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DignityUSA
PO Box 376
Medford, MA
02155
tel: 800.877.8797
202.861.0017
fax: 781.397.0584
email:
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RETURN TO > DATELINES > HOME
DignityUSA
Volume 15, No. 9
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in PDF format…DATELINE Editor: Bill Welch, EditorDateline@dignityusa.org
DignityUSA Fundraising and House Parties
Spring 2006 was flush with good news! Many have stepped forward to the challenge raised by Sam Sinnett, DignityUSA's President, in donating dollars for our operations. You responded: Almost $19,000 was raised and Sam had to write two checks for $5,000.
We are continuing our fundraising efforts to meet our operational needs and are looking for others to step up to the plate and challenge other members with "match appeals" next year.
Members have begun to raise money by hosting house parties. There was a very successful one in Washington, DC in June. In New York City, a happy hour and dinner party on Saturday, September 9th, will honor Tom McLoughlin's 25th anniversary with DignityUSA. Please RSVP by Sept 5th to (646-418-7039, dignityny@aol.com)
A few more parties are scheduled in the fall months including Columbus, OH (matsonm@aol.com), Seattle (206-325-7314, mjrankin2000@worldnet.att.net) and Chicago (312-458-9438, DignityChicago@aol.com).
Throwing a party is not the only way to raise money. Terri Meyers had a garage sale which raised $150.
Every dollar raised helps! We will celebrate any fundraising successes you have. Please let us know how you helped DignityUSA.
Defenders Chicago Run 5th Anniversary
On August 4-6, 2006, The Chicago Chapter of The Defenders held their fifth anniversary run at the Best Western University Plaza Hotel in Evanston, IL. It included two bar crawls, a liturgy, cocktail parties by Windy City Boys Troop, Chicago Leather Club and The Rodeo Riders; and seminars presented by Jerry Scholle, Father Dennis O'Neill, and boy marc peurye.
The highlight of the run was the Saturday night run show featuring Windy City Empire's Miss Alexandra St. James, The Lady Felicity St. James, Ray Musicbear, and a production number of the song "Bootilicious" featuring Ed Luisi, the run captain for Defenders-Chicago. Over $900 was raised to benefit The Leather Archives and Museum and Franciscan Outreach.
The Defenders is the leather outreach arm of DignityUSA. Defenders chapters represented at the event were Chicago, Columbus/Dayton, Washington DC, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
DignityUSA Group Discount for Call to Action Conference
The Call to Action Conference in Milwaukee, WI, November 3-5, 2006, will be held at the Midwest Airline Center downtown. DignityUSA has secured the group rate for ten or more who register together. If you register directly, DignityUSA does not get the discount rate nor credit for our number of participants.
Please send your filled out Call to Action Conference registration form and your credit card info or check payable to CTA to DignityUSA, 1500 Massachusetts Ave., NW #8, Washington, DC 20005-1894, by mid-September. Those received in time will be mailed together (as required for the rate) for the early bird rate of $160 per person. Registration form is available at http://www.cta-usa.org/conference2006/registration.html.
Hotel reservations for the discount rate must be made by calling the hotel directly via the local telephone number, not the toll-free numbers or the web sites. Please ask for the Call to Action discount rate. Discounted rates run from $69 single/double to $121 quad per night.
Hotels offering special rates may be found at
http://www.cta-usa.org/conference2006/travel.html.
Further details on the CTA 2006 National Conference are available at
http://www.cta-usa.org/conference2006/intro.html
Task Force Announces Open Registration for Creating Change 2006
Registration is now open for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's 19th Annual Creating Change™ Conference, which will be held in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 8-12, 2006.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activists and allies are urged to attend. The early registration rate is available until September 7, 2006. Reduced prices are available to those with limited income. The registration form is available at www.creatingchange.org.
Happy Anniversary & Congratulations to:
Tampa Bay (FL) - 30 years
Rochester (NY) - 31 years
Outreach Pilgrimage to Venezuela
Do you want to spread Dignity's word abroad? If you want to do your part in being a prophet to the world here is your chance.
Fr. Steve, a priest from northern California, has been a missionary in various Latin American countries for several decades now. There are quite a few gay Catholics, especially those in committed relationships, who have told Fr. Steve that they want to remain loyal to the Church, but are troubled by its pronouncements. If you want to tell them how we do it at DignityUSA, you can now do it in person.
Raul Salazar, Dignity/San Francisco, is flying down to Ciudad Bolivar, a small city in the northeastern corner of Venezuela, for two weeks over the Christmas-New Year holidays. The tentative schedule is to fly down on Saturday, 23 December 2006, and return on Sunday, 7 January 2007. He invites you to join him for the outreach pilgrimage. It is not necessary to speak Spanish, since brochures will be provided and translators will be available. There is no minimum requirement, as far as time spent in the country is concerned. Fr. Steve told Raul that transportation, food, and lodging will be provided once the group lands. The only requirement is that each one going on this trip must pay for his/her own airfare (approximately $800 from the West Coast).
Perhaps your local Dignity chapter can help you out with the airfare by holding a fundraiser or two, if nothing else.
For more information, send an email to Raul at raul6269@sbcglobal.net so that we outreach pilgrims can plan our trip!
DignityUSA and Dignity/Seattle Issue Joint Press Release
DignityUSA and Dignity/Seattle issued a joint press release vowing to work for marriage equality after Washington State Supreme Court upholds "Defense of Marriage Act." For details see http://www.dignityusa.org/news/2006/060728seattle.html.
DignityUSA Issues World Peace Day Press Release
DignityUSA's response to Vatican statement challenging the acceptance of gays and lesbians while announcing its theme for World Peace Day will be found at http://www.dignityusa.org/news/2006/060803peace.html.
Oct 8, 2006
Solidarity Sunday is a faith-based anti-violence initiative begun in 1995 by DignityUSA as a way of making our opposition to anti-gay violence visible.
For materials and ways to participate in Solidarity Sunday, go to our web page www.dignityusa.org/solidarity/index.html.
Dignity/Chicago Blesses Gay Games Athletes
On Sunday, July 16, 2006, DignityChicago invited Gay Games athletes to participate in a blessing at the Chapter's 5:00 Mass. Twelve people came forward—several chapter members, members from other chapters, a Methodist woman from the Quad Cities and a young man from the Netherlands—to receive the blessing and good wishes from all for a successful event.
The games were front page news in the Chicago papers each day of the week and the athletes received a hearty welcome at the opening ceremonies from Mayor Daley. Anti-gay protesters, purporting to be Christians, made themselves known at many events, but only succeeded in making themselves look foolish in comparison to the joyful nature of the Games.
Ecumenical Catholic Communion Annual Retreat Oct 18-21, 2006
"Visions for the New Church," is the theme for the Ecumenical Catholic Communion's annual retreat to be held in Rochester, New York, October 18-21, 2006.
The ECC is a gathering of 24 GLBT inclusive Faith Communities throughout the country and Puerto Rico that support marriage equality and women's ordination among other issues. For further information, please go to http://www.ecumenical-catholic-communion.org/.
Convention 2007 Austin: Come Early, Stay Late
A very thorough article on reasons to come early and stay late in conjunction with DignityUSA's Convention 2007 in Austin, Texas appeared in DignityUSA's Quarterly Voice released June 2006. The article contains many suggestions of things to see and do and places to visit. Check it out at www.dignityusa.org. Click on the link "DignityUSA Quarterly Voice June 2006," go to the article, "Dignity's 2007 Convention in the Texas Hill Country Reasons to Come Early and Stay Late."
Bishop John Shelby Spong, retired, the Episcopal Bishop of Newark, New Jersey for 20 years, will be a speaker at the convention. He has been a longtime advocate for gays in the church and society, and "The Authoritative Voice for Believers in Exile." He is the author of 15 books, including, Why Christianity Must Change or Die and The Sins of Scripture.
Save the Dates
DignityUSA's 18th Biennial Convention, Austin, Texas, Thu-Sun, July 5-9, 2007
DignityUSA Vision Statement
DignityUSA envisions and works for a time when Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Catholics are affirmed and experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality with their sexuality and, as beloved persons of God, participate fully in all aspects of life within the Church and Society.