Articles From Our June, 2006 Newsletter

Donna Ross to Speak

Domestic abuse. Sexual assault. Hate crime violence. All sad parts of a community. And especially difficult for GLBT victims to locate supportive resources. Where does the lesbian who has been raped by a man go for her recovery - both medically and emotionally? What about the gay male with an abusive partner? Or the transgender victim of a hate crime - when law enforcement is oft-times the perpetrator?

The Kansas City Anti-Violence Project is a nearly three year old, non-profit organization that exists to help GLBT victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault and hate crimes find the unique care and help they require. KCAVP also works with area agencies to ensure that members of the GLBT community are treated with fairness and compassion.

Donna Ross is the newest member of the Board of Directors for the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project. She will present startling statistics, debunk the many myths surrounding these issues and provide a better awareness of KCAVP and it's mission. This is an organization that everyone who is in or near the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender community needs to know about.

Donna is a post-operative transgender woman who moved to Kansas City from Portland, Oregon last summer with her wife Christy. She is currently a homemaker and frequently lectures about transgenderism to schools, churches and community groups.

If you haven’t heard Donna speak, you’ve missed a real learning experience. Join us on June 11 at 3:00 pm at Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Road, Room 307. You will find your life enriched.

From Our President

Hi everybody, June is upon us and so is the Kansas City Pride Festival. I always have a dictionary handy when I’m reading to look up those words that are unfamiliar to me even if their meanings are clear from the context of the sentence. There are also words that we use every day and we assume that we know all of the definitions, so we never think to look them up—words like PRIDE. So I looked it up! I thought the second definition listed was quite beautiful: “A consciousness of one’s own dignity” which led me to look up yet another word… DIGNITY: “The state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.”

There are many within the PFLAG family that are still longing to find the pride I speak of. All of us struggle to find our place in this world—to feel a sense of belonging—to have a sense of our own dignity.

I celebrate with all of those who will be at the Pride Fest in Kansas City this year AND I celebrate with those who feel the need to stay closeted a while longer. For many it will be difficult to come to the festival for the first time—wondering who might see them at such an event—wondering whom they might see. :o) Others are old timers at such affairs. I think it’s important for allies of the LGBT community to be present as well. I take pride in the fact that I have three amazing children, and am blessed that one happens to be gay. We celebrate the diversity in our family with pride—the consciousness of the dignity we all have as individuals and of the respect we all deserve. If you can’t make it to the festival, set aside a time to celebrate PRIDE within your own families. The effort will be worth it.

Jamie Lee

One Voice

One Voice is the new benefit event that replaces the Heartland Men’s Chorus’ annual Garden Party. This event will raise funds to help support inner-city school music programs. We hope that you will join us! Make your reservation online now at

http://www.hmckc.org/tickets.htm

Marriage Postcards

Opponents of marriage equality have pledged to send more than ten million postcards to Senators to encourage them to vote for the discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment. PFLAG brings you tools to help make sure that they aren't the only voices heard in this fight! Follow these simple steps to print your own postcards at home and mail or deliver them to your Senators TODAY. For information on ordering large quantities of these cards from a professional printer at a discounted rate, contact Elizabeth Brown by e-mailing ebrown@pflag.org.

Step One: Download the postcards
Step Two: Print the postcards
Step Three: Fill out the back and mail to your Senators
Step Four: Get your friends and family to send a postcard

Go on line to http://www.pflag.org for more details

PFLAG SUPPORTS REAL FAMILY VALUES