As we look to the New Year, we hope you will take a moment this holiday season to reflect on the progress that we, as a community, have made during 2009.
During the last year, the NEPA Rainbow Alliance and Rainbow Fund have achieved unprecedented positive visibility for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and allied communities in our region. From the 1,500+ attendee Pride Festival to a full spread in The Weekender to “State of Pennsylvania: Gay in NEPA” public affairs special on WVIA, our volunteers and staff have been busy.
We need your help so we can continue this important work. We know that when the majority of people see that there is a vibrant LGBT community in their backyard, it starts dialogue that leads to understanding.
Please take a moment to make a gift to help us keep the momentum going.
We hope we can count on your support so the advancement of equality will have a strong and permanent place in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Please click here to make a gift or mail a gift to:
The NEPA Rainbow Fund
512 Northampton Street #218
Edwardsville, PA 18704
Thank you and happy holidays!
The Volunteers and Staff of the NEPA Rainbow Alliance
]]>Key elements and concerns within the gay community are the right to be accepted for who they are; the right to be treated fairly at school and work, in church and in public; the right to quality health care; and, the right to be respected by public servants, including those in law enforcement.
According to the 2009 GayNEPA Community Assessment Survey 50.3 percent of gay couples are in a monogamous relationship; 16.5 percent have had a same-sex commitment ceremony or wedding; 77 percent would want a same-sex civil union, marriage or domestic partnership; 43 percent are parents; 57 percent were raised in the Catholic Church. However, only 16 percent are still practicing – although respondents stated that the “abandonment” rate is much lower in the Protestant church and almost non-existent in the Unitarian, Unity and Episcopal churches.
Furthermore, of the 150 randomly polled Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender respondents, 95 percent are registered active voters; most have some form of college education including a Masters Degree or Doctorate.
Joining Correspondent Suzanne Kapral-Kelly in the Sordoni Theater at WVIA will be John Dawe from Dawe Consulting and Executive Director, NEPA Rainbow Alliance; Jeff Brauer, Associate Professor & Director for the Center for Service Learning at Keystone College and Board Member, Equality Pennsylvania, and Rev. Daniel Gunn, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre.
The show will also include comments from International Aids Activist, Cleve Jones, who is also founder of the Aids Memorial Quilt. Actor Emile Hirsch in the 2009 Oscar Nominated Film, Milk, portrayed Cleve Jones.
To be part of WVIA’s live studio audience in the region’s only High Definition Theater Studio, call (570) 602-1150 or visit http://stateofpa.eventbrite.com.
Viewers may call in questions during the show at 1-800-326-9842 or go to www.wvia.org to submit their questions online.
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To Volunteer call 570-606-4410 or e-mail john@gaynepa.com.