Greetings friends!
I hope that everyone survived the recent snowmageddon! Keep thinking cheery thoughts of springtime, as best you can…it will arrive (eventually!). Here are a few things OutSupport is working on, or at least a few things to know about!
Most importantly is our upcoming program, specifically for all school personnel…teachers, administration, counselors, school boards, etc…We have received MANY calls about issues regarding transgender students, and because our friends at TransOhio and GLSEN can’t visit every school individually, here is our attempt at making sure accurate information is presented, and questions are accurately answered. There is room for 100 participants on the Zoom call, so TransOhio should be able to accommodate most interested participants. James (he|him), TransOhio Chair is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Supporting Trans Students
Time: Feb 17, 2022 02:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89449615271
Meeting ID: 894 4961 5271
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Meeting ID: 894 4961 5271
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbOrvt3RR0
For those of you who are parents, or other interested individuals, GLSEN Central Ohio will be presenting a very similar Zoom event that evening, Feb 17, from 6:00-7:00pm. We hope to have a Zoom link for you and will send out the day before the meeting.
In other news, Margie’s Hope, an NEOhio organization that keeps offering additional services and programs for transgender and non-binary individuals has an awful lot to offer the community, from their clothing store, food pantry, a variety of programs for all ages and circumstances of transgender individuals. We are super proud of the work that they do…check them out! www.facebook.com/MargiesHopeOhio
The nation is experiencing a blood shortage, due to the pandemic and other reasons. The Red Cross/FDA has recently updated it’s guidance on who can and who can’t donate blood. An organization called Versiti has a helpful LGBTQ Donor Eligibility Guidelines page on their general site. If you have interest in donating, check this information out:www.versiti.org/championing-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/lgbt-donor-information.
It’s that time of year again! If you know a high school student planning on attending college, or is currently in college, this may be helpful to be aware of:www.study.com/resources/LGBTQ-college-student-guide#0118There are scholarships offered to Transgender students, specifically, as well as a College Guide for LGBTQ+ Students! The scholarships have a May 1 deadline!
The Medina County Health Department wants you to be aware that they have a lot of resources for LGBTQ people, including HIV screenings, PrEP prescriptions, and other services that are confidential and free. They also are a site for Project DAWN, the Naloxone distribution program. Stay healthy, friends! www.medinahealth.org/healthcenter/hiv-testing-prevention-and-treatment/
OutSupport will be offering spring/summer OutDoors programs, starting in April! Look for specific dates, times and locations in next month’s newsletter! In the meantime, we continue our collaboration with the Medina County Health Dept. and their focus on LGBTQ+ tobacco prevention and cessation grant. We look forward to presenting Transgender 101 to the MCHD and John Carroll University in March. We are also happy to be able to present to the Wadsworth Spectrum GSA later this month at Wadsworth High School! Also, we are happy to say we have been able to purchase 20 new binders for transgender and non-binary teens since September!
We hope that the Covid situation comes to a close soon, so that we can resume meetings in person, as we had prior to the pandemic. Let’s hope that going forward, we can meet year round and offer continued support for you and your loved ones.
Stay healthy, stay safe!
Sandy
she/her