Transitioning Times

The end of June signaled the end of Pride Month; however, we want the community to know we welcome and support victims in the LGBTQ+ community all year round. Pride Month celebrations started to commemorate the riots that broke out as a result of a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Two trans women of color, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, are most notable for resisting the police on that day in 1969. From there, celebrating these protests became a yearly event, which has evolved into what Pride Month is today. Pride parades, marches, and celebrations are held all month long, throughout the country, to remember those who have fought for the progress that has been made and the rights and protections that the community is still fighting for. It has also become a time for those in the community to celebrate proudly who they are. ( https://sites.psu.edu/womeninhistory/2016/10/23/the-unsung-heroines-of-stonewall-marsha-p-johnson-and-sylvia-rivera/ ) ...

LGBTQ individuals face a lot of adversity from their families and society.  The June 12, 2016 mass shooting at the Orlando nightclub, Pulse, reminded us that hate of the LGBTQ community often manifests itself as violence. LGBTQ people  often have difficulty coming out or being open to their families and in society because of a lack of acceptance, aggression, and misinformation. Additionally, many in the LGBTQ community face the trauma of domestic violence. LGBTQ individuals experience domestic violence within their relationships at about the same rate as heterosexual people. According to Amy Caffrey, LMFT, Training Materials for Next Door, Solutions to Domestic Violence 10/01, “Domestic violence is a serious issue in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) relationships. Domestic violence occurs in same-gender relationships at the same rate as heterosexual relationships (about 1 in 4).”  In recent years, society seemed to show some acceptance of the L...

You would think in this day and age that sexual orientation and sexual harassment/bullying would cease to exist.   That one would be free and encouraged to be true to oneself and that others would be found to be supportive and loving to those perhaps different then themselves.   The biases continue to be prevalent in our communities.   One of the passages from childhood into adolescence is the development and understanding of sexuality. This includes understanding one’s body, gender identity, sexual orientation, and values about sexual activity. During this time many teens begin to explore their sexuality and can be a very challenging time of transitioning. When a teen is questioning their sexual orientation it can be a very lonely and difficult time in their lives. What Is Sexual Harassment? Sexual harassment occurs when a person is subject to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature to such ...

In our efforts to include, empower, and serve all people, we share in the joy that President Obama has proclaimed June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. Presidential Proclamation -- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2014 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2014 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that remains. Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a ruling which, at ...