Greetings friends,
I hope that you are enjoying these beautiful, early spring days! Please make some time to get outside, enjoy the sun on your face and warmth!
Again, as usual, so many things to talk about! I'll bullet point them :))
TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY To celebrate trangender people in some wonderful celebrations in NEOhio:
Cleveland LGBT Center Sat., March 30 from 5-8pm Tickets on Eventbrite (Margie's Hope)
Akron. Friday, March 29 5-8pm Bounce Innovation Hub, 544 Falor St. (TransJoy Akron)
Canton Saturday,March 30 4-7 pm Queer in Canton 2663 Cleveland Ave. NW
MEDINA EVENTS
***YOUTH***
* Medina GSA is inviting all (adults and teens) to their LGBTQ Health Awareness Snack Break. Monday, March 18 from 2:30-3:30pm at the MHS Media Center...Great students..it's great when they see the support of adults in the community! Attachment with details!
*Medina District Library Teen PRIDE TIME March 13 (Brunswick: 2:30-4:00pm)
March 13 (Medina 4:00-5:30pm)
April 25 (Brunswick 4:00-5:30pm)
*OutSupport LGBTQ+ Teen MeetUp. Tuesday, March 12 7:00-8:00pm Cool Beans Hang out with friends, a sweet treat, and a banned book giveaway!
***ADULT***
* OutSupport LGBTQ+ Adult Support Meeting Thursday, March 14 7:00-8:30pm at Unity of Medina, 655 N. Broadway Medina. Support for your journey as an LGBTQ+ person, or family and friends of LGBTQ+ ALL are welcome!
*G2H2 Social Community March Dinner: Wednesday, March 13 5:30-7:30 Dominic's Italian Restaurant (semi-private room off the sports bar) RSVP on the G2H2 Facebook page!
* An Evening with Gingerella! A one Queen event, all about Gingerella's story! April 6, 6-10pm At Williams on the Lake. Tickets through Eventbrite
***PRIDE EVENTS for Your Calendar!***
Cleveland: Saturday, June 1, 11-6pm on Public Square www.lgbtcleveland.org
StarkPRIDE: Saturday, June 8 at Centennial Plaza in Canton www.starkpride.org
MEDINA Thursday, June 13 from 6-9pm. PRIDE PICNIC AND CHALK ART and Silent Disco!
Akron: Saturday, August 24 Downtown Akron. www.akronpridefestival.org
www.thebuckeyeflame.com will be everyone's best source for all things PRIDE related, and should have their 2024 guide up soon!
***OutSupport in the Community***
*Our Pride event will have new resources and fun! If your organization wants to have a table at the event, please reach out and let us know! The more, the merrier!!
*OutSupport/GSA Scholarship Applications are available! Attached, find the application for graduating LGBTQ+/Ally Seniors, who will be furthering their education in any manner (college, trade school, community college, etc...) Deadline for Application: April 1, 2024!
*We purchased 3 binders in February for local trans/NB teens through GC2B. Know a teen/young adult in need? Please reach out for more information!
*We will have our PRIDE Billboards up again for the month of June! Keep an eye out around Medina County!
*We plan to present to the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Medina County in April.
*Nex Benedict's untimely death was really heavy on my heart, so I wrote up a short speech, and attended the Medina City School Board meeting on Feb. 26, to urge them to be aware of the number of LGBTQ+ students that Medina City Schools have, whether they are out or not. (The number, using current research, of students identifying as LGBTQ+ is 26%. For Medina City Schools, that comes to about 800 students K-12). I wanted to remind the school board that school should always be a safe space for ALL students, especially kids like Nex in Medina, and that they should do everything in their power to make sure that vulnerable Trans and NB students are treated with compassion and understanding. I would love to see this message shared with all school boards in our area. Maybe you can do the same in your school district? I plan to attend future meetings as I am able.
Call to Action Our work is still far from over advocating for transgender folks. Please read this article from our friends at the Buckeye Flame, and send an email following the instructions. Time sensitive!
As always, we send hugs to you all, and hope that you are taking care of yourself, however you
can. We are there for you, and welcome suggestions of how to better serve our community.
Kindest regards,
Sandy
she/her