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THAT'S A FAMILY!
"That's a
Family!"..A film for kids about family diversity. The film is a highly entertaining half-hour documentary that breaks new ground in helping kids see and understand many of the different shapes that families take today. Designed especially for children in elementary school,
That's a Family! will stretch your mind and touch your heart, no matter what your age. With blunt and sometimes hilarious candor, the children who star in THAT'S A FAMILY! take us on a tour through their lives and speak movingly about their unique family experiences, explaining concepts like "birth mom," "mixed race," "guardian," "gay and lesbian," and "stepdad." "Love, happiness, and an argument now and then...."THAT'S A FAMILY!"
Come join us at 3pm on Nov. 10. WE are a family. And you are included.
The PFLAG-Kansas City Board is looking for a few new members. Please attend a Board meeting (1:30pm just before membership meetings on the second Sunday of each month). Sit in with us and learn what's involved in being a Board member. We need your input!!
HELMA HAWKINS "MOM OF THE MONTH"
 Be sure to see p.14 of the Nov. issue of
Instinct Magazine and see this picture. The accompanying article says, in part, "We gave William and his Mom a call to see just how great she really is. Turns out, he's right. His Mom,
Helma Hawkins, is not only supportive and generally kick-ass, she also works at the Kansas City Public Library as the Director of youth Services, where she makes sure the library purchases materials with positive gay and lesbian images for kids....."
Although PFLAG wasn't mentioned (both William and Helma mentioned it in their interview), it sure is nice to have one of our own featured in a national magazine! Congrats, Helma and William.
From our President
We have been celebrating October's Gay History month and Coming Out month and what a month it was!! PFLAG-KC was invited to talk with several business and educational organizations about PFLAG and about lgbt issues. We talked, we distributed literature, we shared our stories and listened to other peoples' stories. Many more people in the Kansas City area are now familiar with PFLAG and have a lot more information about the lgbt community than before. This is an important part of our mission - educating people about homosexuality, dispelling myths about lgbt people, and helping others understand the issues confronting the lgbt community and its straight allies.
We also helped celebrate "Out in Westport" - a wonderful community happening that reflected the diversity and the scope of the lgbt community. Westport road was closed in the block housing the Lesbian and Gay Community Center (lgcc). There were displays of art, literature, crafts, food items and even gay coffee. There was entertainment and a dog parade. It was wonderful to meet new people to talk about PFLAG at our attractive information table, to learn of new organizations and opportunities in the community. It was great to see so many PFLAGers there, working the table and enjoying the day. A new organization of and for lesbians and bi-sexual women of color, My Sister's Closet, had an information table and we exchanged literature with members.
It was a beautiful, sunshiny day and a glorious chance to share our pride and pleasure with so many lgbt people. Clearly, PFLAG-KC is a loved and respected organization in the community and those of us who were there from PFLAG felt the love. Thank you to Jamie Rich and the Board of the lgcc who organized and implemented the extraordinary event. I'm looking forward to next year's "Out in Westport" and I know I'll be amazed at the new developments as I was this year.
Finally, we celebrated gay October with our annual Taco dinner for Passages (the Kansas City lgbt youth organization). It was a beautiful evening - 14 K.C. PFLAG members arrived with food and joy. We served dinner to about 30 youth; we each shared with them what PFLAG means to us demonstrating so profoundly that PFLAG IS FAMILY. The youth applauded our stories and then some shared their stories. We heard heart wrenching stories of rejection and heartwarming stories of acceptance.
So - those of you who are not participating in our meetings and other events, do plan to join us in the meaningful work that PFLAG does to make the world a safe and embracing place for all lgbt people. It is rewarding, gratifying and fun.
Helen
Voting matters to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. According to research conducted by Harris Interactive, 92% of LGBT respondents said they were registered to vote, 52% say they vote in all elections, and 34% say they vote in most, but not all, elections. Because knowing someone who is LGBT makes a difference, the numbers of voters interested in equal rights for LGBT people is not limited only to LGBT voters, but is also inclusive of a much larger, and growing segment of the voting population.
On the state level, the balance of power in the General Assembly in Jefferson City is also an issue. The balance of power is extremely close. The candidate of your choice needs your help on Election Day, November 5th. There are opportunities to work at the polls, make telephone calls,
'run' meals and information for the campaign offices, and generally be visible for your candidate.
Please contact the Party of the candidate of your choice as soon as possible if you are available anytime between 6:00 AM and 7:00 PM on Election
Day, November 5th, and want to help.
Here are the numbers to call for the Parties with Senatorial candidates:
Democratic Party: 816-531-3294
Green Party: 573-449-1307
Libertarian Party: 877-868-3487
Republican Party: 573-636-3146
PFLAG Conference Program and Report: Family Voices For Equality
Helen Cohen and I attended the PFLAG national conference the last weekend in September in Columbus Ohio. This 3-day meeting underlined for me the idea that PFLAG is for everyone. It was inspiring and encouraging to experience the diversity of presenters and attendees. I met or heard Americans whose heritages were Native, Chinese, Asian Pacific Islander, African, South American, European and Mexican. Some religions represented included Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. And then there were parents, family members, friends, gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered folks, and maybe a question or two!
The conference atmosphere reinforced the idea that PFLAG is about making connections as we provide support, education and opportunities for advocacy. We are here to help those who are new and to help each other as we change direction in our lives.
Helen or I attended sessions on religion, people of color, education, science, preventing violence, the future, and we met with others from the Heartland Region.. Here are some selected "sound bites" from my written report, which is available by e-mailing me at
kcoonley@kc.rr.com.
Keynote speaker: James Hormel, first openly gay US ambassador, attended a Democratic Party fund raiser the night before where there were 13 out authors including Rita Mae Brown and Edward Albee.
Countries belonging to the European Union must allow service by openly gay persons, so the USA would not be able to join !!
"The message comes most clearly from the family, the parents, the friends" Faisal Alam, Islam. Founder of the Al-Fatiha Foundation, which attempts to reconcile the faith with glbt issues. They focus on support of glbt persons rather than challenging the faith's position.
In Nicheren Buddhism, there are no teachings re moral code, no restrictions re gender and sex. So why do they need a GLBT organization? Because many practitioners have American cultural influences, which tells them: "If you just chant long enough, you can become straight!"
John Lewis retired UMC clergy. He was so arrogant that he was not interested in a college course in Non-Christian religions because he was not planning to go overseas. In fact, there are more Muslims in the USA than Presbyterians, and Muslims will soon outnumber the Methodists as well. His son Dan will be the first openly gay man ordained as an elder. This proves that there ARE some Christians in the Christian Church.
Karen Ball. Soulforce. They are talking to many churches, many faiths. Mel White would go to Mecca if invited.
Calvin Rock - Two Spirit people are revered in Native American religion. Someone who is different is Valuable to the tribe.
Leonor Holmstrom -- Mexican American. Her husband asked if the People of Color knew she was white. They told her, "White is a Color."
Luncheon speaker Dr. David A Herrelko: National PFLAG should be a buffet, not a recipe to be followed. Take what you need from the buffet and make your chapter serve its community.
"That's a Family". Quote from the video from a little girl explaining about the relationship between her two moms: "They are the main things inside each other's hearts besides me and my sister."
PFLAG of the Future. Because of young people coming out at earlier ages, there are younger parents in need of PFLAG.. The Sadasivan family had three younger children and had trouble getting to the evening meetings. The mother said that she needed to receive a packet from PFLAG and follow up phone calls, and a mentor assigned to follow up with her. They also needed a babysitter at the meetings. She encourages public relations by PFLAG to the schools, articles in the local paper, speakers to the school counselors and to the PTA, and information available at the public libraries.
Some questions to ponder:
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What is unique about our chapter and the community it serves?
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How can we find out what younger families and people of color in KC need?
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What can we do differently to reach more people?
Linda Coonley
THE KANSAS CITY HEARTLAND MEN'S CHORUS
| When? | Sat., Dec. 7th |
| Sunday, Dec. 8th |
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| Where? | The Folly Theater |
| 300 W 12th St., Kansas City, MO |
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| Tickets | $25 & $15 |
Charge by phone: HMC Office 816-931-3338
Order on the Web: www.hmckc.org
Kansas City's Heartland Men's Chorus begins their 17th season with a holiday concert designed for the whole family. The young and the young-at-heart will be delighted with this concert that takes traditional carols and familiar holiday favorites and adds a popular twist-new settings for men's voices in jazz, swing, boogie-woogie and other toe-tapping styles. The singing of the 120-voice Heartland Men's Chorus will be enhanced by the accompaniment of noted KC drummer Vince Bilardo and his Swing Orchestra. Begin your celebrations with
Let Heaven & Nature Swing-a program sure to leave you singing and swinging throughout the holidays!
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