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.
Findlay, Zientek Awards Presented at Reception
On Thursday, May 29, the OPALGA Board of Directors hosted their annual Membership Recognition Reception at Holley Court Terrace in Oak Park. Approximately 40 OPALGA members enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, desserts, beverages, and panoramic views from the 13th floor of Holley Court Terrace.
The purpose of the reception was to celebrate the 19th anniversary of OPALGA and to thank OPALGA members for their support.
The program began with introductions from Board of Directors Co-Chair Mike Cochran. Mike delineated the major areas of focus for the Board this year and summarized our recent accomplishments and upcoming events. Additional speakers included Board Co-Chair Liz Stallone, Social Committee Chair David Rappoport, Director of Youth Programs Susan Abbott, and Public Policy Chair Alan Amato.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2007 Brian Findlay and Carol Zientek awards. The Carol Zientek Award for Distinguished Service was presented to Andy Walensa. Andy has been involved with OPALGA since he was 15 years old (he is now 24). He has served as a youth leader for our drop-in groups; helped our fundraising efforts by creating holiday cards, a calendar, postcards, and innumerable graphics for our organization; and spoken at local high schools. After Liz presented the award, Andy said that he couldn’t remember having done all of those things. The Brian Findlay Award for Outstanding and Long-Term Commitment was presented to Past OPALGA Co-Chair Brad Bartels. Brad served as OPALGA Co-Chair for four years, and, as current Co-Chair Cochran stated, “made our community a much better place.” In his acceptance speech, Brad spoke of the importance of “making a difference in the lives of young people, which is core to our organization.”
The OPALGA Board of Directors and the entire membership heartily congratulate Andy and Brad on winning their much-deserved awards, and we sincerely thank them for their service and commitment to the organization.
John Seaton and the Garden of Eden
On a sunny, crystalline Saturday morning in early spring, I sat down on a bench within the lovely surroundings of the Oak Park Conservatory with John Seaton to talk about his retirement as the Manager of Conservatory Operations for the Oak Park Conservatory. John’s official retirement date was June 6, 2008. An articulate and charming man, John and I discussed his background, his proudest accomplishments, and his challenges as the manager of the Conservatory for the past 24 years. Please read on to get to know this remarkable man, long-time OPALGA member, and stalwart resident of south Oak Park.
A native of Wales, John was born and raised in Colwyn Bay, and after the age of two, his family moved to Hampshire, Somerset, and then to Devonshire in the south of England, where John’s father was a dairy farmer. John attended Dartington Hall School in Devonshire, a progressive, coeducational boarding school similar to Summerhill, which many of you may be familiar with if you have read the famous book Summerhill by A. S. Neill.
“I enjoyed the school very much. I met very interesting people, and it gave me lots of expensive ideas and hobbies, but no real way of satiating them,” John said.
John continued, “By the age of 17, it was decided that academia was not for me.” He left school and began to work as an unpaid apprentice at the Dartington Hall garden. After a year, he was officially accepted into their apprenticeship program. He lived in the garden in a hostel for young gardeners, called a “bothey,” where, John said, “we lived there and ate and slept horticulture. We had lectures one evening a week, and, occasionally, we would go off to look at other gardens.”
After two years, John was certified and then was accepted at the Lacham School of Agriculture as an assistant gardener to the college. John worked there with a lot of the agricultural students on keeping the grounds going and was there for several years. From there, it was on to Cannington in Somerset to study horticulture. John’s next stop was a training program at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Wisley, in Surrey. He then worked as an instructor and gardener for the Gloucestershire Farm Institute, and later moved on to running the research greenhouses at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
In 1972, John was hired by the University of Wisconsin, Madison, as an academic specialist, running the botany greenhouses and garden. In 1984, John took the position at the Conservatory. He said, “It was really sort of coming back to my roots because I had studied municipal horticulture rather than botany.”
The Conservatory began as a community effort in 1914 to provide a place to house exotic plants that area residents collected during their travels abroad. The present Edwardian-style glass structure, built in 1929, houses a botanical collection of more than 3,000 plants.
Over the years, the building fell into disrepair. In 1970, when plans were made to raze it, a group of concerned citizens led a successful drive to preserve, and eventually enhance, this unique resource. After this successful fundraising effort, the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory was officially formed in 1986 to work with the Park District of Oak Park to help promote community interest, offer educational opportunities, and support projects that benefit the Conservatory and its visitors. In 2000, the Conservatory Center was opened to provide expanded space and facilities for educational programming, day-to-day operations, and public events. “The Conservatory was saved by the community, for the community,” said John, “and I’ve always felt like this position is in trust to the community.”
The Conservatory draws up to 30,000 visitors annually. In 2004, the Conservatory was named an Oak Park Landmark, and in 2005, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
One of the challenges of running the Conservatory has been to get and keep the word out, and John said that the Friends of the Conservatory have been tremendously helpful in that area. Funding is also always a challenge. John said that there are a lot of demands on limited resources, and he has been very frugal with his budget.
Part of John’s job has been to oversee the astounding number of bedding plants that are planted at public parks and sites throughout the village of Oak Park. When John arrived in Oak Park, Scoville Park had just been redesigned, and John was the first person to plant material in the beds surrounding the war memorial in the park. In later years, when OPALGA started its “Building Bridges” festival in the park, John tried to provide plant material that related to that festival. John joined OPALGA in the year of its founding (1989) and said that he would like to have been more involved throughout the years but that he wasn’t because of his total involvement with the Conservatory.
“One of the things about my job that I have enjoyed the most,” said John, “is how the community has taken to the conservatory. They come in and just sigh with relief, especially during a winter like our last one, which seemed to go on forever.” He continued, “This is a place where children often take their first faltering steps. Our displays in the parks, our plant clinics, our presence at the Farmers’ Market—all of this has led to a lot of good will generated by what the Conservatory does in the community.”
John said that his proudest accomplishments at the Conservatory have been getting the Friends of the Conservatory organized, getting the Conservatory Center built, and obtaining both the local and national historic recognition. When I asked what the best-kept secret about the Conservatory is, John said, “I call it the Garden of Eden at the corner of East and Garfield. It’s right here. You don’t have to go to Florida. Coming to the Conservatory is an aesthetic experience. You can just come here and enjoy a sense of green and growing.”
In the first phase of his retirement, John is going to spend some time in England visiting his granddaughter, and he is proud to say that he is expecting another grandchild!
The theme of “community” came up again and again in our conversation, and John is both grateful for and satisfied with his time in the village of Oak Park. “One needs to be who one is in the world, and I’ve been lucky to be who I am,” he said. We will continue to see John out and about in the village, stopping to smell the roses.
Message from the Co-Chairs
Thursday, May 15, 2008—on its face, a day that was not unlike many others for most people. As the end of another workweek drew near, the Chicago area continued to be unseasonably cool. Across the country, plans for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend continued to change as many Americans grappled with the worsening effects of the economy.
Thursday, May 15, 2008—a day that was most unlike many others for members of the LGBT community. By a stunning 4-3 ruling, the California Supreme Court ruled not only that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, but also rejected California’s marriage laws as discriminatory. The expansive 121-page decision from the Republican-dominated court disagreed with the arguments about the importance of preserving only traditional marriages. In writing for the majority, Chief Justice Ronald George declared that the right to marry “is of fundamental significance” and cannot be denied to couples based only on their sexual orientation. Immediately hailed as a huge victory for gay rights, the decision now refutes any idea that Massachusetts is peculiarly alone in its recognition of gay marriage.
This decision in the nation’s most populous state is expected to have an impact far beyond California, although the effects there could be enormous. The latest census figures show over 100,000 same-sex couples in California alone, about 25% of whom have children. What now remains to be seen is the effect it will have in other states like Illinois, where a bill seeking to recognize civil unions is now pending in the state legislature.
As members of the LGBT community, we have certainly learned the hard way that any victory, no matter how huge, is no guarantee of future success. This court’s decision resulted from San Francisco’s highly publicized gay weddings in 2004, which in turn helped fuel a conservative backlash in that election year. The religious right joined with social conservatives to fight bitterly in their opposition to same-sex marriages, and the result had a ripple effect nationwide. In Ohio, for instance, opponents prevailed in a state that wound up being key to Bush’s re-election.
So what happens next? In California, Governor Schwarzenegger has promised to uphold the decision and to veto a bill already being drawn up that seeks to defy the ruling by amending the state’s constitution. In Illinois, time will tell. Proponents of the civil unions bill are guardedly optimistic, yet recent efforts by the ACLU, OPALGA, and Equality Illinois to spur a letter-writing campaign were disappointing. Meanwhile, New York has just announced that it intends to honor all out-of-state same-sex marriages. As to the upcoming election, Obama supports civil unions but is opposed to gay marriage. McCain is on record as opposing a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage; he prefers to leave the issue to individual states. All of us at OPALGA will be watching and waiting with great interest.
Meanwhile, earlier that same week, Larry McKeon, Illinois’ first openly gay legislator, passed away at age 63 after suffering a violent stroke. In 1992, Larry took a job as Mayor Daley’s liaison to the gay and lesbian community. Many questioned the appointment, and yet under Larry’s tenure, advances for the LGBT community were numerous as he continuously displayed keen insight into issues of significance to us. Thursday, May 15, 2008, would surely have brought a smile to Larry’s face.
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!
Around the OPALGA Center
Youth Pride Picnic
The Fifth Annual Youth Pride Picnic will be held on Saturday, June 28, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Stevenson Park, 49 Lake St., Oak Park. This annual event is a way to bring together all LGBT youth and young adult programs in the Chicagoland area to celebrate during Pride Weekend. The picnic is free of charge and includes food, music, and outdoor games. This year’s picnic is co-sponsored by OPALGA and the Broadway Youth Center in Chicago. Any adult volunteers are welcome; if you are interested, please call Susan at 708-386-3463.
Prism Returns
Because of recent calls and inquiries by both teens and their parents, we are going to hold Prism, our teen drop-in program, during the month of June. Prism will be open every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at The OPALGA Center, 947 Garfield St., Oak Park. If the response is positive, we will consider extending our hours throughout the summer. If you have a teen who might benefit from the program, please call The OPALGA Center at 708-848-0273!
HIV Testing Is Up and Running
OPALGA has provided two outreach testing nights at Sunday Madness @ Merenderos San Marcos in Cicero (2120 S. Cicero Ave., Cicero, from 10:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m.) and our drop-in groups. We have been providing free, anonymous HIV testing and counseling to close to 30 young men through our outreach efforts. This new program has already proved to be both a needed and rewarding service to provide to our community.
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.
Elmhurst College Outreach
Thanks to longtime OPALGA member Jim Kelly, who volunteered his time to meet with 17 students at Elmhurst College in May. Jim provided an interactive and informative talk that both engaged students in understanding their own perspective and experience with homosexuality and covered current political issues in the gay community. The class completed a survey for Jim. The results showed that almost 60% of the class have a close friend who is openly LGBT, but almost 20% feel that being LGBT is abnormal. Forty percent think it is a choice, and 30% have religious convictions that being LGBT is sinful. No one identified as LGBT. We still have some work ahead of us. Thanks for getting out there for us, Jim!
Volunteer Spotlight
Given the number of volunteers that OPALGA counts on annually to do the amazing work that we do, we decided that everyone should get to know each other a little better. This month, we are highlighting volunteer member Kara Ashley.
Empower: How long have you lived in the Chicago area?
Kara: All my life.
Empower: What town, village, or city do you live in now?
Kara: I live in Oak Park.
Empower: What do you do for a living, or, if you’re in school, where and what are you studying?
Kara: This was my last year at Triton, and I’ll be transferring to Roosevelt to major in social work.
Empower: How long have you been a member of or involved with OPALGA?
Kara: I first went to PRISM about six years ago.
Empower: In what capacity do you volunteer?
Kara: I volunteer with RED.
Empower: How did you come to volunteer for OPALGA?
Kara: Andy, other volunteers, and Susan encouraged me to volunteer.
Empower: What’s your favorite color?
Kara: My favorite color is maroon.
Empower: What’s your favorite movie and/or book and why?
Kara: Movie-wise, it’s a tough choice, but Lost in Translation is a definite favorite. I love the story and how the gentle themes of insomnia and “finding yourself” (as the movie states) play throughout it. As for my favorite book, I currently have a love affair with the Twilight series written by Stephanie Meyer.
Empower: Where do you go for your favorite meal?
Kara: My favorite meal changes daily, really, but I’m always up for some great Thai food at Dharma Garden.
Empower: If money were no object and you could do anything you want, what would it be?
Kara: Oh the possibilities…. I would probably build a chain of cafés, give them really catchy names, and hire local talent to display/perform their art.
Empower: What are you listening to the most on your iPod?
Kara: 1. “The Con” by Tegan and Sara
2. “The City Lights” by The Umbrellas
3. “Jesus Christ” by Brand New
4. “Both Hands” by Ani DiFranco
5. “Breathe Me” by Sia
6. “World Spins Madly On” by The Weepies
7. “Schism” by Tool
8. “Warm Whispers” by Missy Higgins
9. “My Skin” by Natalie Merchant
10. “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails
Thank you, Kara, and thank you to all of our volunteers! You may be next in the spotlight!
PFLAG Oak Park to Host Potluck, Bake Sales
PFLAG Oak Park will be hosting a Fifth Saturday Family Potluck on Saturday, June 28, starting at 4:00 p.m. The potluck will be held in Taylor Park, 400 W. Division at Ridgeland, Oak Park. All OPALGA members are invited to attend—just bring your friends and families and a dish to share. For more information, call Kate at 708-386-1738.
PFLAG Oak Park will be holding its bake sales at the Oak Park Farmers’ Market (at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St., Oak Park) on Saturday, July 5, and Saturday, August 30. The Farmers’ Market will not be having bread vendors this year, so that’s all the more reason to come to our booth on those days and eat delicious PFLAG yeast bread baked by Sylvia Menninga! If anyone wants to do some baking for us (cookies?), let Kate know at 708-386-1738. If you can’t bake or buy anything, at least stop by and say “hello.” We have the most gay-ly decorated booth at the market!
BUNGALO Briefings
BUNGALO Victory After 13 Years
On Tuesday, May 27, the Berwyn City Council voted unanimously to amend the city’s Community Relations Ordinance to protect residents from discrimination due to sexual orientation. Berwyn joins only 13 other Illinois cities affording this protection to residents.
The current Berwyn United Neighborhood Gay and Lesbian Organization (BUNGALO) Board of Directors extends a heartfelt thank you to BUNGALO’s founders and past board members for shouldering the work for the last 13 years that led to this victory. They adopted the motto “We Too Are Berwyn” years ago to remind city leaders that the Berwyn LGBT community was an important part of the larger community and should not have been excluded. Today, we can say “We All Are Berwyn,” as the city becomes a totally inclusive community.
Please join us in thanking the community leaders who helped to make this possible. The Berwyn Community Relations Commissioners: Terri Shonder, Director, Nora Laureto, Secretary, Mike Collins, Richard Feliciano, Blanca Gonzalez, and Tish McMahon, City Clerk Tom Pavlik, Alderman Mark Weiner (BUNGALO member), and Alderman Nona Chapman. We are also grateful for the leadership shown on this issue by Alderman Robert Lovaro and Alderman Michelle Skryd, and we would like to thank Mayor Michael O’Connor (BUNGALO member) and Aldermen Ramos, Day, Phelan, and Erickson for voicing their support and for their affirmative vote. Included in our thanks also are Susan Anderson and Kenan Seda and the All Berwyn Committee for including BUNGALO in the recent diversity forum that really kicked things into gear.
Last but not least, we thank you for being supportive of BUNGALO. Whether you live in Berwyn or not, your participation in our activities and those of the larger community in which we all live made this day in Berwyn possible. Everyone can share in this victory.
Award-Winning Documentary Screened in Berwyn
BUNGALO, in partnership with the North Berwyn Park District and the 16th Street Theater, presented a screening of the documentary Freeheld, which concerns Detective Lieutenant Laurel Hester of the New Jersey Police Department. Facing death from cancer, Laurel spends the final year of her life fighting a policy that will not allow her to transfer her pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree. Freeheld won the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. The film was shown on Friday, June 20, at the 16th Street Theater in the Berwyn Cultural Center.
Party of the Century
On Saturday, June 21, members and friends of the Berwyn United Neighborhood Gay and Lesbian Organization (BUNGALO) gathered at Salerno’s Restaurant in Berwyn to celebrate in a big way:
• the 13th anniversary of BUNGALO;
• the centennial of the city of Berwyn;
• and the recent vote by the Berwyn City Council to amend the city’s Community Relations Ordinance to protect residents from discrimination due to sexual orientation, a huge cause for celebration.
Guests enjoyed dinner, dancing, and a drag show during this very special event. Congratulations to our friends at BUNGALO!
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!
Miss Nancy and Kat Potato Salad
Created on June 17, 1973
12 medium new potatoes
8 tbsp. mayonnaise
6 tbsp. pickle relish with juice
2 tsp. dill weed
2 tsp. celery seed
4 tsp. garlic salt
A few shakes of cracked pepper
4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 c. olive juice
Cut potatoes into smallish size, boil rapidly until tender; drain, dry slightly over flame. Mix potatoes with remaining ingredients and serve while hot!
Submitted by Suzanne Johnston
Illinois Men’s Health Survey
The Illinois HIV Prevention Planning Group is requesting your input! Below is a link to a survey for Illinois men of age 18 or older living outside of the Chicago city limits who have been sexually intimate with other men. It will take only about four or five minutes to complete the survey. The survey is anonymous, and the information you provide to the Prevention Planning Group is crucial for planning good HIV prevention services for Illinois. A $10 credit on PayPal™ is available to thank you for participating. Please take the survey, and share this information with any other men of age 18 or older who may also want to participate. Thank you so much for your time and for doing your part to help plan the best HIV prevention services possible for Illinois men!
To begin the Illinois Men’s Health Survey, type the following address into your Web browser:
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2a20h5qff2podt3/start
This online survey needs to be completed by May 19, 2008.
Please Join the Fun—A Day in Our Village Is Coming Soon
One of Oak Park’s finest traditions is its annual “A Day in Our Village” festival. This festival is an opportunity for community members within and outside of Oak Park to spend a Sunday afternoon in Scoville Park (at the corner of Oak Park Ave. and Lake St.) and learn about our various local organizations and businesses. Four years ago, OPALGA decided that it wouldn’t be a festive occasion without a little LGBT humor and dubbed our booth “A Gay in Our Village.” The name play has received a tremendously positive response from festival attendees.
This year, we take pride once again in promoting our organization and our services. The festival will be held on Sunday, June 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please stop by our booth to say hello and to enjoy this day-long festival of activities, entertainment, and refreshments.
