Affirmations Lesbian Gay Community Center (Ferndale, MI).
The Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center in Ferndale, Michigan is a highly inclusive organization, designed to promote tolerance and provide services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-gender individuals. It defines its central original mission statement as "gay is good, you are not alone." Although this mission statement seems to target gay youths, its philosophy has expanded to include bisexual and trans-gender individuals, in addition to lesbians and gay men and it tries to create a community atmosphere of safety and acceptance for all people, regardless of age, in the Michigan area. "Our focus is on helping lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender individuals find and develop community where we value and respect ourselves and others" ("About us," Affirmations, 2008) Affirmations is a social organization as well as an awareness-raising and political advocacy organization. One of its most recent efforts involved a trans-gender remembrance weekend, designed to raise awareness about the violence done to transgendered people. The weekend involved a screening of "Boys Don't Cry," the Academy-Award winning film that told the story of Tina Brandon, a trans-gender youth who was
YEP Night is a drop-in space for youth ages fourteen through twenty, where teens can dance, play pool, listen to music and gain information about improving themselves. Volunteers can volunteer as facilitators, working the outreach helpline, donate funds and needed items to the center, and receive training as public speakers to the community ("Volunteer," Affirmations, 2008). However, it is also meant to teach public speaking skills in general in a way that can be useful in the workforce. This public speaking organization is geared to helping members become more articulate in educating the community outside of the gay and lesbian segment Affirmation specifically serves as an entity about the need to be more tolerant and inclusive. Volunteer opportunities and responsibilitiesAffirmations actively recruits funds from the community, along with donations for the Youth Clothes Closet, food, and entertainment materials including as beads and hemp rope, used DVDs, and other items for YEP (Youth Expansion Program) Night. Employment Although there are volunteer opportunities, there are no opportunities for paid employment at this time. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans-gender teens may find themselves more apt to be 'on their own' at an early age if they are rejected by their parents, thus the need to find a job quickly may be particularly pressing for them in the current market environment ("Youth Services," Affirmations, 2008). On one hand, it is an interesting 'red flag' as to Affirmations' solvency, given the difficulties GM has been experiencing, to see if this will affect donations. This ceremony is particularly interesting and reflective of the offerings of Affirmations, because it stresses the communal nature of Affirmations and its desire to help its members create a new identity in the spirit of gay being not simply acceptable, but actually good. Affirmations has voter registration drives, and a domestic partner registry, to support change in Michigan's ban on equal benefits for Domestic Same-Sex Partners. Furthermore, information about care-giving is likely to be particularly pertinent to gay and lesbian individuals, given they may not have the support structure from their family or social services that more accepted heterosexual couples may draw upon. These events serve to further normalize the gay experience for individuals on a personal level, as well as enable individuals to make connections they might not otherwise have the opportunity to seek out, in predominantly heterosexual societies. The Christening also highlights the importance of spirituality in the lives of the members of the Affirmations community. Finally, for individuals not covered under their partner's healthcare plan because they are not a heterosexual married couple, references to affordable medical care is particularly necessary when serving this community.
Common topics in this essay:
Civic Affirmations,
Health Affirmations,
Ferndale Michigan,
Services Affirmations,
Recreational Affirmations,
YEP Night,
Board Directors,
Funding Affirmations,
Tina Brandon,
Clothes Closet,
affirmations 2008,
gay lesbian,
board directors,
bisexual trans-gender,
services affirmations,
lesbian gay,
bisexual trans-gender individuals,
trans-gender individuals,
lesbian trans-gender bisexual,
youth services affirmations,
youth clothes,
transgendered people,
volunteer opportunities,
lesbian gay bisexual,
gay lesbian trans-gender,
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Acceptance Essays
