NEWS BRIEFS: identity, rather than "M" or "F," for male or female. People of any age can make this change; however, minors will need the consent of a parent or guardian to do so.
RI Pride Announces Plans for a Community Center in 2020 On November 3, at the RI Pride Honors event in Providence, RI Pride President Emeritus Joe Lazzerini called the Pride board of directors to join him on stage for a “big announcement,” revealing that the Pride team was very close to securing space for a community center set to open in fall 2020. The space is said to be around 5,000 square feet and located somewhere on Westminster Street in Providence. Attendees were urged to text PRIDERI to 44321 to donate toward the center because a donor match was in effect. Said Pride Board Secretary Tina Blenke,“We’ve dreamed of building an inviting and inclusive, safe space for us to gather, that would house not only our offices but space for gatherings and events, a library for our own history, a kitchen for home-cooked meals, a living area for computers, and soft sofas for relaxing…. Next fall, we hope to welcome everyone to help us celebrate the grand opening of the Rhode Island Pride Community Center.”
Instructions for changing birth certificates are at www.health.ri.gov. For more information, write to the Deputy Director: Ana.Novais@ health.ri.gov, or call 222-5117.
New England Patriots Sponsor PVD Gay Flag Football League The New England Patriots announced in late September that they are sponsoring the Providence Gay Flag Football League (PVDGFFL) to make the league more affordable. PVDGFFL Commissioner Duane Gosley said this news was "fantastic." Gosley noted that there are 162 participants: 85% are LGBTQ, 20% are women, and 20% are people of color. For more information, visit www.pvdgffl.org.
RI Foundation Awards Grants to LGBTQ Groups
RI Department of Health Accepts Non-binary Birth Certificates As of October 1, people born in Rhode Island who identify as nonbinary can get birth certificates marked "X" to reflect that gender
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The RI Foundation’s Equity Action Fund announced grants totaling $53K in October to organizations serving the LGBTQ community. Among the eight agencies are GLAD, Family Service of RI, New Urban Arts, Project Weber/Renew, SAGE-RI, Girls Rock! RI, Sojourner House, and Thundermist Health Center. The announcement comes as the Equity Action Fund celebrates its 15th anniversary. It is guided by a volunteer
December 2019 / January 2020
by Myra Shays
advisory committee comprised of leaders in the LGBTQ community. Equity Action has given nearly $1 million to dozens of organizations. For more information, or to contribute, go to rifoundation.org.
Mental Health Support Groups Meet in PVD The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has formed "Connections," a support group open to LGBTQ people with any kind of mental health issues. It meets at the Beneficent Church on Weybosset Street in Providence each Wednesday from 6-7:30pm, facilitated by NAMI professionals who are LGBT peers. It is free and open to the public. For further information write to info@ namirhodeisland.org, or call 331-3060. Support is also available at Oasis Wellness and Recovery Center of Rhode Island. Their meetings are at 134 Mathewson Street, Providence, and are also free. For information, call 831-6937.
Faith-based Adoption Groups Exclude LGBTQ Parents The Trump Administration is proposing a rule for the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services that would allow faith-based adoption agencies to continue getting taxpayer funding while they exclude LGBTQ families from their services, based on religious beliefs. Under the proposal, HHS would undo an Obama-era rule that included sexual orientation
