chocolate while we discussed presentation and the role it plays in the LGBTQ community. This week the topic of conversation is laws and policies. We will discuss how laws and policies affect our community, and what influence we have over them. We hope to see you at the center!

If you have any questions or would like more information please email sharon@ru12.org

*These discussions are nonsequential, and we encourage newcomers*

Todd's Peek at: "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim"

 David Sedaris is not only a good writer, but he is a great writer. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is October’s read for Todd’s Peek in review.  Not just because David came to town earlier this month as the big to do in a long time, but because we need David Sedaris to write for the world, especially the gay community at large.

The book is formatted like many of his essays.  He writes short essays on life and spins humor into a clear, concise story line.  To be so discerning to the story itself the writer and the essay seem to unfold with each gorgeous sentence on paper, structured thought, feeling and action.  For me as the reader, I love the humor of Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim because it’s real to life and yet unreal to David’s accounting via the solid prose he conveys with each story line.  That is also to say the imperceptibility's of his own accounting are so amazing making the write so gosh darn funny and real at the same time!

RU12? has many of his distinguished books in its library collection.  Funny, true grit essays which span the day to day values of living life for him, his family and the world around him. I am grateful to David Sedaris, his soul, his writing gifts and the meaning and feeling that he conveys to the reader, more specifically the gay community. So step into RU12? and don’t leave David Sedaris behind, let the stellar read of his own accord continue with YOU.

RU12? Board Member Michael Upton reports from Washington, DC

Notes from the March for Equality

What a beautiful weekend.  For those members of our Vermont LGBTQA who could be there I hope you experienced all the glory of our day in the sun (both literally and figuratively).

I attended a workshop entitled: Holding Difficult Conversations about Sexuality and Religion. The room overflowed with people wanting to talk and share and learn.  This was not just a big party.  The people I met all along the way this weekend were celebrating and having fun, but also seeking new knowledge, new connections and new strategies for advancing our cause.

My next event was the HRC dinner.  I did not go as an attendee, but as one of the hundred or so people outside.   Many with me were picketing and protesting.  There were a handful from the "opposition" pointing out that our LGBTQ community is going to hell.  But, they were largely ignored and mostly odd, so out of place for the dinner and the weekend and the new reality the world is facing.  I passed out stickers for Out4Immigration to the dinner attendees.  I asked them to wear the sticker, or if they couldn't to at least remember those of us whose partners could not be with us that evening, because they were foreign nationals and we have no right to sponsor them to come here.

On Sunday I attended the march, marching with Immigration Equality.  There were about 300 of us dressed in our bright red shirts marching together chanting "2,4,6,8, Let our Families Immigrate" and "What do we want?  Green Cards!  When do we want them?  Now!"  It was so wonderful to be amongst those in our community who shared my struggle of being separated from my partner, knowing that the laws are unpredictable and unfair.

I hope all of us in this big queer community can draw on the energy I felt in  Washington on Sunday and use it to speak up, reach out, and make a difference.  Volunteer to help Maine keep marriage equality, write a letter to congress telling them how important it is to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, learn more about the work of Immigration Equality (www.immigrationequality.org) and insist that our congressional delegation push to include LGBTQ families in Comprehensive Immigration Reform.  Volunteer for RU12?, Outright Vermont, VT Cares, or any of the other Vermont organizations that work to support our community and make our state and our world a better place for us to live. Celebrate and be proud!

A rainbow circled the sun in Washington on Sunday.  It was an odd celestial event, no rain, no real clouds in sight and a circular rainbow appeared as a ring around the sun.  Each of us can make of this what we wish.  From my angle, it was clear the universe was sending a signal.  Our time has come, our time is now.  Marriage in Vermont is but a beginning.  We will become equal in our laws and we will continue to win hearts and minds as we tell our stories and share ourselves with our families, friends and neighbors.

 

Translating Identity Conference (TIC) Oct. 24th

The Translating Identity Conference is a free conference focusing on transgender communities and gender identities. Open to the public, this event hopes to reach out to the University of Vermont, the Burlington community, and the nation as a whole to further educate us all about gender. With multiple sessions and workshops to choose from at any time, some will be directed specifically towards trans-identified people, while others will be for families, friends, and lovers of trans persons. Some will be for those already well versed in this subject area and some will be for those who are fairly unfamiliar with the transgender community and the topic of gender identity. This conference is a safe space for everyone to come, learn, and enjoy themselves! 

Register NOW!

TIC is right around the corner, and the time has come to start  gathering our volunteers! Every year, TIC relies on the energy and  commitment of our volunteers to help run the show. As the committee  has gotten very small this past year, we need as much help as we can  to make sure TIC runs as smoothly as possible!

This is where you come in. If you're interested in volunteering,  please attend our *volunteer meeting* on *Monday, October 19th at  5:00 pm and 7:00 pm in the Williams Family Room, Davis Center.* At this meeting we'll talk about the time commitment required for volunteering as well as the many tasks you can help us out with.

We will be handing out volunteer assignments & pizza on Tuesday, October 20th. You have to attend the meeting on Monday in order to come to Tuesday's meeting!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the committee at
tic@uvm.edu.

Thank you!
The 2009 TIC Committee

Ready for Pub Quiz...?!

 

The fabulous House of Lemay hosts GLAM's Queer Pub Quiz! Bring a buddy
or find a group there to show off your smarts. Typical trivia will be
mixed in with LGBTQ-focused questions. Prizes for each round of trivia
and a Grand Prize for the highest-scoring team at the end of night!
Check out GLAM's webpage for more information about GLAM, or drop us an email .

Dialogue and Desserts

This coming Tuesday, October 13th,  RU12? invites community members to come together at the center for tasty treats and engaging conversation during our third installment of Dialogue and Desserts! Last week we welcomed new participants, enjoyed savory coffee cake, and exchanged views on the topic of language and the role it plays in the LGBT community. This week's topic is presentation, and as a group we will discuss how we enact our identities, and what we "look" like. We hope to see you this week! **These discussions are nonsequential, and we encourage newcomers**

Get Your National Equality March On!

This weekend Washington D.C. is the place to be! The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will team up with thousands of grassroots activists from around the country to stand up and march toward full and equal protection for LGBT people in all matters governed by civil law in all fifty states. This is a critical time for change in our country, and the National Equality March is a fabulous opportunity to make your voice heard on these important issues!

The National Equality March is taking place this Sunday, October 11th. The march will start at 12:00 noon and end on the west lawn of the Capitol Building. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force rally will begin at 2:00 pm and provide three hours of inspirational speeches and music. If you are in the area or are one of thousands making the trip to D.C. you can meet up with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force on the corner of 15th and M (look for the pink and purple balloon arch).

Vist Equality Across America for more information

RU12? Center Scheduled Closings

The RU12? Community Center will be closed this Friday, October 9th and Monday, October 12th. The center will reopen Tuesday at 10:00 am.

National Equality March

Supporters of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans from every race, class, faith and community are mobilizing for a National Equality March on October 11, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The single demand of the march is clear: “Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states."  We will accept no less and will work until it is achieved. 

The march is being organized by Equality Across America, a grassroots network dedicated to organizing in all 435 Congressional Districts to achieve full equality. There will be multiple events planned throughout the weekend and we hope that you will visit our website to learn more, http://www.nationalequalitymarch.com

Right now we have one bus with 54 seats available going down on the evening of October 10th and coming back the evening of the 11th.  Tickets are $40.  Please get in touch with Jim Ramey if you want to go, want to sponsor someone to go or can give a donation to offset costs. Vermont Contingent Leaves from in front of Ira Allen Chapel on the UVM Campus 11pm the evening of October 10th. The bus will be departing Washington DC at 7:30 pm on October 11th.

For more information, contact:

Jim Ramey

802-309-4824
http://equalityacrossamerica.org/

Thanks to a generous donor RU12? has free tickets available, contact Kara@ru12.org if interested.

Dialogue and Desserts

Thanks to everyone who attended last week's Dialogue and Desserts! We had an engaging conversation about community while we munched on an assortment of brownies donated by Great Harvest Bread Company. Our discussion focused on identifying who makes up our community, what it means to be a part of this group, and the tensions that exist within the population. Join us  for dessert and conversation tomorrow night (Tuesday) at the Center (34 Elmwood Ave.) from 7:30 to 8:30. The topic for tomorrow is language.

David Sedaris visits Vermont

David Sedaris is coming to Vermont, and you don't want to miss him! David is a Grammy-Award -nominated Greek-American humorist, writer, comedian, bestselling author, and radio contributor. David writes current satirical fiction and essays about family values, American culture, and socioeconomic issues. The discussion will be held at Memorial Auditorium next Tuesday at 7:30. Tickets for this event are still available, click here for more information. Look for Todd's review of David's latest work, When You are Engulfed in Flames, in an upcoming blog post!

October is LGBTQ History Month!