News & Views

 

The Newsletter of the Lubbock Chapter of Parents,

Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

Support ~ Education ~ Advocacy

                                                                                                                               February, 2005

 

THE PFLAG MISSION                           

PFLAG promotes the health and well‑being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill‑informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.

 

This Month’s Meeting

 

We will be continuing with our meetings at St. John’s United Methodist Church on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month at 7 pm simply because it seems to be the best place and the best time for us to get together.  So for February, we will have Jonathan Marks with us to talk about the Texas Tech Main Stage theater production of “My Sister In This House” which is being staged this weekend & next weekend at Texas Tech’s Madgeon Theater.  He will talk about the play & its themes.

 

We will also be giving a summary of what was discussed in January as well as plans for the upcoming march at the capitol to “Save Our Constitution” in Austin in March.

 

Last Month’s Meeting

 

The 2005 officers of PFLAG/Lubbock want to thank all of you how attended the January meeting and contributed to the discussion of the future of Lubbock’s PFLAG chapter.  We, the officers, say thank you for the vital information that you gave us.

 

The discussion was basically broken down into two categories:  (1) what has PFLAG/Lubbock done in the past 12 years of its existence and (2) suggestions for the future.  The lists below are not in any particular order of importance.

 

What PFLAG/Lubbock Has Done In The Past Twelve Years

 

1)       Awarded scholarships (made possible by an endowment)

2)       Provided support through the hotline

3)       Provided education to our members through guest speakers

4)       Provided education to Texas Tech University students by providing speakers for numerous classes on the campus

5)       Provided educational resources through our library of printed materials and videotapes

6)       Provided visible support by participation in public rallies

7)       Provided visible support by participating in Lubbock’s 4^th on Broadway celebrations and Texas Tech University homecoming parades

 

8)       Provided support for mothers through Mother’s Group meetings

9)       Provided support for parents through Parents’ Only mealtime gatherings

10)   Provided community support through donations and activities with SPARC (South Plains Aids Resource Center)

11)   Provided advocacy work through letter writing campaigns to legislators

12)   Provided fellowship & a sense of community to our members and guests

13)   Facilitated off-shoot groups

14)   Had an indirect influence on St. John’s United Methodist Church’s recognition as a reconciling congregation

15)   Provided advocacy & education through TV and Radio spots

16)   Paid Our Bills !

 

Suggestions

 

1)       Develop a website.  Education is available through the internet anonymously; therefore there is not as much need to provide education at our meetings

2)       Meetings still are important to reinforce the sense of community

3)       Explore the possibility of changing our meeting location and/or date & time.

4)       Provide support by allowing time at the meetings to “share in the circle”

5)       Make more public appearances at public forums

6)       There is still a need to exist and have a presence in the community

7)       Get our meeting’s information back in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

8)       Continue to partner with various faith, color, & other groups

9)       Become more of a presence in the community at large

 

 

PFLAG/Texas State Conference

 

PFLAG/Texas’s State Conference will be held Saturday, March 12^th at the Fairfield Inn, 11201 North MoPac Expressway (just north of Braker Lane) with a registration cost of $20.

(checks payable to PFLAG/Austin & sent to Jim Null, 8423 Greenbush, Houston, TX 77025 along with your name, phone, email & address

or

Credit Card through www.PayPal.com payable to Email address [email protected])

 

The program will be from Noon to 9:30 pm and will include:

 

“Making School Safe for GLBT Children” Judy Hoff, PFLAG National Safe Schools Coordinator

“What the Bible Doesn’t Say about Homosexuality” the Rev. Sid Hall of Trinity UMC

plus

“The Transgender Puzzle”

“How to Lobby”

“What Works in Texas PFLAG Chapters”

 

Save Our Constitution

MARCH & RALLY

Sunday, March 13^th

 

The Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas is sponsoring a “Save Our Constitution” march and rally at the state capitol on Sunday, March 13^th.  The gathering will begin with a march down Congress Ave. to the Capitol, followed by a rally on the stat house grounds.  The event is to express opposition to two bills that have been submitted to the 79^th Texas Legislature that would ban same-sex marriages, unions, & other benefits currently available in same-sex partnerships.

 

LGRL encourages concerned people to write a letter or fax their representatives in the Texas senate & house to voice opposition to the proposed constitutional amendments.  To make it very easy to do so, a website has been created to provide information on the two bills, whom to write, sample letters, phone numbers and an e-mail framework.  To join the e-mail protest list is good, but a more effective method of communication is a phone call, fax or personal letter to the appropriate representatives.

 

Lobby day

Monday, March 14^th

 

Following the march & rally of March 13^th, PFLAGers will be answering the call of the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas to come & be trained in “How to Lobby” and then go, either alone or in small groups, to lobby in the offices of their respective legislators.  Part of the lobbying training will involve & up-date on the situation of the proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution against same-sex unions and marriages.  For more details go to www.lgrl.org

 

 

LGBT Family Conference

 

The Family Pride Coalition is proud to announce it will host its first ever Texas LGBT Family Conference, which will take place on Sat., Feb. 26^th in Dallas, Texas.  This gathering for LGBT parents, those considering parenthood & their families & allies, will take place at the Cathedral of Hope, 5910 Cedar Springs Road.

 

The day-long conference will include nearly a dozen workshops on a range of family-related issues, as well as an advocacy panel focused on family-related legislation & activism in Texas.  Programming for youth nine years & older will be presented by Children of Lesbians & Gays Everywhere (COLAGE), & child care for children under nine years old will also be made available by child care volunteers from the Cathedral of Hope.  The day will end with the Family Pride Coalition’s traditional Family Dance.

 

In addition to the host organization, the Cathedral of Hope, other co-sponsors of the Texas LGBT Family Conference include the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby (LGRL) of Texas; Lambda Legal; COLAGE; PFLAG/Texas; The ACLU of Texas; Dallas Family Pride; & Austin Rainbow Parents.

 

Registration is just $35 per family (an additional $10 fee per youth will be collected by COLAGE) includes breakfast, a box lunch, workshops, child care, the advocacy panel, the Family Dance, as well as one-year membership to the Family Pride Coalition.  For more information, or to register for the conference, to http://www.familypride.org/forms/tx2005registration.php

or call (202) 311-5015.

 

 

Memberships

 

It is still possible to become a member of PFLAG/Lubbock for the 2005 year.  Your attendance is important at our meetings but your membership is also important to helping PFLAG/Lubbock stay alive.  This organization does not live by good fellowship and attendance alone.  The dues that you pay us will not only give you local membership but they pay for the membership in the national organization of PFLAG.  They also help with the costs of this newsletter and the purchase of literature for our library and handout brochures and other materials.  They also help with the yearly scholarship that we award each year to a deserving student.  Help us stay a viable part of the Community – Join this month!

 

Dues are:

$50 for a couple - $35 for a single person - $25 for a student

 

Supporting those who support pflag

 

Churches:

Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) – 4501 University Avenue.  Sunday Worship 11 am & 6 pm; Thursday Prayer Meeting 6 am; Friday Lambda AA Meeting 8 pm; Monday Youth Group Meeting 7 pm.  The HIV/AIDS Ryan White Food Pantry is open on Tuesdays.  Newsletter available upon request.  Information – [email protected] or (806) 792-5562.

St. John’s United Methodist Church – a “Reconciling Congregation,” 15^th & University Avenue (across the street from Texas Tech University).  Sunday mornings: 8:30-Holy Communion; 9 am-Fellowship Time; 9:15 am-Sunday School Classes; 10:30 am-Morning Worship.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lubbock – Adult education, Sundays 10 am; Worship Service & children’s classes, Sundays 11 am.  Write 2801-42^nd Street, Lubbock, TX 79413, or call (806) 799-1617.

Organizations:

LGBTs, Lubbock, Literature, Etc. – http://www.duanesimolke.com.

The Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Support Group – Texas Tech University Counseling Center meets during the fall & spring semesters.  Interested Tech students can call the Counseling Center at (806) 742-3674.

Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas (LGRL) – the largest lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered organization in Texas.  They work toward the elimination of social, legal & economic discrimination based on sexual orientation & gender identity through lobbying, education, & research directed toward the Texas Legislature & other state governmental agencies; PO Box 2340, Austin, TX 78768; phone: (512) 474-5475; E-mail:  [email protected];  website:  www.lgrl.org.

Queers & Allies (Q&A) – meets most Mondays at 8 pm the basement of Holden Hall on the Texas Tech University campus during the fall & spring semesters.  E-mail them for meeting details at [email protected].

SPARC/Project Recognize  – 202-37^th Street;

 (806) 765-0444. ).  They need volunteers; they educate the public about HIV/AIDS; & they offer free, anonymous testing, as well as many other services.

Planned Parenthood of Lubbock – Briarcroft Office Park #14, (806) 795-7123.

Social:

Luxor – 2211-4^th Street.  Open Thursday – Sunday, 9 pm - ???  See their website for specials, coupons, etc.  Contact:  [email protected] or (806) 744-3744.

This Week In Texas (TWIT) – http://www.thisweekintexas.com.

Businesses:

Adams Flowers – 3532-34^th Street.  (806- 792-2126; http://www.adamsflowerstx.com/

Ellsworth String Quartet – Holy Unions, Weddings, Receptions, etc. – (806) 799-7227.

Kyra Blankenship & Angela Bakersville – Attorneys at Law – (806) 765-5161 or 1-800-364-7021.

Natalie Phillips @ J. Capelli Salon – 4620-50^th Street,

Suite 7 – (806) 799-7771.

Rainbow Candleworks, Ceramics & Things –

(806) 773-0149 (cell); (806) 792-9127 (home);  http://www.rainbowcandlecompany.com.

Shellie Smith, CPA – 8008 Slide Road – (806) 798-8194.

Tommy Kirk Hairstylist – 2825-50^th Street – (806) 797-7901.

Sprague’s – 438-2221 – Sprague Fleming is a state licensed massage therapist & is celebrating 16 years of service.  Email:  [email protected]        web:  http://www.fly.to/smc