Living Transgender In American Society Today: Activists and wannabe activists

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Activists and wannabe activists - Check this out...

Camp Courage - hosted by The Courage Campain - is a golden opportunity to learn how to become more effective in promoting GLBT Equal Rights.

These videos pretty much tell the story:

Cleve Jones is perhaps best known for working closely with Harvey Milk after Milk's election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the 1970's, highlighted in the film MILK. Cleve is the founder of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and is currently working for UNITE-HERE, leading their "Sleep With the Right People" campaign, which aims to convince LGBT tourists to stay only in hotels that respect the rights of their workers.

This clip includes excerpts from Cleve's remarks at the Camp Courage Kickoff Reception on Saturday night, January 24, before Sunday's training event:

To sign up for a future Camp Courage follow this link:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/CampCourageArmy

Hugs and blessings,
Eva-Genevieve!

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Any Body, Everybody, Christ’s Body…

…was the theme at this years National Gathering of the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns this year in San Diego (July 14 –17). There were about 125 attendees from all across the US and we even had folks from other countries. Several topics were discussed including ways to make Church accessible to all – many physical and mental challenges were included in this discussion as well as LGBT concerns, Mentoring Queer youth – the emphasis being the need for all of us to be mentors as we are able and that we all have something to teach others, Advocacy & Empowerment, OnA Next Steps: Telling Our Stories, and also a panel discussion on including “transgender” and gender expression more specifically in OnA statements, and immigration issues too – far more issues and information than one person could take in or even list here.

Starting Wednesday afternoon we jumped right in with a very lively worship service with wonderful music and through the course of the gathering we heard many inspiring speakers and participated in several “breakout” workshop sessions. We broke into small discussion groups daily, heard many points of view on important topics, and made many friends in the process. On our last evening the General Minister and President of the UCC, the Revered Geoffrey Black was the keynote speaker at the banquet. My favorite speaker at the conference was Felix Carrion who often contributes to the UCC’s “Stillspeaking” on-line daily Devotional. We ended the conference Saturday morning with another lively worship service and dismissed just in time for several of us to rush over and march in San Diego’s Pride parade with the Mission Hills UCC Church and Bloom in the Desert Ministries (also UCC affiliated). I brought back lots of things to discuss in upcoming Mission Board meetings, but more than anything else it is the personal connections that made the conference very worthwhile. I feel a part of something much larger now – there was so much positive, hopeful energy shared there. I felt so very warmly welcomed by everyone and I believe that my input there was greatly valued as well. And, of course, I made an impression with my array of colorful dresses and hats too! (Would you expect anything less)? I was so blessed for being allowed to represent First Congregational Church in Riverside at this Gathering.

Follow this link to pictures from the event -the photos are in no particular order and a few shots of the fire that broke out behind the motel where I was staying.

Hugs and Blessings,

Eva-Genevieve!