September 2014

A few things you’ll find in this months newsletter

From the Desk of the Executive Director ...... 1-2 Pride 2014 ...... 2 GALA and GALAXY ...... 3 New Group Announcement & Local Events ...... 4 Events In & Around Town ...... 5-6 Meet Jay! ...... 7 How You Can Help! ...... 8

From the Desk of the Executive Director: Jackson’s Corner

It has been a pretty big month so far. The beginning of September the 7th ruled the WI marriage ban unconstitutional. Although the state remains in limbo as the Attorney General petitions the Supreme Court to hear the case, it is one more positive step forward.

The middle of the month marked our 2014 Pride weekend. Further into our newsletter we’ll share more details with you about our Pride events this year. Although I’m proud of the events we produced this year, what I’d like to share with you is my pride in the team that made it all happen. Our events committee chair, Alesha Schandelmeier worked with a team of 14 committee members on the variety of large and small details over the last year to create the new twist to our Pride events this year. Countless other volunteers and board members helped us all weekend, some on only two or three hours of sleep between our debut of ‘So You Think You Can Drag?!’ to our PRIDE in the Park event. Both were successful in the pursuits of raising awareness about The Center and to continue promoting the message we are an inclusive and welcoming organization for all members of our community. Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated with us!

Pride in the Park 2014.

Lastly, this month concludes with our attendance at a National LGBT Leadership Summit coordinated by CenterLink. CenterLink is an organization supporting the development of strong, sustainable LGBT community centers. It’s an amazing opportunity to share and learn from LGBT leaders across the country. Since we’ve done so much productive work last couple years, it’s Pride in the Park a gift to have an opportunity to talk with and learn from community PRIDE in the Park was held on leaders who have already carved Saturday 9/13 at Cameron Park, similar paths to help us navigate the downtown La Crosse. With our new coming steps we take. location, we decided to make the community focused event free and I hope we see you at our Fall open to the public. Around 700 people Fundraising Gala this year when we enjoyed the cool weather while they shift our festivities to enjoy the special listened to music and visited our 22 perks of hosting it on Halloween. local vendors, including community groups, artisans, and food vendors. We also had a fantastic turnout in the Jackson kids’ activity tent!

PRIDE was a great success this year!

On Friday 9/12 we held ‘So You Think You Can Drag?’ at the Cavalier Theater & Lounge. We featured first-time performers all the way through Our Front door volunteers! seasoned professionals and crowned our first King and Queen of PRIDE, Nicoli Clyne and Tammy Why-Nott. The theater was packed and people raved about our hostess Brandonna.

Emcee Brandonna Dupri and La Crosse Pride King Nick Jensen-Shafer and La Crosse Pride Queen Tammy WhyNott-Breeze!!

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The Center Store! THE GALA Check out our store and you can order and have it shipped direct! You can check out the new store by going to this web address, http://7riversLGBTQ.org/store/.

This year the Center will take back Halloween night!

7 Rivers Halloween Gala

6:00 pm hors d’oeuvres & Cash Bar 7:00 pm VIP Dinner

9:00pm DJ Dance & Costume Contest We had a great month in GALAXY! We've been seeing some new faces Friday, October 31st since the school year began, and $35 Dinner Tickets everyone is really enjoying having our $5 Dance Tickets (9pm) meetings in the new Center space.

Concordia Ballroom This month we had a speaker talk to 1129 La Crosse Street, La Crosse, WI. us about depression, anxiety and stress management, and another who Tickets will be available at The Center or spoke about the long-term effects of contact [email protected] tobacco, alcohol and other drug use.

Several GALAXY youth were able to volunteer their time at the So You Think You Can Drag? event and out Pride in the Park day. We're hoping to arrange more volunteer opportunities for GALAXY youth in the near future.

If you know an LGBTQIAAP youth between the ages of 13 and 20, tell them to join us at GALAXY -- Thursday nights from 6 to 8 pm at the Center!!

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Groups and Events: New Group Announcements!

PANDA (Parents AND Allies):

PANDA supports the family and friends of the LGBTQ community. We all have loved ones facing unique challenges and we need a place to share the joys and concerns with others on the same journey. We provide a safe, confidential space to talk openly about our experiences as a parent, a grandparent, sibling, teacher, or friend. It is a place to learn, grow and form friendships along the way. No matter what stage you are in the process, PLEASE join us! We can all support and learn from each other’s experiences.

Meetings will be the 1st Monday of each month, 6pm at The Center and ked by Niki Pohnl (a local parent of a transgender child). If you’d like more information, email us at [email protected].

InQueery This new series we are introducing to bring a variety of events for the LGBTQ and Ally community. We are mixing part social, part education and total LGBTQ inclusivity with a new learning opportunity every event. Any topic is possible and dates and times will vary, so check in regularly! If you have and expertise and want to host a learning session, contact us at [email protected] to learn more!

What: Fostering and Adoption Program When: Monday October 13, 2014 from 6-8pm Where: The Center, 230 6th St S, La Crosse Who: This event is brought to us by Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin

Cost: FREE!!!

Regularly Scheduled Groups

Support Galaxy (Ages 13-20) every Thursday from 6-8pm Andromeda (Ages 18-25) Every other Thursday (10/2 &16) at 4:30 Transgender Support – 2nd and 4th Saturdays at 12:00pm

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Social / Drop-in Mindfulness and Meditation – Saturdays at 11am Gay Friendly Professional Network (GFPN) – 3rd Wednesday of the month from 5-7pm at the Pump House Regional Arts Center.

Events In and around town Coming Out for Equality Rally (Sponsored by The Center and UW-L Pride Center) When: Saturday October 11, 2014 Where: Starting Point is Cameron Park Time: Gathering at 3:30pm, Rally begins at 3:45pm.

Join us for some community bonding time as we span the bridge and show our coming out day pride!

UW-L Pride Center – all programs are FREE and open to the public!!

Robyn Ochs Wednesday, October 15, 2014 7pm 337 Cartwright Center Sponsored by: Pride Center, Rainbow Unity and CAB

Beyond Binaries: Identity, Gender & Sexuality- This program explores the landscape of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and how we “map” sexual orientation and gender. No two people are exactly alike. Robyn Ochs is an educator, speaker, award-winning activist, and editor of the 42-country anthology, Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World and the Bi Women newsletter.

Queer Cinema Presents: Out in America Wednesday, October 22, 2014 7pm in 337 Cartwright Center

OUT in America is an uplifting collection of unique, transformative stories and inspiring personal narratives told through the lens of the country's most prominent LGBT figures and pioneers, as well as many average, yet extraordinary, citizens from Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities.

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Kate Bornstein: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us Transexual Author, Playwright & Performance Artist Monday, October 27, 2014 7pm Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall Sponsored by: Pride Center, Rainbow Unity, Diversity and Inclusion, School of Arts, Communication, College of Liberal Studies and Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies

Kate Bornstein is a performance artist and playwright who has authored several award-winning books in the field of Women and Gender Studies, including Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and The Rest of Us, and My Gender Workbook.

Her 2006 book, Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws, propelled Kate into an international position of anti-bully advocacy for marginalized youth which has earned her two citations of honor from the New York City Council and garnered praise from civil rights groups around the globe.

Kate's books are taught in five languages in over 200 colleges and universities around the world. She lives in New York City with her girlfriend, three cats, two dogs, and one turtle, in whose company she wrote her new memoir, A Queer and Pleasant Danger: the true story of a nice Jewish boy who joins the Church of Scientology, and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today." The book was released on May 1st, 2012, which is also Kate's 26th girl birthday.

Queer Cinema Presents: Transgeneration Wednesday, November 19, 2014 7pm in 337 Cartwright Center

TRANSGENERATION, is a year-in-the-life look at four college students — Gabbie, Lucas, Raci, and T.S. — who are juggling the challenges of academia with their commitment to transition from their birth sex. Trans* Day of Remembrance Wednesday, November 20, 2014 7pm Clocktower

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Meet Jay!

Jay and Ann in Mexico

We are going to continue introducing you to all the board members; volunteers and interns that help us make this all a reality.

My name is Jay Palmer. My partner Ann and I came to Winona eight years ago when I accepted a job teaching social work at Winona State. I first learned about the Center through Ann who places student interns there through Western Technical College. I’ve been on the Center’s Board of Directors since January 2014 and am currently serving as the Vice President of the Board. I want to introduce myself by sharing why I became involved with the Center.

My journey as an Ally began in 1985 while I was working at a camp for the Los Angeles Unified School District. I was preparing to leave for the weekend when two of my female coworkers approached me and said “We are in a relationship and there is no place where we can stay together. Can we stay with you this weekend?” I realized then that people I cared about bravely endured a constant stream of challenges that I had been oblivious to. Years later, while working as a counselor for people affected by HIV/AIDS, I heard many intimate stories detailing the impact that homophobia, heterosexism, and cisgenderism had on people’s lives.

As someone who identifies as a straight white male, I was born into a position of privilege in the world. I feel very strongly that I have a moral obligation to use that position to speak out along side of those who are denied the treatment I can take granted. It has been a gift to be able to work with the Center and support its mission of making the world a safer, fairer, and more accepting place.

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How you can help!

The Center and the services it provides is made possible through the generosity of individuals and businesses in our community. What we accomplish wouldn’t be possible without supporters like you. There are a variety of ways to get involved either through donating time, skills or financial resources. If you would like to learn more about our work and how to support us, please visit our website –

http://www.7riverslgbtq.org/

To learn more about how to get involved, please visit us at:

http://7riverslgbtq.org/get-involved/

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