File #51820: "SVGLA Newsletter March 2014 FINAL.pdf"
Text
A+ Pet Siting
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
Website:
www.svgla.org
THE FAMILY
CONNECTSHEN
T HE FAMILY CONNECT SHEN
Mail:
P.O. Box 1023
Harrisonburg, VA 22803
Email:
SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Bostic v. Rainey Historic Marriage Ruling in Virginia
Mission Statement:
The purpose of the Shenandoah Valley Gay and
Lesbian Association is to
create a safe, affirming, and
fun environment where
members are empowered
to reach their full human
potential.
———————–
Valley Events (pgs. 9-10)
Indigo Dance Party
Rebecca Kling
Gay Men’s Chorus
———————–
EMPOWER YOUR
COMMUNITY!
Join SVGLA
(Membership Form pg. 12)
With your annual dues of
$15.00 (Level One membership), you will receive and di to
SVGLA events.
Send form and payment to the
mailing address above.
Level Two membership is
FREE.
You will receive the newsletter
and announcements about
SVGLA events by email.
SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
———————–
The SVGLA “Family
Connectshen” is published quarterly (in
March, June, September, and December).
A federal court decision on February 13, 2014, found Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, but
stayed enforcement of that decision pending appeal. This landmark decision ends with a conclusion worth pondering, a conclusion memorable both for its awareness of history and its emotional force. It follows below.
Each of the parties before the Court recognizes that marriage is a sacred social institution.
The commitment two individuals enter into to love, support each other, and to possibly
choose to nurture children enriches our society. Although steeped in a rich, tradition- and
faith-based legacy, Virginia's Marriage Laws are an exercise of governmental power. For
those who choose to marry, and for their children, Virginia's laws ensures that marriage provides profound legal, financial, and social benefits, and exacts serious legal, financial, and social obligations. The government's involvement in defining marriage, and in attaching benefits that accompany the institution, must withstand constitutional scrutiny. Laws that fail that
scrutiny must fall despite the depth and legitimacy of the laws' religious heritage.
The Court is compelled to conclude that Virginia's Marriage Laws unconstitutionally deny
Virginia's gay and lesbian citizens the fundamental freedom to choose to marry. Government
interests in perpetuating traditions, shielding state matters from federal interference, and favoring one model of parenting over others must yield to this country's cherished protections
that ensure the exercise of the private choices of the individual citizen regarding love and
family.
Ultimately, this is consistent with our nation's traditions of freedom. "[T]he history of our
Constitution ... is the story of the extension of constitutional rights and protections to people
once ignored or excluded." United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515, 557 (1996). Our nation's
uneven but dogged journey toward truer and more meaningful freedoms for our citizens has
brought us continually to a deeper understanding of the first three words in our Constitution: we the people. "We the People" have become a broader, more diverse family than once
imagined. Justice has often been forged from fires of indignities and prejudices suffered. Our
triumphs that celebrate the freedom of choice are hallowed. We have arrived upon another
moment in history when We the People becomes more inclusive, and our freedom more perfect.
Almost one hundred and fifty four years ago, as Abraham Lincoln approached the cataclysmic rending of our nation over a struggle for other freedoms, a rending that would take his
life and the lives of hundreds of thousands of others, he wrote these words: "It can not have
failed to strike you that these men ask for just. . . the same thing—fairness, and fairness only. This, so far
as in my power, they, and all others, shall have. "
The men and women, and the children too, whose voices join in noble harmony with Plaintiffs today, also ask for fairness, and fairness only. This, so far as it is in this Court's power,
they and all others shall have.
Arenda L. Wright Allen, United States District Judge
February 13, 2014 Norfolk, Virginia
An Evening with Artist-Educator Rebecca Kling
Monday, March 17, Taylor Down Under, JMU
Rebecca Kling is a transgender artist and educator who explores gender and identity through solo pieces and educational
workshops. Her multidisciplinary performances incorporate
conversational storytelling, personal narrative, humor, movement, video projection, and more. Kling takes the position that
sharing accessible queer narrative with a wide audience is a
form of activism and that understanding combats bigotry
Sponsored by Madison Equality
PFLAG Blue Ridge
Serving Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and
Surrounding Central Virginia Areas
We are parents, families, friends, and allies uniting with
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender loved ones to
promote support, education, and advocacy.
www.pflagblueridge.org
PFLAGBR@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/pflagblueridge
https://twitter.com/PFLAGBR
PFLAG Blue Ridge offers free monthly community groups for anyone who identifies as
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning, as well as parents, family, friends,
and allies. If you are a parent, family member, or friend of a gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or
transgender individual looking to increase your support, or if your loved one has recently
come out to you and you are struggling to process your own feelings as well as looking for
resources to help understand — we are here for you. Join us as we share our experiences, joys,
concerns, and resources in a confidential and non-judgmental environment.
Meeting Information
Harrisonburg
When:
Where:
Contact:
Note:
First Thursday of each month, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Blue Ridge Hall, Room 309, 601 University Blvd, JMU (note new location)
Facilitator Mark at mitchmarke@aol.com or 540-405-1227
Meetings coincide with Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Youth Group
Charlottesville
When:
Where:
Contact:
3rd Saturday of each month, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. (note our new day and time)
ASG, 315 Tenth St. NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902 (corner of 10th & Jefferson)
Facilitator Karen at karenmeandering@gmail.com or 434-882-3453
Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Meetings
The Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance holds weekly meetings every Thursday from
6:30 to 8:00pm at Blue Ridge Hall, Room 326, 601 University Blvd. on the campus of
JMU (note our new location).
Young people aged 14-20 from the Harrisonburg and surrounding communities who
identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning are welcome to
attend. We aim to provide a safe and confidential space for youth to talk, listen,
laugh, share, and reflect on what it's like to be an LGBTQ teen in the Shenandoah
Valley.
PFLAG Blue Ridge (www.pflagblueridge.org/harrisonburg.html) will be holding
meetings on the first Thursday of each month in the same building.
Visit our website at http://www.svyesalliance.org/index.html or facebook page
(www.facebook.com/SVYesAlliance). Please like us and share with your friends!
Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance e-mail address: svyesalliance@gmail.com
YOUR ADVERTISEMENT HERE!
$15/issue or $50/year (4 issues): Business Card
$25 per issue or $80/year: Quarter Page
$50/issue or $175/year: Half Page
$100 for a Full Page ad per issue
Contact SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Deadline for June newsletter is May 15
We’ve Adopted a Highway!
SVGLA has adopted a section of highway near Harrisonburg
through the Virginia Department of Transportation.
It’s fun, it’s good exercise, and it’s great for our planet.
Help us be good neighbors in our community.
Our next outing is Sat., March 22
(March 29 is the makeup date).
Meet us for breakfast at 8am, then we’ll tidy up the highway afterward.
Community Organizations
American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia
acluva.org/tag/equal-rights/
Coalition for Transgender Rights in Virginia transgenderrightsva.org/
Equality Virginia
www.equalityvirginia.org
EMU Safe Space
www.emu.edu/studentlife/clubs/safe-space/
JMU LGBTQ Faculty & Staff Group
www.jmu.edu/lgbtfacultystaff
JMU LGBT & Ally Education Program
www.jmu.edu/lgbta/
LGBT Democrats of Virginia
lgbtvadem.org/
Log Cabin Republican Club of Virginia
www.virginialogcabin.org/
Madison Equality JMU
PFLAG Blue Ridge
www.facebook.com/madisonequality
www.pflagblueridge.org and pflagbr@gmail.com
Safe Zone JMU
www.jmu.edu/safezone/
Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance
www.svyesalliance.org
Students Out Understanding and Loving Sisters (SOULS) at Mary Baldwin
College www.mbc.edu/student_activities/clubsandorgs/#cultural
NEW Listing!
Southerners on New Ground of Virginia southernersonnewground.org/
SVGLA
www.svgla.org and SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Valley AIDS Network
www.valleyaidsnetwork.org
Virginia Organizing
www.virginia-organizing.org/issues
Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club
People of Faith for Equality in Virginia
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
www.vapartisans.org/
www.faith4equality.org/
Page 7
EV is Virginia’s state-wide, non-partisan education, outreach,
& advocacy organization seeking equality for LGBT Virginians.
EV’s 11th Annual Commonwealth Dinner
is the state’s largest black-tie gala gathering for the Virginia LGBT
community and supporters. This year will be spectacular because EV
will be celebrating our 25th anniversary. Attendees will enjoy live entertainment, a silent auction, a dance, and the opportunity to meet and
network with other members of the LGBT community and allies.
Every year at the Commonwealth Dinner, EV also recognizes OUTstanding Virginians who have represented the LGBT community with
distinction and have made contributions to the equality movement.
We hope you can join us at the Greater Richmond
Convention Center (403 N. Third Street in Richmond) on
Saturday, April 5, for this special evening.
5:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
VIP Reception
General Registration & Silent Auction Opens
Dinner Program Begins
After Dinner Dance
For more information or to make reservations, go to
www.equalityvirginia.org/dinner/
Find EV on the web at www.equalityvirginia.org
We are a lay-led, religious community offering a unique spiritual and
moral witness in the Shenandoah
Valley.
We invite all who search for truth
and meaning with open hearts and
open minds to join us in worship, in
mutual support, and in shared ministry to each other and to the world.
HARRISONBURG
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS
One Journey, Many Paths
For more information, contact us at:
http://huuweb.org and (540) 8670073
HUU is a UUA-Certified Welcoming Congregation. We declare our intention to be inclusive and expressive of the concerns of bisexual, gay,
lesbian, and transgender persons at every level of congregational life and
to support the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people.
First Friday Community Potluck
Every month (usually the first Friday) we host a potluck in
a community member’s home on a rotating basis. Bring a
dish to share if you can and/or sign up to host the potluck.
See upcoming potlucks on pages 10 and 11.
Would you like to host
First Friday in 2014?
Email us at SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
COMMUNITY EVENTS SCHEDULE
See page 6 for weekly Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Meeting Information
Full pagePFLAG
ad Harrisonburg
for Truth
Wins Out/Uganda Story
Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At the Blue Ridge Hall,
Thursday, March 6:
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at James Madison University (note our new location).
Meetings coincide with Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Youth Meeting. For more
information, contact fa cilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or by email at mitchmarke@aol.com
Friday, March 7:
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM,
Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join
SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org). .
Saturday, March 8:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. At Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church (717 Rugby
Road). For more details and directions contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com.
Monday, March 17
Rebecca Kling, Transgender Artist & Educator. 8pm, Taylor Down Under at JMU.
Sponsored by Madison Equality (www.facebook.com/madisonequality). See page 2.
Thursday, March 20
Conversation & Cuisine, 6:30-9:00 PM. Join friends and "family" in SVGLA at Hanks
Southern Cuisine and Barbeque on 49 Bloomer Springs Road (just off Route 33 a few miles
east of Harrisonburg) in McGaheysville. For more info go to www.hankssmokehouse.com/
Saturday, March 22:
SVGLA Adopt-A-Highway Service Project, 8:00 AM We gather at the Little Grill for
breakfast at 8am and then head out for 45 minutes of clean-up work. Join us! We provide
safety vests, gloves, and bags. Make-up date in case of inclement weather is Saturday, March 29.
Saturday, March 22:
INDIGO WOMEN’S DANCE PARTY, See page 3 for details and contact info.
March 24-29
COMING OUT WEEK EVENTS, Mary Baldwin College, sponsored by Students
Out Understanding and Loving Sisters. See page 6 to contact SOULS for details.
Monday, March 31
Awareness through Performance: Transgender Stories, Time TBA, 2105 Harrison
Hall, sponsored by the JMU LGBT & Ally Education Program See page 13 for details.
Thursday, April 3:
PFLAG Harrisonburg Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At the Blue Ridge Hall,
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at JMU (note our new location). For more info, contact
facilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or by email at mitchmarke@aol.com
Friday, April 4:
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg,
Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org
Saturday, April 5:
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, 8:00 PM at the JMU Forbes Center in Harrison
burg. This event is a fundraiser for the Valley AIDS Network. See page 7 for details.
Saturday, April 5:
11th Annual Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner is EV’s signature event and the
state’s largest black-tie gala gathering for the LGBT community and their supporters.
Held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. See page 8 for details and go to
www.equalityvirginia.org/dinner/ for more info and to make reservations.
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
Page 11
COMMUNITY EVENTS SCHEDULE
See page 6 for weekly Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Meeting Information
Tuesday, April 8
FREE Seminar. Estate Planning: Why it is Important for the LGBTQ Community
Full page7pm,adNorthside
for Truth
Out/Uganda
Library, 300Wins
Albemarle
Square, Charlottesville. Story
Learn about wills,
powers of attorney & advance medical directives. Contact Jessica at (434) 219-9896 or
Jessica@EstatePlanningofCharlottesville.com. RSVP to receive $50 off an Estate Plan.
Saturday, April 12:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. Meet at 7:00, dinner at 7:30. Meet at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, 717 Rugby Rd. Contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com for info.
Thursday, April 24
Conversation & Cuisine in the ‘Burg, 6:30-9:00 PM. Join friends and "family" in
SVGLA at Clementine Café in downtown Harrisonburg at 153 South Main Street. For
more information go to http://clementinecafe.com/
Thursday, May 1:
Friday, May 2:
PFLAG Harrisonburg Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At Blue Ridge Hall,
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at JMU. Contact facilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or
mitchmarke@aol.com for more information.
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg,
Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org
Saturday, May 10:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. At Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church (717 Rugby
Road). For more details and directions contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com
Thursday, May 15:
DEADLINE, SVGLA newsletter submissions. Send to SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Thursday, May 22
Conversation & Cuisine, 6:30-9:00 PM. Join friends and "family" in SVGLA at Hanks
Southern Cuisine and Barbeque on 49 Bloomer Springs Road (just off Route 33 a few miles
east of Harrisonburg) in McGaheysville. For more info go to www.hankssmokehouse.com/
Thursday, June 5:
PFLAG Harrisonburg Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At the Blue Ridge Hall,
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at James Madison University (note our new location).
Meetings coincide with Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Youth Meeting. For more
information, contact fa cilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or by email at mitchmarke@aol.com
Friday, June 6:
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg,
Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org
Saturday, June 14:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. At Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church (717 Rugby
Road). For more details and directions contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com
Saturday, June 21:
SVGLA Adopt-A-Highway Service Project, 8:00 AM We gather at the Little Grill for
breakfast at 8am and then head out for 45 minutes of clean-up work. Join us! We provide
safety vests, gloves, and bags. Make-up date in case of inclement weather is Saturday, June 28.
Submit items for the monthly events schedule by the 25th of each month to lanedj@jmu.edu
Submit advertisements, milestones, and newsletter items for the June issue by
May 15 to SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
Page 12
EMPOWER YOUR
COMMUNITY!
We need your support to continue as a viable and evolving community
presence working on your behalf. The goals of SVGLA are:
To gather and communicate important community information.
To collaborate with allies and inclusive community organizations.
To organize events within the greater Valley area for social and educational
networking with LGBT people.
Level 1 Support—$15 per person
Level 1 support helps SVGLA with mailing and administrative costs throughout the
year. A level 1 commitment of support gets you the following:
Your choice—a hard copy of the newsletter mailed to your address, an e-mailed version of the newsletter, or both.
A vote for members of the SVLGA Board of Directors (MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS DUE
BY DECEMBER 1 TO VOTE FOR AND/OR SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS).
Advance information about SVGLA events
Level I membership is from July—July
Level 2 Support—No Cost
Level 2 support keeps you in the loop. A level 2 commitment of support gets you an emailed version of the newsletter and advanced information about all SVGLA events.
CHECK ONE of the following levels of support and complete the form below:
Level 1 Support (please include a check for $15 for each person)
Mailed hard copy of the newsletter
E-mailed version of the newsletter
Both
Level 2 Support (Free)
Name #1
Name #2
Address #1:
Address #2:
E-mail #1:
E-mail #2:
I/we verify that I am/we are at least 18 years of age.
Please send this form to: SVGLA, P.O. Box 1023, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
Awareness through Performance: Transgender Stories
Monday, March 31 (Time TBA), JMU, Harrison Hall Room 2105
In coordination with Transgender Day of Visibility, the JMU LGBT &
Ally Education Program is hosting Awareness through Performance:
Transgender Stories.
This is an event in which stories and experiences from members of the
trans* community will be performed. We want to create a more trans*inclusive community and hope this event will provide an opportunity
for those who identify as trans* to share their stories and be heard, as
well as give others the opportunity to hear about and learn from the
experiences of those who identify as trans*. It is important to note that
this event is not meant to speak for all members of the diverse trans*
community, but to promote awareness by creating a platform for those
who wish to share their stories and experiences through performance.
Contact the Program for more information at 540-568-5428
(JMU-LGBT) or jmulgbta@gmail.com
Quotable:
“And this for the 36 million people
who have lost the battle to AIDS
and to those of you out there who
have ever felt injustice because of
who you are or who you love, tonight I stand here in front of the
world with you and for you.”
—Jared Leto, accepting an Oscar
for his performance in
“Dallas Buyer’s Club”
Eastern Mennonite University Safe Space Seeks Stories Until May
Dear Family and Friends of EMU Safe Space,
First, we would like to thank you for your commitment to Safe Space and Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) equality in your own context. We realize this work can be hard and strenuous, but also joyous and renewing. Thank you for
your continued support and strength as we strive to create a more just world that seeks to
empower all people.
As some of you may know, EMU has committed to entering into a six month listening process around the hiring policy in regards to LGBTQ persons. Safe space has
committed itself to being an active participant in this process with conversations, raising
awareness, and most importantly story telling. In one of our most recent meeting we
asked the question, “Why we are still committed to the mission and vision of Safe
Space?” Almost everyone in attendance referenced a narrative of someone else that has
been marginalized or kept from achieving their fullest potential because of policies like
the one EMU has. We came to the realization that it has been in carrying those stories we
have been able to find sustainable strength and encouragement, and we want our campus
to hear.
Now we turn to you. It has been said, the power of any movement is the ability to
share a story, to share humanity. Safe Space needs some of that power as we engage this
listening process. All we ask is that you write either anonymously or with your name.
Write your story of pain, sorrow, hurt, and those of great joy, encouragement, and belonging as a LGBTQ person or someone who has experienced LGBTQ people. Tell us
your journey of coming out, or your journey with someone else coming out. Write a poem or a song. We want to collect these stories and put them up for campus to see and/or
read them for people to hear. Your story, my story, our stories are important and need to
be heard.
For the next two months until May we will be collecting stories from you, our community.
Send them to emusafespace@gmail.com. Remember, this can be sent anonymously or with a name, the choice is yours. We hope to put up these stories for our campus to see and experience. We hope to give these stories a voice and a body to be shared
as people listen. We need your voice and your story. Help us further the cry of inclusion
at EMU.
LGBT Alumni Chapter at JMU
The LGBT & Ally Education Program, Madison Equality,
and LGBT Faculty Staff group at James Madison University
have been working with JMU’s Alumni Office to create a
LGBT & Ally Alumni Chapter.
A focus of the chapter is on professional networking amongst
alumni and recent graduates. Also, we will be developing a
mentorship program with current students.
Possible events for the chapter include receptions at Alumni
Weekend, panels about being Out in the Workplace, GayMU
Month, and participation in JMU’s Lavender Graduation.
We are hoping to find more Alumni who are interested in helping to shape and launch the chapter.
We are tentatively calling the group the JMU Lambda Alumni Chapter.
Those interested in join the chapter can sign up through: http://goo.gl/hwmtxQ or contact
Jon Henry henryjw@dukes.jmu.edu with questions.
“Forte”
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C.
Saturday, April 5th, 8 pm
Concert Hall of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts
James Madison University
In this special concert, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC presents two vocal ensembles, Potomac Fever and Rock Creek Singers. They will perform some of their best
material, showing off their distinctive styles. These ensembles perform 60 concerts annually from The White House to the Vice President¹s residence to venues large and small.
Songs include “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Scarborough Fair” and “Danny Boy.”
Ticket prices: $23–$24 and $12 for Students
Advance tickets can be purchased online, at jmuforbescenter.com, by phone, at 540-5687000, or at the box office (Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and 1 ½ hours prior to performance). Major credit cards, cash, and checks accepted.
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
Website:
www.svgla.org
THE FAMILY
CONNECTSHEN
T HE FAMILY CONNECT SHEN
Mail:
P.O. Box 1023
Harrisonburg, VA 22803
Email:
SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Bostic v. Rainey Historic Marriage Ruling in Virginia
Mission Statement:
The purpose of the Shenandoah Valley Gay and
Lesbian Association is to
create a safe, affirming, and
fun environment where
members are empowered
to reach their full human
potential.
———————–
Valley Events (pgs. 9-10)
Indigo Dance Party
Rebecca Kling
Gay Men’s Chorus
———————–
EMPOWER YOUR
COMMUNITY!
Join SVGLA
(Membership Form pg. 12)
With your annual dues of
$15.00 (Level One membership), you will receive and di to
SVGLA events.
Send form and payment to the
mailing address above.
Level Two membership is
FREE.
You will receive the newsletter
and announcements about
SVGLA events by email.
SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
———————–
The SVGLA “Family
Connectshen” is published quarterly (in
March, June, September, and December).
A federal court decision on February 13, 2014, found Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, but
stayed enforcement of that decision pending appeal. This landmark decision ends with a conclusion worth pondering, a conclusion memorable both for its awareness of history and its emotional force. It follows below.
Each of the parties before the Court recognizes that marriage is a sacred social institution.
The commitment two individuals enter into to love, support each other, and to possibly
choose to nurture children enriches our society. Although steeped in a rich, tradition- and
faith-based legacy, Virginia's Marriage Laws are an exercise of governmental power. For
those who choose to marry, and for their children, Virginia's laws ensures that marriage provides profound legal, financial, and social benefits, and exacts serious legal, financial, and social obligations. The government's involvement in defining marriage, and in attaching benefits that accompany the institution, must withstand constitutional scrutiny. Laws that fail that
scrutiny must fall despite the depth and legitimacy of the laws' religious heritage.
The Court is compelled to conclude that Virginia's Marriage Laws unconstitutionally deny
Virginia's gay and lesbian citizens the fundamental freedom to choose to marry. Government
interests in perpetuating traditions, shielding state matters from federal interference, and favoring one model of parenting over others must yield to this country's cherished protections
that ensure the exercise of the private choices of the individual citizen regarding love and
family.
Ultimately, this is consistent with our nation's traditions of freedom. "[T]he history of our
Constitution ... is the story of the extension of constitutional rights and protections to people
once ignored or excluded." United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515, 557 (1996). Our nation's
uneven but dogged journey toward truer and more meaningful freedoms for our citizens has
brought us continually to a deeper understanding of the first three words in our Constitution: we the people. "We the People" have become a broader, more diverse family than once
imagined. Justice has often been forged from fires of indignities and prejudices suffered. Our
triumphs that celebrate the freedom of choice are hallowed. We have arrived upon another
moment in history when We the People becomes more inclusive, and our freedom more perfect.
Almost one hundred and fifty four years ago, as Abraham Lincoln approached the cataclysmic rending of our nation over a struggle for other freedoms, a rending that would take his
life and the lives of hundreds of thousands of others, he wrote these words: "It can not have
failed to strike you that these men ask for just. . . the same thing—fairness, and fairness only. This, so far
as in my power, they, and all others, shall have. "
The men and women, and the children too, whose voices join in noble harmony with Plaintiffs today, also ask for fairness, and fairness only. This, so far as it is in this Court's power,
they and all others shall have.
Arenda L. Wright Allen, United States District Judge
February 13, 2014 Norfolk, Virginia
An Evening with Artist-Educator Rebecca Kling
Monday, March 17, Taylor Down Under, JMU
Rebecca Kling is a transgender artist and educator who explores gender and identity through solo pieces and educational
workshops. Her multidisciplinary performances incorporate
conversational storytelling, personal narrative, humor, movement, video projection, and more. Kling takes the position that
sharing accessible queer narrative with a wide audience is a
form of activism and that understanding combats bigotry
Sponsored by Madison Equality
PFLAG Blue Ridge
Serving Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and
Surrounding Central Virginia Areas
We are parents, families, friends, and allies uniting with
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender loved ones to
promote support, education, and advocacy.
www.pflagblueridge.org
PFLAGBR@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/pflagblueridge
https://twitter.com/PFLAGBR
PFLAG Blue Ridge offers free monthly community groups for anyone who identifies as
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning, as well as parents, family, friends,
and allies. If you are a parent, family member, or friend of a gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or
transgender individual looking to increase your support, or if your loved one has recently
come out to you and you are struggling to process your own feelings as well as looking for
resources to help understand — we are here for you. Join us as we share our experiences, joys,
concerns, and resources in a confidential and non-judgmental environment.
Meeting Information
Harrisonburg
When:
Where:
Contact:
Note:
First Thursday of each month, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Blue Ridge Hall, Room 309, 601 University Blvd, JMU (note new location)
Facilitator Mark at mitchmarke@aol.com or 540-405-1227
Meetings coincide with Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Youth Group
Charlottesville
When:
Where:
Contact:
3rd Saturday of each month, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. (note our new day and time)
ASG, 315 Tenth St. NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902 (corner of 10th & Jefferson)
Facilitator Karen at karenmeandering@gmail.com or 434-882-3453
Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Meetings
The Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance holds weekly meetings every Thursday from
6:30 to 8:00pm at Blue Ridge Hall, Room 326, 601 University Blvd. on the campus of
JMU (note our new location).
Young people aged 14-20 from the Harrisonburg and surrounding communities who
identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning are welcome to
attend. We aim to provide a safe and confidential space for youth to talk, listen,
laugh, share, and reflect on what it's like to be an LGBTQ teen in the Shenandoah
Valley.
PFLAG Blue Ridge (www.pflagblueridge.org/harrisonburg.html) will be holding
meetings on the first Thursday of each month in the same building.
Visit our website at http://www.svyesalliance.org/index.html or facebook page
(www.facebook.com/SVYesAlliance). Please like us and share with your friends!
Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance e-mail address: svyesalliance@gmail.com
YOUR ADVERTISEMENT HERE!
$15/issue or $50/year (4 issues): Business Card
$25 per issue or $80/year: Quarter Page
$50/issue or $175/year: Half Page
$100 for a Full Page ad per issue
Contact SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Deadline for June newsletter is May 15
We’ve Adopted a Highway!
SVGLA has adopted a section of highway near Harrisonburg
through the Virginia Department of Transportation.
It’s fun, it’s good exercise, and it’s great for our planet.
Help us be good neighbors in our community.
Our next outing is Sat., March 22
(March 29 is the makeup date).
Meet us for breakfast at 8am, then we’ll tidy up the highway afterward.
Community Organizations
American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia
acluva.org/tag/equal-rights/
Coalition for Transgender Rights in Virginia transgenderrightsva.org/
Equality Virginia
www.equalityvirginia.org
EMU Safe Space
www.emu.edu/studentlife/clubs/safe-space/
JMU LGBTQ Faculty & Staff Group
www.jmu.edu/lgbtfacultystaff
JMU LGBT & Ally Education Program
www.jmu.edu/lgbta/
LGBT Democrats of Virginia
lgbtvadem.org/
Log Cabin Republican Club of Virginia
www.virginialogcabin.org/
Madison Equality JMU
PFLAG Blue Ridge
www.facebook.com/madisonequality
www.pflagblueridge.org and pflagbr@gmail.com
Safe Zone JMU
www.jmu.edu/safezone/
Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance
www.svyesalliance.org
Students Out Understanding and Loving Sisters (SOULS) at Mary Baldwin
College www.mbc.edu/student_activities/clubsandorgs/#cultural
NEW Listing!
Southerners on New Ground of Virginia southernersonnewground.org/
SVGLA
www.svgla.org and SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Valley AIDS Network
www.valleyaidsnetwork.org
Virginia Organizing
www.virginia-organizing.org/issues
Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club
People of Faith for Equality in Virginia
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
www.vapartisans.org/
www.faith4equality.org/
Page 7
EV is Virginia’s state-wide, non-partisan education, outreach,
& advocacy organization seeking equality for LGBT Virginians.
EV’s 11th Annual Commonwealth Dinner
is the state’s largest black-tie gala gathering for the Virginia LGBT
community and supporters. This year will be spectacular because EV
will be celebrating our 25th anniversary. Attendees will enjoy live entertainment, a silent auction, a dance, and the opportunity to meet and
network with other members of the LGBT community and allies.
Every year at the Commonwealth Dinner, EV also recognizes OUTstanding Virginians who have represented the LGBT community with
distinction and have made contributions to the equality movement.
We hope you can join us at the Greater Richmond
Convention Center (403 N. Third Street in Richmond) on
Saturday, April 5, for this special evening.
5:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
VIP Reception
General Registration & Silent Auction Opens
Dinner Program Begins
After Dinner Dance
For more information or to make reservations, go to
www.equalityvirginia.org/dinner/
Find EV on the web at www.equalityvirginia.org
We are a lay-led, religious community offering a unique spiritual and
moral witness in the Shenandoah
Valley.
We invite all who search for truth
and meaning with open hearts and
open minds to join us in worship, in
mutual support, and in shared ministry to each other and to the world.
HARRISONBURG
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS
One Journey, Many Paths
For more information, contact us at:
http://huuweb.org and (540) 8670073
HUU is a UUA-Certified Welcoming Congregation. We declare our intention to be inclusive and expressive of the concerns of bisexual, gay,
lesbian, and transgender persons at every level of congregational life and
to support the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people.
First Friday Community Potluck
Every month (usually the first Friday) we host a potluck in
a community member’s home on a rotating basis. Bring a
dish to share if you can and/or sign up to host the potluck.
See upcoming potlucks on pages 10 and 11.
Would you like to host
First Friday in 2014?
Email us at SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
COMMUNITY EVENTS SCHEDULE
See page 6 for weekly Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Meeting Information
Full pagePFLAG
ad Harrisonburg
for Truth
Wins Out/Uganda Story
Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At the Blue Ridge Hall,
Thursday, March 6:
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at James Madison University (note our new location).
Meetings coincide with Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Youth Meeting. For more
information, contact fa cilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or by email at mitchmarke@aol.com
Friday, March 7:
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM,
Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join
SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org). .
Saturday, March 8:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. At Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church (717 Rugby
Road). For more details and directions contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com.
Monday, March 17
Rebecca Kling, Transgender Artist & Educator. 8pm, Taylor Down Under at JMU.
Sponsored by Madison Equality (www.facebook.com/madisonequality). See page 2.
Thursday, March 20
Conversation & Cuisine, 6:30-9:00 PM. Join friends and "family" in SVGLA at Hanks
Southern Cuisine and Barbeque on 49 Bloomer Springs Road (just off Route 33 a few miles
east of Harrisonburg) in McGaheysville. For more info go to www.hankssmokehouse.com/
Saturday, March 22:
SVGLA Adopt-A-Highway Service Project, 8:00 AM We gather at the Little Grill for
breakfast at 8am and then head out for 45 minutes of clean-up work. Join us! We provide
safety vests, gloves, and bags. Make-up date in case of inclement weather is Saturday, March 29.
Saturday, March 22:
INDIGO WOMEN’S DANCE PARTY, See page 3 for details and contact info.
March 24-29
COMING OUT WEEK EVENTS, Mary Baldwin College, sponsored by Students
Out Understanding and Loving Sisters. See page 6 to contact SOULS for details.
Monday, March 31
Awareness through Performance: Transgender Stories, Time TBA, 2105 Harrison
Hall, sponsored by the JMU LGBT & Ally Education Program See page 13 for details.
Thursday, April 3:
PFLAG Harrisonburg Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At the Blue Ridge Hall,
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at JMU (note our new location). For more info, contact
facilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or by email at mitchmarke@aol.com
Friday, April 4:
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg,
Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org
Saturday, April 5:
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, 8:00 PM at the JMU Forbes Center in Harrison
burg. This event is a fundraiser for the Valley AIDS Network. See page 7 for details.
Saturday, April 5:
11th Annual Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner is EV’s signature event and the
state’s largest black-tie gala gathering for the LGBT community and their supporters.
Held at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. See page 8 for details and go to
www.equalityvirginia.org/dinner/ for more info and to make reservations.
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
Page 11
COMMUNITY EVENTS SCHEDULE
See page 6 for weekly Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Meeting Information
Tuesday, April 8
FREE Seminar. Estate Planning: Why it is Important for the LGBTQ Community
Full page7pm,adNorthside
for Truth
Out/Uganda
Library, 300Wins
Albemarle
Square, Charlottesville. Story
Learn about wills,
powers of attorney & advance medical directives. Contact Jessica at (434) 219-9896 or
Jessica@EstatePlanningofCharlottesville.com. RSVP to receive $50 off an Estate Plan.
Saturday, April 12:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. Meet at 7:00, dinner at 7:30. Meet at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church, 717 Rugby Rd. Contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com for info.
Thursday, April 24
Conversation & Cuisine in the ‘Burg, 6:30-9:00 PM. Join friends and "family" in
SVGLA at Clementine Café in downtown Harrisonburg at 153 South Main Street. For
more information go to http://clementinecafe.com/
Thursday, May 1:
Friday, May 2:
PFLAG Harrisonburg Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At Blue Ridge Hall,
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at JMU. Contact facilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or
mitchmarke@aol.com for more information.
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg,
Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org
Saturday, May 10:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. At Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church (717 Rugby
Road). For more details and directions contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com
Thursday, May 15:
DEADLINE, SVGLA newsletter submissions. Send to SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Thursday, May 22
Conversation & Cuisine, 6:30-9:00 PM. Join friends and "family" in SVGLA at Hanks
Southern Cuisine and Barbeque on 49 Bloomer Springs Road (just off Route 33 a few miles
east of Harrisonburg) in McGaheysville. For more info go to www.hankssmokehouse.com/
Thursday, June 5:
PFLAG Harrisonburg Support Group Meeting, 6:30-8:00 PM At the Blue Ridge Hall,
Room 309, 601 University Blvd at James Madison University (note our new location).
Meetings coincide with Shenandoah Valley YES! Alliance Youth Meeting. For more
information, contact fa cilitator Mark at 540-405-1227 or by email at mitchmarke@aol.com
Friday, June 6:
First Friday Potluck, 6:30-9:00 PM, Augusta & Rockingham Counties, Harrisonburg,
Staunton, and Waynesboro (for info, join SVGLA as a Level II member at www.svgla.org
Saturday, June 14:
Men’s “Second Saturday” Potluck, 7:00-9:30 PM Potluck for gay/bi/trans-friendly men
Bring food or beverage for 5 people. At Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church (717 Rugby
Road). For more details and directions contact cville_gmsc@yahoogroups.com
Saturday, June 21:
SVGLA Adopt-A-Highway Service Project, 8:00 AM We gather at the Little Grill for
breakfast at 8am and then head out for 45 minutes of clean-up work. Join us! We provide
safety vests, gloves, and bags. Make-up date in case of inclement weather is Saturday, June 28.
Submit items for the monthly events schedule by the 25th of each month to lanedj@jmu.edu
Submit advertisements, milestones, and newsletter items for the June issue by
May 15 to SVGLAssociation@gmail.com
Volume 17, Issue 1, March 2014
Page 12
EMPOWER YOUR
COMMUNITY!
We need your support to continue as a viable and evolving community
presence working on your behalf. The goals of SVGLA are:
To gather and communicate important community information.
To collaborate with allies and inclusive community organizations.
To organize events within the greater Valley area for social and educational
networking with LGBT people.
Level 1 Support—$15 per person
Level 1 support helps SVGLA with mailing and administrative costs throughout the
year. A level 1 commitment of support gets you the following:
Your choice—a hard copy of the newsletter mailed to your address, an e-mailed version of the newsletter, or both.
A vote for members of the SVLGA Board of Directors (MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS DUE
BY DECEMBER 1 TO VOTE FOR AND/OR SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS).
Advance information about SVGLA events
Level I membership is from July—July
Level 2 Support—No Cost
Level 2 support keeps you in the loop. A level 2 commitment of support gets you an emailed version of the newsletter and advanced information about all SVGLA events.
CHECK ONE of the following levels of support and complete the form below:
Level 1 Support (please include a check for $15 for each person)
Mailed hard copy of the newsletter
E-mailed version of the newsletter
Both
Level 2 Support (Free)
Name #1
Name #2
Address #1:
Address #2:
E-mail #1:
E-mail #2:
I/we verify that I am/we are at least 18 years of age.
Please send this form to: SVGLA, P.O. Box 1023, Harrisonburg, VA 22803
Awareness through Performance: Transgender Stories
Monday, March 31 (Time TBA), JMU, Harrison Hall Room 2105
In coordination with Transgender Day of Visibility, the JMU LGBT &
Ally Education Program is hosting Awareness through Performance:
Transgender Stories.
This is an event in which stories and experiences from members of the
trans* community will be performed. We want to create a more trans*inclusive community and hope this event will provide an opportunity
for those who identify as trans* to share their stories and be heard, as
well as give others the opportunity to hear about and learn from the
experiences of those who identify as trans*. It is important to note that
this event is not meant to speak for all members of the diverse trans*
community, but to promote awareness by creating a platform for those
who wish to share their stories and experiences through performance.
Contact the Program for more information at 540-568-5428
(JMU-LGBT) or jmulgbta@gmail.com
Quotable:
“And this for the 36 million people
who have lost the battle to AIDS
and to those of you out there who
have ever felt injustice because of
who you are or who you love, tonight I stand here in front of the
world with you and for you.”
—Jared Leto, accepting an Oscar
for his performance in
“Dallas Buyer’s Club”
Eastern Mennonite University Safe Space Seeks Stories Until May
Dear Family and Friends of EMU Safe Space,
First, we would like to thank you for your commitment to Safe Space and Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) equality in your own context. We realize this work can be hard and strenuous, but also joyous and renewing. Thank you for
your continued support and strength as we strive to create a more just world that seeks to
empower all people.
As some of you may know, EMU has committed to entering into a six month listening process around the hiring policy in regards to LGBTQ persons. Safe space has
committed itself to being an active participant in this process with conversations, raising
awareness, and most importantly story telling. In one of our most recent meeting we
asked the question, “Why we are still committed to the mission and vision of Safe
Space?” Almost everyone in attendance referenced a narrative of someone else that has
been marginalized or kept from achieving their fullest potential because of policies like
the one EMU has. We came to the realization that it has been in carrying those stories we
have been able to find sustainable strength and encouragement, and we want our campus
to hear.
Now we turn to you. It has been said, the power of any movement is the ability to
share a story, to share humanity. Safe Space needs some of that power as we engage this
listening process. All we ask is that you write either anonymously or with your name.
Write your story of pain, sorrow, hurt, and those of great joy, encouragement, and belonging as a LGBTQ person or someone who has experienced LGBTQ people. Tell us
your journey of coming out, or your journey with someone else coming out. Write a poem or a song. We want to collect these stories and put them up for campus to see and/or
read them for people to hear. Your story, my story, our stories are important and need to
be heard.
For the next two months until May we will be collecting stories from you, our community.
Send them to emusafespace@gmail.com. Remember, this can be sent anonymously or with a name, the choice is yours. We hope to put up these stories for our campus to see and experience. We hope to give these stories a voice and a body to be shared
as people listen. We need your voice and your story. Help us further the cry of inclusion
at EMU.
LGBT Alumni Chapter at JMU
The LGBT & Ally Education Program, Madison Equality,
and LGBT Faculty Staff group at James Madison University
have been working with JMU’s Alumni Office to create a
LGBT & Ally Alumni Chapter.
A focus of the chapter is on professional networking amongst
alumni and recent graduates. Also, we will be developing a
mentorship program with current students.
Possible events for the chapter include receptions at Alumni
Weekend, panels about being Out in the Workplace, GayMU
Month, and participation in JMU’s Lavender Graduation.
We are hoping to find more Alumni who are interested in helping to shape and launch the chapter.
We are tentatively calling the group the JMU Lambda Alumni Chapter.
Those interested in join the chapter can sign up through: http://goo.gl/hwmtxQ or contact
Jon Henry henryjw@dukes.jmu.edu with questions.
“Forte”
Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C.
Saturday, April 5th, 8 pm
Concert Hall of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts
James Madison University
In this special concert, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington DC presents two vocal ensembles, Potomac Fever and Rock Creek Singers. They will perform some of their best
material, showing off their distinctive styles. These ensembles perform 60 concerts annually from The White House to the Vice President¹s residence to venues large and small.
Songs include “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Scarborough Fair” and “Danny Boy.”
Ticket prices: $23–$24 and $12 for Students
Advance tickets can be purchased online, at jmuforbescenter.com, by phone, at 540-5687000, or at the box office (Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and 1 ½ hours prior to performance). Major credit cards, cash, and checks accepted.