Hello!
Well, spring looked like it was on its way here, but….it is NEOhio, after all! Don’t worry…it will be here very soon!
With that in mind, we are happy to announce the OutSupport OutDoors schedule for the spring/summer 2022! This year will look a little different, in that we offer 2 opportunities for getting together and getting/giving support outdoors, utilizing our beautiful Medina County Parks! One of the programs offers support and social time for families with youth 17 and under and their parent/guardian. These will be a great opportunity to meet up with other families with LGBTQ+ youth, and have a relaxed time to hang out and get to know each other. The first event like this will be Tuesday, April 26 from6-8pm at River Styx Park. We hope to see lots of you there!
The additional series is in collaboration with the Medina County Health Dept. and Hope Recovery Center’s PrideTime, with offering a healthy, outdoor option for all LGBTQ+ folx and Allies, too! All ages welcome to these easy hikes, which will take place at various Medina County Parks. The first hike will be at Lake Medina County Park on Tuesday, April 19. We will meet at the Granger Road parking lot and depart from there promptly at 6:10ish, so please try to be prompt!
At all of OutSupport OutDoors events, we kindly ask that there be no tobacco products being used (cigarettes, vaping, etc..) for the health of everyone, and that we observe Leave No Trace Principles, which includes staying on defined trails, and taking only pictures and leaving only footprints, so please no flower picking or otherwise disturbing nature. We want to enjoy the parks and leave them better than when we arrived!
Attached, please find our OutSupport OutDoors Calendar of events for the spring/summer…we hope to see many of you there at these events! Please share with people who might be interested in joining either group.
In other news:
We have many Mama Bears in our groups…mamas who love our LGBTQ+ children unconditionally! There is a new Documentary out and will be shown at the 46th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival! It’s called Mama Bears, and will be streamed and 1 in person viewing. The in person will be on Wed. April 6 at 5:00pm at the Mimi Ohio theatre in Playhouse Square. Streaming On Demand will be from Sunday April 10-17. For more info and tickets, www.clevelandfilm.org
Medina’s G2H2 will be hosting another Happy Hour gathering on Tuesday, April 12 at 5:30 at 111 Bistro 2736 Medina Road! Stay for drinks or dinner! RSVP on the Medina G2H2 Social Community Facebook page!
If you’ve watched the news, you are probably aware of all of the anti-LGBTQ+ Bills in state houses around the country, including Ohio. If you weren’t aware, please visit this website for a legislative tracker for each state and Bill, and its status. This covers Bills that include school policy, healthcare,sports bans, etc.. We stand with LGBTQ+ organizations around Ohio and the country in doing what we can to stop these horrendous Bills from going forward.
www.freedomforallamericans.org
That said, we keep making inroads here in Medina, and try to make sure everyone knows they are supported in their journeys. We were happy to speak with the Medina HS GSA as part of a health panel that included the Medina Health Dept. and HOPE Recovery Center PrideTime, and other speakers. So far, in April we will be visiting the Highland High School GSA and the AIRoot Middle School GSA, with the Medina Health Dept. to talk about their health as it relates to tobacco usage, and to provide the groups with a donation and lots of bling! It’s really important to us to make sure the kids know they have support in our local community, and to stand strong!
Another little piece of EXCITING NEWS!!! This June, Medina streets will see rainbows throughout the downtown Square District! We are grateful to the efforts of Jess Hazeltine, Medina City Councilperson, for advocating for PRIDE flags to be hung. We have been fortunate to have received donations recently, and we used those funds to purchase 29 flags and flagpoles that will be hanging in the Square and surrounding streets from June 1-13!!! Please make sure you plan a trip into Medina during that period, to see what I think is absolutely incredible for our city! While not on the calendar, we will try to organize a picture event on June 7….do we have any photographers in this listserv? Stay tuned for details on this, and pencil the date in your calendar if you would like to be part of the picture!
Finally, there will be a couple of changes in the OutSupport family. Our Facebook guru, Kathy Breitenbucher, has had to step back from keeping our Facebook page populated with positive, uplifting messages and interesting articles for the past 7 years. We are so grateful for your consistent efforts in lifting up the LGBTQ+ +Ally community over this time! We wish you all the best on whatever doors open up for you and send you all kinds of gold stars and glitter for your faithful Allyship!
We are happy to also announce that our longtime website/graphics guru, who has put together every flyer that OurSupport has used, and has kept our website as up to date as possible, Candyce Glave, will take on the Facebook update role!
We are SO GRATEFUL to have worked with 2 amazing people who are SUPER ALLIES, and help us on our mission of providing support and love to the Medina community and beyond. We couldn’t have done what we’ve done without them. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sending everyone reading this lots of love, hugs, peace and joy this upcoming month, and we hope to see many of you over the summer!
Kindest regards,
Sandy