AUCTION AUGUST 27 6 PM - to support our GLBTQQ Support Groups at Local High Schools!

Dear Friends,

We are really excited about this upcoming auction at our house. We hope you can attend or donate money, services or items. It's really going to be fun and there is no cost to attend. The proceeds go to support groups that Lynn has been involved with. These GLBTQQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Queer and Questioning) support groups are offered right at the students' high schools.

Please read the letter below and see the PDF file for further info and a donation form.

Love you. Lynn and Lisa

AUCTION AUGUST 27 6 PM - AUCTION AUGUST 27 6PM - AUCTION

Hello,

We are asking your help to raise money to continue our GLBTQQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Queer and Questioning) Support Groups at North Thurston High School, Timberline High and if we make enough money, South Sound High or maybe a high school in the Olympia School District.

Here’s the great news: We don’t need tons of money. We need enough to buy pizzas for the two weekly groups at each high school and enough to give a stipend to the facilitators. We’re talking about $2,500 - $3,500 total.

Here are a variety of ways you can help us…

1. Donate money (anywhere from $10-$1,000 will help). Make a check out to “PFLAG Olympia” and in the memo section write “pizza”. Send it to: PO Box 12732, Olympia, WA 98508-2732

2. Attend our relaxed and totally fun Auction at Lynn Grotsky and Lisa Brodoff’s house on Hick’s Lake, on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at 6 pm.

Lynn and Lisa will supply appetizers and other food to eat. Come yourself, and if you can, bring a friend or two with you.

The auction will be both silent and live with the wonderful auctioneer, Carol Watson, donating her services.

And, consider bringing a dessert to the auction that we will auction off there.

3. Donate a minimum of one item yourself (see below for ideas and a link to the donation form) and, if possible, get 2 or 3 others to donate too.

4. Send this information to who you think might enjoy the auction or who might like to donate money or an item to support the high school GLBTQQ support groups.

There is no cost to attend the auction.
(Please try to RSVP so Lynn and Lisa have an idea of how much food to make.) Email them at rtmom@aol.com or see the PDF file for more contact information.

THANK YOU!
Steven Briggs, Jesse Bradford, Diana Corbin, Lynn Grotsky, Teresa Guajardo, Selena Kilmoyer, Lori Lawrence, Aimee Leggett, Kristyn Leach, Heather Lenox, Jeff Loyer, Karly Nelson, Rosalinda Noriega, Sandra Rowell, and Susan White.

Auction Item Ideas to Donate or to ask others to Donate:

Provide Services

• Clean out a garage
• Yard Work
• Wash cars
• Wash windows
• House cleaning
• Shop for someone
• Put up yard signs
• Help with a garage sale
• Help you landscape
• Etc.

Teach a skill

• You’d be surprised what skill you may have that
• others would like to learn. Examples include:
• How to use a computer
• How to use Excel or Powerpoint, etc.
• How to knit
• How to make cookies, lasagne, etc.
• How to make glass beads
• A water-coloring lesson
• One photography lesson
• How to sew
• How to make necklaces, earrings, etc.
• A voice lesson
• Some other music lesson
• How to water ski
• How to garden
• How to camp with children
• How to scrapbook
• How to make a great gift basket
• Knot tying
• How to juggle
• Yoga
• Etc.

Professional Services

• Massages or other Bodywork
• Car Detailing
• Estate Planning or a will
• Parenting Consultation
• Accounting
• Guide a hike
• Chiropractic Appointment
• Photography Session
• Dog Training

Food Ideas

• Offer dinners for as many people as you choose.
• For ex. a gourmet dinner for 4 or 6 or 12. It could
• be at your house or at the buyer’s house. Ideas for
• dinners include:
• Gourmet Salmon Barbeque
• French Cuisine
• Indian
• Moroccan
• Greek
• Thai
• A picnic lunch at a beautiful spot
• Etc.
• Provide a kid’s birthday cake
• A wedding cake
• 2 dozen cookies delivered e/ month for a year
• Homemade pizza
• Homemade bread
• A cooking lesson
• Cater a party
• Etc.

Items

• Anything you can think of that is nice and in good shape:
• Snowboards, ski equipment
• Jewelry
• Artwork
• An antique book
• Nice bowls or plates
• Bicycles
• Lamps
• Handmade or/Knitted Items
• Plants
• Good DVD’s or CD’s
• Movie Tickets
• Tickets to a play or sports event
• A vacation or condo offer

Other

• We’re open but some thoughts include:
• A day sailing
• Taking a group for a hike
• A night of improv or other fun party
• A card night
• A wildflower tour

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THIS INFORMATION IN PDF FORMAT WITH MORE INFORMATION AND A DONATION FORM.
Please share it with others.

Thank you!

Article: Rainbow connection: PFLAG (Tacoma) offers support to parents of gay children

When gay children come out to parents, there is anxiety on both sides. PFLAG – Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays – is there to offer support.

Several members of the Tacoma, WA PFLAG chapter are featured in this article with photos.
The focus of the article on the closest chapter North of us is on support for parents when someone comes out.

Rainbow connection: PFLAG offers support to parents of gay children
by Debbie Cafazzo - July 20th, 2008 - in the SoundLife section of the Tribune.

Bare is in Seattle! until July 26th

ArtsWest presents the Seattle Premiere of
bare
July 10-26

bare is a gripping, provocative pop opera about students during their senior year in a private Catholic preparatory academy and their struggles with first love, sexuality, drugs, parents, and religion. A cross between Rent and Dead Poet's Society, bare tells of the relationship among a group of friends, including the secret lives of altar boy Peter and his roommate, the popular Jason.

by Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere
Directed by Christopher Zinovitch and Nick DeSantis (I Am My Own Wife)
Musical Direction by Jackie Koreski

The Seattle premiere of this hit Off-Broadway musical is performed by enormously talented students aged 17-20 who won their roles in a vigorous competition for 13 exclusive spots in ArtsWest's award-winning Musical Theater Apprentice Program.

Tickets: $15 (Under 25? Only $10!)
call or 206-938-0339
log purcase them online from:
http://www.artswest.org

For lots more information on bare, including the story anc clips from the songs, visit:
http://www.barethemusical.com

Alec and I are seeing it on Thursday, July 24th. From everything we've heard we don't want to miss it!

The film "It's Elementary" was our program yesterday

We're so glad we had such a great turnout for our program yesterday when we showed "It's Elementary - Talking About Gay Issues In School"! We had a wide range of ages at the meeting from about 10 to 80, including teachers, students, a school psychologist, at least two mental health counselors, parents, and other interested people in our community. However, the school-connected people who attended were people already involved with PFLAG; none of the school people Jeff invited showed up, which was disappointing even though we understand that summer is a bad time to get attendance from teachers, administrators and school staff.

Most of the people who did come had never seen this first film, so we are glad we decided to show it at this time. We plan to show the sequel "It's STILL Elementary" at a later date.

We had a great discussion afterwards including a reaction from one person who talked about the importance of allies being visible and vocal in their support of glbtq people and issues; and one high school student who said seeing this confirms her commitment to becoming a teacher.

For those of you who want more information on the film and how to order it, go to It's Elementary.

GroundSpark (formerly Women’s Educational Media) creates visionary films and dynamic educational campaigns that move individuals and communities to take action for a more just world. Based in San Francisco, it is a small, Academy Award-winning media production and education organization with a strong national reputation for producing high quality documentary films that open up dialogue about prejudice and discrimination and spark shifts in attitudes, behaviors, laws and policies. Over the past 20 years, GroundSpark has pioneered a long-term social change strategy that pairs media distribution with political and community organizing, and offering professional development on how to use our films to make a difference.

A leader in the field of anti-bias education, GroundSpark’s primary current focus is its Respect For All Project (RFAP). Through the distribution of award-winning films, accompanying curricula, and a training program aimed at educators, youth service providers and parents, the project strives to create safe schools and communities by opening up dialogue about diversity, prejudice and discrimination. Through this work GroundSpark has been a national pioneer advocating for the inclusion of age-appropriate curricula that addresses anti-gay bias.

'And Daddy Makes Three' is delightful.

On This American Life, Chicago's Public Radio, available online through their free podcast and heard on more than 500 public radio stations around the USA and seen as a television show on Showtime.

And Daddy Makes Three

Six-year-old DJ has two dads, Dan Savage and Terry Miller. DJ is being raised by two gay men, but he has a preschooler's understanding of what gay means. Which is to say, he doesn't understand it at all. Though he does oppose gay marriage. Dan, the author of the syndicated column and book Savage Love, tells the story. His latest book is Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America.

Listen to this American Life Episode 293: A Little Bit of Knowledge which originally aired 07.22.2005.

Click on 'Full Episode' to listen online. Act Two: 'And Daddy Makes Three' is 11 minutes long and starts at 18:02 of this podcast. There are several places where music might make you think it is over. Be sure to listen to the whole.

What love's got to do with it

Bauman is the co-chairman for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays for Blacksburg and the New River Valley. He lives in Blacksburg.

Jim Ludington's commentary "Gay marriage threatens our culture" (June 29, Horizon) raises again the grim specter of American culture threatened by marriage between two persons of the same gender.

He progresses from gay marriage to polygamy to pedophilia to "no legal standing against any form of perversion." The very foundation of our nation will crumble as "activist judges destroy the basis of our culture, and indeed, our civilization."

The final comparison is to Nazi Germany, where good people stood by while the nation fell into depravity.

Good grief. Chicken Little has run amok. Who knew that gay people had such power?

and

The value of a person is not determined by sexual orientation, nor is the quality of a family decided by the differing gender of the parents. Gay people, like straight people, can be good or bad, or like most of us, somewhere in between. As parents, they can be loving, kind, and exempalry of good character and high moral standards -- or not.

If there is the potential for demise of the American family, it will not come because of same-sex marriage. Heterosexual parents in America haven't exactly made the mold for marriage excellence. Divorce happens, like spousal and child abuse, in families of all persuasions. Gay marriage can strengthen families by providing two loving and care-giving parents by adoption to children who have no family, or by combining split families. It can be the tie that binds for committed couples.

Read the whole response to a commentary "Gay marriage threatens our culture" - What love's got to do with it
by Dick Bauman
July 02, 2008 - The Roanoke Times, Roanoke VA