Queers and Allies

November 13th was the last meeting of the Fall 2009 quarter so don’t come next thursday or you are gonna be like “WTF?”.

Congrats to our new officers Jen as Media and Public Relations (as Alex has stepped down) and Emily as ICC Liaison.

Previous officer, Joe has been been appointed Co-Pres/VP as Jenner is no taking on the position (giggle), so Jenner is now our of Alumni Chair and Coalition Liaison.

We sent around an email list. If you’d like to be added please send your email too our email or on facebook.

Those of you who have gotten HIV testing during the Gender Bender dance, there are 10 people who still haven’t recieved their results, please go pic them up so we can have hopefully have them return in the following years.

Jen brought to the meeting a new project she is working on called Cafe Change and is looking for people to help her out. I probably can’t explain this project as well as Jen could so please get in contact with her! Basically, Cafe Change  a blog/social site that allows young GLBTTQQIAAP (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, questioning, intersex, aesexual, ally, and pansexual) to converse and share their stories, their defeats, victories, and everything in between.  The goal of the site will be to invoke hope and inspiration!…in the words of Jen. Again, for further information you can ask any of the officers or more specifically, Jen!

We are starting a phone tree for people to stay in contact during the winter if anyone needs that extra shoulder to lean on. If you need help finding somone in your area or just anyone to talk to, get in contact with the officers.

And we are still taking suggestions for next quarter. I’ll open up an extra blog post for you guys to leave suggestions.

More events:

Sunday, Nov.22:
Savannah Gay & Lesbian Film Society presents Rivers Wash Over me
@ 6pm Telfair Jepson Center for the Arts

GLBTQ Coalition will hold a meeting. More info on that later.

Saturday, Dec. 5:
Gay Volunteer Day 
@ 10am-11:30am Savannah Humane Society 7215 Sallie Mood Dr.

~JL <3

There are a few charity/volunteer events and activites that are coming up this month, the first being the Moveable Feast with the Young Activists club. The event will be next Saturday Nov. 14 but we will most likely be meeting the day before, Friday Nov 13 at Boundary to prep for the event. Bring yourself and others to make nummy sandwhiches.

Tomorrow, Nov. 7, Georia Southern University is having GLBTQ & Allies Conference from 8:30am-4:00pm for $10.

More events later! Keep an eye out for them!

Also, last meeting we discussed an event that took place over a week ago infront of the Trustees theater. The article from savannahnow.com:

Police bully citizens, curtail free speech

Savannah police threatened 20 gay leafletters with handcuffs, arrest, and a ride in a paddy wagon for passing out fliers on a public sidewalk in front of the Trustees Theater (owned by the Savannah College of Art & Design), in downtown Savannah.

Savannah’s well-dressed and powerful were attending the “Innovation Awards,” patting themselves on the back for being a progressive city. Outside, a swarm of police scattered the leafletters, claiming the sidewalks on both sides of the street were private for the evening, and that they would be arrested for just walking on the sidewalk.

The city has since confirmed that the event permit did not make the public sidewalks “private,” giving only the right to keep cars off a one block stretch of Broughton Street. We appreciate having received apologies from The Creative Coast and the City of Savannah, and we appreciate the meeting Alderman Van Johnson has arranged with the interim police chief.

We have yet to hear from the person who used his “great power” to summon a large number of police to commit a crime, i.e. throwing U.S. citizens off public sidewalks because he didn’t agree with their opinions.

Moreover, why did prominent politicians, including Alderman Tony Thomas and County Commission Chairman Pete Liakakis, who were in attendance, stand by and watch as their police committed this embarrassment? If this is an example of how interim Police Chief Willie Lovett plans to run the department, we need to keep looking for a new chief.

The incident is a reminder that innovation exists in many American cities, but beautiful and romantic Savannah is not yet on the list.

KEVIN CLARK

Georgia Equality

Savannah

There was also a meeting this Friday morning requested by the First City network to talk about this issue but so far not much has been done to seriously addres the issue properly. Thank you to those who went and I hope you guys were able to take something away from the meeting even though it didn’t go quit as expected.  But besides that, Krista made amazing rainbow ribbons, get yours today!

Good luck with FINALS and have fun!

~JL