December, 2010

Tallahassee’s LGBT Community Newspaper

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Holiday Drag Show December 10TH

Community Photos

December 2, 2010

Volume 14, Issue 11

BRANCHING OUT is published monthly by The Family Tree Community Center.

Appearance in this publication makes no inference about sexual orientation or gender identity.

BRANCHING OUT’S mission is to be the paper of record for the LGBT community of Tallahassee, and in that capacity it seeks to inform, advocate, engage, and entertain while being a responsible representative of the LGBT community and its allies to the outside world.

Contact Branching Out:

P.O. Box 38477, Tallahassee, FL 32315 (850) 222-8555 branchingout@familytreecenter.org

Publication Schedule - 1st of Each Month Submission Deadlines - 15th of Each Month

Don’t Forget...

by Patrick Patterson, Art Director and Layout Editor Branching Out Production Team It’s been a really busy semester. Although, it is winding down I feel like I’ve run out onto a busy interstate and I’m dodging cars. For my final project in one of my classes, our team had to create an advertising campaign to sell the pencil... yes, the yellow pencil. An instrument so common that you can purchase them in packs of 24 and still have money left over for lunch! There were a lot of things that I didn’t know about the pencil. For instance, if you had to, you could draw a line that was 35 miles long with the standard yellow pencil, or write 45,000 words (if you’re wanting to write the next best-seller). There are dozens of facts out there about your everyday pencil... really... go Google it! In my search for a creative concept about the pencil, I began thinking about all of the things we take for granted every day. We take certain freedoms that we have for granted. While I am always grateful to live in a land where I am free, I know that there are people like me around the world that are not afforded the same rights. I know that our country has a long way to go in matters of LGBT equality, but we really do not have it that bad. With the holiday season coming (although, for some reason Michaels Craft Store thought Christmas was here before Halloween), I wanted to remind each and every one of you to not forget the little things that make us who we are. Don’t forget to smile. Don’t forget to say thank you. Don’t forget to tell your family that you love them. Don’t forget to call a friend and tell them that you’re thankful for them in your life.

Don’t forget the people that are fighting for us in lands that some of us would dare not go. And by all means, please do not forget to send my present to.... just kidding:).

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday and we’ll see you in 2011with a brand-new look for Branching Out!

Production Team:

Andy Janecek, Executive Editor Steven Hall, Features Editor Patrick Patterson, Layout Editor Margeaux Mutz, Voices Editor Melissa Henderson, Circulation Assistant Ron Bunting, Circulation Assistant Dan Beam, Layout Assistant

Contributors in this issue: Kay Fausel Agnes Furey Susan Gage Diana Kampert Winnie Miles Kathleen Nicole O’Neal Ivan Sondel

Contact Senator Bill Nelson at (202) 224-5274 and Senator George LeMieux at (202) 224-3041 and urge them to REPEAL “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” NOW!

in this issue...

News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 Faithfully Speaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 AIDS is an All-Too-Frequent Companion. . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Transgender Day of Remembrance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Transgenderscope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 News, Cues and Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 What’s Happening This Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 12 News From The Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

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BRANCHING OUT

Florida Together Announces Three New Board Members

Tallahassee Interfaith Community Hosting World AIDS Day Event

News Release

News Release

On October 27, 2010, Florida Together announced three new Floridians will join the organization’s Board of Directors: Eric Johnson, Bill Phillips and Dave Aronberg.

The Tallahassee Interfaith Community will be creating a Living AIDS Ribbon in observance of World AIDS Day (WAD), December 1, 2010. The interfaith community invites the public to come and be a part of this action. Attendees are encourages to wear red shirts. The event will take place on the steps of the HistoricCapitolBuilding, 400 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee from 7 pm – 8 pm.

These three outstanding and experienced leaders join a Board of Directors of Florida Together working to achieve complete equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population through political and social action.

“We are obviously delighted to have such a strong and respected group of political and business leaders help lead our organization,” said Michael Kenny, Florida Together Executive Director.

Florida Together is the advocacy and political arm of Florida Together Federation, a federation of over eighty Florida organizations committed to equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Floridians. For more information on Florida Together, see http://fltogether.org/.

Gay and Thinking About Adoption in Florida?

News Release A few months ago, Florida’s ban on gay adoption came to end with Attorney General Bill McCollum announcing that he would not appeal a decision of the court that found the ban unconstitutional. With the ban gone, many people are wondering: What exactly does this mean for my family?

“It is very important to know your rights and choose a trusted adoption attorney and professionals who know the issues gay adoptive parents face. This is true whether you want to adopt a child you are already raising (with a partner or as a single parent) or if you want to adopt a child from foster care or through a private adoption agency. Because the rights of your family are at stake it is important for you to get the right information as early in the adoption process as possible,” according to Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director.

Equality Florida provides important information about adopting as a gay or bisexual parent. For more information, visit http://eqfl.org/adoptequality/questionnaire/.

First observed in 1988, World AIDS Day has served to raise awareness about the epidemic, honor those who have died, focus attention on issues that are key to a successful response, and inspire positive action. The WAD theme for 2009-2010 is “Universal Access and Human Rights”. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reported to the UN General Assembly that reduced access to essential HIV information, prevention tools, treatments, and services is occurring in many countries as a result of laws and policies that are inconsistent with their commitments to human rights.

The Lights for Rights Campaign is organized by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, UNAIDS, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and World AIDS Campaign.

The campaign strives to underscore this year’s focus on HIV and human rights by encouraging people in cities around the world to dim the lights as a way to remember the devastating effect AIDS has had on us all, and to turn back on the lights to illuminate the fundamental rights we all share.

Tallahassee’s Light for Rights event will begin with attendees being directed to pick up a red glow-stick from organizers, and then to form a Living AIDS Ribbon on the steps of the Old Capitol. There will then be a short observance by members of the interfaith community and participants will remember those who have died from AIDS with a moment of silence. The Living AIDS Ribbon will illuminate as the glow-sticks are then broken to shine out their red light.

Participating congregations, faith communities and organizations will include Gentle Shepherd Metropolitan Community Church of Tallahassee, St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Red Hills Pagan Council, Tallahassee Fellowship, Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee, UnitedChurch in Tallahassee, Big Bend Cares and Big Bend Hospice.

For more information, contact Rev. Mark Byrd, (850) 728-5331; gsmccpastor@ embarqmail.com.

WE HAVE AN APP FOR THAT. $5 - 1 Ticket $20 - 5 Tickets Suggested Donation

The Family Tree, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, is Tallahassee’s LGBT community center and organizes this area’s annual PRIDEFEST celebration.

The Family Tree receives 100% of each contribution and all donations received for this drawing will go to support Tallahassee PRIDEFEST 2011.

Checks should be made payable to The Family Tree with “iPad” in the memo line. Drawing will be held on Monday, December 20, 2010 at 7PM. THE FAMILY TREE IS REGISTERED WITH THE STATE UNDER THE SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS ACT, 1991, REGISTRATION NUMBER CH12188. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Contact any Family Tree Board Member or

admin@tallahasseepride.com

WIN AN APPLE IPAD!

SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY VOLUME 14, ISSUE 11

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Task Force Addresses Anti-Gay Bullying in Leon County

by Susan Gage Branching Out Contributor President, PFLAG-Tallahassee

Researchers Studying Relationships of Sexual Minorities News Release

It isn’t cool to be cruel.

That was the simple message spoken by Tallahassee Fire Chief Cindy Dick at the inaugural meeting of an Anti-Bullying Task Force. Two dozen people from mental health services, students, academics, activists, politicians and religious leaders are pulling together and pooling their collective knowledge to address bullying that happens both on and off school campuses. State Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda convened the task force at the urging of Rev. Mark Byrd of Gentle Shepherd MCC and Susan Gage, president of PFLAG-Tallahassee, a support and education group for parents, families and friends of LGBT people.

“This task force is a gift from the LGBT community to our area,” said Rep. Rehwinkel Vasilinda, noting that the impetus for looking into this problem came from concern raised by the recent reported spate of suicides among LGBT youth across the country. “For a child to contemplate suicide, we are doing something wrong.”

Many at the table noted that bullying is a problem and it happens in places beyond the school, and for reasons that sometimes have to do with gender and not conforming to gender expectations. Mental health representatives say they are seeing a number of children from Leon and surrounding counties who are suffering from depression and are contemplating suicide. LaCrai Mitchell, the student representative on the Leon County School Board, is a student at Godby High School. She says the problem of bullying is affecting her age group.

“It’s scary,” Mitchell said. “It’s my friends and my friends’ friends. And while Columbine, some say that won’t happen to us, and it is!”

The Leon County School District held a Bully Awareness Week in November which included workshops for parents that focused on cyber bullying. Many parents from the PFLAG-Tallahassee chapter attended, and raised questions about protection from harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Leon County School District policy contains language include LGBT identity as protected classes from bullying making it one of the better guidelines in the state. Unfortunately, answers to LGBTspecific questions were left unanswered because the presenters were from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and not the school district administration.

The Anti-Bullying Task Force is planning to do a public showing of the documentary, “Bullied”, produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program.

A date and time have not been determined. ***Pictures on following page courtesy of Winnie Miles

Researchers at Georgia State University would like to invite you to participate in a study. The purpose of the study is to understand more about the relationships and social networks (friends, family, coworkers, etc) of sexual minorities (people who do not identify as heterosexual). The only requirements for participation are that you are 18 years of age or older and do not identify as heterosexual.

We have designed an online survey that takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. If you would like to participate, please click on the link below: http://bit.ly/communitysurvey Thank you so much for your help! If you have any questions, please feel free to call at 404-413-6470 or email us at queercommunitysurvey@gmail.com.

TCC Pride Hosts Drag Show Fundraiser

by Branching Out Production Team On November 10, 2010, TCC Pride, Tallahassee Community College’s LGBT-supportive student group, hosted their first-ever drag show. The event, hosted by local celebrity Tullos Peavy and TCC Pride President Scott Barker, featured a full night of entertainment in the student union on the college’s campus. Entertainers included Serena Cha Cha, Alissah Brooks, Nina Chancellor and male impersonator Angel C. Proceeds from the event benefitted The Family Tree Community Center. (Photos on following page)

Tallahassee Observes Transgender Day of Remembrance

by Margeaux Mutz Branching Out Production Team Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) happens every year on Nov. 20. This year as in years past, The Pride Student Union, with Lauren Hendricks as co-coordinator, held a panel discussion and vigil to memorialize the day. My heart and the hearts of all that attended went out to the hundreds of transgender folk who have become victims for having the audacity to be themselves. This includes (as was so astutely pointed out at the vigil) those who have committed suicide while attempting to carry the weight of hate borne by misunderstanding and fear. Hopefully, through our efforts and all that joined us around the world, we have contributed to a world that is a safer and more accepting place. Thanks to all that attended and to all those who stand with us in spirit, it is a lonely world without you.

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BRANCHING OUT

Anti-Gay Bullying Task Force

VOLUME 14, ISSUE 11

Photographs courtesy of Winnie Miles

TCC PRIDE DRAG SHOW

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Faithfully Speaking

The Return of the Sun: Yule and the Winter Solstice

by Kay Fausel Red Hills Pagan Council Winter solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, has been celebrated throughout the ages. Ancient peoples built monumental calendars such as Stonehenge and the Mayan pyramids marking the solstices and equinoxes. Thousands of years later people still come to these ancient places to celebrate the turning of the seasons.

Winter was seen as a dangerous time by our ancestors. The days grew short and cold.

Food was scarce for humans and animals they depended on. The earth was cold and the plants dormant. Many of the game animals migrated so hunting was difficult. Unless enough food was preserved there was a real possibility of starvation. What would happen if the sun did not return bringing light and warmth?

The solstice celebration, under its many names, was a show of faith and bravery. Resources had been husbanded to last though the dark part of the year but there was no assurance that it was enough if there was a late spring. Winter was dangerous but they went forward in the belief that the sun would return bringing warmth and light back to the world. There were rituals to assist the process and festivities to celebrate its success.

We still carry on many of the traditions passed down to us by the ancestors.

Most solstice celebrations centered on the birth of a deity: Ra, Horus, Lugh, Odin and Mithras for example. The child was generally a son of an earth goddess. In Rome the celebration included most of the sun gods worshipped in the empire and was called the Birthday of the Invincible Sun. It was celebrated on December 25, the birthday of Mithras.

The church later settled on that day as the birth of Christ.

Rome’s other Mid-winter festival was Saturnalia which included riotous merrymaking lots of drinking, the reversal of social roles (the origin of the medieval Lord of Misrule), feasting and gift giving.

The Yule log we owe to Scandinavia via the Anglo-Saxons, Danes and other Norse groups.

A massive log was brought into the house. It had to be big enough to burn all solstice night since it was believed to encourage the sun to return. Much mead was drunk and toasts were made to the king, to the gods, especially Odin, and to the ancestors. Oaths were taken under sprigs of mistletoe. The Yule log was popular in England and is still used by modern pagans. In some traditions a piece of the log is kept to start the fire for the next Yule log.

We have a wide selection of:

Birdseed Bird Feeders Optics Nesting Boxes Birdbaths Nature Gifts

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In Celtic Britain the Druids cut the sacred mistletoe on Alban Arthan – the winter solstice.

Mistletoe was thought to keep lightening from striking buildings with a sprig attached. A kiss under the mistletoe was a pledge of friendship and good faith.

Our ancestors have given us great gifts – traditions of love, joy, generosity, good-will and community. We feast, gather with family and friends, give gifts to our loved ones and to strangers. We celebrate the turning of the season and many of us celebrate the birth of a god. There is another tradition as well – reflection and introspection.

Yule is the return of the Invincible Sun – the birth of a new year. The long nights of winter give us time to reflect on the past year and plan for the next. What was accomplished last year? What needs to be done this year? We have an opportunity to look within to see what we were and what we want to become.

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BRANCHING OUT

Tallahassee Prime Timers

What’s Happening...

Compiled by Diana Kampert Branching Out Contributor

this month

PrimeTimersWW.org/talprime

November 12 to December 26, 2010 22nd Art in Gadsden 10:00 am to 5:00 pm The 22nd Art in Gadsden is an annual juried signature exhibition of fine art representing over 100 artists that are living within 200 miles of Quincy, Florida.

Gadsden Arts Center 13 N. Madison Street, Quincy FMI: (850) 875-4866; grace@gadsdenarts.org; www.gadsdenarts.org

The Family Tree salutes our Former Board Members

November 25 to December 31, 2010 LeMoyne’s 46th Annual Holiday Show and Sale 10:00 am to 8:00 pm with a special Thanksgiving evening opening from 6 – 8 pm The annual Holiday Show at LeMoyne keeps getting better and better, and they are striving to make this our best year ever! The theme selected is It’s a Wonderful Life; don’t miss this feast for the eyes as LeMoyne transforms from an art gallery to a true Winter Wonderland. Virtually everything is for sale; ornaments, original works of art, books, cards, gifts, etc.

LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts 125 North Gadsden Street, Tallahassee $3 donation is requested from non-members.

FMI: Lesley Marchessault (850) 222-8800; curator@lemoyne.org; www.lemoyne.org

A social group for mature men, featuring gatherings, house parties, monthly dinners and weekly happy hours

by Branching Out Production Team The Branching Out Production Team has wanted to write an open letter of appreciation to the inspiring people who have left our Board since the middle of 2009, for some time now.

As we procrastinated, it got closer to our annual membership meeting (Oct. 25) and with it more potential turnover. So, we waited.

Well, the wait is over. Those that have taken their valuable skills into other endeavors are now five. They truly are and will continue to be missed.

The first to go was Lisa Comingore, followed by Patrick Patterson, Kay Casey, Jim Van Riper, and most recently Paul Anway. We think that it is appropriate that this letter be a group call out. There really is not enough space to list all of the things that they have done for the LGBT community and in essence the community at large. Truly the greatness of their work lies in their ability to act collectively. It is not easy to get two people to agree on anything, let alone nine. They were part of a group that did it superbly.

Just as a healthy tree is the sum of its parts, so is The Family Tree. Each of them provided expertise that was instrumental in the fact that The Family Tree still exists today. It was not, and is not, a given!

We think it can be said with a fair amount of certainty that without The Family Tree, and the efforts of these special people as they guided it, there would be no Human Rights Ordinance in Leon County, no Branching Out, no Pridefest, no Transgender Tallahassee, no Gayla and no successful lobbying for LGBT rights in our community. All of those things required countless hours dealing with building issues, volunteers, paying bills, keeping record, answering phone calls, attending board meetings, creating brochures, and many other details too numerous to mention. With those efforts they taught us, the members of the Board that served with them (Steven Hall, Andy Janecek, Christy Baldwin, Debbi Baldwin, Dave Glaze, Greta Langley and Margeaux Mutz), valuable lessons about accountability, giving and caring. We as a Board, which now includes Joseph Ballard and Franco Tompeterini, want everyone in our LGBT community to know how much we appreciate them. We know it wasn’t easy, but we are all sure every one of them feels deep in their heart that it was worth it. Why? Because they are the type of people that are committed to serving the LGBT community and righting the wrongs that have existed in our country, and the world, for way too long. Please, if you see any of them at an event or on the street, thank them, for they have been working for you.

They truly rock! We love them, from this day henceforth to be known as the “Fab Five!”

December 4, 2010 “Winter Festival - A Celebration of Lights, Music, and the Arts” 3:00 – 10:00 pm; Parade begins at 7:15 pm The City of Tallahassee is proud to present its annual Celebration of Lights, honored by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the top 20 events in the southeastern region of the United States. For one day only, downtown Tallahassee turns into a winter wonderland to awaken Tallahassee’s Christmas spirit. Aside from the traditional food, exhibiters and arts and crafts vendors, visitors can enjoy live holiday entertainment and participate in the Lighting Ceremony and Jingle Bell 3K run. Children can decorate ornaments in a contest and tell Santa what’s on their Christmas list. A nighttime holiday parade is also included.

Downtown Tallahassee FMI: www.talgov.com/parks/winter/index.cfm December 4, 2010 Jingle Bell Run 6:15 pm (approximate start time) Imagine thousands of runners, all queuing up for a big race. Nothing too unusual there ... until you realize virtually all of the runners have Santa’s caps on. And many have unique holiday decorations adorning their bodies, their kids’ strollers, even the occasional dog! And everyone is jingling - literally - as they get ready for the race. It’s the annual Jingle Bell Run, one of the highlights of Tallahassee’s annual Winter Festival. When the Mayor counts down to start the race, the excitement builds and then in a flash, the wonderful cacophony of thousands of jingle bells resonates throughout downtown. The run is quite short (less than two miles) so it’s not your typical, highly-competitive footrace. While the race certainly attracts serious runners, for the most part the Jingle Bell Run is festive, colorful and thus a fun experience for everyone. From toddlers in those decorated strollers to couples, to seniors out for a brisk nighttime jog, the Jingle Bell Run has become an honored tradition and clearly one of the most anticipated events of the season.

Starting Location: Monroe Street and Park Avenue FMI and Registration: www.talgov.com/parks/winter/jbrun.cfm December 4, 2010 Out & Out Saturday at Paradigm 10:00pm – 2:00am Join Kira Brooks for this special event as she celebrates her birthday with Eboni Starr and Kristie Jtwou. Kira’s tips will be donated to The Family Tree Community Center. You do not want to miss this fast-paced, high-energy Saturday night party. $5 for 21+, $7 for 18+ Paradigm 115 West College Avenue, Tallahassee December 4 – 5, 2010 Market Days 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (early bird shopping Saturday 8:00 – 10:00 am) A holiday tradition, Market Days once again turns the North Florida Fairgrounds into a shopping Mecca, with more than 300 artists and crafts-makers offering wares just in time for the gift-giving season. Shoppers will find an array of works in all price ranges including fine arts, ceramics, country furniture, stained glass, woodwork, glasswork, dolls, clocks, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, metalwork, clothing, photography and calligraphy. Food and entertainment are on the agenda as well. The event is a fundraiser for Tallahassee Museum.

North Florida Fairgrounds 441 Paul Russell Road, Tallahassee Admission: $6 for adults and $4 for children. Early bird entry is $25.

FMI: www.marketdays.org *** Continued on page 12 ***

VOLUME 14, ISSUE 11

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An Alternative New Years Eve Event Friday December 31, 2010 | Tallahassee Mall (the Old Goody’s Store Location) | 9PM-3AM Top LGBTQ Organizers Unite for One Night to Bring Non Stop Entertainment!

THE most anticipated fully themed New Years Eve bash in Tallahassee’s history!

Female and male go-go dancers • Sexy wait staff • Live performances • Party favors • Live Countdown of NYC 2011 from Times Square • Midnight Champagne Toast • State of the art sound and lighting system • Custom stage with live entertainment • Live Twitter Feed for Song Request on big screens • Massive dance floor • Three large bars and multiple bartenders to serve you faster • Multiple front door staff and licensed security • Private outdoor smoking area

The Pink & Black Extravaganza 2010 TICKETS Ultra VIP Couple $100 Advanced Purchase Tickets: $10.00 -Table for 2 Standard VIP $25 At The Door: $15.00 -Priority entrance & -1 Entry Ticket VIP Tickets: $25.00 early admission -$1 Shots all night Ultra VIP Couple: $100.00 -2 VIP Lanyards -Glass of Champagne Ultra VIP Lounge: $125.00 -Exclusive seating -Priority VIP Bar service Friday December 31, 2010 | Tallahassee Mall (the Old Goody’s Store Location) | 9PM-3AM -1 Bottle of House -VIP area access Ultra VIP $125 Champagne 4 Top -Table LGBTQfor Organizers Unite for One Night to Bring Non Stop -Premium Bottle service -Priority entrance and early admission Entertainment!

-Party favors -4 VIP Lanyards -Personal host -Exclusive stage-side seating -1 Bottle of House Champagne -1 Bottle Premium liquor of your choice For more info visit www.pinkblack2010.com or call 850.2103518

Tickets Available Online at: www.camelotproductions.ticketleap.com/pkbk2010

AIDS Is An All-Too-Frequent Companion

by Agnes Furey Special to Branching Out

I’ve lived with HIV/AIDS as a companion in my life for more than 20 years.

Four members of my family have lived and died with AIDS.

GENTLE SHEPHERD METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH Rev. Mark R. Byrd, Interim Minister 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 7:00 p.m. Comtemporary Worship

Two were women, two were men. Three were white, one black.

Two had been addicted, two had not. One was in recovery, one was in relapse.

Three were parents. One played college football on scholarship. Another was a Marine. One was a nun, another a soccer mom.

They all had siblings; one had a sister who died from AIDS. They were all someone’s children. One was mine.

One was recreation director for a metropolitan city, another worked for the United Nations. One coached basketball and soccer. One marched with Martin Luther King Jr. One lived with Native Americans. One was president of the PTA. They were all aunts and uncles, friends, neighbors and colleagues.

One died alone as she chose. One died in a hospice with his wife and mother holding his hands. Another died incarcerated.

One lost all her teeth, one lost all her hair. One weighed 85 pounds, another was bloated.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE Sunday, December 12 - Third Sunday of Advent Service, both services Sunday, December 19 - Four Sunday of Advent - Special joint service being held at 7:00 pm. The program consists of Christmas readings and special music Friday, December 24 - Special Christmas Eve Service being held at 7:00 p.m., consisting of carols, communion and the Lighting of Candles

All lived at least 10 years with this virus, one more than 15, and another more than 20. The youngest was 38 and the oldest in her 50th year.

We all live in a shallow pool of time.

All of us who are aware that we have been touched by this virus tend to ponder questions of life and death that transcend purely physical or emotional responses. Issues of both meaning and longing become coupled with deep human needs for acceptance, forgiveness, hope, reconciliation, and unconditional love.

Our family members face issues of finances, parenting, careers, dependence and autonomy, secrecy and diminished options as well as physical weaknesses and pain. Issues of mortality, treatments and quality and quantity of life may be faced or avoided.

My family is not unique.

4738 Thomasville Road (850) 878-3001 www.GentleShepherdMCC.com

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AIDS is a family disease.

•••

Agnes Furey, a retired nurse, has been on the boards of Big Bend Cares, Big Bend Mental Health Coalition and Citizens Against the Death Penalty. She is a volunteer victim advocate with the Tallahassee Police Department and is vice president of the Tallahassee Writers Association. Contact her at agnesfurey@yahoo.com.

BRANCHING OUT

Transgender Day of Remembrance is More Than Just Memories

by Kathleen Nicole O’Neal Special to Branching Out The Transgender Day of Remembrance is unlike any other holiday on the LGBT calendar. It is not traditionally a day for festivity, although it is certainly not an inappropriate day to celebrate the lives of transgender people killed due to transphobic violence, and those that loved them. It is a day that is meant to bring to light the daily fears of violence that transgender people and their partners live with, as well as the disparate social forces that combine to create this intersection between gender and violence in trans peoples’ lives. And, it is a day to mourn the deaths of all of those who have paid the ultimate penalty for transgressing social boundaries regarding sex and gender.

Transphobia, sexism, and homophobia are related, if not identical, social phenomena. One gets the sense that among men who have killed and assaulted trans women they have been intimate with, that upon learning of their gender history the thinking has gone thusly: “If I had sex with a woman that was born biologically male then that would make me gay and therefore less of a man, which would make me something akin to a woman.” This way of thinking – the perfect intersection of homophobia, sexism, and transphobia – has driven the senseless death and physical assault of countless transgender women.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is also a day to reflect upon the myriad social forces that drive many of our transgender brothers and sisters to suicide and self-harm. While many of the problems in transgender peoples’ lives are driven by

an inconsistency between biological sex and their own sexual identification, the problems do not end there. In fact they only just begin there. Unemployment, social isolation, violence, mistreatment at the hands of the medical and psychological establishment, and abuse from family members, teachers, classmates, coworkers, and employers are not a necessary outcome of being a transgender individual. Nor is the near universal difficulty in finding the social, financial, and medical support to transition. These factors are a direct result of societies that do not value the lives and well-being of transgender people; societies that rarely even understand what the needs of transgender individuals throughout the life cycle are.

Transgender women and men can be and do anything. Transgender judges, models, writers, physicians, surgeons, scientists, politicians, teachers, and businesspeople prove this all of the time, all over the world, against incredible odds. But for the full potential of transgender individuals to be tapped, our society must recognize that these individuals have worth and are held back more by the individual and collective prejudices of others than by any supposed innate deficiency in them due to their transgender status. When our society creates the conditions in which transgender people are more likely to be murdered or to commit suicide than others, we are all that much poorer. But the greatest tragedy of all is for those trans people who never got to live out their lives because they were murdered, denied proper medical care, or driven to suicide. May we honor their memories by working towards a world where no transgender person dies or lives a subpar life simply because he or she is transgender. They are not here to speak for themselves about the evils of anti-trans bigotry so let us make our voices heard in their absence, speaking out for a world without transphobia.

Transgender Day of Remembrance was observed on November 20.

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Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company: Northbrook, IL. © 2009 Allstate Insurance Company

VOLUME 14, ISSUE 11

GRETA LANGLEY

DON’T HOPE(850) SO.482-4544 KNOW SO. Call me for a fast, free Good Hands® Coverage Checkup. I can 4598 A EAST HWY 90 help you makeMARIANNA sure you get the right coverage at the best glangley@allstate.com possible price. Why wait? Call me today.

Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company: Northbrook, IL. © 2009 Allstate Insurance Company

9

VOICES

Community Stories, Opinions, Happenings, and Ideas.

Transgenderscope

by Margeaux Mutz Branching Out Production Team

An aside before I start my article. I told a friend/client that I would include this story. I tell it so that we can practice non-judgment together.

My friend told me of two family members, a wife-husband team, who drove from Mississippi to Niagara Falls recently. After reaching their destination, they proceeded to the Falls and attempted to park. After finding out the price for parking, the husband of the duo refused to pay and they drove back without achieving their goal of seeing the Falls.

True Story! Hard not to judge, on a couple of levels, isn’t it? Try! I had planned on starting my article this month with the last sentence of my previous article.

It was and still is, “I do know with absolute certainty that I am going to continue being myself no matter the consequences.” I decided on those words after someone hurled an object at my head from a passing car as I walked our dog on Tennessee Street recently. I guess the fact that I could feel comfortable saying that, and believing there would be no retribution, says something about the faith I have in this community and country.

Would I have that perspective in Kabul, Afghanistan? After watching the movie “The Beauty Academy of Kabul,” I’m not so sure. The movie is set in 2003 after the overthrow of the Taliban. The movie though not a downer, left me with a strong feeling of how powerless the women of Kabul feel, and how self righteous the men are in perpetuating that feeling.

I can say, as the cameras panned the men’s faces when some of the beauty shop women stepped outside their boxes, that I have seen the same look of indignation on the faces of some men in the Tallahassee community and it was directed at me. I have chosen in those moments to see those looks as an aberrant male action, not a pervasive one. It is no doubt a control issue but does not represent a cultural wide feeling; at least I choose to believe that.

It has taken me a while to attain that headspace though. When I first started my transition I felt that every straight man would treat me with disrespect. I wasn’t sure in which form that disrespect would take, but for the longest time I didn’t want to know. Instead I presented my female self to other women and tried to leave it at that. It wasn’t a very good long term plan, but it sufficed in the short term until the woman in me grew stronger.

Gay men on the other hand presented different problems. I didn’t know any. I was up until that point only attracted to women. Yet I did get the feeling that they could become allies, although I didn’t realize that gay men, just like the rest of society, have some learning to do when it comes to transsexuals. It was at about that time that I met Dean and Lanny.

Ask Margeaux Q: What is your advice to parents of children who have been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder?

A: First, “Don’t freak!” according to The Endocrine Society’s Clinical Guidelines (pg.11), “in most children with GID (Gender Identity Disorder), the GID does not persist into adolescence”, the Guidelines continue on to state that in three separate studies “the large majority (75-85%) of prepubertal children with a diagnosis of GID in childhood, do not turn out to be transsexual in adolescence. They also state that “clinical experience suggests that GID can be reliably assessed only after the first signs of puberty” and that “this recommendation does not imply that children should be entirely denied to show cross-gender behaviors or should be punished for exhibiting such behavior.”

The last sentence may seem odd, but there are those in the mental health field that still practice reparative therapy on transgender youth. Just as with the gay community, it does harm while attempting to impede a person from realizing their true self. My suggestion is to find a reputable therapist who does not practice such techniques. If you need help with that, I and Transgender Tallahassee can put you in touch with therapists, psychologists or psychiatrists who do not believe in such methods. In any case, your child will need lots of love and support, but what child doesn’t. You don’t have to understand them, just be understanding of their right to be Themselves!

If you have a question for Margeaux, email her at branchingout@ familytreecenter.org. Your question may be featured in the next issue of Branching Out or online at familytreecenter.org!

Dean and Lanny are a gay couple that moved to Tallahassee around the time that I was really coming out. We became friends as they continued to return to my salon for haircuts. I was a neophyte to the gay world, as were they to the transgender world. We had some interesting conversations and misunderstandings. They, as many do, assumed that any man choosing to live as a woman must be attracted to men and it then followed that as a man prior to transition, I was gay. Of course, in my case and in many MTF (male-to-female) women, some say up to 50% or more, that is not true.

I, on the other hand, had no preconceived notions of what being gay meant and had enough life experience to know that not all gay or straight men are sexual carnivores. But, on the other hand, I was uncomfortable with openly being the object of men’s affections. Being in their presence allowed me to lose those inhibitions and reinforced in me the belief that two people in love need not have sexual or gender boundaries. They, with their love for one another and their life lessons, helped to make me the person I am today.

I wish that was the end of the story. Unfortunately I learned last week that Dean has died.

Because of Dean’s death his life lessons have come into clearer focus and more firmly implanted in my head the “do it now” mentality espoused by Louise L. Hay in “How to Love Yourself.” I never did get the chance to tell Dean specifically what he meant to me, but I did tell him many times that I loved him. I do know that what he wanted most for me was that I be myself.

I am Dean, and I’m “Doing it now.” I love you!

Margeaux Mutz is the facilitator of Transgender Tallahassee. Reach her at margeaux. mutz@comcast.net .

10

BRANCHING OUT

by Ivan Sondel Branching Out Contributor

News, Cues, & Reviews

DVD: 12/7: Patrik, Age 1.5 Swiss comedy of gay couple adopt a 15 year old homophobe; Prayers for Bobby acclaimed television drama with Sigourney Weaver; California Suite with Michael Caine as Maggie Smith’s gay husband; The Fisher King with an incredible performance from the late great Michael Jeter; 12/28: Howl with James Franco as poet Allen Ginsberg; The United States of Tara: The Second Season. CD: Now in stores: Ultimate Pet Shop Boys: Special Edition. Books: now in stores: I Still Dream about You: a Novel by Fannie Flagg; A Nose for Justice: a Novel by Rita Mae Brown; Port Mortuary (A Scarpetta Novel) by Patricia Cornwall; Hate: A Romance

by Tristan Garcia; Listen to This by music critic Alex Ross; Unbearable Lightness – A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi.

Book review: Mary Ann in Autumn by Armistead Maupin. Every few years it’s nice to visit old friends and catch up; which is what reading each new Maupin Tales of the City book is like for me. In this (the 8th installment) we are reintroduced to the pivotal character of Mary Ann Singleton (all but absent from book seven Michael Tolliver Lives), back in San Francisco looking for shoulders to lean on as she faces a health scare and a marriage that is collapsing.

We are reunited with old friends like Michael, DeDe and Anna Madrigal, and new: Ben (Michael’s husband), Jake (Michael’s female-to-male pre-op transsexual business partner) and Shawna (Brian and Mary Ann’s adopted daughter). But that’s not all, two characters from the original Tales of the City return, washing up like wreckage on the shore, bringing with them consequences which will shock and astound.

Like most of the previous volumes in this series, Mary Ann in Autumn has moments of great humor (Maupin possesses a keen wit), whimsy, pathos and mystery. If Maupin falters it is in the credulity factor. His narratives are often contrived, relying on unrealistic coincidences, or surprises that are accurately guessed long before they are revealed. The ironic thing about this, and indeed his other books, is that these flaws never detract from one’s enjoyment of the whole; and enjoy this you will. If you’re a fan of the series, this latest volume is a must.

A Christmas Memory Do I have a favorite Christmas memory? I remember impatiently waiting each year for a package to arrive from faraway Illinois baring presents from Grandma Lou – but not just presents – a tin of her wonderful anise Christmas cookies, decorated and frosted. My favorite present, or at least the one I recall most vividly, was a Matchbox car parking garage set; I really loved Matchbox cars. Then there were the TV specials – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and How the Grinch Stole Christmas and my beloved The Homecoming with

Patricia Neal as Olivia Walton and John Boy and all those Walton kids. When I was a boy I wanted to be a Walton; to live on Walton’s Mountain and, most of all, for Will Geer to be my Grandpa [when it was announced that he died I cried as if my own Grandpa had passed].

As a grownup my favorite Christmas tradition has been watching a raggedy recording I made from A&E Channel of Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory. When I was eighteen or so I made the Capote discovery and read his best known works. The volume which I treasured above all others was Breakfast at Tiffany’s, for not only did it contain that marvelous novella, but the bucolic prose poem A Christmas Memory. Set in Alabama in early 1930s, the story details the very special relationship that existed between young Truman and his elderly cousin Sook Faulk. Each year, in early November, Miss Sook would awaken on an unspecified “coming of winter morning” and proclaim it to be fruitcake weather. Together she and Truman, whom she referred to as Buddy, would go about collecting ingredients for and then making thirty cakes to send to friends and relations; this would include gathering up “windfall” pecans from a neighbors orchard, and buying moonshine whisky from Mr. Haha Jones. Their other adventures include chopping down their own Christmas tree and making decorations, and even fashioning each other handmade gifts – kites, which they’d hurry with to the pasture and fly on Christmas morning.

There is something completely real, wholly honest and true in this heartslaid-bare tale. I’ve read this story countless times, most memorably with the book group I belong to here in Tallahassee. We read the story aloud, each taking turns, me reading the last paragraphs (as always) with tears in my eyes. It was a very special moment.

In 1966 Capote adapted and narrated a one-hour film of this work. The great Geraldine Page played Cousin Sook. To my way of thinking, this adaptation, which won Emmy Awards for both Page and Capote, could well be the most perfect hour in television history. It is this version that A&E lovingly repeated which I recorded and that my sister Ruth and I watch each year. We sip or coffee and eat breakfast or scones in front of the fire [if it’s a hot Florida Christmas morning we simply crank up the air conditioning to make it seem more like Christmas]. Each year we say we’re going to Tom Brown Park and fly kites on Christmas morning. I’ve bought the kites….but we’ve yet to make it to the park! Who knows, maybe this year you’ll see two corpulent middle-aged people, a widow and her spinster brother, flying kites in Tom Brown Park.

The Family Tree has 10x10 tents available for rental.

Rental Fee: $40 Interested?

Call 850-222-8555 or email staff@familytreecenter.org VOLUME 14, ISSUE 11

11

What’s Happening... this month continued

December 9, 2010 “Fiddler on the Roof” The story of Tevye the milkman, his willful daughters and changing times comes to Tallahassee as part of the Civic Center’s Broadway series. The Tony-award winning musical includes memorable tunes such as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker.”

Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center 505 West Pensacola Street, Tallahassee Tickets: $15 – $76 FMI: www.tlccc.org/ December 9, 2010 Handel’s “Messiah” 7:30 pm The Tallahassee Music Guild celebrates its 46th anniversary and its 22nd annual presentation of Handel’s “Messiah.” Rent a score for $10 and sing along. Donations go toward scholarships for students enrolled in the music schools of Florida State University and Florida A&M University, as well as the Tallahassee Youth Orchestras.

Faith Presbyterian Church 2200 N. Meridian Road.

Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students. Purchase tickets at Beethoven & Company, (850) 8948700.

FMI: (850) 893-5274 December 9–10, 2010 Victorian Christmas in Downtown Thomasville 6:00 – 10:00 pm Who says you need snow to celebrate Christmas! This year the “Great American Main Street City,” will take you back to the 19th century with carriage rides, Christmas caroling, shopping, and glorious food.

Broad and Jackson St., Downtown Thomasville, GA Free FMI: (866) 577-3600; www.thomasvillega.com December 10, 2010 “Dragging out the Lights” Holiday Drag Show Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 8:00pm The Family Tree Community Center presents the second annual holiday drag show – “Dragging out the Lights!” Don’t miss this star-studded event. $10 cover at door.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee 2810 North Meridian Road, Tallahassee December 11, 2010 Fall Farm Day 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Families can enjoy a day of outdoor fun at Tallahassee Museum’s Fall Farm Day. Tallahassee Museum 3945 Museum Drive, Tallahassee Adults $9, senior citizens (65+) and college students with ID $8.50, children (4–15) $6, children (3 and under) and members free.

FMI: (850) 575-8684 ext. 136; tallahasseemuseum.org December 11, 2010 Havana’s Holiday Festival and Lawn Mower Parade Downtown Havana kicks off the holiday season with its annual parade and lawn mower decorating contest. Kids can come see Santa at the midday parade, followed by the lawn mower and golf cart contest. A family-oriented event, guests can also enjoy food and craft vendors, hayrides and live folk, rock and blues bands. Small fee for rides and contests.

First Street Northwest, Downtown Havana FMI: (850) 539-7422; www. havanaflorida.com

December 14, 2010 Madrigal Feast 2010 6:30 – 9:00 pm Enjoy a sumptuous feast of sound and taste as the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra presents this evening celebrating yuletide traditions. Performances will feature the TSO Madrigal Minstrels and Leon Madrigal Singers, and a silent auction will help you find the perfect holiday gifts.

Capital City Country Club 1601 Golf Terrace Dr. $500 for tables of eight; $75 for single tickets FMI: (850) 224-0461; www.tallahasseesymphony.org.

December 18, 2010 Elf Night 5:30 – 9:00 pm City of Tallahassee Parks and Recreation staff at Dorothy B. Oven Park have once again transformed the already beautiful park and meeting house into a true winter wonderland. More than 250,000 lights adorn the park grounds, gardens and buildings, along with a variety of holiday displays for kids from 2 to 92 to enjoy. For safety reasons, vehicles will not be allowed to drive through Dorothy B. Oven Park during the event. Public parking will be available next to the park at the Thomasville Road Baptist Church, as well as at the Piedmont Park Alliance Church across the street. The lights will be on display at Oven Park for your enjoyment through New Year’s Day. Dorothy B. Oven Park 3205 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee Free, donations accepted FMI: Debbie Pullen, Parks & Recreation, 891-3915 or Bill Behenna, Department of Communications, 891-8533; www.talgov.com/communications/newsdetail.cfm?id=1731 December 19, 2010 Voces Angelorum 3:00 pm Voces Angelorum is a volunteer auditioned group of women dedicated to masterfully performing classical chamber music of all eras, including contemporary compositions.

Voces Angelorum is directed by Charles Witmer, who has also appeared frequently as conductor and tenor soloist with the Tallahassee Bach Parley. Voces Angelorum will present its 10th Anniversary Holiday Concert, with 10th anniversary reception to follow.

Grace Lutheran Church 2919 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee Free, donations accepted FMI: (850) 942-6075

NEW Family Tree

Merchandise Available @ gear.familytreecenter.org

December 11–12, 2010 “The Nutcracker” December 11, 10:30 am and 8:00 pm December 12, 2:30 pm The Tallahassee Ballet brings this treasured Christmas classic to glorious life to the delight of all ages. As Clara takes her magical journey through the Kingdom of Sweets, audiences are entranced by the dazzling sets and costumes. This year’s enchantment offers special surprises within the classic favorite that you don’t want to miss.

Ruby Diamond Auditorium, FSU Campus Tickets: $20 – $45 FMI: (850) 224-6917; www. tallahasseeballet.org December 11–12, 2010 Carousel Holiday Benefit Concert December 11, 7:00 pm; December 12, 2:00 pm Starring Broadway Star Davis Gaines, enjoy a special evening of great musical theatre Fallon Theatre, Fine Arts Building, FSU campus Tickets: $75.00 (includes a post event reception with the cast); $45.00- show only FMI: (850) 644-6500

12

BRANCHING OUT

tree

of the

Preparing for a New Year

by Steven Hall, Co-Chair Family Tree Community Center

As we are now full on in the holiday season, I wanted to start this month’s article off wishing all of our readers and supporters a joyous and safe December and New Year, filled with family, friends and loved ones. Unfortunately not everyone spends this time of year with their family; some because their families have rejected them for admitting who they are, others because of distance, and even others because they have no family left in this world. Thankfully we have each other. We are, in many ways, a big extended family, full of the dysfunctions that come with all families! Open up your hearts, and maybe even your home, to those around you who don’t have anyone else. Don’t know anyone in that situation? Well, then you and yours are truly blessed, but there are still those out there in need. I strongly encourage everyone, to the best of their ability, to give in some way. Maybe you can help out at the homeless shelter, or donate some canned goods that are just collecting dust on a shelf to one of the local food pantries. No matter your beliefs or background, this time of year is often commercialized and it’s up to each of us to remember that it is important, and rewarding, to give, even more so than to ‘get.’

By the time most of you are reading this, we will already have observed a very important day, World AIDS Day, December 1. While there have been many advances in medicine over the years, HIV and AIDS is still a constant threat, especially in our community. It is important for us to remember those that we have lost to that terrible disease, and even more important to encourage education and testing throughout the year. I hope you found time to attend one of the several events happening in early December. For more information about the events, education and testing, visit www.bigbendcares.org, one of our local HIV/AIDS organizations.

There are a number of other events going on in December. Depending on when you’re reading this, there might be time to visit our booth and watch our parade float during December 4th’s Winter Festival Celebration of Lights in downtown Tallahassee (3pm to 10pm). The big event for The Family Tree in December is our 2nd Annual Holiday Drag Show! It’s being held at the Unitarian Universalist Church on December 10 at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, see the ad in this paper. I hope to see you there!

In the last few months, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve been sending out a number of surveys. There was one about this publication, another about PRIDEFEST, and even another about the Community Center itself. While we hope we’ve not bothered you, we do appreciate the responses that we’ve gotten. We don’t often get a lot of suggestions or input, so the only way we know to find out how we can best represent you and this community is to ask you questions. In the coming months, look for more questions. Maybe they will be inserted into the paper itself, or perhaps it will be in the form of an ad or an e-mail. Your input is vital. Without it, we cannot represent you and we cannot plan for the coming year.

As of a few weeks ago, for the first time in almost two years, we have a full nine member board of directors. Each of us volunteers. I can say without hesitation that each of us, even the two new members, strive to represent the community to the best of our ability.

Do we always succeed? No. We are only people; people who do this work in addition to our full time jobs, families and other commitments. We will always be lacking in one way or another and not always be completely representative, but we try our best. However, in order to represent the community we need input and feedback such as we received from the surveys, which allow us to reflect on what we are and are not doing so that we can improve as an organization. We are all committed to serve the community and strive to make each new year better than the last.

We are always in need of more input, more volunteers and others who want to get involved in some way, including with creating the very publication you are reading now. Please feel free to contact me (steven@familytreecenter.org), or any of our board members, if you want to get involved or have suggestions on how we can improve as an organization or events that will further serve the community. I also invite you to share those at one of our board meetings, which are held on the 2nd Monday of every month, 6:30 p.m., at The Family Tree, 5126-C Woodlane Circle.

tree

BECOME A

FRIEND OF THE

TODAY For a donation of $60 we will send you • Membership Card • Family Tree car magnet and • Family Tree T-Shirt

How does your donation help the community?

• provides funding for programs that educate members of the community • provides support for the youth of our community that are struggling with coming-out and other issues • provides funding for a safe space for people to visit, hang-out and relax • provides support for the publication of Branching Out, Tallahassee’s LGBT Community Newspaper • provides support for the production of Tallahassee PRIDEFEST and many other events all year long “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To find out more, visit www.familytreecenter.org.

VOLUME 14, ISSUE 11

13

Help the Family Tree while you’re browsing and shopping online!

Visit - www.goodsearch.com and select Family Tree (Tallahassee, FL) from the pulldown charity menu Contact Us:

Mailing address: P.O. Box 38477, Zip 32315 Phone: (850) 222-8555 Email: Staff@FamilyTreeCenter.org www.familytreecenter.org

Programs and groups LGBT Business Partners Diversity of Spirit AA Gender Chat Support and Social Group Youth Group Women’s Chat Group Men’s group Globe (Narcotic’s Anonymous)

Services

Producer of Tallahassee PRIDEFEST Community meeting space Support and social programs Branching Out Newspaper Resource library Switchboard/referral support Community advocacy and outreach LGBT Speaker’s bureau Free Wireless internet

Mission Statement The Mission of The Family Tree, A lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community center, is to provide services which promote the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, to work to eliminate the conditions in society which allow homophobia to exist, and to be a place where everyone is welcome.

JOIN THE MAILING LIST

Branching Out is mailed free every month to nearly 1,000 recipients. We do not share or sell your information with anyone, and we value your privacy. Please sign up by sending us this form, or update your address information. Mail to P.O. Box 38477, Zip 32315, or call (850) 222-8555 Full Name Street Address/P.O. Box

14

City, State, Zip Code

BRANCHING OUT

Recurring Events Prime Timers Happy Hour 6pm+, Wednesdays Ming Tree Restaurant, 1435 East Lafayette Street

Board Members Chair - Steven Hall, steven@familytreecenter.org

Dinner Potluck and Service Last Sunday of every month, a potluck at 5:30p.m. and then religious service. Gentle Shepherd MCC. 4738 Thomasville Road. (850) 878- 3001.

Secretary - Andy Janecek, andy@familytreecenter.org

Noon Potluck and Service First Sunday of every month, a religious service at 10:45a.m. and potluck at 12p.m.

Gentle Shepherd MCC. 4738 Thomasville Road. (850) 878- 3001.

Member-at-large - Franco Tompeterini, franco@familytreecenter.org

LGBT Business Partners First Thursdays, 12noon luncheon Third Thirsdays, 5:30p.m. - 8:30p.m. social. Locations and times vary.

Contact Greta@FamilyTreeCenter.org for information about upcoming meetings.

Sunday Morning Service Every Sun. at 11a.m. at Gentle Shepherd MCC 4738 Thomasville Road. (850) 878-3001.

Sunday Worship Service at UCT Contemporary Music ­— 9am Traditional Music — 11am Every Sunday at United Church in Tallahassee 1834 Mahan Drive, (850) 878-7385 Other Events at UCT:

“Faith Space” Sunday School at UCT 11:00am, Sundays UCT Health and Fitness Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:45 to 6:45pm Meditation at UCT 12:10pm, Wednesdays Contemporary Sunday Service at Lake Jackson UMC 6:00pm, Sundays Dinner served, live band, casual dress.

4223 North Monroe Street, (850) 562-1759 Lesbian Spiritual Group Every other Monday, 7-9pm.

Marcy or Rebecca, (850) 878-8997 Family Tree Board Meeting Second Monday of every month at 6:30 5126-C Woodlane Circle Gender Chat Second Tuesdays. 7:30p.m. Location TBA. E-mail for details.

Margeaux.mutz@comcast.net Women’s Chat Wednesdays, 7-8:30p.m.

Location TBA Patrice Brown, partrician1@aol.com PFLAG - Tallahassee 2nd Thursday of each month - 6pm St. John’s Episcopal Church 211 North Monroe Street Contact: Susan Gage, 850-597-2374 Beanstalk Ministries Sunday service at 6p.m.

850-766-3542

Treasurer - Debbi Baldwin, debbi@familytreecenter.org

Member-at-large - Greta Langley, greta@familytreecenter.org Member-at-large - Christy Baldwin, christy@familytreecenter.org Member-at-large- Dave Glaze, dave@familytreecenter.org Member-at-large - Margeaux Mutz, margeaux@familytreecenter.org Member-at-large - Joseph Ballard, joseph@familytreecenter.org

Community Resource Directory Community Organizations •

•

•

•

•

• • • • • •

Pride Student Union PSU—FSU’s Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual/Transgender Student Union 850-644-8804, www.fsu.edu/~sga/pride Youth Group A group for youth/teens 850-222-8555 youthgroup@familytreecenter.org Prime Timers A club for mature men over 21 850-877-4479, www.groups.yahoo.com/group/talprime Tallahassee Area Lesbian Moms rainbowshappen@lycos.com Big Bend Cares Support Group, www.bigbendcares.org For HIV-positive members Mondays, 7-8 Healthline 211 (Telephone Counseling and Referral Service) Crisis intervention and referrals 24 hours a day, 850-224-NEED (850-224-6333) Refuge House Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center, www.refugehouse. com, e-mail refuge.house@tallahassee.net, 24 Hr Hotline: 850-681-2111, LGBT Program: 850-395-7631 Safe Zone Tallahassee, A program designed to identify people who consider themselves to be open to and knowledgeable about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered issues, 850-644-2003 Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), 850-597-2374 North Florida Lesbians Listserve: nfll@yahoogroups.com GLAAM: Gays, Lesbians and Allies Advancing Medicine - Florida State College of Medicine GLAAM is a student group at FSU College of Medicine that promotes equality in healthcare. ­— jmo09@med.fsu.edu

Religious Support All Saints Catholic Community............................................................................656-3777 Gentle Shepherd Metropolitan Community Church...................................878-3001 Nichiren Buddhism (contact Carol)....................................................................878-8467 Quaker Meeting.......................................................................................................878-3620 St. Catherine of Siena (Catholic)..........................................................................421-0447 Unitarian Universalist Church.............................................................................385-5115 St. Stephen Lutheran Church..............................................................................385-2728 United Church in Tallahassee...............................................................................878-7385 Temple Israel.............................................................................................................877-3517 First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee..........................................................222-4505 Lake Jackson United Methodist Church 4223 North Monroe Street...................................................................................562-1759

Submit your organization for the resource directory! Email staff@familytreecenter.org or call (850) 222-8555 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 11

15

December 10, 2010 • Doors @ 7PM, Show @ 8PM Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee 2810 N. Meridian Road

$10

All Proceeds Benefit The Family Tree

THE FAMILY TREE IS REGISTERED WITH THE STATE UNDER THE SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS ACT, 1991, REGISTRATION NUMBER CH12188. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.