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

6 Degrees: Innovative Testing Network

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What is 6 Degrees?

It can be hard getting through the door to get an HIV test. There are many reasons why people will put off getting tested. But when someone they know reaches out and supports them in getting tested, taking this important step becomes easier to do. Often people have thought about getting tested and just need a little outside encouragement and support to move forward. That’s where the 6 Degrees project comes in.

6 Degrees is a project where Vermonters who are connected to friends, peers and acquaintances at risk of becoming HIV positive (like having unprotected sex or sharing needles) volunteer to become Community Advocates who reach out to their circles and encourage folks to get tested. This non-judgemental peer support, and the support from a network of testers, makes it easier for people to come in for testing and find out what their HIV status is.

 

Why is it important to get tested for HIV?

HIV can have a major impact on someone’s health. Many people will not have any symptoms (like getting ill more often) for 11 years after they’ve become HIV-positive, and 1 in 5 people who are living with HIV don’t realize it. The sooner someone gets tested and knows their HIV status, the sooner they can take steps to keep themselves and their partners healthier for longer. 

 

What do I get out of it?

If you become a Community Advocate, you will receive gift cards, credit towards your bills, and other incentives of your choice worth $25 for each person at risk of becoming HIV-positive that you refer who comes in for a test. For example, you could earn up to $250 towards an iPad or an electric bill. You will also be a part of a new, exciting project that breaks down barriers for our friends and community, helping those we know and care about to stay healthier and informed. 

 

Who runs the 6 Degrees project?

The RU12? Community Center, an organization that celebrates, educates and advocates with and for LGBTQ Vermonters has partnered with the Comprehensive Care Clinics, a system of four clinics providing state-of-the-art treatment for all stages of HIV/AIDS. These two organizations work together to:

• Recruit Community Advocates
• Support the advocates in connecting with their communities
• Provide anonymous HIV testing to the people in the Community Advocates' social circles

 

How do I get involved?

If you’re interested in becoming a Community Advocate, contact Mike Bensel or Jean-Denis Couillard at the RU12? Community Center by calling (802) 860-7812 or emailing 6degrees@ru12.org. You can also contact Deb Kutzko at the Comprehensive Care Clinic by calling (802) 847-4594. We will set up an interview with you where you can learn more about the program and make sure it’s a good fit for you.

 

 

Trans* Vermonters Gain Equal Access To Health Care

Press Release

April 26, 2013

New Health Insurance Bulletin Clarifies Access to

Health Care for Transgender Vermonters

 

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jean-Denis Couillard, Health and Wellness Coordinator

RU12? Community Center

802-860-7812 trans@ru12.org

 

The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR), Division of Insurance, this week, issued a bulletin clarifying key protections for transgender people in Vermont. The bulletin provides a clear directive to insurers that health care plans may not exclude coverage for medically necessary services for transgender people, including gender reassignment surgery.

 

The bulletin rests on key protections in law prohibiting gender identity discrimination, as well as the important and controlling standard of medical necessity regularly enforced by DFR rule. Insurance companies must comply with the terms of the bulletin, and new insurance policy forms filed by insurers will not be approved if they exclude gender transition related care.  The bulletin will impact a wide range of plans purchased by individuals and employers in Vermont, but does not regulate self-insured employer plans, which will continue to be subject to federal law.

 

“This is an important clarification of Vermont law.  Many health insurance plans categorically exclude gender-transition related care for no reason other than stigma and bias, and that is wrong,” said Corey Mallon, member of the Vermont Equal Care Coalition, a coalition of community organizations and individuals who advocated for the trans-inclusive reform in health insurance coverage.  “There is no principled reason for denying a transgender employee medically necessary health care.”

 

This bulletin confirms that discrimination against transgender people, including discrimination perpetuated by unfair insurance coverage, is against Vermont public policy. The bulletin states that “DFR is committed to ensuring that Vermonters do not face discrimination in accessing medically necessary health care benefits, including those based on gender identity and gender dysphoria. This is both a simple question of fairness and a matter addressed by existing insurance law and DFR regulation.”

 

“This bulletin is a momentous achievement, an achievement that rests not only on the work of the Equal Care Coalition, but on years of extraordinary efforts of many people in Vermont, and indeed across the country. We are extremely pleased that yet another barrier to receiving quality health care has fallen.  Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals is proud to be part of the Equal Care Coalition, the group that helped bring this over the finish line”, said Mari Cordes RN, President of Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals.

 

“Vermont joins a growing number of states in ensuring that transgender people are able to get the care they need, when they need it. Data shows that eliminating discriminatory insurance exclusions does not drive up costs, and is invaluable for helping transgender people lead healthy and authentic lives,” added Andrew Cray, a policy analyst with the LGBT Research and Communications Project at the, Center for American Progress in Washington, DC. California, Oregon, Colorado, and the District of Columbia have released guidance recognizing that equal access to health coverage is supported by medical science, improves the health of transgender people, and does not increase costs. Ending arbitrary insurance discrimination against transgender people simply supports what expert medical professional organizations including the American Medical Association, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and others have been saying for years: transition-related health care is medically necessary for many transgender individuals whose health and well-being depends on bringing their physical body into alignment with their gender identity, and determination of what care an individual patient needs properly rests with medical providers, not insurance companies.

 

Read the full bulletin here -  http://www.dfr.vermont.gov/sites/default/files/Bulletin_174.pdf

 

Frequently Asked Questions – http://www.ru12.org/bulletin_faq.html

Call For Proposals For Translating Identities Conference

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: June 15th, 2013

The Translating Identity Conference and Free 2 Be student organization of the University of Vermont are proud to announce the Translating Identity Conference (TIC), a one-day conference focusing on gender and gender identities. Conference registration will be free and open to the public.  This event hopes to reach out to the University of Vermont, Burlington, and broader communities and educate us all further about transgender and gender identity topics as well as their intersections with other identities. With multiple panels to choose from at any time, some panels will be directed towards trans people, their partners, and allies; while others will be for those who are fairly unfamiliar with the transgender movement and the topic of gender identity. This conference seeks to translate gender identity to both the queer community and its allies.

Read more about the conference and how you can propose your own workshop

Rally to Take Back the Night

RU12 Play Group EVERY Thursday!

Come join other LGBT families and children for our playgroup at the Leaps and Bounds Child Development Center in Essex. This weeks theme will be painting and games!

 

Join us for LGBTQA Leadership Day at the Vermont State House, Friday April 12th 2013

LGBTQ Leadership Day Agenda

7:00- 8:00AM: Set up tables in the State House cafeteria with organization information and fact sheets

8:30- 9:30AM: Donuts, coffee and informal meet and greet with legislators and other community groups

9:30AM: On the floor of the house, recognized on the floor and morning devotion led by LGBTQ community member

10:00AM-10:45 AM: Welcome by participating organizations and “how to talk to your legislator” presentation room 11

10:45AM: Break out to legislator meetings or attend the panel presentation by participating organizations in room 11 

11:30AM: Meet with the governor at the governor’s chamber

1:00PM: Regroup and share your experiences from the day and brainstorm community organizing ideas for the upcoming year

What is Leadership Day?

Leadership Day is an annual event which gives fellow LGBTQ Vermonters an opportunity to connect with LGBTQ organizations, and to connect with legislators about important issues facing our community today!

We are grateful to our legislative leaders and supporters who made history bringing full marriage equality to Vermont through the legislative process. There is still work to be done and issues that legislators must hear about directly from their constituents.

We need your participation to ensure that our presence and the issues that are important to us are VISIBLE! 

Please check out our Leadership Day Packet Download Leadership Day Packet (1750.7K) for information on how to contact your legislators, tips on how to talk with your legislators and talking points about key issues affecting our community. You can print the packet and bring it with you on leadership day and use it as a reference before the event.

Below you will find the agenda for the day, but be sure to look at the packet for more information.

RU12? Launches New Public Service Announcement!

 RU12? Community Center, is proud to announce the launch of our new public service announcement (PSA) in April as part of Sexual Violence Awareness Month.  This PSA was produced by our SafeSpace program, the only anti violence program in Vermont working to end domestic, sexual, and hate related violence in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and HIV-affected (LGBTQH) Vermonters.

SafeSpace PSA on YouTube

A recent groundbreaking Centers for Disease Control study found that intimate partner violence and sexual violence is a pervasive problem in LGBTQH and non-LGBTQH communities, with members of the LGBTQH communities experiencing sexual and domestic violence at the same or higher rates as non-LGBTQH people.

In hate violence cases power and control can be exerted through sexual violence.  In other cases, sexual violence is part of a pick up crime where the perpetrator relies on the likelihood of the victim not reporting because he or she fears that law enforcement of mainstream providers will either out them or not take them seriously.  Sexual violence is also often a part of domestic violence where batterers rely heavily on fears of stigma and isolation.  For these and many other reason, RU12’s SafeSpace program offers specialized direct services for LGBTQH survivors of sexual violence.

If you or someone you know has experienced violence, advocates in the SafeSpace program can help provide emotional support, advocacy, information and referrals.  Advocates are available M-Th 9am-6pm and Fri. 9am-2pm at 802-863-0003 or toll free 866-869-7351.

New Gay and Lesbian History Award

The Vermont Historical Society's Vermont History Day is a program open to Vermont students in grades 5 - 12.  The newly established Gay & Lesbian History Award will be added to the Vermont History Day's list of Special Prizes, and described as follows:

Gay & Lesbian History Award
Sponsored by the Vermont LGBT History Project
The Vermont LGBT History Project will award a prize for an outstanding entry presenting research recognizing the role of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people within Vermont history, United States history or world history.  The prize for a winning individual entry will be $100; the prize for a winning group entry will be $200, with money divided equally among group members.

Full information about Vermont History Day guidelines for exhibits, web sites, documentaries, performances or papers, as well as information about application and submission deadlines can be found at this direct weblink:  www.vermonthistory.org/historyday.   Introductory information is listed below.  A full listing of Special Prizes for Vermont History Day entries is available at the website.

Vermont History Day

Vermont History Day is an exciting education program that encourages students to study history and expand their knowledge. It also provides the opportunity to share the knowledge they have gained from their historical research by creating projects for the state contest. Vermont History Day is affiliated with National History Day.

The program is open to Vermont students in grades five through twelve and home study students ages 10 to 18.

Working individually or in small groups (up to 5), students choose a topic related to the National History Day annual theme, which in 2013 is"Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events." The topic can relate to Vermont history or US history or world history.

Students conduct research in libraries, museums, and historical societies, and interview experts on their topic. Using their new knowledge and incorporating primary sources, the students develop their projects in the format of their choice: exhibits, web sites, documentaries, performances or papers.

The entries are then judged by local historians, educators, and other professionals at the state program. Through their work, students gain a deeper understanding of how people, cultures, and events affect the course of history. This year's state contest will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Spaulding High School in Barre.

SafeSpace Applauds the Passage of an LGBTQ-Inclusive VAWA

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill re-authorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The House vote today reflects bi partisian support for the Senate bill which for the first time included explicit protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people.

The National Coalition of Anti Violence Programs (NCAVP), SafeSpace is a program member, has worked over two years advocating for inclusive provisions inserted into VAWA.  This victory will dramatically change our nation’s response to LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence.

Read more NCAVP Media Release

 

RU12? 2nd Monday Film and Discussion Series

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin

Monday

Feb 11th, 6pm     

RU12? Community Center, Champlain Mill in Winooski

 

Brother Outsider is a feature-length documentary portrait of Bayard Rustin’s activism for peace, racial and economic justice, and equality for LGBTQ Americans.

A master strategist and tireless activist, Bayard Rustin is best remembered as the organizer of the 1963
March on Washington, one of the largest nonviolent protests ever held in the United States. He brought Gandhi’s protest techniques to the American civil rights movement, and helped mold Martin Luther King, Jr. into an international symbol of peace and nonviolence.

Rustin’s biography is particularly important for lesbian and gay Americans, highlighting the major contributions of a gay man to ending official segregation in America. Rustin stands at the confluence of the great struggles for civil, legal and human rights by African-Americans and lesbian and gay Americans. In a nation still torn by racial hatred and violence, bigotry against homosexuals, and extraordinary divides between rich and poor, his eloquent voice is needed today.

RU12? Second Monday Screening is a cooperative effort of Vermont's LGBT and ally community.  Screenings are free and open to the public. Snacks provided please bring your own drink. Learn about the lives of LGBT people - the pain, the victories, the progress, and the challenges that persist.

As the series' name suggests, screenings are held on the second Monday of every month at RU12?. Film begins at 6pm, discussion to follow. Special thanks to VGSA and other community volunteers for making these events possible.

Sana (Parts 1-4)

We've asked a guest writer, Ana Hernandez, to write about her experience in a domestic violence relationship where her then girlfriend used their dog Sana as a way to inflict harm in the relationship. Ana has written a four part essay. We hope that this essay will bring to light some of the issues around domestic violence in the LGBTQ communities as well as how very deeply the animals in our lives are affected. Please note that this essay is the abridged version. If you would like to read a longer version that includes how the other dog and cat in Ana's life were affected, please let us know.

Sana
 By Ana Hernández

Part I

On the evening of September 11, 2004, I was driving my girlfriend, Jackie, and some of her friends back from the 9/11 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  As I pulled onto the highway, I saw, reflected in the headlights, two enormous eyes staring up from a small heap in my traffic lane.  I zoomed the van over the creature, then turned sharply into the parking lot of a truck stop, explaining, “there’s something in the road, I think it was hit.”  I ran to the spot and saw a tiny dog in the gutter, likely blown over by the 18-wheelers roaring past.  As I scooped her up, she tensed but did not resist.

Disability Movement at Creating Change in Atlanta

In the words of David Frye "We are here at Creating Change to make a difference and to make history. To put ideas in people's heads that this is a serious, serious matter and that for people with disabilities we are not invisible, we are out there to make a change.  And I think we did make a change, we showed people my story and when they left the conference room today, they said Wow, wow that person has lived it, has seen it and been through it all.  And I could not have done the work that I did today without the help of Peri Jude Radecic and Tia Nelis and Brenda Pitmon.  And I want to thank you all for supporting my ideas for how to help people with disabilities who identify as LGBTQ."  

David Frye and Tia Nelis speaking at Creating Change

Build Power, Take Action, Create Change

Build power, take action, create change was the overarching theme for today at the Creating Change conference in Atlanta.  David and I had a full day of immersing ourselves in learning how activists around the nation are engaged in this work.  I attended a day long institute on Funding Our Collective Liberation aimed at strengthening and deepening our social justice fundraising skills and analysis.

There are over 3,000 activists attending this conference!  No that isn't a typo, 3,000!  Can you imagine all that passion and excitement in one ballroom.  Electrifying!

Time to call it a night as David and I will be giving a workshop on disability rights and LGBTQ movements tomorrow with Peri Jude Radecic, Arizona Center for Disability Law and Tia Nelis from the University of Illinois, Chicago.

In solidarity,

David Frye

Brenda Pitmon

Greetings from The National Conference on LGBT Equality- Creating Change

We are excited to begin our first day at the Creating Change conference in Atlanta.  So many workshops, so little time to do them all.  This morning I will be attending an all day institute on Funding our Liberation and David will be attending the Social Media Institute.

Tomorrow we will be presenting a workshop on The Liberation of LGBTQ Self-Advocates in the Disability Rights and LGBTQ Movements.

More later!

In Solidarity,

David Frye- facilitator of the LGBTQ individuals with a disability support group

Brenda Pitmon- Program Coordinator SafeSpace Program

Kim Fountain Featured on This Show Is So Gay

Check out the podcast of Ken Schneck interviewing RU12? Executive Director Kim Fountain!

http://thisshowissogay.com/node/486

Jeanne Manford Dead: PFLAG Founder And Pioneering Gay Rights Ally Dies At 92

Posted 1/8/13

The Huffington Post  |  By Curtis M. Wong

Jeanne Manford, the founder of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and an all-around pioneering straight ally in the LGBT rights movement, has died at 92.

Manford died at her Daly City, Calif. home and had been in declining health for some time, daughter Suzanne Swan confirmed.

“She is known to thousands of people as the mother of the straight ally movement, but to me –- she was my mother," Ms. Swan said in an email statement. "She was someone who would always do the right thing, the good thing. She supported all people, and that meant so much to us growing up.”

Born Jeanne Sobelson on Dec. 4, 1920 in Queens, N.Y., Manford became active on behalf of LGBT rights in 1972 after her son Morty was beaten during a Gay Activists Alliance demonstration. After Morty's attack, Manford penned a letter to the editor of The New York Post, declaring "I have a homosexual son and I love him."

She subsequently joined her son in the 1972 Christopher Street Liberation Day Parade (predecessor to NYC's LGBT Pride Parade), carrying a placard stating "Parents of Gays: Unite in Support Of Our Children." The first meeting of PFLAG (which was then known as "Parents of Gays" or "POG") was held in New York's Metropolitan Community Church the following year.

"All of us -- people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight allies alike -- owe Jeanne our gratitude," PFLAG officials said in an email statement. "She paved the way for us to speak out for what is right, uniting the unique parent, family, and ally voice with the voice of LGBT people everywhere."

A private interment service will be held and details of a later celebration of Manford’s life and legacy will be announced later. The family requests that any donations be made to the Jeanne Manford Legacy Fund to support the ongoing work of PFLAG National: 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 660, Washington, D.C. 20036.

GEN Silent movie about LGBT Elders available for free home screening

Last May, RU12?'s LGBT Elders Program teamed up with community partners Champlain Valley Area Health Education Cener (CVAHEC) and the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging (CVAA) to present a screening of the film GEN Silent, about several LGBT aging Americans and their struggle to feel comfortable being/remaining out in the context of getting older and accessing elders-specific services. This was one of several GEN Silent screenings statewide throughout the month of May.

Our screening was a remarkable success, with more than 100 folks coming out on a Wednesday evening for the film and following panel discussion, in order to bring attention to the issue as well as identify viable next steps, including the development of cultural competency trainings for elders service providers. RU12? will be debuting this training system this spring in the NEK, but until then, the powerful film that kickstarted our local discussions is available for free home-viewing until January 1. Check it out here: GEN Silent, or contact jean@ru12.org for more information about RU12?'s new LGBT Elders training.

Outright VT Hiring Director of Education

Outright VT Hiring Director of Education

The mission of Outright is to provide safe, healthy, and supportive environments for LGBTQQ youth, ages 13-22. Outright Vermont is hiring a full time Director of Education. The Director of Education is responsible for providing support, resources, and assistance to youth, adults, and school districts across the state of Vermont.

Key functions include:

 

• Education and Outreach to schools and community organizations throughout Vermont, including presenting to 4000+ participants at schools in every county in the state


• Managing Vermont's Queer Straight Alliance Network, including providing support, resources, and technical assistant to Vermont's QSAs


• Planning and coordinating two major events, the Fall QSA Conference and the Spring Queer & Allied Youth Summit


• Assisting with General Organizational and Administrative Support

Minimum qualifications necessary include a college degree in a relevant field (or a mixture of education and experience), proven ability to effectively communicate and present to diverse audiences, a valid driver's license and willingness to travel extensively in state, and knowledge about the experiences of queer youth. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to ed@outrightvt.org by January 4th. Email with questions. Thanks.

See Full Listing

RU12? SafeSpace in the News

RU12?'s Executive Director recently contributed to the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Newsletter, writing about LGBTQ survivors of violence. Check out her article on page 2.

http://www.vtnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/Fall2012VTNetworkNewsfinal.pdf

RU12? Featured Article in Get Educated

RU12's Executive Director, Kim Fountain, recently contributed to Get Educated's blog addressing the benefits of online education for LGBTQ individuals.

http://www.geteducated.com/elearning-education-blog/in-favor-of-gay-high-school-online-education-for-lgbtq-youth