DignityUSA - Dateline

DignityUSA
PO Box 376
Medford, MA
02155

tel: 800.877.8797
202.861.0017

fax: 781.397.0584

email:
info@dignityusa.org

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Comments to
Web manager

RETURN TO > 1999 > DATELINE HOMEPAGE > HOME

DignityUSA DATELINE

February 99
VOL. 8, NO. 2

National Freedom to Marry

Lambda legal Defense and Education Fund has announced the Second Annual National Freedom to Marry Day, Friday, February 12, 1999. As one of the organizations committed to ensuring that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons secure the right to marry, Dignity invites all of our chapters and regions to participate and sponsor events associated with National Freedom to Marry Day.

Material was sent to the chapters in December via e-mail and the United States Postal Service. If you would like additional copies of the National Freedom to Marry Day materials, please feel free to contact the national office.

Improving Communication

In an effort to improve communication between the Dignity national leadership and individual chapters, a list of e-mail contacts for chapters has been established. This list contains e-mail contacts for all Dignity chapters except for ten.

Although this comprehensive list is not a substitute for more formal and official communication by letter, or through the monthly Dateline or the quarterly Journal, it does, however, offer an opportunity to alert chapters about breaking news and to provide some idea of what the national officers and office are doing.

DignityUSA president Bob Miailovich said, "I hope to be able to use this means of communication to let people know what I have been doing and to share with the chapters the matters that are on my mind."

The success of this e-mail notification program will depend on keeping the length of the list manageable, maintaining current addresses on the list with minimal effort, and depending upon reliable recipients to pass news, information, and items of interest onto chapter leaders and members. Feedback, responses, and suggestions to the DignityUSA national office are appreciated.

Equality Begins at Home

Coordinated actions in support of justice and equality for gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people are slated in almost every state during the week of March 21-27, 1999. Under the umbrella of Equality Begins at Home groups and individuals are urged to come together to make their voice heard at the state and local levels.

A list of coordinating contacts for each state has been sent to each Dignity chapter. Further information may also be found at this website: www. equalitybeginsathome.org.

DignityUSA is working hard to assure that the voices of GLBT people of faith are heard on the national level whenever the quality and morality of our lives is at issue. Dignity members at all levels are urged to assure that their voice of faith is heard in state and local forums.

States with multiple chapters are urged to coordinate their participation. It is important that Dignity chapter representatives be involved in planning local actions so that our voice may be heard in the actual events and presentations of the week.

Finally, each chapter is asked to let the Dignity national office know as soon as possible what they have planned for the week so that the office staff and officers can answer inquiries, do press releases and network with other organizations.

New Administrative Assistant in Office

DignityUSA has hired a new Administrative Assistant, Pamela Jafari. Pamela comes to Dignity with experience in nonprofit office management and the theatre. She has also been involved with AIDS education programs for DC metro area youth. Pamela replaces Sean Fucci, who has joined the staff of Service Members Legal Defense Network.

Tax Records

As we prepare to celebrate the New Year, many of us have taxes on our minds. It is the policy of DignityUSA to acknowledge contribution as they are received throughout the year. If, however, you require further documentation of have need of a duplicate statement of contributions, please call the office.

Keynote Speakers Announced

DignityUSA's 1999 Convention Planning Committee is pleased to announce the three keynote speakers: Former Dignity USA President Marianne Duddy, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit, and political strategist David Mixner.

Marianne will introduce the convention theme, "The Spirit of Jubilee — A People of Hope." She will begin the journey of the Jubilee from "fallowing the mind" in centering our focus to "setting things right" in the search for justice. Bishop Gumbleton, who will speak on "A Pastoral Message — Always Our Children," will begin to "set things right" with family in his address. Mixner, an international strategist in public life, policy, and private business, will establish the spiritual basis while working for social justice when he offers his talk: "Civil Rights, Spirituality, and Gay and Lesbian Issues."

Display Advertising

The Convention Committee is now accepting display advertising to help defray the costs of printing the convention program. Kent Epperson, Convention Committee Chair, said, "Traditionally this opportunity for regional and local support of the convention by Dignity chapters has been very popular. Local chapters and regions have always wanted to convey good wishes for the national convention and to congratulate national officers for their service."

Full page 8 x 10" $300
Half page 5 x 8" or 8 x 5 $175
Quarter page 4 x 5" or 5 x 4" $90
Eighth page 2.5 x 4" or 4 x 2.5" $45

Camera ready art work and payment should be submitted to DignityUSA Convention, Program Advertising, PO Box 881, Denver CO 80201-0881 by April 30, 1999. For more information, contact Kent Epperson at the above address or call 303. 830. 0874.