Gay Central Valley
Newsletter: Volume 3 / November 2012
Welcome to the new Gay
Central Valley newsletter! Each month we plan to bring you a quick look at
what's going on with Gay Central Valley, the Fresno LGBT Community Center, and
the Rainbow Delegation.
Note from GCV President
Chris Jarvis....
It has been a busy few months for Gay Central Valley…
and we still have so much more to look forward to!
Since taking over the Rainbow Delegation project
this summer, Gay Central Valley has provided approximately 4,000 rainbow
bracelets to people across the United States, as well as providing free
bracelets in the Central Valley at various events and through the Fresno LGBT
Community Center. The Rainbow Delegation project continues to grow and expand
on a daily basis. We ran a GSA Rainbow Delegation promotion in September,
getting the bracelets to Gay Straight Alliances in our schools, and we are planning
a holiday Rainbow Delegation promotion so the bracelets can be gifted to
others.
We are also pleased to announce that Gay Central
Valley has a newly formed Advisory Board, which will have its first meeting this
month. The Advisory Board is made up of local community members who have agreed
to come together to discuss ways we can better serve the LGBT Community in the
Central Valley.
We would like to send a special thank you to the
active group of dedicated volunteers and facilitators who came forward during
the summer and fall. Keeping the activities and day to day operations in full
motion at the Fresno LGBT Community Center has been made much easier by those
who are passionate about the work and who show up daily to give of themselves
for the community. Thank you to all.
In the past few months, Gay Central Valley attended
events such as Sober Stock and Be The Change at Fresno State. We held a Breast
Cancer Awareness Seminar titled THINK PINK at the Fresno LGBT Community Center
and we once again had the Fresno County Dept of Public Health out to provide
free HIV testing in honor of HIV / AIDS Awareness Day.
Coming up we will be part of the Fresno county
Community Resource Fair and will be walking and helping to sponsor the Fresno
AIDS Walk. We are also proud to be marching for Transgender Equality at the
Transgender Day Of Remembrance event (details below).
Also on the horizon, the Supreme Court has agreed to
review the Prop 8 Case and a couple of the DOMA lawsuits on November 20th, so
we may have some answers as soon as November 26th... stay tuned to
the GCV Blog for news and updates.
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Article Re-Wind
October was a busy month. In
case you missed anything, here are some of the most popular stories and
articles:
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Community Corner:
Want to know what’s
happening at your Fresno LGBT Community Center? Wondering when one of our new
groups meets? Our handy calendar tool will keep you up to date. Check
it out here
Rainbow Delegation:
Thanks to some generous donations and
the profits from the sale of the Rainbow Bracelets ($1 each), we have been able
to begin filling the free request orders. (We sent out 300 last week!) Remember, we fill
the free requests quarterly as funding allows… if you would like to help others
be able to have a bracelet, want to find out more, or to make a donation, please visit the Rainbow Delegation webpage.
Queer Movie Night Returns!
We are happy to announce that our weekly
Queer Movie Night is starting back up at the Fresno LGBT Community Center.
Hosted by Gay Central Valley and sponsored by The Express, this weekly event is
FREE and open to the public. Come join us every Wednesday night (except for holidays) at 6pm.
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Staff Star of the Month
You can read more about our
staff here. If you are interested in volunteering, please click here for more information about our open positions.
Both
Kayleia and Mandy started working at the Community Center this summer. They've
both been strong and dedicated volunteers who have become invaluable to the
daily operations of the Fresno LGBT Community Center.
Kayleia
-
is 19 years old. She was born in Redding, California and now lives in Clovis.
She is a Communications major and Fresno City College and also a member of the
Diversity Club on campus. She hopes to get certified in phlebotomy and
work in the future for the Red Cross. She came to the Center to fulfill a class
requirement but grew to love the work and the day to day operations at the
Fresno LGBT Community Center. She has taken on various duties such as sharing
administration duties on Facebook and working weekly to maintain the Rainbow
Delegation, a project of Gay Central Valley.
Mandy
- is 28 years old
and is going back to college after a ten year break. During that break she was
married and had a baby girl. Shortly afterwards she was separated and was faced
with being a single mother. She decided to go back to school to pursue a social
degree and to be certified in phlebotomy. When faced with where to do her
internship, Mandy chose the Fresno LGBT Community Center, seeing the LGBT Community
as under served in the social work field.
Mandy currently staffs the Center every Thursday as well as volunteers
during the week for special projects, including the Rainbow Delegation.
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Sister Spotlight:
We aren't the only
group in the Central Valley working for the LGBT Community. Each month we want
to shed some very deserving light on one of our sister organizations or
community events.
This month’s pick is Transgender Day of Remembrance hosted
by Trans-E-Motion.
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On Tuesday November 20th, Trans-E-Motion,
will host their annual Transgender Day Of Remembrance.
This event, modeled off of the national TDOR, will
again serve as a place to honor the lives lost to bigotry and anti-transgender
hatred, as well as celebrate the lives of the transgender living. Like in years
past, there will be a mix of celebration and contemplation as the transgender
community invites their allies to an evening of dinner, live entertainment and
art.
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Again this year, Trans-E-Motion, which started as a
task force to put on a local TDOR event in 2005 and has since grown to offer
services and support options to the Valley’s transgender community becoming an
official 501(c)3 organization in 2010, will provide a respectful homage to
those who have lost their lives because of their transgender status. The names of those in the transgender
community who have been murdered or succumbed to suicide will be read as part
of the reception which will also host live music, dinner, speeches highlighting
the need for advocacy and allies, and a silent auction of locally generated art
that will showcase themes of gender acceptance, love, and diversity.
New to this year’s schedule, will be a public rally
and march before the reception. As bullying rates continue to increase,
organizers wanted this year’s TDOR to be more public as a way of generating
support. Being visible and proud is important to the local transgender
community as they continue to fight for equal rights in one of the more
conservative parts of the state.
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Also new this year, there
will be no charge for attendance as this year’s focus is not about raising
money but about raising awareness.
The rally is scheduled to begin at 4:30pm at
Fresno’s Courthouse Park (1100 Van Ness Ave) and will function as a bringing
together of allies and supporters from all across the LGBT+ and straight ally
spectrum. The march, which will take
place immediately following the rally, will circle the block two to three times
and eventually progress to the Downtown Community Arts Collective (764 P
Street). The reception will follow immediately.
The event, while focusing on the trials and
tribulations of the transgender community, is open to the public. There is a need
for more allies who understand that no matter where one is under the
Transgender Umbrella (transitioning, not transitioning, transsexual, cross
dresser, transvestite, intersex, drag queen, gender fluid, gender queer etc)
being transgender is a valid identify. The need for more non-transgendered
individuals to stand alongside the often forgotten “T” in the LGBT acronym is
huge… and this is a perfect chance to do just that.
For more information, please visit the event’s Facebook page.
Upcoming Local Events
AIDS Walk Fresno
Woodward Park - Saturday November
10th...AIDS Walk Fresno is an HIV/AIDS awareness and fundraising event that
will pay homage to those affected by the disease and remember those we have
lost. All proceeds will benefit Fresno’s only HIV/AIDS support center: The Living Room, a project of WestCare California
Inc. More info here... www.fresnoaidswalk.org
Transgender
Day Of Remembrance
Tuesday,
November 20th...To celebrate the lives lost due to anti-transgender bias and
hatred and to celebrate the lives of transgender individuals in our community.
Candlelight Vigil March at 4:30PM @the Fresno Courthouse Park – 1100 Van Ness
Avenue. Reception CELEBRATION @6PM – Downtown Community Arts Collective @764 P
Street. For further information please contact Zoyer Zyndel / Transemotion
@559-285-0795 or zoyer_zyndel@yahoo.com
World AIDS
Day
Saturday, December 1st...Fresno
State Satellite Union - 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm...A free event on the 1st
of December to help with the goal to get new HIV
infections, discrimination and AIDS related deaths to zero. AIDS
Awareness Video, AIDS Quilt 25th Anniversary, AIDS Ribbon artwork display,
informational booth, live entertainment and reading of the names.
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Connect to Gay Central
Valley
We have a new way of getting
volunteers. If you want to sign up to work a future event or do drop in hours
at the center, Please click here to make sure we have your most up to date
preferences..
Gay Central Valley is an official 501©3
nonprofit organization that relies on the support of people
like you. Donations made a HUGE impact on our ability to continue our
work. If you would like to learn more
about being a One Time Donor or a Monthly Donor, please visit this page.
Gay
Central Valley Main Site: Resource Links, Cultural Competency, Open Positions,
Ways to Show Your Support, Photos, and More!
Fresno
LGBT Community Center: Book Choice of the
Month, Meet the Staff, Calendar of Ongoing Center Events, Sponsors,
Location/Hours, Volunteer Opportunities, and More!
The
Rainbow Delegation: Gay Central Valley took over the Rainbow Delegation
earlier this summer. Read all about the changes, find out how to get your
bracelet, see photos and read testimonials all on the new RD website!
The
Gay Central Valley Blog: News articles, op-eds,
community submitted pieces, celebrity interviews, and local event
coverage, all in one place!
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Thank you all for
reading!
If you would like to contact
Gay Central Valley, you can do so
by calling 559-325-4429 or
emailing us at info@gaycentralvalley.org
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