Hi everyone!
Ahh the dog days of summer! Enjoy the heat while it lasts!!!:))
Well, lots to get to, so here goes!
Thank you to all who participated in our Medical Resources event on July 25! All of our speakers were fantastic, and we all learned so much! I think we can all be grateful that so many resources are available in NEOhio to our LGBTQ family and friends. For those who couldn’t make it, we will have the speakers flyers, etc…at our resource table at OutSupport meetings, so you can pick them up there!
First, the decision to cancel Cleveland’s PRIDE Parade, was a huge disappointment for the community. But, the community, as always, came through!! There will be a PRIDE event on/around the Public Square in Cleveland and you can find all the details here:
www.lgbtcleveland.org and click on “Pride in the CLE” for all the details. Kudos to the LGBT Center in Cleveland, and all the committed individuals and the City of Cleveland for making this available for us all!! As far as OutSupport’s participation, however, many of you know I had surgery a few weeks ago, and frankly am not up to participating this year as an official OutSupport event. If you go, have fun and I hope to see lots of pics!!!
Exciting news from the far NEOhio area!! There is a new Gender Identity Support Group that will start meeting in Chesterland, coordinated by Natalie Naumann!! The first meeting will be Tuesday, August 16!! Here are the details:
True Selves Gender Identity Support Group
Meets on the 3rd Tuesday each month from 6:00-8:30 (meetings start at 6:30)
Community Church of Chesterland 11984 Caves Road Chesterland, Ohio 44026
Donation of $5 per family for church rental
email: TrueSelves2016@gmail.com facebook.com/groups/TrueSelvesSupport
OutSupport is so happy to learn of this, and we wish you great success in establishing another support option for our family and friends in that area!!!
Please mark your calendar if you are involved with teens at the high schools around NEOhio, who have a GSA, are thinking about forming a GSA, or want ideas about how to expand your GSA (and when I say GSA, it can be any school group that offers support to teens at local high schools…it doesn’t have to be called GSA!) Sunday, November 6 at Allardale Lodge in NE Medina County from 10-4pm! We are putting together programming that will offer Leadership Skills, Positive Self Image, and ways of taking your GSA from good to GREAT!!!! More details will be coming soon, but help us get the word out to help us support teens who are moving the conversation forward in their schools! If you are interested in participating that day, or have suggestions, we love any volunteer assistance we can get!! Registration forms will be available at our next OutSupport meeting (August 22) and online after that. We hope to make this an amazing day for our fantastic teens!!!
Speaking of Back to School….we hope to see our college students before they head off to the next adventure of their lives!! We wish all of you well!!
Also, if you need/want a new binder/gaff for Back to School, we would be happy to order another one for you…we have applications at all of our meetings! We want you to feel GREAT going back to school!
A couple of other reminders: Cleveland LGBT Wedding Expo on Sunday, Sept. 25 from 12:30-3:30 at the Holiday Inn in Mentor. RSVP for free tickets at www.SameLoveSameRights.com Wedding bells are such a sweet sound!!
Also, for those who are suffering the loss of an LGBTQ person in your life, or extended community, or feeling grief from the sad, unfortunately common, lives lost to violence toward our LGBTQ loved ones, please consider going to the Grief Support for the LGBTQ Community, offered by Akron General’s Visiting Nurse Services. Meetings will be held at the Justin T Rogers Hospice Care Center 3358 Ridgewood Road, Akron, from 5:30-7:00pm on August 15, 22, and 29. I know I have received several calls from individuals who are looking for support, so if you want to share this information with someone you may know, it may be just what they need. This is the first time that such service is being offered in our (non-Cleveland) area, and we appreciate the effort put forth to offer such programming. No need to register in advance…just show up. Questions? Call Lorie Lerner at 330-668-4679
OK…that’s about it! Enjoy the August heat and sunshine! We hope to see you at the next OutSupport meeting on August 22!
Kindest regard,
Sandy