PFLAG Knoxville

BREAKING THE SILENCE 2010
World’s Fair Park Amphitheater
Friday, April 16th, 2010 @ 5:30

On the National Day of Silence, hundreds and thousands of students nationwide demonstrate the silence created by anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in their schools. We’re raising our voices and making some noise! Join East Tennessee Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Straight students in our action to end violence in K-12 schools!

On April 16th, East Tennessee Gay-Straight Alliances and other LGBTA young adult organizations in East Tennessee are celebrating all Queer youth. We recognize the struggles students face in and out of school; we, too, experience the trials you face everyday. We know what it’s like to be different.

In addition, we will be taking donations for the burgeoning LGBT Center rising in Knoxville, which directly benefits Queer youth in East Tennessee by providing unaffiliated and beneficial programing to make youth feel safe and at home regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, race/ethnicity or any other distinguishing characteristic.

Following Breaking the Silence, The Center at Knoxville will host a community gathering to meet the folks in our community. It’s dinner at the Amphitheater!

WHAT TO EXPECT

SILENT ACTION IS POWER

A moment of solidarity for the East Tennessee LGBTA community to experience the deafening silence that students face in schools accompanied with powerful stories.

WE SPEAK

A diverse group of LGBTA young people share their truths.

COMMUNITY GATHERING

The Center at Knoxville will be taking donations as well as hosting a dinner at the Amphitheater after Breaking the Silence to meet folks in the East Tennessee LGBTA Community.

PARKING:

• Locust Street Garage and Market Square Garage
• Fort Kid
• KMA
• Fort Sanders Neighborhood

Members of the greater Knoxville PFLAG Chapter, along with members of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC) held a fundraising dinner on February 17th, 2010 for the purpose of funding a van rental for a visit to Nashville, TN for Advancing Equality Day.  Advancing Equality Day is hosted each year by the Tennessee Equality Project in an effort to introduce the LGBT community and their supporters to the legislative process.  Through this event, people that would not normally speak with their representative are given the opportunity to meet them face-to-face and discuss issues that are important to them as well as the LGBT community.

Through the fundraising dinner, $186 were collected.   Additionally donations were given by Amy Broyles and David Massey and each van rider contributed $10.  The van left TVUUC at 6:00 am with 7 participants from Knoxville, which also included three students from the University of Tennessee Social Sciences Dept. and one participant from Newport.  The students got word of the trip when local PFLAG president, Larry Kitchen, made a “pitch” at a forum he attended at the invitation of Dr. Mary Rogge.

During the visit to Legislative Plaza participants visited with Representatives Harry Tindell, Harry Brooks, Bill Dunn, Bob Ramsey, Frank Niceley, and Jim Hackworth.  Representative Joe Armstrong stated he was very pleased that we stopped by which was in significant contrast to Representative Ryan Haynes who sternly complained that he “would never support LGBT legislation).

We also visited with Senators Jamie Woodson, Tim Burchett, Randy McNally and Doug Overby.  Participants thought Overby was very stoic and unlike other Representatives and Senators they meet with, did not offer a handshake at the conclusion of the meeting.    All legislative members, with the exception of Haynes and Overby, were respectful and asked pointed questions and actively listened to what was said.

Concerning specific legislation they all felt the adoption bill wouldn’t go anywhere because of its large fiscal note.  Unfortunately, they didn’t quite understand the need for hate crimes enhancement.  They all felt “why should there be the additional wording”.  Crime is crime.  This response only demonstrates that additional efforts are needed to refine our argument to get “gender identity or gender expression” added to the existing hate crime law in Tennessee.

After a long and fruitful day, we stopped and ate southern Italian at a nice restaurant before completing our journey back to Knoxville.  We arrived at 9:30 pm, a little tired, but certainly more enthusiastic about the legislative process.  We see more and more people getting involved, even if they don’t make the trip they are talking with their elected officials and this is always a good thing.

BULLYING LGBTIQ STUDENTS: MY ROLE , YOUR ROLE
Primer for Parents, Students and Professionals

A Public Forum

MARCH 12,2010
5:30 PM

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
2931 Kingston Pk
Knoxville, TN

Speaker: Despina Michaelidou
International Equality Rider, Soulforce 2010

www.soulforce.org

Ride the Equality Bus to Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Wrap-up Party sponsored by the Oak Ridge PFLAG.

Soulforce Mission Statement:
Soulforce, guided by the spirit of truth and empowered by the principles of relentless nonviolent resistance, works to end the religious and political oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer, and questioning people

RSVP
(865) 310 -5048

Sponsored by: TVUUC Stonewall Committee, Greater Knoxville PFLAG, Spectrum

Fellow PFLAGer’s,

I am still wiping the tears from my eyes after watching today’s episode of the Oprah show. Today she had the mothers of two 11 year old boys that have committed suicide in the last two weeks because of bullying at school – bullying which included sexual harassment towards POSSIBLE perceived sexual identity. I know that the Knoxville chapter of PFLAG, along with the rest of the PFLAG chapters nationwide, want our young people to grow up free from bullying in their schools. We cannot rest until this is achieved.

We are all so very encouraged when we see our young people make a stand for what is right, make a stand for equality and when they lead us by their example. These are a few of the reasons that we are so honored to have some of our high-schoolers from Spectrum Cafe to be present at this month’s meeting, next Thursday, May 14th at 7:00. These courageous young people will share their stories of their experiences in their participation of the National Day of Silence, and the program they presented at the World’s Fair Site, “Breaking the Silence”.

Come be a part of this important meeting that you will not want to miss.

We look forward to seeing you!

Jaime Combs
PFLAG Regional Director
South Atlantic Region

http://pflagknoxville.org
http://pflagsouthatlantic.org

Meetings held the second Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.