Community Compass
Community Compass is a service of OITM. GLBT organizations from around the state are invited to provide brief — 200 words or less — descriptions of recent or upcoming activities and events. Send your submissions to us by email by the 15th of the month.
VFMTF:
Bring in the Choir!
As our field director, Robyn Maguire
travels around the state to visit with supporters at house parties and
community events, potential volunteers always preface their passionate
commitment to marriage equality with a dubious statement that goes something
like this – "I mostly know people who already support civil
marriage equality. They're the choir. How can I possibly help if I only
know the choir?"
The answer is: Get the choir singing!! Connecting with supporters through
your personal network, the choir, is the best way to build support throughout
Vermont and to educate those who are genuinely struggling with this issue.
Vermont Freedom to Marry Task Force
recently had a house party in Springfield. The host invited people from
her personal network, which included co-workers, family members, and religious
leaders.-In one evening, we connected with supporters who are now actively
involved with identifying more supporters (the choir) in the area.-They
are now asking their personal networks to sign our Marriage Resolution,
finding venues for our trained speakers to address community audiences,
hosting house parties, volunteering for data entry and helping with our
work within faith communities. This is meaningful work that is a result
of a VFMTF volunteer who decided to give her choir a call and invite them
over for a house party.
VFMTF urges community members to work
within your personal networks to help gain full civil marriage equality
for same-sex couples in Vermont. To find out more about how you can support
full civil marriage equality, go to www.vtfree
tomarry.org, email Robyn Maguire at field_director@
vtfreetomarry.org or call 802.388.2633.
Bennington Pride Holds Forth
Please join us at our weekly planning
meetings at the South Street Cafe! We are thinking of community, venues,
visibility, alliances and FUN! We will continue to discuss better timing
to make these gatherings, including this one, more accessible and time-friendly.
Tuesdays: Bennington Pride Coalition Planning Group, 6:30 PM, South Street
Cafe
If you can't make it please
email bennpride@gmail.com with
your thoughts, etc. All welcome! www.benningtonpride.org
And in December, we're having a First
Friday Kickoff / Bennington Pride Coalition Event on December 2 at the
South Street Café at 7pm. We'll be showing the documentary film:
Fish Can't Fly.
This timely documentary by the maker
of last year's Farm Family explores the lives of religious gay
men and lesbians as they recall the often difficult journeys they have
taken to unify their sexuality and spirituality. Focusing on their experiences
with "ex-gay" ministries, the subjects relate how the "cure"
these programs offered did not work, and how they learned to accept all
aspects of their lives without turning their backs on their faith. At
times poignant and humorous, Fish Can't Fly is ultimately inspiring
and enlightening.
Also... a report from the recent Transcending
Boundaries Conference in Hartford, CT. Visit www.benningtonpride.org