Reading Pride Celebration

We just found out that the changes to Reading's non discrimination policy to make the LGBT community inclusive will be on the agenda for voting at City Council's Meeting on Monday September 28, 2009. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM at City Hall 8th & Washington Streets.

Please bring your friends and let's pack the Council Chambers to show our support.

A Screening of an Upcoming PBS Documentary
OUT IN THE SILENCE
A Documentary Film by Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer
AN EVENING OF GLBTQIA SOLIDARITY

Rainbow Players Theater Co. will be hosting a screening of the upcoming PBS documentary, OUT IN THE SILENCE, on Friday, October 2 at 8 pm at the Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley, 930 North 4th Street, Allentown, PA 18102. OUT IN THE SILENCE is an uplifting documentary about courageous local residents confronting homophobia in their conservative small town in the hills of western Pennsylvania. Admission cost is $15 and $8 for students & senior citizens. Proceeds will benefit the Rainbow Players Theater Co., MCCLV’s Freedom to Marry Initiative, and PA Diversity Network. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A panel with filmmakers Joe Wilson & Dean Hamer, PA Senator Daylin Leach (author of the Bill Providing For Full, Equal Marriage Rights to Pennsylvania's Same-Sex Couples), Chairman of the PA Human Relations Commission Stephen A. Glassman, Jake Kaskey of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, & PA Diversity Network's Liz Bradbury and Adrian Shanker.

OUT IN THE SILENCE is a documentary film and social action campaign aimed at promoting increased visibility and fairness and equality for GLBTQ people in rural and small town America. Filmmaker Joe Wilson travels back to his roots in this autobiographical documentary. Growing up in the small town of Oil City, Pa., Wilson remained closeted, but after college, Peace Corps and settling in Washington, D.C., he came out and wed Dean Hamer (the film's co-director). After publishing his marriage announcement in Oil City's newspaper, Joe received a torrent of negative, bigoted letters — and one he didn't expect. Kathy Springer wrote that her 16-year-old son, CJ, had recently come out and was being tortured daily by his classmates. Seeing a community in need, Wilson and Hamer, with camera in hands, headed north to see what they could do. Between interviewing ministers, rebuilding cars, restoring old theaters and battling both the school board and the antagonistic American Family Association (all while making a documentary about it), the newfound friends bring about the change that Oil City needed so badly. A poignant, personal and engrossing story.

This is an opportunity for the GLBTQIA community and community-at-large to publicly stand together in a show of solidarity, and hear about the strides we are making towards GLBTQIA rights, as well as the steps that we can continue to make together.

For more information, contact Dean Hiatt, Artistic Director, at rainbow.players@mcclv.org, or 718-664-3713. You can also find out more about the documentary at http://outinthesilence.com.

The SPECTRUM is a safe haven for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Questioning youth (LGBTQ) in the Reading area. Teens participate in recreational activities, socialize and receive educational information related to health, sexuality, life skills and leadership. They are given an opportunity to celebrate their lives and uniqueness in a safe and non-judgmental environment.

The SPECTRUM helps LGBTQ youth combat the problems of discrimination and increased risk for drugs, alcohol, failing in school and other difficulties by providing support, camaraderie and education in the company of their peers.

We are currently looking for guest speakers to visit with us during the 2009-2010 school year. A recent survey of the SPECTRUM youth revealed their interest in the following topics:

·Massage
·Pottery
·Salsa dancing
·Popular dancing (they’d like to learn some new moves)
·Yoga/tai chi
·Knitting/crocheting (they’d like to create a SPECTRUM blanket)
·Ghost stories
·Face Painting/Henna
·Jewelry making/hemp jewelry
·Sculpture
·Makeovers (regular or drag)
·Improvisation/theater games
·Tie Dye clothing
·Field trips to local places (within walking distance)
·Quick and healthy meals
·Anything else you want to share (a personal passion, a hobby, a cause) that is interesting, fun or

Thanks!
Amber Brown
Senior Community Educator
Planned Parenthood of Northeast & Mid-Penn
48 South 4th Street
Reading, PA 19602
Tel: 610.376.0137
email: abrown@PlanItPA.org
http://www.PlanItPA.org

On Sunday October 11, 2009 history will repeat itself. Thirty years ago on this date the First National March on Washington was held.

If tomorrow by some stroke of luck or magic all 50 states would recognize our rights, we would still be denied the nearly 1,100 federal rights granted to straight couples.

We were promised our rights in the last election.
It is now time for us to demand them.

Reading Pride Celebration feels strongly that this is an opportunity for all of us
to stand up and be heard. To that end we are working with our fellow Pride Organizations to have as much representation as we can at The National Equality March.

Please register and let us know you would be willing to march.

We've just uploaded some really lovely shots from Reading Pride Celebration 2009. Photographic credit goes to Randy Myers Graphics,610-678-6917.

The Kutztown University GLBTQ Resource Center is hosting the following events:

-- Celebrating GLBT History Month with Liz Bradbury, Executive
Director of the Pennsylvania Diversity Network.
Tuesday, October 6, 6
PM, McFarland Student Union Center room 250. This event is free and
open to the public. Please join Kutztown University as they kick-off
their the month-long GLBT History celebration with Liz Bradbury's
presentation that highlights important moments in GLBT history, from
ancient times to the present. Pictures from the award-winning "The PA
Diversity Network Photo Project - 300 Same-sex Couples: Facing
Inequality" will also be featured in this presentation.


-- Romaine Patterson, national radio personality, activist, author,
and public speaker will be speaking at Kutztown University on Tuesday,
October 13, at 11 AM, in the McFadden Student Union Building
multipurpose room (room 218). Patterson's presentation, "Growing Up
Gay" discusses her journey as a Wyoming native, founder of Angel
Action, consultant for The Laramie Project, spokesperson for
tolerance, acceptance, and nonviolence around the globe, co-host of
the successful Sirius Satellite Radio Show Derek & Romaine, to her
most recent role as mom. Please join us for this free event which is
open to the public. Patterson will be available for a booksigning
after the event, and her book the Whole World was Watching: Living in
the Light of Matthew Shepard will be available for purchase.


-- Dr. E. Patrick Johnson will be performing his one-man show,
"Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales" at
Kutztown University on Monday, November 9, 7 PM, in Alumni Auditorium.
A scholar/artist, Johnson has performed nationally and
internationally and has published widely in the area of race, gender,
sexuality, and performance. This performance is based on the oral
histories collected in his book Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South
-- An Oral History, collected between 2004 and 2006 from black gay men
who were born, raised, and continue to live in the South. The men hail
from fifteen different states and range from 19 to 93 years of age.
Free tickets are available to the public by contacting the KU GLBTQ
Resource Center at (484)646-4111. Johnson will be available for a
booksigning after the event, and copies of his book will be available
for purchase.

Vision of Hope Metropolitan Community Church – a multi-racial, intergenerational GLBTQ community and those who walk the journey with us - is a church where all people are welcome. We are “Led by Christ, empowered to Rock the World!”

Vision of Hope MCC - Reading
Meeting At: Best Western Hotel
2299 Lancaster Pike
Shillington, PA 19607
Meeting Time: 7:00pm on the following Tuesdays

Click here for details

This October there will be a march on Washington in support of many issues, including;


* Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) so that every marriage in every state has the same federal rights.
* Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell so that LGBT persons may serve in the military openly and with the same rights as their straight counterparts.
* An end to workplace discrimination for everyone with an Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that protects everyone.
* The right to adopt children and raise families like any other parents.
* Hate Crimes legislation that includes LGBT people and protects us like any other targeted group.
* Immigration reform that recognizes same-sex couples and ends the needless separation of families.
* A comprehensive anti-bullying policy in our schools via the Safe Schools Improvement Act.

For more information, visit: http://equalityacrossamerica.org