Articles From Our October, 2002 Newsletter

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES REPORT

The October program will be a report on and discussion of the national PFLAG conference. Linda Coonley and Helen Cohen will share their experiences of the conference. They will report on workshops, the spirit of the conference, the new national executive director, directions for the lgbt community and straight allies and, of course, the fun they had.

Be sure to come and join us as we share together about this organization that reaches so far into the lives of so many and continues to bring us hope that all people will be accepted and loved and affirmed for who they are. 

Our meeting will start at 3pm on the 13th at our regular meeting place, 6641 Mission Road. 

There are always drinks.... and goodies to eat.

Come to room 307.

An appeal to members

The Board of Directors of PFLAG-KC needs members. We need a secretary, a director of programming, and a director of advocacy and we always need more at-large-members. Please consider being a Board member and participating in decision making and policy making. We are a fun and close group and we need YOU!!! We meet each month at 1:30 before regular membership meetings. For information please call Helen Cohen at 816-942-8747.

ANNUAL PFLAG TACO DINNER FOR PASSAGES YOUTH

As part of "Coming Out" month celebrations - PFLAG members will provide our annual taco dinner for Passages, the Kansas City lgbtq organization. We will also present information about PFLAG to the youth. Please sign up to bring food and help serve and share. Randy Fowler will be coordinating Taco Dinner so be prepared to sign up at the October meeting or call Randy at 913-894-5748. It is always great fun and Passages youth are so appreciative of our outreach to them.

FROM OUR PRESIDENT

I've just finished re-reading "Stonewall" by Martin Duberman, a fascinating account of the birth of gay liberation and the social forces it unleashed. Duberman is a renowned historian, writer, activist and professor at the City University of New York.

On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall, a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village, was raided by police, one of many, ongoing incidents of police harassment of gays. But instead of the routine submission expected by the police, patrons and a growing crowd decided to fight back. The five days of rioting that followed changed forever the face of gay and lesbian life. Duberman tells the story of what happened at Stonewall. He recreates those exhilarating, sweltering nights in vivid detail through the lives of six people who were drawn into the struggle for gay and lesbian rights. Their stories combine into a portrait of the repression that led up to the riots and culminated when they triumphantly participated in the first Gay Rights March of 1970. The book touchingly describes an event in history that still profoundly affects life today. Over the years, "Stonewall" has become the symbol of gay resistance to oppression. The riots are now generally taken to mark the beginning of the modern gay and lesbian political movement- that moment in time when gays and lesbians recognized their mistreatment and their solidarity. 

Duberman's book focuses on individuals and on the story of "Stonewall" and makes the past really speak to the present. It provides an historical narrative for gays and lesbians - so long denied any history.

Stonewall is in our PFLAG library and may be borrowed; I urge anyone interested and curious about how and when the gay liberation movement was born to read it.

DIVERSITY WEEK 2002 SCHEDULE.

This is a brand new series of community events that covers a broad base of topics and interests. 

MON OCTOBER 7
 SPEAKING OUT ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
A Panel Discussion
A panel of local professional will offer an open, honest discussion of domestic violence in lesbian and gay couples. We will also present resources available in our area, and share the stories of domestic violence survivors in their own words and from a position of healing and personal power.
6:30 - 8:00pm / LGCC-KC Proposed New Location - 315 Westport Road, 2nd Floor
FREE EVENT - OPEN TO ALL - Call (816) 931-4420 for more information

TUE OCTOBER 8
Midwest Times Multimedia Museum and LGBT Archives
Celebrate our history -- and our "her" story. Come see the Center's proposed new location and the dedicated space that will house the collections for a new Multimedia Museum and LGBT Archives. Tonight's premiere is a true
multimedia exhibit complete with video footage of local gays and lesbians speaking out and a special showing of artifacts and documents collected to date. Stroll in between 7:00 and 9:00pm for a wine and cheese reception. Learn about what's being planned and the discover the ways you can help with this unique and exciting project.
7:00PM/ / LGCC-KC Proposed New Location - 315 Westport Road, 2nd Floor
FREE - OPEN TO ALL - Call (816) 931-4420 for more information

WED OCTOBER 9
THE WORD IS OUT:
A Night of LGBT Poetry & Prose
Throughout the years, the creative fire of poets, activists and authors have inspired LGBT people to reach higher and discover the truth about ourselves . 
Come out and hear the power of the word.
Featured Performers: Starla Carr, Poet Goddess & Others
7:00 - 8:30pm / Various Coffeehouses & Bookstores Around Town
Visit www.diversitykc.org for times and locations or call (816) 931-4420

THU OCTOBER 10
Stopping the Spiritual Abuse of Gay & Lesbians
Learn how to stand tall and use the principles of spiritual nonviolence to meet the challenges of the Religious Right. Coordinator: Randy Hite, Coordinator, Soulforce Kansas City Chapter
7:00PM / LGCC-KC Proposed New Location - 315 Westport Road, 2nd Floor
FREE - OPEN TO ALL - Call (816) 931-4420 for more information

FRI OCTOBER 11
NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY BREAKFAST
Begin your day with a friendly buffet breakfast perfect for working peopleon the go! (Yes, it's true. Gays and lesbians really DO gather in the light of day!) Even if you think you're too busy, remember this: There's alwaystime for breakfast...with the family.
7:00am (Sharp) - 8:15am / Sheraton Four Points Hotel, 45th & Main, KCMO
$10.00 per person; paid at the door / RSVP to the Center (816) 931-4420

COME OUT & RIDE: PrideRide Autumn 2002
The successful PrideRide 2001 & 2002 is launching a new event during this
yearıs Diversity Week. PrideRide Autumn is a "register and ride" event and
will not require pledges. Instead, the $20 fee gives you a long-sleeve
PrideRide T-Shirt and supports the upcoming Q-Summit for Youth. Enjoy a
riding out with others for a worthy cause.
Coordinator: John Long, Pride Ride
Ride Begins at 8:00am- Registration Forms & Route online at www.lgcc-kc.org

COME "IN" TO WORSHIP
Tonight through Sunday, local faith communities are extending a special
welcome to LGBT people to come "in" to worship. Some are also offering
receptions and social events. Whatever your spiritual path, there is a
faith community to call home.
Coordinator: April Sanders, The Group at Unity Temple on the Plaza
Visit www.lovewelcomesall.org for participating congregations or the Center

SAT OCTOBER 12
A Homophobia/Racial Phobia Workshop
This workshop begins with the basic, often unexplored definition of homophobia as "the fear of getting close to our own sex" and shows how that culturally conditioned fear plays itself out....no matter what stage we have reached and no matter what our sexual orientation. 
Presenter: Dr. Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., LGCC-KC Advisory Board Chair
10:00am - 1:00pm / LGCC-KC Proposed New Location - 315 Westport Road
FREE - OPEN TO ALL - Call (816) 931-4420 to Register

DIVERSITY DINNER & DISCUSSION
Share a meal and get to know people of all ages, colors, genders and sizes who are working together to create a stronger, better-connected OUT community in our area. Not a fundraiser. No silent auction. No stage show. Just bring an open mind and a dish to share. Enjoy great conversation and ideas along with great food and fun.
Coordinator: Marcos Williams, African American AIDS Project
7:00pm / Center for Spiritual Living, 1306 W. 39th Street, Kansas City
FREE - OPEN TO ALL - Call (816) 931-4420 for more information

SUN OCTOBER 12
COME OUT TO THE RENAISSANCE FAIR
The perfect outing for an autumn afternoon is yours for the taking at the Kansas City Renaissance Fair. Travel to the event on your own or with your group. Either way it's a great day for the whole family to be out. The Center will be selling a limited number of reduced priced tickets for this day only. Act quickly! If you want to caravan out with The Group from Unity, they will be leaving from Unity Temple at Noon.
Purchase Tickets in Person at the Center - Or Charge by Phone (816) 931-4420

For more information, visit <<http://www.diversitykc.org>>.

OUT IN WESTPORT

The 8th annual Out in Westport celebration will be held on Sunday, October 6 from 11:00AM - 6:00PM. It will take place in the 200 block of Westport Road and will be a cultural arts and community information street fair showcasing local OUT artists. There will be a jazz and juice brunch 11:00AM - 1:00PM, an OUTrageous dog contest with celebrity judges and prizes at 1:00PM, special competitions between local lgbt sports and recreation groups, live music, a sing-a-long, and an OUTdoor screening of the movie GREASE at 6:00PM.
PFLAG will have an information table with PFLAG material and merchandise OUT to sell. We need people to be at the table to talk up PFLAG and sell merchandise. To volunteer, call Helen Cohen at 816-942-8747. 

PFLAG SUPPORTS REAL FAMILY VALUES