Sage of the Rockies

SAGE

Of the Rockies

                Sage of the Rockies is a amazing group of LGBT and GLBT people.  The acronym Sage stands for (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) a network and organization that is dedicated to the older members of the LGBT community.  This non-profit organization includes a variety of exciting, educational, and helpful ways to get involved as an older LGBT adult.  Most of the members are over the age of 50.  However, when meeting them you would never know their age.  They all look wonderful.

            Some of the services provided by Sage include planning for the future which includes housing, finances, legal issues and health care information.  They also plan a variety of activities which give members a way of having fun and finding some time for entertainment.  The entertainment side of this group gives its members a chance to plan social events, intergenerational opportunities and travel.  You can always find assistance through this organization with whatever issue or problems one might be confronted with.  Some other services include care giver support groups, referrals to safe and quality community services and educational presentations. 

            A lot of the support that is contracted to this organization is provided through Kaiser Permanente, The Jewish Family Service and Pen eon Management.

            Shari Wilkins the acting director of Sage of the Rockies, and whom I had the pleasure of meeting, definitely translates a tremendous amount of excitement and enthusiasm when talking about the services that are available through Sage to the community.  I asked Shari what she thought could be done to better this organization. She replied; “The lack of government funding is always an issue, there is so much more they could do if more funding were available.”  Housing was her main interest also all the other issues that the elderly whether gay or straight face.

            In conclusion I would like to thank everyone at Sage that made my visit today so interesting and thought provoking.  I plan on visiting them again very soon.

     

He wants to be a Cheerleader!

He wants to be a Cheerleader

                I’ve been coaching cheerleading for over 22 years!  My motto is, “Come one and come all!”  It’s too bad that I have such a hard time recruiting young men for the squad because of the stereotyping society has placed on this new found sport.  And yes, cheerleading is a sport!  I’ve come to realize that when society generalizes a certain class of people this is what happens.  Several well qualified young men that I truly could use to help my team compete on an entirely different level, wimp out because of what society perceives as being acceptable for young men and women.

            These stigmas about gender roles come from a certain type of polarized thinking, which is conceiving gender roles as absolute opposites.  Girls are supposed to be cheerleaders, and boys are supposed to play football.  It’s a shame how it comes down to this “all or none” type of philosophy.

                When I think back to the time when I was growing up and in high school,  it must have been so hard for the young men and women that didn’t fit into a generalized group.  If you were different in anyway, or wanted to make a name for yourself to celebrate being different; you were considered odd or one of the freaks.  In today’s society, I see a little hope for those individuals growing up that find them selves not fitting into any sort of stereotypical gender role.  With the help of MTV and all of the different reality shows, I’m sure that today’s youthful generation will be a little more advanced in their thinking once they’re my age.

            In conclusion,  I cant express enough that if a girl wants to play football and a young man wants to cheer, there should be no specific attributes which could cause any group of individuals, to devalue their judgment as to what he or she wants to achieve!

the Center

                                                        

                When I found out  this semester in my Gender and communication class that I would have to do at least 12 hours of volunteer work for an organization geared toward gender, I was so excited!  I was even more hyped when I found out that the organization I would be helping was the center.  Immediatly, the expectations of this class I had heard so much about; were beyond doubt 100% met.

            The center is located in Denver Colorado on East Colfax. It is the only statewide, nonprofit community center that is strictly dedicated to providing support and advocacy for Colorado’s (GLBT) population.  For those of you who have no idea what that stands for its simple; it stands for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered society.  I was shocked to find out that the center started out in a one bedroom apartment with two employees, and has now grown into the third oldest LGBT community in the country!  How’s that for growth and gender awareness?

            Recently I was fortunate enough to help with Denver’s annual Artopia celebration.  Artopia is a special event that is sponsored by different vendors whose main goal is to raise money for a local nonprofit organization. Five venues are included in this elaborate celebration, and with the help of Denver’s best local artists, musicians and performers they are able to raise a significant amount of revenue every year.  The center fortunately was the organization, blessed enough to receive some of that mullah. 

            The expectations I had for my organization have been remarkably  exceeded.  I wanted to find a warm community of people with a staff that is just as compassionate about life as me.  I have truly found that at The center.    I love being around good people it can only make you a better person; It doesn’t even feel like I’ve almost completed my volunteer hours.  That has to say a lot about my boss and her wonderful assistant. 

            I’m happy to say that the fundraising frenzy at The Center isn’t over yet, on March 10, 2011 The centeris hosting their annual Jokers, Jewels and Justice Casino night.  I’m really excited to help out; my boss tells me it’s a wonderful time. 

                                                           

Jokers, Jewels, and Justice

Don’t miss the 14th Annual Jokers, Jewels & Justice, an elegant evening of casino gaming that directly benefits The Center’s Legal & Advocacy program.

         

   In conclusion, I have to say, I love this organization.  It truly lets me know that there are still a number of good hearted, genuinely first rate people still left in the world!  God bless The Center!

 No, God has blessed The Center!

She's Not my Brother

       As a young girl I was always considered a tomboy!  I loved that title, and I still hold on to some of the characteristics of that identity.  Looking closely at the description of this well earned label I received as a youngster, I see it’s not as glamorous and appealing to other people as it was and always will be for me.   Unsurprisingly to me, the definition of a tomboy is a girl who acts or dresses in a boyish way, liking rough outdoor activities.  I love that description.  However, it was my sister that first communicated to me the expectations of ones gender, and why being a tomboy was not something she could identify with. She was the total opposite of a tomboy.  The most extreme girly girl you could ever imagine.  I never wanted any hand me downs because they were all dresses and frilly accessories.

            It all started when my sister begged my mother and father for an afro!  I couldn’t understand why my sister being so vain would want to cut all of her hair off?  I guess Angela Davis had a very serious Impact on the youth back in the early 70’s.  My sister got her wish and I’m here to tell you, she hated her hair cut!  She cried the whole morning after returning from the barber shop. I thought her hair was fine and she still looked just as pretty as she did the night before.  I asked my sister why she was crying, sitting in her window like a lost soldier, and she replied.  “Tonia I look like a boy!”  I was taken back because I never once thought she looked like a boy.  She was my sister and that’s all I saw sitting in front of me crying like a freak.  

            According to the experts at Wikipedia, gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are widely considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex.  To make that easier to understand, my sister felt as if her afro, made her look like a little boy, and because of this, she totally freaked out!  If only we lived in the Philippines with the Agta tribe where an afro and keen hunting abilities are ideal for the women of this ethnic group. It wasn’t until that day I felt somewhat embarrassed about my nick name. I was called a tomboy all of the time, and it wasn’t until I saw my sister act like it was the end of the world, that I felt a little sad and confused. My sadness didn’t last long and, I did get my parents to take us to Elitch Gardens, the local amusement park so that I could cheer my sister up with an afternoon of no holds gender! 

            After many hours of good entertainment and fun and jokes, my sister was finally getting over the shock of her new look and before we left the park I suggested we ride the Ferris wheel.  She was totally down for the ride and seeing the smile on her face made the sorrow of getting on the last ride of the day feel overwhelmingly acceptable. 

            We’re the next two people in line ready to board the ride and the ticket taker guy asked me “Are you ready to ride the Ferris wheel with your brother?”  OMG!  Why did he say that?  Being the outspoken little six year old that I was I yelled at him “She’s not my brother, she’s my sister!”  We’re able to laugh uncontrollably now, but until my sister’s hair grew back she was miserable which made my life of being the family tomboy not as enjoyable. In life we learn early what our gender roles and expectations are.  Whether right or wrong, I was okay with being connected with being called a boy.  However, I had an older sister that would have probably died if she actually heard anyone say boy and her name in the same sentence.

            In conclusion, we are able to laugh at the whole story now but the funniest thing was recently my gay uncle was at my grandmothers house with all of the family sitting around looking at old family photo albums, laughing and reminiscing. My uncle asked me and my sister “Who’s this cute little boy?”  It was the picture of my sister that school year with her new afro, we both cracked up and through the laughter, I yelled at him “That’s not a little boy it’s my sister!”