Friday, September 25, 2009

Put a Pin in the Map for the Inland Empire

Greetings friends,

I hope you are all well.


After the pause I took away from things in August to get a little rest, the moment I stuck my head up and looked around I found myself right back in the thick of the Marriage Equality Movement. I am helping to organize the effort in the Inland Empire (and I have several other irons in the fire too - a couple of them are in earlier posts. At the moment I am sitting in The Lark -- an LGBT club -- in San Bernrdino recruiting people to help with the campaign effort. Tonight we had 26 more people that want to help sign up. While I'm here I'm posting this to my blog since Verizon has the DSL screwed up at home. So here is the post about our first "field work" event in a place everyone has been saying is insignifigant. Well guess what - I refuse to be insignifigant and so do a whole bunch of folk out here - stay tuned...


Wednesday evening the Inland Empire (Region 9) team of the statewide Restore Equality 2010 campaign started recruiting efforts for the coming petition signing work. Five volunteers met last Saturday to coordinate this regional effort and have hit the ground running. We were met by a surprising amount of enthusiasm in downtown Riverside.


Armed with fliers for our upcoming strategy meeting on Oct 3 we talked to many people at three prime locations – Back to the Grind, The Menagerie and Worthington’s Tavern – and we were overwhelmed at the positive response. Once we explained that we were preparing to hit the ground running when the petitions are in hand come November not one person balked at the idea of a 2010 effort. Most said they were glad that we are already organized and working to win this battle now instead of later and got excited that they could help and really make a difference – I hope that sentiment becomes infectious!


The owners and staff of the places we “worked” were awesome and totally supportive too. I would estimate that in the 2 hours we were there three of us spoke with at least 40 individuals and groups of people. We now have 9 more people signed up to help. We passed out the few “Repeal Prop 8 2010” and “:I DO…” signs I had kicking around and almost 100 fliers.


Friday we will be at the Lark in San Bernardino around 9 PM. We will be at The VIP on the 30th and back to Downtown Riverside on Oct 2nd. We are now looking to get out into Palm Springs and a few other key areas in October – follow this link to the Region 9 page of the Restore Equality 2010 website.


If we were not on the map last November here in the IE this time we will be. And we will make a big difference!! Please come out and help us if you can.


Where ever you are located in California you can help – go to Restore Equality 2010’s web site and select the link for your region and contact the volunteers shown for your region to find out how you can make a difference locally and nationally too.


Hugs and Blessings,
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough

Thursday, September 17, 2009

I Think...

...that it is time to have a good laugh.

Have a great day!
Hugs, Eva-Genevieve!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Taking on New Projects

Greetings friends and associates,


I am helping, along with Safe Haven Community Christian Church, EQIE’s Transgender Issues Committee, and other nearby transgender and allied community members, to put together a Transgender 101 panel and presentation. Our purpose is to help educate and enlighten those whose jobs or personal ethos calls them to serve society and be in contact with the full diversity of it. We are already in contact with two major Civic entities interested in and seeking out this kind of help so they can better serve the traditionally under-served portions of society. Riverside's Department of Mental Health is one, thanks to Elder Benita Ramsey's and others work on the LGBT Mental Health Task Force, and the other is the LAPD. I expect that there will be many more worthwhile leads to follow very soon. The US Census Bureau as a follow-up to the 2010 Census may be one of these.


I was approached by an Officer in the LAPD Community Relations Office last Sunday at San Gabriel Valley Pride, and she inquired whether I would be willing to be a part of Chief Bratton’s farewell Forum Summit community meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 09 from 6 -8 p.m., at the Police Administrative Building (150 N Los Angeles St, in the Auditorium). We had a lengthy conversation about what they hoped to accomplish and we have agreed to discuss future Transgender (and the LGBT… inclusive) community involvement with them, such as an educational panel presentation like what we are already preparing for Riverside.


So, what I am asking for here is twofold…


First, I am extending the LAPD’s invitation to the Forum on the 29th to the entire LGBT community and urging as many of you as possible to come out for it. I’ll see you there.


Second, I am seeking transgender individuals that are willing to participate in an ongoing speakers panel – and this includes individuals of all areas of transgender and those in any stage of transition, even those that are sex-workers or other highly at risk members of our community. We hope to be very inclusive and very open in this project to tough questions posed by the professionals - social service workers, medical and mental health providers, safety and law enforcement personnel and etc. So you would need to be serious about helping and willing to commit to being open and honest about the needs and feelings of the area of the community you represent as well as with your personal experiences.


For me, going back down to Parker Center in LA will be a bit of a traumatic challenge, because the last time I was there I was incarcerated and I must again face painful ghosts of my sordid past. But I believe both the Forum and our future presentations will very well be worth the effort. Please search your hearts and see if there is room for you to take on another important commitment too.


Please contact myself (evagenevieve@yahoo.com) or Rev. Renee Painter (RevRJPainter@aol.com) if you are interested in helping us with the TG 101 Project.


(We will also be needing some moderate financial support to see this project become a reality – Safe Haven Community Christian Church is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) institution – contact Rev. Painter for more info).


Thanks and Warm Regards,
Eva-Genevieve! Scarborough

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

My Comment on Comments

Tonight I was looking at the comments posted to the West Covina article and I decided to comment. I figure its about time I get around to the blog again too, so here what I just posted on the SGVTribune site (with a few minor edits)…


Commenting on what some are saying about the truth of the Bible:


I believe it is true in its original form (even though it was penned by people, their hearts and minds were moved by God), but it must be used in context of our society and the diversity of God's creation if it is to be relevant today (I.E. scientific and social facts must be taken into account too). The original texts were given to members of non-technological societies ranging from 3500 years BC to a few after Christ's death (His atonement for all of us) and His resurrection (our way to live in newness of life).


Paul spoke about looking at the example of nature and based many of his teachings on what then was the accepted truth and appropriate for that society. So, therefore, to be true to Scripture we are obligated to look into the physical truths presented by science and academics today. To ignore it perverts the truth of Scripture. Today we know more about nature, psychology, cosmology, humanity, genetics, etc., and if one sets aside ancient prejudices and denominationally imposed limitations Scripture blends very well with the tangible, measurable truths of science, humanity and nature. These things all point to intelligent design of the universe and all that is in it. Also, though science has perhaps not proven beyond a doubt that Jesus Christ did live, the evidence found of his life clearly supports scripture - there is a long track record of it (check out Lee Strobel's book "The Case for a Creator" for a great synopsis - it's in the appendix).


I personally believe Christ existed and that He died and lives again because I have personally experienced His salvation and forgiveness. So far, taken as a whole everything in my experience corroborates what I take on faith. Being transgender and accepting it as a gift from God and embracing it as such has not lessened this closeness for me, but enhanced it.


I also know Christ loves even those that don't believe it - you can experience His love regardless of your circumstances. I thought for many years that I was accursed, unforgivable and an abomination because of what many others taught that the Bible said about my dirty little secret of being a girl inside, but we were all totally wrong on that point.


God promised that more would be revealed to us as the age progresses and in this light we discover that God and his acceptance of people is quite a bit larger still than any human can imagine and so is His love and Grace. His forgiveness extends to cover greater sins than can be imagined or committed, so why don't we all resolve to simply accept this and be part of His family or at least put animosity to rest. That is what the cross was all about, right? Let’s let God figure out the details that we can't resolve in the light of the limited view of truth each one of us has. We know that at our best we all see through dark and smokey glass. This way we don't have to quibble so much over relatively insignificant issues like what is or isn't sin or who is acceptable (especially since everybody is).


The UCC Churches have a slogan that I like "God is still speaking..." So don't put a period where He puts a comma.


(By the Way the "gender inclusive" 2011 revision of the NIV is on the way).


Hugs and Blessings.
Your sister in Christ,
Eva-Genevieve!