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The Center For Equality

June 2011

June Events
June 2 5:30-8pm Youth Drop-In June 5 Rainbow Family event 3-5pm (Early due to Fathers Day) June 9 5:30-8pm Youth Drop-In June 10 Movie Night 7-9pm June 11 Womens Social 6-8pm June 12 2nd Annual Drag Bingo @ Toppers June 16 5:30-8pm Youth Drop-In June 19 Fathers Day June 23 5:30-8pm Youth Drop-In June 25 Transgender Social 6-10pm. Call the Center for an invitation

June Begins PRIDERemembering the T in LGBT


May 17 was the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. After proudly proclaiming that fact to a friend of mine, I was shocked to be asked, What is transphobia? And then it occurred to me, in the fight for LGBT equality the T is often overlooked. As a community we are fighting for the rights of every single person who identifies as any one of those letters in the gay alphabet, but in recent years gay and lesbian issues have far overshadowed those of our brothers and sisters in the transgendered community. Transphobia is unfortunately alive and well, but even those most well-versed in LGBT issues are unaware of the unique struggles transgendered people face. For that reason I am including in this months newsletter a few facts to remind us exactly why transgendered people are included as a part of our community and why we must fight to secure and protect their rights. In the majority of states, it is still legal to fire someone from his or her job simply for being transgender. While challenges exist, there are many transgender and transgender-friendly faith leaders and communities throughout the United States and beyond. (HRC.org. 2011. Human Rights Campaign. 28 May 2011) In a survey of 403 transgender people, 78% reported having been verbally harassed and 48% reported having been victims of assault, including assault with a weapon, sexual assault or rape. (Wilchins, R., Lombardi, E., Priesing, D. and Malouf, D. (1997) First national survey of transgender violence. Gender Public Advocacy Coalition.) 74% of transgender youth reported being sexually harassed at school, and 90% of transgender youth reported feeling unsafe at school because of their gender expression. (GLSEN. (2001). The 2001 national school climate survey: the school related experiences of our nations lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.) Military regulations deny transgender Americans the right to serve openly, and transgender veterans face significant discrimination in the Veterans Administration medical system. (Transgender American Veterans Association/Palm Center study, August 2008) Note: The repeal of DADT does NOT specify the right of transgendered individuals to serve openly.

June 26 PRIDE Fundraiser @ Fat Daddys Comedy Club Comedy Club 7pm
June 26 OUTdoors Group activity TBA National AIDS Testing Day Drop-in 12-4pm. Call the Center for moreopen testing times. Testing is always free and confidential. June 30 5:30-8pm Youth Drop-In

For more statistics and information about transgendered individuals please visit the following websites: www.HRC.org/issues/transgender www.transgenderlaw.org. Tiffany Thomas Center for Equality Program Coordinator

The Center for Equality receives a grant from the South Dakota Department of Health to provide HIV/AIDS education and free, confidential HIV testing to Sioux Falls and the surrounding area. The Center has a staff of HIV testers that have all completed testing and education training through the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). Every month the Center has 12 drop-in testing days at the Center. The Center also conducts testing out in the Sioux Falls community at bars, organizations and events. As part of that community outreach education, the Center newsletter will run monthly educational pieces on HIV/AIDS facts, prevention, and education.

Seventh Annual - National HIV Testing Day, June 27th


Take the Test, Take Control.
Each year on June 27, the National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA) organizes National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), in partnership with other national and local entities across the country. This unique initiative sends the message to those at risk from those already living with HIV that there are powerful reasons for learning ones HIV status. NHTD was developed in response to the growing number of HIV infections in communities of color and other heavily impacted communities. Today, CDC estimates approximately 21 percent of the 1.3M Americans living with HIV are unaware of their HIV status. NAPWA believes voluntary HIV counseling and testing is a critical first step in taking control and responsibility over ones health, hence our message: Take the Test, Take Control. hosting HIV testing campaigns in their cities, conducting press conferences to discuss local HIV testing resources, issuing proclamations in support on NHTD, and, modeling good behavior by taking a public HIV test to illustrate how important knowing your HIV status is to your health. Integral to the NHTD Mayors Campaign Against HIV, NAPWA will join its partner OraSure Technologies in opening NASDAQs trading day, Monday, June 27th. The annual national NHTD press conference: NAPWA kicks off the 17th annual NHTD on Friday, June 24th on at a press conference to be held on Capitol Hill. Our sponsor, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) will be joined by colleagues, people living with HIV/ AIDS and significant leaders in the AIDS movement today.

The annual National Skills Building Institute: To ensure that communities have the technical skills and This years NHTD Campaign will feature the distribu- resources to present a strong and effective HIV testtion of 70,000 NHTD posters: To ensure that commu- ing campaigns, NAPWA facilitates a comprehensive nities have the resources they need to mount an eftraining to share successful promotional techniques fective HIV testing campaign, NAPWA, in partnership and methodologies that our partners can tailor to their with the Greater Than AIDS Campaign, will distribute unique communities. This Institute brings together 70,000 HIV testing posters to local health departmembers of state health departments, local HIV orments, community clinics and other communityganizations, leading national experts and a cross secbased organizations that engage in HIV testing initia- tion of community leaders to discuss and address extives. Electronic versions of the joint Greater Than isting barriers that keep individuals at high risk for HIV AIDS Campaign (Get Yourself Tested) and the from being tested. This Institute also provides attenNAPWAs NHTD campaign (Take the Test, Take dees with training on how to conduct collaborative HIV Control) can be found at www.greaterthanaids.org testing events, how to work with the media, and how and www.napwa.org. This years winner is Amy Har- to promote the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Stratris (http://amymharris.com/), a graduate student at egy (NHAS). The National Skills Building Institute will Washington, DCs Art Institute. Our second and third be held May 10-13, 2011 in Indianapolis, IN, at the place winners are Jordan Shartzer and Robin Long. Wyndham Indianapolis West. www.napwa.org NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH AIDS US Mayors Campaign Against HIV, a partnership of NAPWA and OraSure Technologies: Mayors across Open testing at the Center noon to 4pm the US are requested to publicly support NHTD by:

Call 331-1153 for additional available times.

HIV/AIDS
Awareness Days
June 8th: Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day June 27th: National HIV Testing Day Sept. 18th: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day. Sept. 27th: National Gay Mens HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day. Oct 15th: National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. Dec 1st:: World AIDS Day. Feb 7th: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. March 10th: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. March 20th: National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. May 18th: HIV Vaccine Awareness Day May 19th: National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.

Nine and a Half Minutes


The Nine and a Half Minutes campaign was developed as an effort to combat complacency and raise awareness of the continued severity and toll of the domestic HIV epidemic by delivering the message that every 9 minutes someone in the United States is infected with HIV. CDC is marking the 30th anniversary of AIDS by calling on Americans to recommit themselves to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment efforts. Over the last three decades, prevention efforts have helped reduce new infections and treatment advances have allowed people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives, said CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden. But as these improvements have taken place, our nations collective sense of crisis has waned. Far too many Americans underestimate their risk of infection or believe HIV is no longer a serious health threat, but they must understand that HIV remains an incurable infection. Currently, more than 1.1 million people in the United States live with HIV, and as this number increases, so does the risk of transmission, Frieden said. The agency released updated data Thursday showing that 20 percent of teenagers and adults with HIV are unaware of their infection.

I dont want to worry anymore


Thinking about HIV? Ask for a free, confidential HIV test at the Center today Check our drop in schedule and outreach sites this month.
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June 2011
Sun PFLAG will not meet in June Mon Writers Group will not meet in June Tue Wed 1 Drop-In HIV testing 1-3pm Thu 2 5:30-8 Youth Drop-In Fri 3 Sat 4

5 3-5 Rainbow Family Event (early due to Fathers Day) 12 AIDS Walk fundraiser: Drag Bingo @ Toppers

9 5:30-8 Youth Drop-in

10 7-9 Movie Night,

11 6-8 Womens Social & Potluck

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16 5:30-8 Youth Drop-in

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19 Fathers Day

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23 5:30-8 Youth Drop-in

24 Automania downtown possible event TBA

25 6-10 Transgender Social

26 7pm PRIDE fundraiser at Fat Daddys Comedy Club 7-8 OUTdoors Group

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National HIV Testing Day Center


open for drop in testing call for times

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30 5:30-8 Youth Drop-in

Center for Equality 4th Annual Sioux Falls LGBT PRIDE


At the W.H. Lyons Fairgrounds Saturday August 20th
Saturday August 20th marks the Fourth Annual LGBTQI PRIDE Festival in Sioux Falls. It will be held at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds from noon until 9pm. The gates open to vendors at 10am. The gates open to the general public at noon. The stage line-up will begin with DJ music and several presentations. Entertainment will be provided by Zhanavaa belly dancing troupe from the Black Hills. They will be on-hand to perform again later in the line-up as well as offer you pointers off stage. The Open Ceremonies will begin at 2pm with an invocation, national anthem and flag processional. During this time we will be offering a salute to the courageous men and women in our armed forces. Local LGBT organizations will do presentations through out the day. They can also be found in the booth area with information about their services and activities. Included are AIDS Walk and AIDS Benevolence Fund, PFLAG, ACLU, Equality SD, the Center for Equality, Toppers, Black Hills Center, etc. Erin Davies will introduce her Fagbug. Three comedians from Fat Daddys Comedy Club will take turns performing. Along with first band More Than Enough. Zhanava returns to the stage followed by the second band Broken Resolve. Broken Resolve is back by popular request from their performance at PRIDE 2010. The traditional 50/50 raffle will end the evening fundraising. Browse the many vendors and organizations before finishing off the evening with a trip to Toppers for the After PRIDE Party!

Erin Davies and Fabgug Join PRIDE


The mission of Fagbug is to raise awareness about hate crimes and homophobia, to give a voice for those who are silent, to inspire others to take a stand against bullies and to be an example of how to overcome the 11th Annual National Day of Silence, Erin Davies was victim to a hate crime in Albany, New York. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle, Erin's car was vandalized, left with the words "fag" and "u r gay" placed on the driver's side window and hood of her car. Despite initial shock and embarrassment, Erin decided to embrace what happened by leaving the graffiti on her car. She took her car, now known worldwide as the "fagbug," on a 58day trip around the United States and Canada. Along the way, Erin discovered other, more serious hate crimes, had people attempt to remove the graffiti, and experimented with having a male drive her car. After driving the fagbug for one year, Erin decided to give her car a makeover. On July 13, 2010 Erin released Fagbug as a documentary by Fagbug Films, her studio Garden Thieves Pictures. Fagbug Films Presents, "Living Proof, "Erin's second documentary. Twelve urban GLBT youth from Baltimore, Maryland come together to write and perform a play based on their real life stories with the theme being to outlast storm or danger in order to discover truth. Directors Erin Davies and Kalima Young base the 6-month improvisational writing sessions on the hero's journey, teaching each young person to see themselves as the hero in their own lives. Together they come across allies, mentors, tricksters, shapeshifters, heralds, shadows, and ultimately reach a higher self. To bring Erin Davies and the Fagbug or Living Proof to your campus or event please contact OUTmedia.

Toppers After
PRIDE Party and Drag Show The only Gay Bar in the Dakotas!

PRIDE Fundraiser June 26th at Fat Daddys Comedy Club


Tickets are $20 (donation receipt available for $10 of this) Call Jaime 360-9262, Carrie 690-5611 or the Center 33131153 for ticket information. Comedians will be John Michels and Justin Sanger. Both are local comedians awesome at stand-up. Come and see them!!

Wanted: Vendors and Volunteers!!


Please contact PRIDE co-chairs Jaime Hertling 605-360-9262 and Carrie Koel 605-690-5611, or Center for Equality 605-331-1153.

PRIDE Guide spots still open


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PFLAG Mission
PFLAG promotes the health and well being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: - Support, to cope with an adverse society - Education, to enlighten an illinformed public - Advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides opportunity for talking about sexual orientation and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human

PFLAGs Sioux Falls Chapter is on summer vacation. Meetings will resume in September.
From Terri Carlson, SF PFAG Director: We had a great meeting with our National PFLAG representative Brooke Smith and our regional PFLAG director Kay Heggestad on Monday May 23rd. Our PFLAG board met with our guests on Tuesday May 24th and discussed many possibilities for next year. One of the suggestions that was made was to find some civic activity that we could participate in...to get our name out there and let the people of Sioux Falls know we are a support system available to them. We hope to start a speaker's bureau so that we might be available to speak to any group that is looking for education on LGBT issues. One of our members offered his home as a place to have a social event...we need to just gather and develop friendships along with attending meetings! If you have areas of interests for programs, I would love to have you contact me in the near future as we line up speakers for our upcoming year. Any comments or suggestions are VERY welcome! I'm excited that we now have a board of directors who are willing to assist, and we all want your input! LaRae Oberloh and I have been invited to speak at the National Conference in Washington DC in November. The board approved paying our registration fee out of the PFLAG account, but we will be personally responsible for hotel and flight costs. If you are so moved to donate to our organization, we would appreciate your help in sending us to our national conference. We have been assured that by sending representatives, our group will gain new ideas and new strategies to recruit members, to educate our public, to give support, and to assist us in lobbying for LGBT friendly legislation. In addition to the National Conference, we will be ordering literature and brochures for next year. We are hopeful to find someone who will give us a discounted price on printing, and National PFLAG will send us materials at half price. If anyone is experienced in web design, or knows of a student who would be willing to do our website as a "volunteer" project, please contact me. We plan to hold one or two support groups this summer, and you will be notified by e-mail. If you no longer wish to be on our mailing list, please contact me. Your contributions are tax-deductible and can be mailed to 5500 S. Spyglass Circle, SF, SD 57108. Thank you for considering PFLAG when budgeting your giving:-) Sincerely, Terri Carlson PFLAG Director Website: www.pflagsfsd.org E-mail: info@pflagsfsd.org
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Confidential HIV Testing


Feel free to drop in for a free, confidential HIV Testing on Wednesday, June 1st from 1 to 3pm. Drop in testing is done at The Center for Equality. HIV testing will be available during the AIDS Walk Drag Bingo fundraiser at Toppers Sunday June 12th 6:30-8:30pm. National HIV Testing Day is Monday June 27th. The Center will be open 12-4pm for drop-in testing. Additional appointments availablecall the Center for details. You can also call 331-1153 or email us at info@centersforequalitysd.org to schedule a time to test or pick up your test results.

Movie NightFriday, June 10th from 7-9 p.m. Movie pick is True Grit Rated PG-13. Movie starts at 7:00.

Groups & Events


All events held at the

Center For Equality 406 So. 2nd Ave. Suite 102


Sioux Falls (Tyler Building) unless otherwise indicated
Womens Social Potluck, Its Grillin Timep.m.

Youth Movie Night- Fridays are on hold for the summer. Please check back to see when your favorite movies will be playing. Writers Group meets the First and Third Fridays of each month from 7-9pm. No regular schedule in the summer. Watch this listing for the group to resume in the fall. OUTdoors Group- Sunday, June 26 from 7-8 p.m. Summer is here! And the people are OUT everywhere. Back by popular demand, join our monthly OUTdoors Group every 4th Sunday of the month. Join us at Spencer Park (I-229 and Cliff Ave.) for volleyball June 26 from 7-8 p.m. ALL ability levels welcome and encouraged! No shame in your game here. Were in it for the fun! (for those of you who braved the noon oclock volleyball match last yearlets hope the sand has cooled down enough by 7:00 p.m. so that it doesnt set our feet on fire!) RSVP to Tiffany tiffany@ centersforequalitysd.org
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Popcorn is free. Soda and water available for $.50.


Synopsis: True Grit is a powerful story of vengeance and valor set in an unforgiving and unpredictable frontier where justice is simple and mercy is rare. Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), is determined to avenge her father's blood by capturing Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who shot and killed him for two pieces of gold. Just fourteen, she enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn (Academy Award Winner Jeff Bridges), a one-eyed, trigger-happy U.S. Marshall with an affinity for drinking and hardened Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Academy Award Winner Matt Damon) to track the fleeing Chaney. Despite their differences, their ruthless determination leads them on a perilous adventure that can only have one outcome: retribution. ~VideoETA.com

Rainbow Family EventSunday, June 5th from 3 Saturday, June 11 from 6-8 - 5pm.
Bring your favorite food to throw on the grill for yourself and bring a side dish to share with everyone. Enjoy spending time with other LGBTQ families! Give your children a chance to connect with other kids with LGBT parents.

Then sit back and enjoy one This months programming will be held early due to Faof the best things about thers Day. summer: grillin! Enjoy the food then stick around for another lesbian themed movie! Feel free to bring your favorite movies to share. Transgender Group- Saturday, June 25th from 6-10 p.m.

Join us every last Saturday Soda and water available for of the month at 6:00pm. $.50. Check out DakotaTGirls ALL WOMEN WEL@yahoo.com http:// COME (lesbian, bisexual, groups.yahoo.com/group/ straight/ally, questioning)! DakotaTGirls/ Email Tiffany at Before attending the Transgender group you must tiffany@ centersforequalitysd.org to RSVP with your email or call Cheryl or Tiffany at the Center (331dish of choice. 1153) to get permission to All Women are Welcome! attend.

June 2011
Center Board member and attorney Tom Kel- The Centers for Equality is in the process of a name change with the 2011 move... ler presented a workshop on LGBT Legal Issues on Tuesday May 17th at the Center. As a follow-up to the presentation Tom has been doing some research for the Center.
We will be known as the Center for Equality. Our name may have changed but our programming and services will remain the same.

Did you know on April 15th, 2010 Presi-

Please drop by the Center for Equality in our new dent Obama signed a proclamation that indicates any hospital that receives funds from home at 406 South 2nd Avenue, Suite 102. Medicare or Medicaid can not discriminate CENTER HAPPENINGS against visitors. News, opinion, events, and resources for the Follow this link to learn more: LGBTQIA community Obamas Hospital Visitation Proclamation: PUBLISHER http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pressThe Center For Equality office/presidential-memorandum-hospitalADDRESS visitation. 406 So. 2nd Ave. Ste. 102 Watch here for future presentations. Sioux Falls, SD 57104

(Fawick Center, the old Tyler Building) June 2011 HIV Testing Dates Drop in testing at the Centers for Equality on Wednesday June 1st from 1 to 3pm. HIV testing will be available Sunday June 12th during Drag Bingo at Toppers. Testers will be on hand from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Drop in testing on National HIV Testing Day Monday June 27th from noon to 4pm. **Call for additional appointment times.** Individual appointments are available: Email: info@centersforequalitysd.org or call 331-1153. All HIV testing is free and confidential. WEB www.centersforequalitysd.org PHONE 605-331-1153 EMAIL info@centersforequalitysd.org OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Position pending PROGRAM COORDINATOR Tiffany Thomas COUNSELOR Position open

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