Next Meeting - October 21, 2007Topic: IntersexDisorders of Sexual Development, also known as "intersex" disorders and formerly known as "hermaphroditism" are generally not understood by the general public. Although not technically a GLBT issue, PFLAG members may need to know about this issue since referrals or questions may be coming our way since the people affected are starting to come "out of their closets". A person with a DSD will tell her story, Kay will briefly discuss DSDs and then both will take questions.
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CHAPTER PRESIDENT'S NOTE
Kay Heggestad
Hello PFLAG and Happy October. Five members of our chapter went to the Big City of D.C. for the PFLAG national convention to get some new ideas for all of us to work on. We will need to keep pushing for a transgender inclusive ENDA (the anti-discrimination in employment bill), DADT, "Don’t ask, don’t tell" repeal, and closer to home, the domestic partner registry. We hope to have a meeting some evening in late November or early December, with an attorney from Lambda Legal, to discuss how our chapter can become more inclusive; the entire membership will be encouraged to attend that.
Farmers' Market
If you want to have 2 wonderful hours on a nice fall Saturday morning, contact Kay for information about being a market sitter. Email Kay at kahegges@yahoo.com or call 221-1956 to reserve a time from 8-10 or 10-12 for any Saturday morning. First come, first served. November 4th will be the last day for market sitting.
PFLAG Membership Dues are Overdue
Just a reminder… your dues should have been paid in September.
PFLAG National Convention
PFLAG members left on October 10th for the National PFLAG Convention in Washington, D.C. Workshops at the convention are split into groups to separately address each of the three PFLAG objectives; Support, Education, Advocacy and are designed for an audience that ranges from new members to those who have been participating in PFLAG for years. The convention starts with PFLAG Capitol Hill Lobby Day on October 11th and continues with the workshop sessions October 12th through October 14th.
OutReach – October 5th E-Newsletter
The Board and Staff of OutReach and Our Sponsors invite you to join us on Wednesday, October 24, 2007, as we consider the 'Next 25 Years of LGBT Rights in Wisconsin.' The event will take place at the Cardinal Bar (418 E. Wilson St.) and will run from 5:00-7:30 p.m. A cocktail hour (cash bar) and hot Hors D'ouevres from several local caterers will be available.
We will look at such pressing issues as Domestic Partner Benefits, Transgender Rights, Gays in the Military, ENDA and working towards the repeal of Wisconsin's anti-gay marriage amendment. A short program will include Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Eva Shiffrin, Transgender Rights Activist Laura Gutknecht and State Senators Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) and Mark Miller (D-Madison). A suggested donation of $25 will be collected at the door although a sliding scale is available.
Movie Review - For the Bible Tells Me So
Daniel Karslake’s documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So” won’t win any prizes for technique, but innovation surely ranks very low on this filmmaker’s to-do list. Mr. Karslake has said that the movie is mainly intended as a feature-length primer that can be deployed in arguments with homophobes. Directorially, the movie is unremarkable, with one conspicuous and unfortunate exception: when Mr. Karslake apes the supercharged empathy of an episode of “Dateline” on NBC, right down to the verging-on-schmaltzy music. Otherwise, the interviews with scholars parsing the Old and New Testaments are paired with the expected archival photographs and illustrations of biblical scenes. “For the Bible Tells Me So” is, strictly speaking, an educational film, with the artlessness that that phrase implies. But there is no denying that the film, however inelegant, fills a need. The inevitable DVD should be packaged in a plain cardboard sleeve, so that viewers can carry it in their pockets and, if confronted by a homophobe, hand it over and say, “Watch this, then get back to me.” — Matt Zoller Seitz, The New York Times
Book Review - “God is not a Homophobe”
Homosexuality is perhaps the most volatile topic discussed in today's church and society. A war rages that will ultimately determine how much civil liberty can be enjoyed by consenting homosexuals, and how much religious equality they will be granted. Several books already exist attempting to demonstrate that the Christian Bible does not, in fact, condemn consenting-adult homosexuality. But God is Not a Homophobe, has a unique perspective, in that the author has a lifetime of experience in pastoring hard-core fundamentalist churches. His former bitter opposition to all forms of homosexuality has given way to a rational, unbiased acceptance that the Bible says hardly anything about homosexuality, and what it does say cannot honestly be used to condemn consenting same-sex unions. In God Is Not a Homophobe, the author examines in detail every Bible verse and every Bible-based argument against homosexuality, and concludes with a view radically different from what is offered by the modern church. His conclusions will surprise many, and will surely aggravate and anger many more. But he believes the evidence in this book will stand the test of investigation. This unbiased look at homosexuality in the Bible gives much food for thought, and hopefully, much incentive for change in our attitude toward and treatment of those whose sexual orientation is "different." (From the Amazon.UK.com review)
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