Hi friends,
I hope this finds you all ok…I know we have all been through an emotional wringer, with the news lately. Please practice a form of self care, whether it’s a nap in the afternoon, a long walk in the woods, or doing yoga, or doing your nails….whatever gives you a sense of peace…do it! We all have to stay strong, no matter how elections turn out, and a big part of that is self care. We all need each other, so if you are feeling weak, reach out to a friend who loves you exactly how you are.
Here is some news and upcoming events…
First, some good news from Medina City Hall! As you may have heard, a group of us in Medina are requesting an LGBTQ Nondiscrimination Ordinance for the City of Medina. The Special Legislation Committee held a hearing on Nov. 1, and heard testimony from about 14 of us. There were about 100 people present, and I think it’s safe to say at least 90 of them were there in supportof an ordinance! The City Councilman, Bill Lamb, showed 80+ letters of support that he has received in the last month or so. Thank you to everyone who wrote a letter!! It made a difference!! He said that he has never received so many letters on an issue!
There were several business owners who expressed reservation, but overall, the night was ours, in my opinion.
Next steps: The Equality Core group will be having meetings with individual council representatives, and plan to bring the 2 ordinances (one from our group, the other drafted by the City Law Director) to a place that we are both satisfied, and then present to the Finance Committee, and finally Full Council for a vote. I will keep you updated on actions that Medina area residents can take to support Medina in becoming the 22nd Jurisdiction in Ohio to adopt an ordinance!! Big thank you to all participants Thursday!!
In other news, The Transgender Day of Remembrance service will take place in Cleveland on Nov. 16, from 5:30-8:00pm at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave. This is always a very moving ceremony, remembering those in the Transgender community that we have lost in the past year.
There may be a service in Westfield Center UU Church as well, and as soon as I have details, I’ll let you know them.
The Gay Community Endowment Fund is hosting it’s main fundraiser for the year, the Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes! This year, it will take place on Sunday, Dec. 2, from 1-5 pm!
$35 General Admission Details at: www.sugarplumtour.org
The GCEF has generously supported OutSupport for most of our existence, so thank you for support them in this fun event!
Equality Ohio is hosting it Allies and Advocates for Equality event on Dec. 5 from 6-8 pm. This year’s Award recipients are Dr. Cecile Ungar and Giovanni Santiago for the work they both do in their respective programs supporting NEOhio transgender people! congratulations to both of them!! Tickets: www.equalityohio.org
It’s not too early to think about what you might do for New Year’s Eve! Akron Pride is hosting the NYE Rainbow Ball at the beautiful Akron Civic Theatre, Dec. 31 from 7:30pm-12:30am
Tickets; www1.ticketmaster.com
VOTING IS TOMORROW!!! NOV.6!!!
If you need some help in choosing who to vote for, our friends at HRC have a handy voting guide for candidates they have endorsed…: www.hrc.org/Ohio
VOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVOTEVO
Lastly, holidays can be pretty rough, as can those times that you want the support of a family member at a special time in your life. If your blood family is not there as a support in your life, check out the Facebook Closed Group called Stand-in Families International. No matter where you may live, there are families and individuals who DO support you , and want to make your special moment or holiday a special one. Alternatively, if you would like to be that person who offers support for special events or holiday, you can sign up for this group, too! the currant number of members is 8.1k members.
I hope to see many of you for the November 26 OutSupport meeting! For those who know him, Ross will be there!!! He would love to see those who know him!!!YAY!!!
I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Kindest regards,
Sandy