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

Dear PFLAGer’s,

Wow, another year has come and gone so fast that I think I may have whiplash! Hopefully you and your local chapter will be able to review some of your accomplishments in 2008 and have new goals to achieve in 2009. One thing for sure is that if anything was accomplished it was because you didn’t quit, and I see many examples of that attitude throughout the PFLAG organization. That same determination will make this a fantastic 2009 for this organization. Your enthusiasm is contagious and I want to say ‘Thank You’.

Fortunately for my partner Carla and I we were able to experience this enthusiasm and see what it can accomplish a few weeks ago in Berea, Kentucky. Berea is one of most beautiful and accepting towns that I have ever visited. You must go just to experience the richness of it’s history and character, see the handiwork of all the local artisans, and enjoy all the hospitality.

Berea is a very progressive little town with a PFLAG chapter that has seen it’s membership slowly dwindle down. Sometimes when we are in areas that seem to be so accepting it may seem that the need for a PFLAG chapter may not be necessary but the day I arrived Berea’s PFLAG president, Grover Farr, told me stories he had only recently heard of local young people who had been rejected by their families for coming out. There is such a need for PFLAG.

This PFLAG chapter that may have been struggling has also made a positive impact on lives which was apparent when Grover showed me a stained glass piece that had been given to the local chapter by a young man whose life had been touched by PFLAG.

PFLAG-Berea/Madison County has enthusiasm and determination and when the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus contacted them about hosting a Holiday Concert this chapter made things happen. Grover Farr and the PFLAG chapter took a lot of elbow grease and a lot of faith made this an evening that was the highlight of the holiday season for Carla and me. They secured Union Church for the performance that would have the audience members experiencing laughter, tears and joy for the season. The quality of the performance was undeniable and the acoustics of the large mostly wooden sanctuary with one of the most beautiful church organs I have seen. Grover and PFLAG-Berea/Madison County–kudos to you and thank you for the inspiration.

I was also able to visit the Tri-Cities PFLAG chapter in Johnson City. This is a newer chapter and boy are they on fire! The Tri-Cities December meeting featured representatives from Lambda Legal who are representing a case where I would say the victim has suffered unfair treatment from the local law enforcement agency and from the local paper. The victim in this matter was also present at the meeting and he has been without work for a year because of a press release from the police department–the pain in his voice was so undeniable. The thing even more disturbing to me is the fact that there was one voice that wasn’t heard from this incident and that was the voice of a man who would kill himself as a result of this event. How many precious lives have been lost and how many precious lives will we lose before equality is reality?

One thing that I encourage all of you to do is go see the movie MILK. The movie gives so much history to let the newer generation see how the road was paved in creating the movement we have today. I have heard from many chapters that are actively getting the movie in your area or planning to see the movie and then possibly have discussions. Milk was brought to Knoxville, Tennessee in December by the Tennessee Equality Project, Knoxville Human Rights for All and other groups. Following the well attended movie several leaders of various groups were invited to speak briefly and I was able tell a little about PFLAG and what we do.

During the last of 2008 the Southern Atlantic Region of PFLAG has experienced another travesty in Memphis, Tennessee as many of you may have heard. We have had another trans-sister shot, shot in face and hospitalized. I haven’t heard anything else about her this past week. She is the third transsexual to be shot in Memphis during the last 6 months (the two others were found dead). Then again today I read of the lesbian who was gang raped repeatedly in San Francisco. Another new day and another new year, and on this new day of this new year I will shed some tears but I will also experience hope because I see concern on the faces of the members of chapters that I meet, I see the work that you are doing and I am very confident in the leadership and commitment of PFLAG National.

Blessings for 2009,
Jaime Combs