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Highlights from January 2007's newsletter:
Letter from the Executive Director
Happy New Year! And to all of you that don't know me, my name is
Muriel Lynn Jones, more popularly know as Blue. I'm the Interim
Executive Director of The Lesbian Gay Bi Transgender Community Center
of Metropolitan St. Louis. A few might be wondering what
Center? Well, let me tell you.
Almost 2 years ago after the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force had
it's annual Creating Change Conference in St. Louis, a number of
community members got together to talk about what would be good for the
LGBT community of St. Louis. A Community Center was one of
them. So many other cities had a center, but not St. Louis.
A group from that gathering got together to start working on one.
From that point, tasks groups were formed. Great strides have
been made like submitting our 501(c)3 paper work, gaining a fiscal
sponsor, creating a survey and getting data on our community, joining
and getting support from the National Association of Lesbian Gay Bi
Transgender Community Centers and more. Our number of folks
actively participating in the effort has dwindled to less than
10. I commend these few individuals for their consistent effort
and belief in the vision of an entity that will change St. Louis for
the better by strengthening the LGBT community. Some of these
individuals have taken on the equivalent of a full- or part-time job by
their contributions. This speaks of true passion. I
personally thank you all.
2006 was a struggle for us with lots of funding campaigns that didn't
flower like we hoped along with additional work of maintaining the
organization. This year in 2007, there are new ideas and even
more of an surge to find a “Home” for our community.
I don't know if there is anyone more anxious than me. I feel 2007
has progress written all over it along with some happy surprises for us
all.
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter and website. We so look forward to having even more to offer you.
Have a beautiful day.
Sincerely,
Muriel Lynn Jones (Blue)
Interim Executive Director
Center Website Updates
Community Organization List:
This month, the Center premiered its Community Organization List with
the latest information available from St. Louis area LGBTQA and
LGBTQA-friendly organizations.
Timeline 2007:
The Center's annual timeline has been updated. This year's
timeline includes a list of future events and activities in which the
Center plans to participate. Pictures from this year's timeline
will be added to the Timeline Page as they become available.
Previous timelines can be viewed by clicking the year links next to Timeline by Years at the bottom of the Timeline page.
Volunteer Opportunity: "Tea Time with the Center"
Remember Tupperware and Mary Kay parties? Do you miss them?
Well, the Center can help you bring back those wonderful feelings of
gathered friends over tea and petifores.
Host a "Tea Time with the Center" party. You provide the
refreshments, we'll provide the info on the Center, an you and your
friends can leisurely learn about the Center and give tax-deductible
donations.
Fun and Giving. What more can you ask for? To participate, click here to contact us.
See you at Tea Time!
A Note on Queer Books
by Amanda Love
Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin
by John D'Emilio
The Civil Rights Movement had many diverse individuals that contributed
to the rights that were won for African Americans. This included
LGBT individuals. One of prominence was Bayard Rustin. This
African American openly gay man was the coordinator of the famous March
on Washington in 1963. Without Bayard there would not have been a
march. In Lost Prophet, you learn about this extraordinary man
that was a non-violent activist 20 years before it's national
popularity. D'Emilio does a wonderful job of presenting a
complete picture of a man that understood life and walked to the beat
of his own drum.
To purchase this book from our local LGBTQA-friendly bookstore, Left Bank Books, click the photo above or visit the Left Bank Books website by clicking the logo below:
NOTE: The Center is a member of the Left Bank Books affiliate program.
A percentage of each online sale from this link benefits the Center.
Queer Days of Celebration
January 1948
Gore Vidal's The City and the Pillar is the first widely read American
novel with gay male characters. Although the portrayals are
generally positive, his publishers force him to make the ending an
unhappy one.
New Years Day 1/1
January 3, 1948
The Kinsey Report on men is published, shocking the nation with its
revelation of the high incidence of same-sex acts among American
men.
Martin Luther King's Birthday 1/15
National Hugging Day 1/21
International Holocaust Day 1/27
Websites of LGBT Interest
The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University: http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/
Learn more about Dr. Kinsey and his work.
Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin: http://www.rustin.org/
Learn more about the civil rights movement from a gay civil rights leader perspective.
National Hugging Day: http://www.nationalhuggingday.com/
Learm more about this international holiday, which was founded on January 21, 1986.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/homosexuals_02/
Learn more about the history of the pink triangle and homosexuals in the Holocaust.
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