Voices

Love is Never Wrong!

Transgender Depression

Being transgender has a lot of things that go with it but some of the largest ones are dysphoria and depression.  Today I am letting others speak and share their stories.

Dysphoria and depression are never easy but there are things we can do to help. However if you can not handle things on your own please find someone to help.



Love is never Wrong!

Meet My Child

I found this video on the Towleroad news blog today and found it to be a very good piece. So I'd like to share it with you all.

Love is Never Wrong!

Soical Media or a Vulture Picking at Old Wounds?

This is my second post today as I didn't want it to wait. It is a very harsh reality in modern society. It is bitter and cruel at the same time. I hope and pray none of you have to experience it.

Love is Never Wrong!

Phase

I came across this and thought it shared so much meaning to many of us. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Love is Never Wrong!

Charity Begins at Home

Every year around this time I give you suggestions how to help our community and the world in general. This year I would like to ask you all to support two causes near my heart. Victims of sexual assault and child sexual abuse is a topic most dont discuss let alone acknowledge. Please help them how you can.

RAINN  (Rape Abuse & Incest National Network)

https://rainn.org/get-help/national-sexual-assault-hotline


National Childhood Sexual Abuse Helpline

http://www.d2l.org/site/c.4dICIJOkGcISE/b.6069291/k.502C/National_Child_Sexual_Abuse_Helpline.htm


You time and money can help mend lives. Share your love and compassion and make a difference in someones life.





Love is Never Wrong!

Links of Love International: Gay Ireland

Today I have some new links for my international readers.


LGBT.ie  is a help and support line.

http://www.lgbt.ie/

https://twitter.com/LGBT_ie

https://www.facebook.com/LGBT.ie


Cork Gay  Community Development Company is a support organization.

http://www.gayprojectcork.com/


Transgender Equality Network Ireland 

http://www.teni.ie/

https://www.facebook.com/TransEquality

https://twitter.com/TENI_Tweets

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxJWo1_x6VZ1MGDlXRghhg

https://instagram.com/tenipics



OutWest is a social and support group for western Ireland.

http://outwest.ie/


LINC is a Lesbian and bisexual women's support and advocacy group.

http://www.linc.ie/

https://twitter.com/LINCwomen

https://www.facebook.com/LINCcork


Outhouse is a LGBT community support center in Dublin.

http://www.outhouse.ie/

https://www.facebook.com/outhouse.ie


Outcomers is a social and support group of the LGBT community in North-east Ireland.

http://www.outcomers.org/


The Out Most is a free LGBT magazine. 

http://theoutmost.com/gcn-magazine/gcn-current-issue/current-issue/

https://twitter.com/TheOutmost

https://www.facebook.com/theoutmost?fref=ts


LGBT Noise is an advocacy group.

http://www.lgbtnoise.ie/

https://twitter.com/lgbtNOISE

https://www.youtube.com/user/lgbtnoise


Belongto is an LGBT youth support group.

http://www.belongto.org/




Love is Never Wrong!

Till It Happens To You

This is a powerful video and some parts may be disturbing. This is not just a women's issue but a LGBT one as well.

If you or someone you know needs help follow the links in the video or on this site. Please get help!




Love is Never Wrong!

Maybe One Day

Sean is known for his wonderful LGBT advocacy through music and song. His latest work is so nice and and heartwarming. I think we all need romance. Maybe one day Ill have someone sing to me like this. Either way Sean thank you.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYHHoBl7LBYBQQgVKMe5kBg

Love Is Never Wrong!

Charity Begins at Home V

Today I have some more suggestions on how we all can contribute to better helping those in our community who may be in need. As always we all can do something to help someone, somewhere. It only takes the kindness of one to set in motion good things for others.

One of the greatest issues facing society today regardless of LGBT or not is hunger. People need to eat and they need to eat healthily. From homeless youth to the sick, and elderly we have many mouths to feed. Obviously there are the traditional sources but they are overwhelmed.

We should begin using our existing community centers as food pantries. Support is essential but so is health and well being of our community. Many more people can usually give food than money. And in the end it all adds up.

Another option for local communities are food co ops. Pool together your buying power to create purchasing options that will be cheaper for all involved. The more money we can free up the more it helps us and gives us the ability to help others.

The next issue is housing for so many of us. Some larger communities have dedicated LGBT housing but its few and far between. Our biggest need is to help the young, the elderly, and those whose health is faltering. Allocating special funding from traditional programs is unlikely in most areas. However we do have options.

Those of us who have spare homes or rental properties can create affordable options to those with lower incomes. Maybe we can advocate our existing centers create overnight sleeping areas so people at least have a safe place to sleep.

We can also take a lesson from many college communities. Create co op housing. Giving people a home from which to safely stay, an address for which to look for work, and others that can understand and support them is a great goal. They learn community, working together, and even sharing expenses.

One thing we can all can do is offer some form of labor. Maybe we should organize time banks, and work programs for those that need it. Many of us have things we need done and we spend money on them.  Whether it be our lawn being mowed, a car washed, a house painted, or even an artist to create things for business or enjoyment. Whatever the skill someone out there can fulfill that.

If we trade services or work with our centers to create job postings or time banks we create work and ways for people to get things for their efforts. Pride in achievement is so important and can lift us up. Sometimes we have to look beyond traditional methods and create new ones.

As I began today it only takes kindness and a bit of effort to set things in motion. Our goal should be to lift all that we can up in life. Give them pride, meaning, health, life, and most especially love. If we can not do that then our efforts fall short. And when you fall short with Humanity we all lose someone.

All efforts help from the smallest to the largest. Please do what you can where you can.



Love is Never Wrong!

Gay Indiana

Today I have a few update to the Indiana resource list.

Kokomo Pride serves the Kokomo/Howard County area. The site is focused on a support and social mission currently.

http://www.kokomopride.org/

https://www.facebook.com/KokomoPride

https://twitter.com/KokomoPride

Fort Wayne Pride is a pride festival.

http://www.fwpride.org/

Indiana Youth Group Is a support and social group for LGBT youth.

http://www.indianayouthgroup.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indiana-Youth-Group-IYG/10030937062




Love is Never Wrong

Links of Love International: Gay China

One of the most popular searches I have is for Asian resources. Thankfully new ones have come about since my early searches to provide links for everyone. So today I have some new ones for China. As always I have language barriers so I hope these are useful.

Beijing LGBT Center

http://site.douban.com/bjlgbtcenter/

Beijing LGBT is a social and support group.

http://www.meetup.com/BeijingLGBT/

Chengdu Gay Care Organization is a support, health, and HIV/AIDS resource center. They do not seem to have a website other than this info. Hopefully it is still current.

http://www.chain.net.cn/english/Civil_Society/NON_Government_Organisation/6461.htm

Hong Kong Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

http://www.hklgff.hk/

Pink Season is Hong Kong's LGBT Festival. The site is in English and Chinese.

http://pinkseason.hk/

https://www.facebook.com/PinkSeason.HK

https://twitter.com/pinkseasonhk

Rainbow of Hong Kong seems to be a full LGBT center with many support and health resources.

http://rainbowhk.org/en-about.html

Shanghai Pride is a LGBT festival

http://www.shpride.com/?lang=en

https://www.facebook.com/shanghaipride2014

https://twitter.com/shanghaipride




Love is Never Wrong

To Feed the Soul

Today I would like to talk about a special topic in our community. I would like to discuss social isolation of many LGBT people.

Not everyone in life has a lot of resources, are widely connected to the Internet or social media, or even know where to begin. Many more so may be dealing with issues they have had for years and simply don't know how to begin to solve their problems or get help. Worse yet many still live in places where they fear to get help.

When you are alone you battle so many things, most commonly depression. But if we expand that we include loneliness, despair, even inadequate care. Everyone needs someone!

To many times people who are isolated live in fear or pain. For them the meer act of reaching out is is a monumental journey. When they do reach out they are brutally rejected or discarded. It may be because of hate, intolerance or even lack of patience.

A person in isolation, let alone being LGBT, is in what I call survival mode. They are people who need exceptional time and patience. They need to learn trust, openness, compassion, even love. They need to learn not to fear.

It is so easy to dismiss people stuck in a cycle as not wanting to get help or deceiving themselves to be victims. Sometimes it scares or shocks us the state that some people are in. Life is not always kind. So many get left behind or ignored.

The few who do reach out so clumsily can easily feel stung and reviled by those they seek help from. Maybe its social awkwardness, maybe its years of pain or hurt, worse yet maybe its lack of love.

I think we as a community need to reach out unconditionally to everyone. We need to learn patience and compassion. It's so easy in an electronic world to not build attachments. But regardless you are still dealing with another Human.

I don't think we must carry an entire burden alone in such situations but we must carry one of connecting them to someone. As I mentioned before Everyone needs someone. It is not enough for us to just live. We must feed our souls and touch another. For we are a union of souls.

I've talked about the meaning of the rainbow in our community before so I mention it now. Take those principles and use them. Let that rainbow be the bridge for someone somewhere to find out they are not alone and that someone cares.

So allow me to leave you with two very relevant quotes.

"Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead."

-  Oscar Wilde

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put into that action."

-  Mother Theresa





Love is Never Wrong

Pray The Gay Away

You know I have so many feelings on this topic and they stir such emotion in me. Quite simply Love is love. God made no mistake and we all play a role in this world, exactly as we are. So without saying more here is Shawn's confrontation. Please view it and let him know things are alright.

Shawn's difficult process began here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVVfFNW8YHI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whgd0AvyQJM




Love is Never Wrong

Links of Love International XIV

Today I would like to offer some more links to my international viewers. As always I try to offer help to anyone wherever they are.  I do have language barriers and would appreciate any reviews of listed sites. I hope these are useful.

GayEcuador seems to be a links/news/entertainment site. (Ecuador)

http://www.gayecuador.com/

Diverso Ecuador is a news/links site with several resources. (Ecuador)

http://www.diversoecuador.org.ec/

Proyecto Transgenero is an advocacy group for transgender rights. They available in Spanish or English. (Ecuador)

http://www.proyecto-transgenero.org/

Sociedad de Integracion Gay Lesbica Argentina or SIGLA is an advocacy group with several links as well. (Argentina)

http://www.sigla.org.ar/

Labrys is a multi service group. They offer news, entertainment, advocacy, and many helpful links. The site is available in Russian or English. (Kyrgyzstan)

http://labrys.kg/

Justice for Gay Africans is an advocacy and news group. Their mission is equality for Africa as a whole.

http://www.jfga.org.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/JusticeforGayAfricans?sk=info

http://twitter.com/jfgas

Boys of Bangladesh is a social and support group. (Bangladesh)

http://boysofbangladesh.org/welcome/welcome.htm

Coalition of Activist Lesbians or COAL is a Lesbian advocacy group. (Australia)

http://www.coal.org.au/

Sofia Pride is an LGBT pride festival. (Bulgaria)

http://www.pridesofia.org/

http://www.facebook.com/sofiapride

http://twitter.com/#!/sofiapride

Accept LGBT is and advocacy group  The site is available in Greek, Turkish, or English. (Cyprus)

http://www.acceptcy.org/

The rainbow Alliance of the Bahamas is a blog style organization dedicated to advocacy and support. (Bahamas)

http://bahamianglad.tripod.com/



Love is Never Wrong

OutServe

I have known about OutServe for some time now and have watched how they developed. Happily they are doing much good in the new openness with their main site, a new magazine, and recently a conference was held. So today I offer OutServe to our active duty US service members.

http://outserve.org/#

http://twitter.com/#!/OutServeUS

http://www.facebook.com/OutServe

OutServe Magazine

http://outservemag.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/OutServeMag

http://www.facebook.com/pages/OutServe-Magazine/189066961162918

http://www.youtube.com/user/OutServeMag



Love is Never Wrong

Spirit Day

Today is Spirit Day. It is a time when we wear purple, adorn our many social media sites with purple, or sport the Spirit button to show our support for LGBT youth and to help stop bullying. To learn more check out GLAAD's site.

http://www.glaad.org/spiritday

Please show your support.



Love is Never Wrong

Gay North Carolina: Transgender North Carolina

For my Trans readers I have some more links for you. Hopefully they are helpful.

Triad Gender Association is a social and support group for the larger Trans community. They have a few links and basic group information listed.

http://www.triadgender.org/

Phoenix Transgender Support is an education and support group in Asheville. Several links and resources are listed.

http://phoenixtgs.weebly.com/

Carolina Transgender Society is a education, social and support group. They include support for significant others as well. Several links and resources are available on their site.

http://www.carolinatransgendersociety.com/

North Carolina Transgender Unity is a education and support site for the Trans community. Many links to all sorts of resources and needs broken down by area. If you need information check them out.

http://nctgunity.org/



Love is Never Wrong

Gay North Carolina II

Today I continue my resources for North Carolina with education links.

The University of North Carolina has two resources. The first is their LGBTQ Center with some resources and information. The second is GLBTSA which is a Gay-Straight Alliance style group. They have several links available.

http://lgbtq.unc.edu/

http://studentorgs.unc.edu/glbtsa/

The University of North Carolina Asheville has Alliance. It is a Gay-Straight Alliance style group with only basic group information available.

http://sites.google.com/site/uncaalliance/

Duke University has several resources for students. The first is their Center for LGBT Life that has several links and programs. The second is a LGBT student blog, Our Lives. Next is Duke OUT which is focused for graduate and professional students. Fuqua Pride is the LGBT group for their Business school. Finally their is
Duke LGBT Network for their LGBT Alumni.

http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/lgbt

http://www.facebook.com/DukeLGBT

http://twitter.com/#!/DukeLGBT

http://www.bluedevilsunited.com/

http://www.duke.edu/web/gap/DukeOUT/

http://fuqua.campusgroups.com/pride/about/

http://www.dukelgbtnetwork.com/

North Carolina State has two LGBT resources available. First is their GLBT Center. They have many links and resources listed. Next is GLBT CommUNITY Alliance. This seems to be a typical Gay-straight Alliance group.

http://www.ncsu.edu/student_affairs/glbt/

http://www.facebook.com/NCStateGLBTCenter

http://twitter.com/#!/glbtcenter

http://www.youtube.com/glbtcenter

http://ncsu.orgsync.com/org/glbtca/

Appalachian State University has GLBT/The LGBT Center. The site has little online but their is contact information and a few listed programs. Direct contact is necessary to find our their services.

http://glbt.appstate.edu/

Western Carolina University has Unity. They don't list all their resources but they are all inclusive and try to help with whatever your need. Check them out.

http://www.facebook.com/WCUunity?sk=wall

http://www.myspace.com/wcubglad

Davidson College has their Gay-Straight Alliance.This is a Facebook site with only limited information.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Davidson-College-Gay-Straight-Alliance/147499590317?sk=wall

Elon University has a few resources. They have an LGBTQ Office and Spectrum a Gay-Straight Alliance group. Little is available online. You will have to make direct contact for more information.

http://www.elon.edu/e-web/students/multicultural_resources/lgbtq.xhtml

The University of North Carolina Greensboro has PRIDE. Some basic links are listed but direct contact is recommended.

https://sites.google.com/a/uncg.edu/cap-pride/

East Carolina University has a GLBT Student Union with some links available.

http://eastcarolina.orgsync.com/org/glbtsu/

St. Andrews University has a Gay-Straight Alliance. It is little more than a listing.

http://www.sapc.edu/studentlife/club/GayStraightStudentAlliance.php

The University of North Carolina Wilmington has a LGBTQIA Resource Office. Limited resources online so contact them directly for more information.

http://www.uncw.edu/lgbtqia/



Love is Never Wrong

Gay North Carolina I

North Carolina, the Tar heel state. Today is your day.

Outright Youth is a education, support, and social support group for LGBT and questioning youth. They cover cover western North Carolina. However i am quite sure they would help anyone int he state.

http://youthoutright.org/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-OutRight/130274756989790

http://twitter.com/#!/YouthOUTright

GayCharolette.com or The Lesbian & Gay Community Center is a full service LGBT center. They have education, support, entertainment, Social events and health programs. Check them out.

http://www.gaycharlotte.com/

http://www.youtube.com/gaycharlottecom

PFLAG Charolette is only a cover page with groups email and links to the national PFLAG site. However most PFLAG groups have many resources available so by all means contact them if you need help with anything.

http://www.pflagcharlotte.org/

PFLAG Triangle covers the areas of Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill. This is a simple listing with contact information and meeting times. SO contact them directly if you are in their area. 

http://www.pflagtriangle.org/

PFLAG Alamance is a nice and simple site with several resources and links to other sites. 

http://pflagalamance.org/

PFLAG Winston - Salem

http://www.pflagwinstonsalem.org/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pflag-Winston-Salem/150015191683799

PFLAG Greensboro

http://www.pflaggreensboro.org/

http://www.facebook.com/PFLAGGREENSBORO

PFLAG Gaston is a Facebook site. 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaston-County-Chapter-of-PFLAG/76006788191

PFLAG Flat Rock/Hendersonville is only a listing with contact info.

http://community.pflag.org/flatrockhendersonville

PFLAG Wilmington is a simple site with only contact info and meeting times. Direct contact is necessary for more info.

http://pflagwilmington.blogspot.com/

PFLAG Sandhills is only a listing with contact information. 

http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=224&srcid=229&chid=376&tab=6

PFLAG Salisbury  is a basic site with several education and support resources and helpful links.

http://salisbury-pflag.org/index2/

http://www.myspace.com/pflagsalisbury

http://www.facebook.com/people/Salisbury-Rowan-Pflag/100000514691518

Project Rainbow Net is a domestic violence site for all levels of violence against he LGBT community. From youth to seniors they offer many resources. They list resources by county so be sure to check them out.

http://www.projectrainbownet.org/

LGBT Center of Raleigh is a full service community center with many programs and resources. Simple and easy to use. They should be able to help with most any need.

http://www.lgbtcenterofraleigh.com/site/

http://www.facebook.com/lgbtcenterofraleigh

http://twitter.com/#!/lgbtcenterral

Here is a wonderful listing of Crisis helplines for North Carolina

http://www.findcounseling.com/help/hotlines/north-carolina.html

Equality North Carolina is and advocacy group.

http://www.equalitync.org/

http://www.facebook.com/equalitync

http://twitter.com/#!/equalitync

http://equalitync.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/equalitync

Gay Straight Advocates for Education (GSAFE) is an advocacy group to make schools safe for LGBT youth and educators.

http://www.gsafe.org/

Time Out Youth is an advocacy, support, and education resource group for LGBT and questioning youth.Volunteers opportunities are available.

http://www.timeoutyouth.org/

http://www.facebook.com/timeoutyouth

http://twitter.com/#!/timeoutyouth

The Charolette Lesbian & Gay Fund collects and donates funds to worthy projects throughout the LGBT community.

http://www.fftc.org/clgf

Campaign For Southern Equality is a advocacy and education group.

 http://southernequality.org/

The following list a Pride festivals with many resources and events. It's good to get out meet people learn more or even help out. Pride support us all.

Triangle Black Pride

http://www.triangleblackpride.org/

North Carolina Pride

http://www.ncpride.org/pride/

Pride Charlotte

http://pridecharlotte.com/



Love is Never Wrong