BANNER
PFLAG NEW ORLEANS NEWSLETTER
August, 2008 - Vol 8, Issue 8
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Greetings!
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We are glad to send
this issue of the PFLAG New Orleans BANNER to you, our friend and supporter.
Our next meeting is Thursday, August 14
at 7:30 pm at St. Matthews United Church of Christ at 1333 S. Carrollton Avenue.
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The BANNER Is Back!
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 The Banner is back! And we are so happy! Welcome to our first issue of the Banner since August of 2005.
If you haven't seen us or heard about us or from us since Katrina, let me quickly fill you in on what we have been doing.
Even though, we were scattered all over the country, we never stopped e-mailing and calling each other. The PFLAG board started meeting again in January of 2006. Since then, we have held 3 Scholarship receptions and given 54 scholarships. We are now giving a $10,000 scholarship each year. That has been our dream for a long time and we are thrilled to have achieved our goal.
We have been present at GLBT events all over the community. We haven't missed very much. We have also received several awards from the local community.
Last October we were thrilled to be selected as the best PFLAG Chapter in the country in terms of support. We were presented with our award at our national convention in Washington.
Our monthly support group now meets at St Matthew's United Church of Christ on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30. We are in the process of finding a meeting place for our Northshore group. We would love to have you join us.
I hope to see you soon,
Julie Thompson
Note: Unfortunatley, AOL users may not be able to view the entire newsletter due to AOL settings. You may join our mailing list with another email account to ensure that you are able to view the entire newsletter.
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| PFLAG NEW ORLEANS PARTNERS WITH MCDONALD'S CORPORATION
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 The New Orleans chapter of PFLAG was recently honored to partner with the McDonald's Corporation at Pridefest New Orleans. This event took place June 28 and 29 at Washington Square Park.
McDonald's cares about diversity in all forms and they wanted to give back to the community. Their employees came from Mobile, Biloxi and Gulfport as well as the New Orleans area. Some were gay and others were straight. They were proud to be involved in New Orleans Pride. We were proud to be right beside them. We talked to people and handed out PFLAG literature. They talked to people and attracted lots of attention by handing out cold Apple Dippers and Happy Meal toys.
We also sponsored COLAGE. They had their booth on the other side of McDonald's. I don't believe I've ever seen so many children having such a wonderful time at Pride. The McDonald's folks were a delight to work with. We hope to continue the partnership in the future. |
McDonald's Supports Diversity
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 A religious organization, the American Family Association, that lobbies lawmakers to repeal gay rights has begun a boycott of McDonald's because of their support of a national gay business group.
The American Family Association is furious at the fast food chain for promoting "the homosexual agenda" by refusing to condemn McDonald's Vice President of Communications Richard Ellis' decision to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).
As a corporate sponsor, McDonald's donated $20,000 to the acclaimed business group that works to put gay business owners in touch with large corporations.
"McDonald's has chosen not to remain neutral but to give the full weight of their corporation to promoting the homosexual agenda, including homosexual marriage," said AFA President Donald Wildmon.
The AFA's appeals to McDonald's to disassociate themselves from the NGLCC, and "remain neutral in the culture war," however, were rebuffed by the company.
"Hatred has no place in our culture," said McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman. "That includes McDonald's, and we stand by and support our people to live and work in a society free from discrimination and harassment."
McDonald's is only one in a long line of companies that have been targeted by the AFA. They've already boycotted Sears, Kohl's, Kmart, Target, Old Navy and IKEA, citing the company's support of "the homosexual agenda."
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| National LGBT Christian Conference To Be Held in New Orleans, September 4-7
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 Many Stories, One
Voice
by Toni Pizanie
At the June, 2008 PFLAG Board meeting, the Board of Directors agreed to
lend support to the Pro-LGBT ChristianConference, Many Stories, One
Voice, which will be held in New Orleans on September 4th through
the 7th. The meeting
place will be the Marriott Hotel on Canal
Street.
The event is open to the public and people of all beliefs.
The Conference is bringing people of faith, from across the country,
together to teach leadership skills.
The Conference is being organized through the National Lesbian and Gay
Task Force. Workshops will be held
on a variety of subjects. Thursday
will be a day of workshops in honor of the Transgender people of our
community. There will also be an
evening service in memory of those lost in the Upstarts Fire.
A large number of volunteers are needed to make this gathering a
success. Volunteers will work in a
variety of jobs such as greeters, room monitors, information, etc. 150 volunteers will be needed over the
four days. Ray Bates from
Church of
Christ the Liberator is serving as
Volunteer Coordinator.
Several local LGBT and LGBT friendly churches have taken the responsibility
of serving on the Host Committee.
Pastor Darrin Harris, Freedom Fellowship Ministries, is serving as Chair
of the event. I have volunteered to
serve as Co-Chair. Notable people
on the Committee are Father Michael Des Jardins, Noel Twilbeck, Doreen
Tollerson, The Rev. Fred Meade, Sam Ashley, Tim King, Lyn Lamonte, Enrique
Maresso, Susan Banks and others.
The committee is still open to anyone who wishes to help with the local
organization of the Conference.
We will need people to open their homes to those who are not able to
afford the cost of the Marriott.
Julie Thompson and I have offered our guest rooms and are hopeful that
other members and friends of PFLAG will do the same. We will need approximately 20 homes in
the New Orleans area.
There will be events for the youth in attendance.
Tours and entertainment are
also scheduled. 12-Step Recovery
programs will also be available as well as signers for the hearing
impaired.
This is an excellent opportunity for Pro-LGBT Christians of all
denominations to learn more of our rich Jewish heritage, the teachings of Jesus,
our place in God's kingdom and the fullness of living a loving and nonjudgmental
life. For more information, visit
the web site at www.ManyStoriesOneVoice.org. To
volunteer your time and/or your guest room, contact Ray or Toni at Psalmwrite2@aol.com.
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| Join Us at the AIDS Walk - Sunday, Sept 14
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 The NO/AIDS Walk will take place in Audubon Park on Sunday morning, September 14 at 10 am. The walk starts on Magazine St. across from the Audubon Zoo. This is a wonderful annual event that is a major fund raiser for the NO/AIDS Task Force. PFLAG has volunteered to work this event in various capacities for the past 13 years. You can volunteer for a couple of hours, have loads of fun, see everyone you know and be finished in time for Sunday brunch! Please join us in the individual registration booth at the Walk. For more information, contact us at info@pflagno.org
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| PFLAG Highlights Commitment to the Transgender Community |
 PFLAG Launches New Ad Campaign with Calpernia Addams, Highlighting Organization's Commitment to the Transgender Community
At PFLAG we're proud of our history of including everyone as part of the PFLAG family. The transgender community will always have an advocate - and a champion - in PFLAG.
'This is Our Love Story' Campaign Will Debut This Summer
Washington, DC - Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) announced today that it will debut a new ad campaign this summer featuring transgender actress and activist Calpernia Addams. The campaign, titled This Is Our Love Story, highlights PFLAG's long-time commitment to the transgender community and urges supporters to help "transform the movement" by joining the organization's work for transgender rights. Ads will begin appearing in pride guides this summer, and will be featured, through in-kind advertising from supporting publications, in other outlets over the coming months.
"We are so proud to have Calpernia working with PFLAG as we move equality forward for our friends, family and allies in the transgender community," said Jody M. Huckaby, PFLAG's executive director. "Calpernia has been tireless in her efforts to educate the larger community about the importance of fully including transgender people in our fight for equality. PFLAG has never wavered in our commitment to the transgender community, and our partnership with Calpernia underscores our deep commitment to transgender issues and our recognition that transgender people have always been a part of our families."
Addams, who starred in LOGO's Trans American Love Story and was the subject of the Showtime film Soldier's Girl, is also a decorated war veteran and a long-time advocate for transgender rights. She also appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film TransAmerica and on the hit television series Deadwood and CSI. She is also the manager, along with Andrea James, of Deep Stealth Productions, producing media with an awareness of the truth and value of trans people's contributions to society. Deep Stealth's Valentine's Day 2004 benefit production of The Vagina Monologues was a sold-out success in Hollywood under the direct support of playwright Eve Ensler and mentor Jane Fonda.
"I am grateful to PFLAG for their deep commitment to the transgender community and excited about the opportunity to educate our community about PFLAG's important work on behalf of transgender Americans," Addams said. "PFLAG was the first national LGBT organization to include transgender people in its mission statement, and has adopted a landmark policy to only support legislation that includes the transgender community. They are a champion for equality and an irreplaceable ally for transgender people. Their love story with our community is long and significant, and I am proud to help them tell it through this remarkable campaign."
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Bringing the Message Home - Grassroots Handbook
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 With chapters in nearly every corner of the country, and more than 200,000 members from coast-to-coast, PFLAG has a powerful and unique voice in the public debate over LGBT equality. Our coalition - of parents, families, straight allies and other Americans committed to fairness and equality - is an important instrument for change in our country. And every day, as PFLAG members tell their stories and talk about their families and loved ones, we change hearts and minds and make progress possible.
This summer, PFLAG members from around the country will be Bringing the Message Home to elected leaders about important issues facing our community. With the help of PFLAG's revised grassroots handbook on in-district meetings, our members will be asking their representatives to stand up for families and vote for equality.
Our new Bringing the Message Home guide, available online here, includes background information and talking points on seven pieces of pending legislation: The Employment Non-Discrimination Act; The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act; The Military Readiness Enhancement Act; The Safe Schools Improvement Act; The Real ID Act; The Uniting American Families Act; and The Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act. It also includes a comprehensive section on transgender issues, and highlights PFLAG's commitment to only supporting legislation which is transgender-inclusive. |
| Help Support New Orleans AIDS Memorial - A Place to Heal, Hope, and Remember |
This is an opportunity for you, your family, friends, and associates to bring the AIDS memorial to life and to participate in creating a symbol of unity for our community in the face of the enormous pains caused by this devastating disease.
Set in historic Washington Square Park, the New Orleans AIDS Memorial will provide a healing sanctuary for family and friends and will promote understanding of the human tragedy of the AIDS epidemic. It is the goal for the Memorial to create a public landscape where anyone who has been touched by AIDS can find comfort and consolation within a dignified and creative community setting.
The memorial will include a pathway of granite stones inscribed with the names of loves lost or suffering. Each stone may contain 3 lines with a maximum of 13 characters (including spaces and punctuation) per line. The inscribed stones are $100 each and they must be ordered by September 1, 2008.
If you have a loved one you would like to honor with a memorial stone, you may send payment to:
NO/AIDS Taskforcec/o New Orleans AIDS Memorial2601 Tulane Avenue, STE 500New Orleans, LA 70119There are also opportunities to become a major donor or benefactor for the Memorial. For additional information contact the NO/AIDS Taskforce
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