Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association
Since its inception in 1989, OPALGA has become one of the largest community based, multipurpose lesbian and gay membership organizations in Illinois.
YYAAC Convened!
OPALGA’s youth committee has now been reinvigorated. We have tried to match the name to the groups we serve, so we are now known as the Youth and Young Adult Advisory Committee (YYAAC). The committee includes some OPALGA old-timers, some current active members, and some youth representatives. Our task is to provide ideas, suggestions, and help in planning very important programs for youth and young adults. We are excited about current plans to sustain the program, add HIV counseling and testing at different venues, and develop various education approaches.
If you are interested in participating, drop an e-mail to Nathan Linsk (nathanlinsk@yahoo.com) or to Jim Aull (jim@chicagoyouthcenters.org).
Message from the Co-Chairs
Elsewhere in this issue, you will have noticed an article discussing OPALGA’s upcoming Annual Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, November 18, at Oak Park’s Unity Temple. This meeting, which is provided for in our bylaws, has as its purpose “to review and evaluate the past year’s activities, to formulate ideas for the coming year, to announce the results of elections, and to set organizational priorities and goals.” We want to extend an invitation to all members to attend this meeting and find out what is going on at OPALGA. The event is free to our members, and hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided. In addition, the Annual Meeting gives you a great opportunity to see some friends and have a great time. This year, we will have the added enjoyment of discussing the just-completed presidential election, which promises some stimulating discussion. Give yourself a midweek break, call a friend, and make plans to join us on the 18th for a most enjoyable evening. We hope to see you there.
One of the stated purposes of this meeting is to announce the results of our annual elections. As usual, there has been a committee working behind the scenes to make all of this possible. From drafting all of the documents to actually calling up prospective candidates and urging them to run, their job is often thankless, but it is one of the most important things we do all year. Please join us in giving a huge thank-you to this year’s Nominating Committee, which is composed of Susan Anderson, Kim Hefner, Jim Kelly, Dan Salotti, and Davida Williams. They have done an absolutely fantastic job, and we are all grateful for their time and effort.
Last month in Empower, we published an outline form of the 2008–2010 Strategic Plan, which is currently being used by the Board of Directors as a guide for the future. As with any strategic plan, it is only a guideline, and then the Board makes its decisions as to specific action steps it wants to take in order to implement the plan. As you might have noticed, the plan is divided into four main thematic areas: Membership, Programming, Structure, and Finance. Each of these areas is a major concentration for the Board, and we are currently looking at different aspects of all four as we strive to keep OPALGA moving to the next level. For example,
• In Membership, we want to make your membership one of value and relevance, and we are examining all aspects of how this can be improved;
• Within the area of Programming, we constantly plan and evaluate different programs so that we can make certain they are diverse, well-attended, and innovative;
• Our focus in Structure is that of making certain that our organization is both effective and efficient, and currently we are moving toward hiring our first Executive Director, which will have a dramatic impact on all areas of OPALGA; and,
• Finally, the Finance area needs attention so that we take all steps necessary to assure the financial viability and growth of OPALGA.
One of the first tasks of the newly elected Officers and Directors will be to schedule a Board Retreat so that we can take a close look at this plan together and map out our direction for the coming year. Our purpose in publishing the outline form of the plan was to give you, our members, a close look at the document so that you might understand what we are planning in the future. As always, we welcome your input and invite you to submit any questions, ideas, or other suggestions to our attention at The Center.
With all of the problems going on around us, and particularly with the economy, it is often easy to lose sight of all that we do have. On behalf of the Board of Directors, please accept our best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. May you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday.
HIV Testing—A Personal View
The availability of HIV testing through OPALGA began in April of this year. Since that time, we have tested 48 people. Of those, three have tested HIV+. Although providing HIV tests is new to OPALGA, it is not to me. Prior to my work at OPALGA, I was an HIV counselor at Children’s Memorial Medical Center, where I worked with women and children. Although working at OPALGA and providing much-needed HIV prevention education is a crucial service in our community, I had forgotten how much I enjoy HIV counseling and testing.
Through this program, we are being given the opportunity to provide targeted risk reduction counseling and to work on a prevention plan that is individually tailored to each client we serve. When we give positive test results to a client, it is certainly a challenge, but we also know that we have given information that may save lives. Hector Salgado and I have been able to connect with people in the community to bring them a service to which they may otherwise not have access. HIV testing is free and anonymous, and results are received in 20 minutes.
According to a report from the Cook County Department of Public Health, from 2001–2005, 99 Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) were diagnosed HIV+ in West Suburban Cook County, which includes the Oak Park area. Of these men, 30 were Caucasian, 27 were Hispanic, 39 were African American, 1 was Asian, 1 was Native American, and 1 was unknown.
Knowledge is power in the fight against HIV.
OPALGA tests in the community, at bars, and at The OPALGA Center. If you have an event or group who would like testing, you can contact us to set up an appointment. If you would like an individual test, we can schedule an appointment at The Center. We are also available to talk about whether or not you need a test. For more information, please call us at 708-386-3463.
Recipe Corner
Several years ago, OPALGA talked about putting together a cookbook containing our members’ favorite recipes. Now, in anticipation of our organization’s 20th anniversary, we have decided that the time is right for this tasty project!
Talk to your family, your friends, and your neighbors to find those recipes that you really enjoy and want to share with other OPALGA members. Please feel free to submit any of your favorite recipes, and be sure to give a credit for the originator of the recipe, if applicable.
All recipes should be submitted to jeziebarth@comcast.net. Please include the word “RECIPE” in your subject line, and be sure to attach your recipe to the e-mail as a Microsoft Word document. Thank you!
In the meantime, we plan to publish a few of the recipes that we have already received in upcoming issues of Empower. Bon appétit!
Italian African Sausage
Submitted by Jim Boushay and Rickey Sain
2 lbs. hot Italian sausage
½ c. light brown sugar, loosely packed
4 tbsp. tarragon vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 tbsp. soy sauce
splash of water
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
Sauté sausage until lightly browned. Place in baking pan.
Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over sausage.
Bake uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven for one hour.
OPALGA Center Seeks Bookshelves, File Cabinets
The OPALGA Center Library Rejuvenation Project has been a phenomenal success so far! To date, over 100 books have been donated by OPALGA members and friends to The OPALGA Center library—thank you all for your generosity!
The Center is now in need of additional bookshelves to store these books. We hope to organize all of these books in order to create a usable, all-member-lending library. If anyone has any bookshelves that they would like to donate, please call Susan at 708-386-3463 to make arrangements.
We are also looking for file cabinets to store all of our important organizational records. Again, if any of you have file cabinets that you would like to donate, please call Susan at 708-386-3463.
Thanks again to all of you who have supported this project with such enthusiasm, and we encourage you to keep up the book donations!
Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association Strategic Plan 2008-2010
A1. Membership: Grow the total number of members through increased recruitment and more active commitment to current members.
A. Increase membership to 400 in 2008 and an additional 20% in each additional year.
B. Retain 85% of members.
C. Increase diversity of membership—age, geographic, familial status, ethnic background, non-gay, etc.
D. Increase percentage of members who are active (attendance/leadership).
E. Develop membership recruitment plan, including revision of membership application and other materials.
F. Expand outreach to businesses and organizations.
G. Improve connections with neighboring communities.
H. Improve Web site.
B1. Social: Provide opportunities for all LGBT persons in the Oak Park area to socialize in various venues and types of events.
A. Review effectiveness and purpose of current events—are they fun, fundraising, or both.
B. Increase attendance at events.
C. Increase diversity of attendees at events.
D. Evaluate events—is each event meeting its objective.
E. Develop programs focused on specific populations, especially families, African-Americans, singles, etc.
F. Add at least one new event per year if enough volunteers to plan/spearhead/support these event(s).
B2. Cultural Arts: Promote/showcase the talents of OPALGA members and the wider LGBT population and provide opportunities for exposure and participation in the general cultural arts.
A. Increase public performances, such as OUTspoken, gallery walks, etc.
B. Evaluate and possibly continue current activities, such as coffeehouses, book club, and theater outings.
C. Revive Peripheral Visions and/or 708.
D. Add or change one event each year.
B3. Public Policy: Continue to advance the LGBT agenda throughout the western suburbs, the state, and the nation.
A. Establish leadership in public policy for LGBT issues.
B. Identify areas of focus for the coming year, such as civil unions/gay marriage, domestic partner benefits in additional local communities, etc.
C. Identify geographic foci.
D. Involvement with Oak Park non-LGBT civic issues, such as political caucuses, get-out-the-vote campaigns, and organizations.
B4. Education (Members and Community): Provide education for the community-at-large about LGBT issues, and support the LGBT community through educational programs to support healthy and successful living in our community.
A. Reactivate speakers bureau.
B. Reactivate workshops and panels on topics such as parenting, blended families, financial, legal and health issues, etc.
C. Add “Health Tips” column in Empower.
D. Publicize social services resources.
B5. Program Services: Provide services to special populations—youth, young adults, and seniors.
A. Continue youth and young-adult service programs.
B. Evaluate need for special programming for seniors.
C Evaluate need for special programming for singles.
C1. Executive Director: Create position and hire individual.
A. Develop job description and performance expectations.
B. Identify funding sources and salary goals.
C. Complete strategic plan.
D. Develop recruitment plan.
C2. Organizational Structure: Develop systems to increase capacity of OPALGA.
A. Redevelop committee structures outside of yet directly connected to Board.
B. Establish Board committees.
C. Develop management procedures.
C3. Marketing and Public Relations: Increase community awareness of OPALGA and promote its activities.
A. Increase communications to members.
B. Develop print materials and distribution system within communities.
C. Promote all OPALGA events in newspapers and flyers.
D. Increase contact with general community organizations in western suburbs—churches, human services agencies, social clubs (Rotary, Elks, VFW, etc.).
E. Increase links to other LGBT organizations.
F. Develop promotional materials.
D1. Finance: Assure financial viability and growth of OPALGA.
A. Diversify sources of income.
B. Increase membership rates and create special categories and privileges.
C. Increase net revenue by $20,000 each year.
D. Develop major donor campaign, challenge grants, and focused appeals.
E. Identify and seek additional grants.
F. Evaluate charges and costs for best net return on all fundraising activities.
G. Continue to grow OPALGA.
Message from the Co-Chairs
Miscellaneous items of interest to the LGBT community and OPALGA members:
• It was with great sadness that we noted the recent death in California of Del Martin, longtime lesbian rights activist and a co-founder of the pioneering lesbian rights group the Daughters of Bilitis. Martin, 87, had been in the news when she married her partner of 55 years in California’s first legal gay union earlier this year. In an extremely sudden development, Martin died from complications from a broken arm. Such a sad twist to an otherwise wonderful story.
• At the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese divers had totally dominated and won seven gold medals in the seven completed events and seemed on their way to the eighth and final gold. However, one of those amazing moments in sports then occurred—openly gay diver Matthew Mitcham of Australia absolutely nailed his final two dives to beat the Chinese (and everyone else) in the men’s 10-meter platform diving competition. Mitcham, who won the gold by earning four perfect 10s on his final dive (due to its highest degree of difficulty, it became the highest-scoring dive in Olympic history), had earlier made news by bringing both his partner and his mother with him to Beijing. Reflecting upon his calmness in front of the wildly pro-Chinese crowd and his ultimate win, Matthew credited his struggles in coming to terms with being gay and publicly coming out as preparing him for his high drama at the Olympics. His triumph represented an outstanding accomplishment for LGBT athletes everywhere and, hopefully, sent a message to the entire athletic community.
• Shortly after Beijing, the Democratic National Party held its historic convention in Denver. Nearly lost among all of the Obama and Clinton hoopla was the fact that 374 delegates were identified as LGBT individuals. This stunning number not only represented the largest LGBT caucus in U.S. political history by far, but also caused even the most liberal Democratic officials to take notice of the growing political power of this group.
• Elsewhere in this issue of Empower, readers will notice a flyer for an upcoming production of “The Laramie Project.” As many of you know, this groundbreaking play is based on the events of October 7, 1998, surrounding the brutal torture and subsequent death of Matthew Shepard who was tortured solely because he was gay. The Center on Halsted’s Anti-Violence Project recently called Chicago’s attention to hate crimes. Among their conclusions was that such crimes are decreasing in number, both totally and in those directed solely at LGBT individuals. Further, the Center pointed out that such crimes range from physical attacks to verbal ones, as each carries with it different kinds of damages. OPALGA joins the Center and others in urging its members to report hate crimes of any nature. We must remember Matthew Shepard and be vigilant that such a scenario never repeats itself. Only by our voices, individually and collectively, can we raise everyone’s awareness and let it be known that we will not tolerate hate and ignorance of any nature directed at the LGBT community and/or any of its members.
• Finally, during this LGBT History Month, October 11 is National Coming Out Day. If you know of anyone struggling with this decision, offer any help you can, and keep OPALGA in mind. Call us if we can assist in any way.
For over a year now, readers of Empower have been reading about the efforts of the Board of Directors as they worked in conjunction with Dr. Carol Goldbaum, Ph.D., on a long-range planning project. The final work product, a three-year strategic plan, will guide the Board as it makes plans to position OPALGA to be able to hire its first executive director. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, and with our thanks to Dr. Goldbaum, we are pleased to publish an outline version of that strategic plan for your perusal. We hope you will find it to be interesting reading, and we welcome your comments and suggestions. We would also like to thank those of you who took the time to respond to our OPALGA Friends and Members Survey earlier this year. We had a very healthy number of respondents, and we will be considering your responses in our future planning.
Around The OPALGA Center
HIV Testing
Don’t forget, you can get a free, anonymous rapid or conventional HIV test through OPALGA. If you are in need of a test or know of an event at which you would like testing to be available, please call The OPALGA Center at 708-848-0273. We are able to provide testing that fits your schedule.
Prism
Prism, our weekly drop-in group for LGBT youth, took a break during September so that we could reach out to youth in their schools. Prism will resume on Thursday, October 2, at 7:00 p.m. at The OPALGA Center.
Educational Outreach
Did you know that OPALGA’s trained professional staff is available to provide technical assistance at your school or workplace on issues affecting the LGBT community? If you or anyone you know is looking for a speaker for your next workshop or staff in-service day, please call The OPALGA Center at 708-848-0273.
Happy LGBT History Month and National Coming Out Day!
Recipe Corner
Several years ago, OPALGA talked about putting together a cookbook containing our members’ favorite recipes. Now, in anticipation of our organization’s 20th anniversary, we have decided that the time is right for this tasty project!
Talk to your family, your friends, and your neighbors to find those recipes that you really enjoy and want to share with other OPALGA members. Please feel free to submit any of your favorite recipes, and be sure to give a credit for the originator of the recipe, if applicable.
All recipes should be submitted to jeziebarth@comcast.net. Please include the word “RECIPE” in your subject line, and be sure to attach your recipe to the e-mail as a Microsoft Word document. Thank you!
In the meantime, we plan to publish a few of the recipes that we have already received in upcoming issues of Empower. Bon appétit!
Caribbean Spiced Salmon Steaks
Submitted by Gayle Weiss
4 1-inch thick salmon steaks
½ c. brown sugar
½ tbsp. allspice
½ tbsp. dried mustard
½ tbsp. ginger
Combine dry spices with brown sugar; mix well.
Clean and dry salmon steaks and coat well with spice mix. Rub mixture into the salmon flesh and refrigerate for at least four hours (overnight is okay, too).
Broil for approximately five minutes per side. Delicious and easy!
Looking Across the Lines of Gender
“Mask,” “cocoon,” “closet” . . . all are metaphors to describe how we choose to hide ourselves before coming out and being free to be ourselves. On this National Coming Out Day, October 11, one Oak Park area resident will be able to celebrate being free for the first time after over 35 years of hiding in a physiological cocoon.
At the age of 11, with pains in his chest, Shawn Baggett went to the doctor. The diagnosis, not unusual for a pre-teen, was puberty. What was unusual was that chest pains (also known as breast tenderness) are a common symptom for puberty in girls. The doctor confirmed his diagnosis in an x-ray that revealed an ovary and a partial uterus (hidden within Shawn’s clearly male exterior) and in blood tests that showed lower than normal levels of testosterone in Shawn’s blood.
The information made a lot of sense and explained why Shawn was so different from his brothers: less competitive, less aggressive. Shawn had even earned the nickname “Sis” from his father because he was reluctant to fight. Even so, in fearing for his safety, Shawn and his mother decided that they needed to hide his feminine side from the world. Shawn would continue to hide for 35 years, until April, 2008, when Shawn came out to his family and to the world as Shauna.
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet Shauna at George’s for breakfast. During our meal together, she talked openly about her life, the process of coming to accept herself, coming out, and the journey ahead of her. She has led a complex life where even the question “What is your name?” does not have a simple answer.
Q: Name?
A: My legal name for now is Shawn Eugene. Shauna Elizabeth will be my name in April.
Q: Age?
A: 47.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: Brookfield.
Q: How long have you been in Brookfield and the Chicago area?
A: 35 years I believe.
Q: What were some early indications of your being transgender?
A: As others can, I cannot say that I was born in a male body and have a female mind. I do have an 89% female and 11% male body, and the same goes for my soul. How can someone with one ovary, one testis, and a partial uterus be classified in female and male gender roles? I have no answer for that. I am an intersex person, and that is all I know.
Q: After the medical appointment that resulted in the discovery of your ovary and uterus, how did you decide to continue identifying and dressing as a male?
A: I was 11 years old, and being a boy was all that I knew. Also, my mother believed that I would be safer if I never told anyone about my intersex. She was right. I was more effeminate than I was manly, but I tried to hide that the best I possibly could so as not to be beaten or worse.
Q: When did you come out?
A: April 8, 2008.
Q: At what age?
A: 46.
Q: What support systems do you have/have you had?
A: I have a wonderful family, which includes my sister and three brothers. My friends, who are in the hundreds, have sent me e-mails and expressed their utmost happiness at being friends with someone like myself. Even though my outside appearance will change, it is the person on the inside with whom they will always be friends.
Q: Are there organizations in the area specifically for transgender individuals?
A: There are so many: Tri-Ess, CGS, Island Girls, Transend, Transitions from the Inside Out. These are for transgender people. And then I also belong to OII (http://www.intersexualite.org), Bodies Like Ours (http://www.bodieslikeours.org), and AIS (http://www.aissg.org). I belong to about nine or so different organizations ranging from intersex to transgender to LGBT groups.
Q: 35 years is a long time to be in the closet. Did you want to come out and embrace your female side previously?
A: I have wanted to change a couple times in my life, but each time I talked myself out of it. It is so confusing at times because there were times in my life when everything was working out. I’ve learned that to be intersex isn’t a sexual mishap. My gender is balanced between the female and male sides. I just think I will be much happier with my female gender.
Q: Do you have a significant other?
A: No, I have been divorced now for eight years.
Q: What are some problems and issues specific to the transgender/intersex community?
A: There is not enough help or enough ways of finding help.
Q: How can OPALGA help or what can we do to raise awareness of intersex and transgender issues?
A: I am so new to this. Can we work together on this? I think mostly it is making children and teens aware that there are people like us to help them. I was hidden for 35 years because no one was there for me. I don’t wish to see anyone live that kind of life.
One evening in April, 2008, Shawn dressed up as Shauna and went out for the first time. Her blog describes the anxiety and excitement of coming out as herself, of being Shauna for the first time in public after over 35 years of hiding as a man.
Shauna writes, “I felt more comfortable tonight than I have in 46 years. As it washes over me, I now know where I belong. Being Ms. Shauna B has given me more happiness than anything I have ever felt or had before.”
We all want to be comfortable and to be accepted as ourselves. National Coming Out Day is a chance for us to celebrate who we really are. While many intersex individuals remain conflicted and in hiding, this year, October 11 will hold a special significance for one Brookfield resident. Congratulations, Ms. Shauna B, and we wish you well!
