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Opinion
Guest Editorial
A Year at the Center
by Evelyn Garlington
To The Board, Staff, Donors and Volunteers of the GLBT Center:
Happy New Year! It’s almost 2006, and a year has past since many of us joined the Center’s staff and board. I would like to take this time to thank all of you for your service to the Center. Whether as a board or staff member, or as a volunteer, your contribution has had a profound effect on our community.
Valerie Larabee was hired a year ago to direct the Center. Most of you know that the Center was in need of a great deal of attention and care if it was to survive. Neglect of donors, policies and procedures, the Center’s infra-structure and the GLBT community itself had taken a heavy toll on the Center. Over the past year, Valerie has used her considerable talents and wisdom to improve the programs and services of the Center. Because of Valerie, and a cracker-jack staff: Jennifer Nuttall, Stan Burnett, Nathan Measom and interns BJ Olsen and Samantha Harman, the Center has survived and it now flourishes. Our capacity to serve the community has grown dramatically over the past year. We are making a difference!
To our donors, thank you for your support. Whether your gift is large or small, everyone who makes a financial contribution to the Center works for social justice and creates change. Without you, none of this work would be possible. We are extremely grateful for your financial partnership as we work to be a catalyst for personal growth, acceptance and equality for GLBT people in Utah.
In one year our Board of Directors has almost completely turned over to new members. There is only one “old-timer” left on the board — John Johnson — and he has worked tirelessly both as the board treasurer and now as the coordinator of Winterfest to ensure the success of the Center and its mission. We owe John our sincere thanks for many jobs well done.
How could I reflect on the past year without thinking of Beano Solomon? Beano’s announcement at the board orientation last year of her gift to the Center charged the very air in the room with the electric current of hope. Her enthusiasm for the Center, for our youth program and GLBT people everywhere have been an inspiration to us all. Beano, thank you for your generosity and for the gift of your time. Your talent, energy and leadership are greatly appreciated.
The work of the Center has been carried on many shoulders. The following are just a few programs, services and events that have been proudly, energetically, and wisely managed by a host of dedicated volunteers.
The Utah Pride Festival — A very special thanks to Jere Keys, Jim Rengstorf, Sherry Booth, Kathryn Warner, Don Stewart, Carol Gnade, Marc Simmons, Jesse Nix, Fran Pruyn, Arthur Haynes, Valerie Larabee and anyone who staffed a booth, charged a walkie-talkie, sold a ticket, facilitated the finances, managed a stage, helped with set-up or tear-down. Thank you for all you did to make Utah Pride 2005 the best ever.
The Youth Activity Center — Beano Solomon, Stan Burnett, Nate Currey and all the other volunteers who understand the importance of providing a safe haven, outreach and education to the youth of our community, thank you!
The Center Golf Classic — Michelle Turpin, Alison Beddard, Stephanie Pappas, Denise Draper, Kelly Kightly, Lynndee Mueller, Margaret Evans, Marie Needham, Rita Harrington, Sue Gagnier, Trudy Sanderson, Victor Saldavar and Jennifer Nuttall, you have inspired all of us with your energy, enthusiasm, and uncommon sense in creating this annual classic. We are deeply grateful for the years of time and energy that you have given to this event.
Friday Night Bingo — The Cyber Sluts, Karla McGuigan, Kelly Kightly and anyone who has ever donated a prize to Gay Bingo. Thank you for giving this community an important and exciting monthly social event.
Swerve Monthly’s — Brandie Balken, Laurie Mecham, Fran Pruyn and all the members of Swerve, thank you for providing programs and services for Lesbians, their families and friends. Your generosity, your time, your skills and knowledge benefit all of us. Thank you.
Salt Lake City Winterfest — To John Johnson and all the volunteers of Winterfest — it is not just one trip but a whole journey to the Center’s inaugural Winterfest event coming Feb. 3–12, 2006 (www.slcwinterfest.com). Thank you all for what you have done to make this important event a success for our entire community.
The Center’s Coming Out Day Breakfast — Fran Pruyn, Valerie Larabee, Linda Asa and Kate Kendall joined with a wonderful cast of inspired performers. Thank you for a most successful, entertaining and touching special event. Wow!
To the members of the Transgender Community Forum — Thank you for the work you do in being advocates for the members of this important group in our community. Your courage moves me to work harder to understand all the groups of our beautiful and diverse community.
Center Town Hall Meetings — Many thanks to Robert Austin, Jere Keys, Jim Rengstorf, Polly Stewart and Kip Swan. Our Town Hall Meetings have worked to give voice to our community.
The GLBT Leadership Task Force (now the GLBT Community Coalition) — To all of you who have cared enough to get involved and stay involved, thank you for working to build trust and a true coalition of community activists. The work that we do here is more important than most of us realize.
· The GLBT Mental Health Task Force — Missy Larsen, Lawrence McClung and all the people involved in the task force, thank you for fighting the destructive forces oppression and for lifting our community with your hard work.
Lastly, I would like to thank our detractors, for they are our teachers. From them we learn how to reach deeper inside ourselves to ask questions and find the answers to the pain and confusion that at times plagues our community and keeps us from steady forward progress. They are the bellwethers of our own internalized homophobia. Every attack is just a reminder to all of us that oppression has a tap-root deep in our own community and that we need to double our efforts to fight it in all its forms.
A sincere Happy New Year!
Evelyn Garlington is the board president of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah. More infomation at glbtccu.org
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