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What's coming up? |
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SAVE THE DATE - 2010 Social Support Meetings - Milwaukee
- May 1, 2010 - Sexing it up! (Laura Stuart and The Tool Shed Staff)
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June 5, 2010 - Love the one you're with
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July 3, 2010 - Share-a-thon
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August 7, 2010 - Trans History (Brice Smith)
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September 4, 2010 - Suicide Stigma Stinks: Don't erase your future
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October 2, 2010 - Come out, come out, wherever you are!
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November 6, 2010 - The patchwork puzzle: interconnected identities
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December 4, 2010 - Building families
(more info:
www.forge-forward.org/calendar.php)
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| Remember, FORGE social support meetings aren't just for the boys! |
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The line up for the first Saturday of each month is:
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6:00 - 7:15 --
Open Support.
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7:30 - 9:00 -- Center Stage Main Event (Main Topic -- April 3, 2010 Spirituality with Kara Luening)
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Join Our List
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Upcoming Milwaukee Meetings |
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| Open Discussion |
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Saturday, April 3, 2010
6:00 - 7:15pm
Do you crave connection with fellow Trans+ and SOFFA individuals? This gently facilitated time is especially devoted to exploring the issues you bring in - sharing your experiences and stories, asking questions, seeking referrals, gathering resources. We'll assure these 75 minutes stay focused on your needs, and the discussion you generate.
Location:
Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, 315 W. Court Street, Milwaukee, WI For more information, email tgwarrior@forge-forward.org or call 414-559-2123. |
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Ooops! |
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 Unfortunately, when FORGE initially set up the 2010 calendar and arranged for guest speakers, we failed to realize that April 3, 2010 is the day before Easter Sunday. The originally scheduled speaker, Pastor Wendy Woodruff, will be busily preparing for Easter Sunday at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church. Please feel free to join her and the MCC congregation on Easter Sunday. (1239 W. Mineral St. Milwaukee, WI 53204, 414-383-1100, www.milmcc.org)
We are in the process of rescheduling Wendy (as well as rescheduling "Is that legal?") and will share the new dates as soon as they are set.
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Main Event: Spirituality with Kara Luening |
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Saturday, April 3, 2010 -- 7:30-9:00 pm
@ The Milwaukee LGBT Center, 315 W. Court Street, Milwaukee, WI
Kara Luening will facilitate a brief discussion on the Higher Self connection and our connection to all vs. to ego/personality. She will share concepts about meditation and prayer that anyone can integrate into their lives, or enhance their current spiritual practices. Attendees will then have the opportunity to experience being one with their Higher Self and the group consciousness through a guided meditation.
Some of you have attended Kara's past meditations and already know how powerful and moving the experience can be.
This event is for anyone - regardless of spiritual beliefs or practices - unity in consciousness.
 Kara Luening, MSW, APSW, CST Candidate, is a psychotherapist and energy/sound healer in private practice at Full Circle Counseling Solutions in Milwaukee, WI. Ms. Luening specializes in gender-related issues, psycho-spiritual awareness, and sacred sex therapy/education for individuals and couples of all diverse identities and lifestyles. Her professional emphasis is on combining ancient spiritual knowledge with modern scientific facts. She is a graduate of Loyola University in Chicago and is a student with the Inner Focus School for Divine Mastery. She has also undergone training in psychoacoustics - receiving Certification as a Sound Healer. Ms. Luening has a deep understanding about the body, mind, spirit & soul connection... and strives to help people uncover and embrace their true potential -- ultimately re-claiming their authentic self. (Kara's blog can be found at www.numinousnotes.blogspot.com)
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Wisconsin News and Events |
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Pridefest - June 11-13, 2010 |
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 Summer may seem a long way away, but the staff and volunteers of Pridefest have been working hard to assure that Milwaukee Pride 2010 is as informative, fun, and diverse as possible.
The entertainment this year is amazingly strong -- Kathy Griffin, Patti LaBelle, and Joan Rivers, just to name a few.
Once again, FORGE will be co-sponsoring the Health and Wellness Area. Like last year, we'll need volunteers -- which means you have the opportunity to be part of the magic of Pride AND get in for free! (You'll also get a cool t-shirt you can wear all year long, and Free Hug stickers that were so popular last year.)
More information in the next Gearbits! |
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Landmark decision: Wisconsin Courts |
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Today - April 1, 2010 - a landmark decision was handed down by the Wisconsin courts: The ACLU was victorious in their pursuit of providing inmates with medical treatment for GID (Gender Identity Disorder). The court ruled that the Department of Corrections had violated the 14th and 8th amendment rights of the inmates by discontinuing hormonal treatment.
WPATH's committee for Advocacy for Incarcerated Persons, consisting to date of Randi Ettner and George Brown, provided testimony in this case, as did Fred Ettner. We believe this is a huge victory and ask that you publicize this among the membership, as a precedent for other jurisdictions.
Randi Ettner
Committee Chair
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Milwaukee Highlight: Sexual Assault Awareness Month |
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Many Milwaukee-area events are scheduled throughout April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Events of particular interest to T/LGBT folks include:
Mysterious Skin Movie Night
Milwaukee LGBT Community Center (315 W. Court Street, Milwaukee, WI)
April 21, 2010 | 6pm
Come join us for a viewing of Mysterious Skin, with a
discussion following the movie with Randy Neff from
Pathfinders and Jennifer Ward from the Healing Center. Due
to the violent nature of some of the scenes in this movie, the
viewing is restricted to people 18 and older.
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They Did What? Let's talk about Relationship!
UWM Union Room 260 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 | 1:30PM
Come join Michael Hamilton of the LGBT Resource Center and Jacqueline Lindo, MS, ATR of the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center Anti-Violence Project and take part in a theatrical activity and engaging discussion about relationships!
For more information, call Jacqueline Lindo 292-3072
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The year of T (& LGBT) Aging! |
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When FORGE's Loree Cook-Daniels was presenting a workshop on transgender elder health issues at the American Society on Aging on March 16, a photographer from the Chicago Tribune snapped a picture, which ended up paired with an article about the recently released report, "Improving the Lives of LGBT Older Adults." This report by the Movement Advancement Project and SAGE, New York, joins the just-released "Outing Age 2010" publication of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and SAGE, and the new MetLife Mature Market Institute and American Society on Aging report, "Still Out, Still Aging." Add to these three important new LGBT aging reports the new Center on LGBT Aging funded by the federal government (which FORGE's Transgender Aging Network is a partner in), and you'd be justified calling this The Year of the LGBT Elder! (If you would like to discuss what's happening nationally about LGBT aging, contact Loree at LoreeCD@aol.com)
Outing Age 2010: Public Policy Issues Affecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Elders http://thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/outing_age_2010Issued by National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in conjunction with Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders Research reviews of the issues, plus policy recommendations and some elder profiles.
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Contribute to Gearbits! |
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Have you attended a FORGE event that you'd like to share with others? FORGE is looking for contributors to briefly share highlights or reflections on FORGE events so others who were unable to attend can get a flavor for the experience.
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| What do the symbols mean?? |
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Although everyone is welcome at any FORGE meeting, some meetings are designed with particular audiences in mind. These symbols indicate the focus of particular events and meetings.
Geared towards the entire transgender/gender non-conforming community and SOFFAs
 Geared towards trans-masculine folks and SOFFAs
 Reverse Inclusion: A trans+/SOFFA organization is hosting an event that welcomes the broader LGBTQIA (and straight) community. | |
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About FORGE
FORGE is a progressive organization whose mission is to support, educate and advocate for the rights and lives of transgender individuals and SOFFAs (Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies). FORGE is dedicated to helping move fragmented communities beyond identity politics and forge a movement that embraces and empowers our diverse complexities. FORGE PO Box 1272 Milwaukee, WI 53201 www.forge-forward.org414-559-2123
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