Pioneer for LGBTQ rights dies at 95
The LGBTQ community is mourning the loss of trailblazing lesbian Phyllis Lyon who died on April 9 in San Francisco, Calif., The Advocate reported. She and her partner, Del Martin, were on the forefront of the movement and helped to found the Daughters of Bilitis along with others. That was followed up by the launch of The Ladder that featured articles on politics, poetry and fiction for a lesbian audience. Not only that, the couple helped to bring marriage equality to California. She is survived by a sister, daughter and son-in-law, two grandchildren and a great-grandson.
info: bit.ly/3b6M8xt.
Rabbi faces COVID-19 challenges
New York’s LGBTQ Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum has now confronted a new challenge with providing her leadership and support to her fellow congregants, The Associated Press reported. She is the senior clergy of the LGBTQ synagogue Congregation Beit Simchat Torah and was involved in providing support in the early days of the AIDS crisis. Now she is using the skills that she learned years ago to help bridge the divide that the COVID-19 quarantine has created.
info: bit.ly/3crwVHB.
Va. makes southern history
On April 10, Gov. Ralph Northam of Virginia signed into law the Virginia Values Act that protests LGBTQ individuals from discrimination, LGBTQ Nation reported. With a stroke of a pen, he helped make history by shepherding in his state as the first one in the South to pass such legislation.
info: bit.ly/2K3Qw4c.
Org slates workplace webinar
Pride in the Triangle, in collaboration with Katherine Turner of Global Citizen, LCC and Stan Kimer of Total Engagement Consulting, Inc., are offering “Introduction to LGBTQ+ Workplace Equity” on April 30, 12-1:30 p.m. EDT. In this interactive, 90-minute webinar, participants will develop the capacity and gain tools to increase organizational effectiveness by creating a more inclusive and equitable work environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues. The presenters will be utilizing the materials from the new open-source Pride in the Triangle LGBTQ+ Workplace Equity Toolkit that they developed. The webinar includes: Welcome, introductions and rationale for this subject; Terminology and Concepts; Business Case for LGBTQ+ equity in the workplace; Unconscious bias, stereotyping and solidarity; Case studies; Tools, commitments and next steps; and Evaluation and closure. Registration is $89 for non-profits and $119 for for-profit companies. Link to registration and more details are available on Eventbrite. For more information, email Kimer at Stan@TotalEngagementConsulting.com.
info: eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-lgbtq-workplace-equity-tickets-97224295485.
Condoms removed from site
The Department of Health and Human Services has removed images depicting condoms from educational materials meant to teach Americans how to prevent HIV, Kaiser Health News reported. The Human Rights Campaign Director of HIV and Health Equity J. Maurice McCants-Pearsall responded to this news by saying, “PrEP alone isn’t enough. We have to use all of the tools in our prevention toolbox to prevent the epidemic of both HIV and STIs. According to the NIH, condoms have a 98 percent effective rate, if used consistently and correctly. More importantly, we must talk about these tools with our partners.”
info: bit.ly/3b4Su0g.
Study shows trans military support
A new study funded by the U.S. Department of Defense has found broad support for transgender military service members among heterosexual, cisgender and lesbian, gay or bisexual service members, The Progressive Pulse reported.
info: bit.ly/2V58gCu.
Grindr launches new app
Grindr announced the rollout of Grindr Lite, a streamlined version of the Grindr app for users in emerging markets who want the core Grindr experience but may be prevented due to an older or slower device, or a limited data plan.
info: grindr.com.
Red shirt day celebrates gay anniversary
In honor of the 30th anniversary of “Gay Disney,” the KindRED Pride Foundation launched an international campaign to inspire one million people to wear RED on June 6 as a sign of solidarity for those that believe in diversity, inclusion, equality, safe expression, and kindness, organizers shared. Inspired by Disney cast members and the Central Florida LGBTQ community in 1991 who met each other wearing red in front of the Castle at Magic Kingdom, the KindRED Pride Foundation is challenging people around the world to post an image or video of themselves wearing red using the social media hashtags #RSPD and #REDshirtchallenge. “The most important step is to challenge 30 of your friends to do the same,” said Billy Looper, co-founder of KindRED Pride. “What better way to kick off Pride Month than one million people around the world wearing RED as a celebration of life in all of its different colors, shapes, sizes, genders, orientations, nationalities, ages, abilities, and status.”
info: taketheredshirtchallenge.com. kindredpride.org.
Capehart award recipient
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists announced that Washington Post opinion writer Jonathan Capehart has been chosen as the recipient of the Randy Shilts Award for LGBTQ Coverage. Capehart is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. He is an opinion writer for and a member of The Washington Post editorial board. He also hosts the “Cape Up” podcast at the paper and is an MSNBC contributor, who regularly serves as a substitute anchor, and was the host of “America on the Line,” a 10-week daily news and national call-in show about the 2018 midterm elections from WNYC New York Public Radio. He was a Spring 2019 Fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Policy.
info: nlgja.org.
Guilford selected in fund class
Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center has announced that it has been selected as a member of the Future Fund 10 Class of 2020. The Future Fund offers coaching to non-profit leaders and prepares them to pitch their organization “Shark Tank-style” at the annual Future Fund 10 LIVE event, which will be held via Facebook Live on April 21, 6 p.m. Anyone watching on April 21 will receive a number at which to text to vote for the $20,000 grand prize. Future Fund Members will get to vote for the $12,000 and $8,000 prizes. The non-profit that receives the most votes will receive $1,000 out of the $45,000 prize money pool. Guilford is seeking participants in the voting process that ends on April 19 at 11:59 p.m.
info: futurefundgso.org/community-vote. guilfordgreenfoundation.org.
Telehealth webinar focuses on COVID-19, HIV
TeleHealthHIV has released its “Telehealth & COVID-19: Implications for HIV Care & Treatment” online. Discussed by presenters are the impact of recent policy changes and strategies for health organizations to quickly implement virtual care in the era of COVID-19.
info: bit.ly/34CZ37F. healthhiv.org.
Raleigh center seeks contributions
The LGBT Center of Raleigh was forced to cancel its annual Out! Raleigh Pride event due to the coronavirus pandemic. This has left the center with a short-fall of $150,000 in its operational budget. The spring festival has been the largest event to sustain the center. Contributions are now being accepted to help the continuity of the 30 programs that are offered to the community. In an update, the center has announced that it has rescheduled Out! Raleigh for Aug. 9. Ahead of that they are working on building a Virtual Out! Raleigh Pride Vendor Fair, to be launched on May 30.
info: lgbtcenterofraleigh.com. bit.ly/2RyfbSw.
Book highlights cohousing benefits
A new book, “State-Of-The-Art Cohousing: Lessons Learned from Quimper Village,” has been released by authors architect Charles Durrett, gerontologist Alexandria Levitt and contributor Janet Palmer. “This is an exceptional time and we are witnessing remarkable benefits to cohousing lifestyles. Cohousing communities are holding together and supporting one another through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Durrett said. North Carolina has the first LGBTQ cohousing community named Village Hearth.
info: cohousingco.com.
Chamber launches COVID-19 support initiative
The Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce, along with other minority chambers across the city, have established supportCLT which is dedicated to supporting small business owners and community members as a result of COVID-19’s impact. Read qnotes full story online at goqnotes-launch2.newspackstaging.com/65432.
info: clgbtcc.org.
Exotic zoo owner files suit
Polyamorous Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known as Joe Exotic, has filed a $94 million lawsuit against a number of government agencies and a former business partner. The subject of the Netflix documentary, “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” is currently serving a 22-year sentence in prison for hiring a hitman to kill his arch-rival, animal sanctuary owner Carole Baskin, LGBTQ Nation reported. Exotic was also convicted of adult tiger killing to make room for more cubs. The controversial personality had previously accused Baskin of killing her millionaire husband who disappeared a number of years ago.
info: bit.ly/2wC2FKJ.
AFFA hosts Facebook discussions
The Alliance for Full Acceptance is currently hosting AFFA Live discussions on their Facebook page. Upcoming on April 22, 12 p.m., is “Pandemic Parenting: Prioritizing Queer Youth Wellness in Partnership with We Are Family.” Others to be scheduled are “Personal Fitness in Quarantine” and “Navigating Relationships in Quarantine.
info: bit.ly/3acPspz.
Soulforce offers nurturing support during quarantine
Soulforce has curated a list of offerings from healers and cultural workers from a variety of backgrounds who guide individuals during the trying times presented by COVID-19 and its repercussions of isolation, grief and anxiety. The resource list is designed to speak to the multiplicity of healing modalities.
info: bit.ly/2Vtlub9.
