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.
Member Recognition Reception in May…Zientek and Findlay Award Nominees Sought
The annual OPALGA Membership Recognition Reception is being planned for the merry month of May. The OPALGA Board of Directors sincerely thanks our members for their participation in and dedication to our organization at this meeting. At this meeting, we present awards in two categories: the Carol Zientek Award for Distinguished Service and the Brian Findlay Award for Outstanding and Long-Term Commitment.
At this time, we are seeking your input on nominees for these awards. We ask for your help in identifying candidates for public recognition of their outstanding contributions to the organization. So, put on your thinking caps—we need your help in naming these individuals!
A nomination form was included with the current issue of Empower, and you should look for your invitation to this special event with all of the details later this month. We sincerely hope that you will be able to join us! If you just can’t wait, please call The OPALGA Center at 708-848-0273 with your ideas for award nominees—we will make sure that your recommendations are forwarded to the awards committee.
OPALGA Goes “The Full Monty”
Following up on the success of the theatre event held earlier this year at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, OPALGA is now partnering with the Village Players Theatre of Oak Park to present another fun-filled evening of live theatre. In order to help celebrate Pride month in June, OPALGA has reserved the entire theatre for the evening of Saturday, June 14, as the Village Players put on their production of the acclaimed Broadway hit, “The Full Monty.” The plot of the show concerns six unemployed men who, low on cash, decide to present a strip act at a local club after seeing their friends’ enthusiasm about a touring company of professionals. As they prepare for the show, working through their fears and self-consciousness, they overcome their anxieties and find strength in their camaraderie.
“Thanks to the generosity of the Village Players and Carl Occhipinti [Artistic Director of the Village Players and director of this production] and their support of OPALGA, our members are in for another fun evening,” said OPALGA Co-Chair Mike Cochran. “For only $40 per person, each individual will be able to partake of an open bar before the show, have some hors d’oeuvres, and then enjoy the production. Since each ticket purchased will include a $15 donation to OPALGA, we can raise $3,000 in one evening, which is just amazing.”
Tickets will be available through The OPALGA Center, and members should call Jan at 708-848-0273 to make their reservations. There are 200 seats in the theatre, and the organization hopes to achieve that magical standard of success in the theatre: a sellout!
“In addition,” Cochran added, “although it has not been officially confirmed, I have it on good authority that the cast is being true to the Broadway original and will actually… well, let’s just say that they will deliver the full package at the end of the show. That should certainly help sell a few tickets to the boys.”
Mark your calendar now to join OPALGA on Saturday, June 14, for “The Full Monty.” The Village Players Theatre is located at 1010 W. Madison St., Oak Park, IL 60302.
OPALGA Receives Chicago Community Trust Grant
OPALGA has just received notification from The Chicago Community Trust that the organization has approved a Management/Organizational Development Grant of $7,000 to OPALGA for the support of consultation for the development of a strategic plan and implementation of an Executive Director search based on said plan.
For 93 years, The Chicago Community Trust has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the community by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. With assets of $1.8 billion, the Trust made a record-breaking $114 million in grants in 2007. From strengthening community schools to assisting local art programs, from building health centers to helping lives affected by violence, the Trust works to enhance our region.
“The Chicago Community Trust is one of the most respected grant-making organizations in our community, and OPALGA is truly grateful for the Trust’s support of our strategic planning process,” said Mike Cochran, OPALGA Co-Chair. “The support of the Trust to an organization’s fundraising program truly cannot be measured in dollars and cents alone, as its support makes a statement of sorts to other donors who are considering giving funds to an organization.”
As Cochran also made clear, it is often smaller organizations such as OPALGA that receive the greatest benefit from a grant like this one. “The strategic planning process was and is so vital to OPALGA, and yet our budget is already virtually all allocated. Now, with the support of the Trust, our consultant Dr. Carol Goldbaum’s services have been fully paid for, and we have additional funds available to work with her as we go forward in search of an Executive Director. All of this helps OPALGA immeasurably as we attempt to transition the organization to the next level.”
“The first step in a journey is always the most difficult one. Thanks to the generosity of The Chicago Community Trust, the entire Board of Directors is energized and looking forward to building on this initial success,” Cochran added.
“Twelfth Night” Gala Approaches
As the unrelenting winter of 2007–2008 continues, everyone seems to be suffering from the same problems—colds, flu, and bronchial infections abound, the sun hasn’t been seen for days at a time, and each and every one of us is absolutely ready for spring to get here. At OPALGA, the anticipation is even keener because spring promises more than just better weather—here comes “Twelfth Night,” OPALGA’s sure cure for the winter blahs. To be held this year on Saturday, April 5, our biggest party of the year has lots in store for its guests.
Shakespeare began his play with the classic line “If music be the food of love, play on.” Led by Co-Chairs J. Lee Latham and Rick Whitehead, the Gala Planning Committee has clearly adopted the motto and warmed to the task at hand. From an entertainment point of view, The Weird Sisters and our fantastic DJ will combine to make the evening a memorable one. From the moment you enter the Hyatt Lodge at Oak Brook amidst the beautiful McDonald’s campus, it will be readily apparent that this is going to be a spectacular event. Every aspect of the evening is being planned with an eye to making the night the best Gala yet. And, best yet, if guests don’t want to drive after the party, the Hyatt has made a block of rooms available for Gala guests at only $111 each.
So, whether it is the dining and dancing or the bidding on the various auction prizes at both the live and silent auctions that is your favorite part of the Gala, this year’s party will be a major mood-enhancer. The best part, however, is knowing that the Gala is so much more than just a great party. The Gala is our organization’s most significant fundraising event of the year, and it is so crucial to OPALGA that it represents about 40% of our entire annual operating budget. In addition to having a great time, guests at the Gala know that their support and participation help to make possible many of the programs that support our mission. A great party? Absolutely. But, with a ticket price of only $150, OPALGA’s Gala represents one of the best values around for the entertainment dollar. If you haven’t yet made your reservation, contact Jan at The OPALGA Center (708-848-0273) right away. Attendance at this year’s event is strictly limited to 350 due to the restrictions of the ballroom, so don’t be left out. Get out those boogie shoes and let’s party!
Message from the Co-Chairs
From February 6–10, the National Conference on LGBT Equality held its annual conference, “Creating Change,” at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. Susan Abbott, Director of Youth Programming, and Mike Cochran, OPALGA Co-Chair, attended the conference on behalf of OPALGA. Until OPALGA is able to hire an Executive Director, having a presence at conferences such as this one is vitally important to our organization. It not only allows OPALGA to network with other LGBT organization leaders and their members but it also enables us to keep current on what is happening in political and legal developments around the country and to keep us aware of issues of significance to the entire LGBT community.
The overriding theme of the conference was both direct and challenging—“Demanding Change without Embodying Change Will Never Create Change.” Highlights of the conference are too numerous to mention, but several can be singled out. Kate Clinton, the LGBT movement’s renowned comedic political commentator, served as the MC of all of the plenary sessions, and her topical humor was on point and well-received. Attendance at each of these sessions was always standing room only. The conference sessions covered topics such as fundraising, families, aging, legislative development, diversity, media, youth, sexuality, and volunteerism. Session facilitators uniformly used detailed handouts to ensure an excellence in presentation, and the overall quality of the program was always in evidence.
One plenary session, however, was extraordinarily memorable. Matt Foreman, the Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, had recently announced his decision to leave his position of over five years in order to accept a position in the fundraising world where he feels he has a unique ability to directly impact LGBT individuals and organizations in a major way. His final speech was emotional, passionate, hard-hitting, and eloquent, and it demonstrated at once his incredible commitment to the LGBT community.
Among the numerous highlights of his speech, attendees learned the following:
• 52% of the U.S. population now lives in a jurisdiction that outlaws discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation;
• 40% of the U.S. population now lives where people are prohibited from discrimination based on gender identity/expression; and,
• 20% of all Americans now live in states that give broad protection to same-sex couples.
As recently as 1970, all three of these numbers were zero!
Yet lest the LGBT community get self-satisfied, Matt offered up the following:
• Current estimates are that 40% of the homeless youth in the U.S. are LGBT individuals;
• Hate crimes not only continue but in fact now seem to be on the rise in many locales and are often particularly aimed at “feminine” males and “butch” females;
• Around the U.S., in communities where anti-discrimination legislation had previously passed, it has been taking an average of 15 years+ to go back and add gender identity to said legislation; and,
• At the August 9 forum for democratic presidential candidates, which was organized by the Human Rights Campaign and televised on the Logo channel, only Hillary Clinton had agreed to take a stand on the stump on LGBT issues (by August 9, both Edwards and Obama had also done so).
Matt’s main point, which he drove home both forcefully and eloquently, was that the LGBT movement is in fact at a critical point in its development. Now, more than ever, we must each be vigilant of the issues on the table and do our part to secure those basic rights to which we are rightfully entitled. His speech was inspirational and reminded each of us that no matter how much we have accomplished, there is still so much more to do.
Again, this concept of “change” could not be more timely for OPALGA. As you have learned from past issues of Empower, we have spent several months studying the organization and all that we do, and we have now created a three-year strategic plan that will guide us in improving each aspect of the organization so that we are giving you, our members, a terrific value for your dues. As always, we welcome your input. Should any of you have any thoughts or ideas that you would like to share, drop an e-mail to cochram1@nationwide.com. We would like to hear from you.
March Book Club Returns to the Twenty-First Century
The book club members had a good time and were in good company for the February 17 discussion of William Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identity, Twelfth Night. We were pleased to welcome back some former members, and we certainly hope that they’ll return—and bring their friends.
This month, we return to the twenty-first century—thank goodness—that Shakespearean language was quite a chore!
The following selections were decided on through July, 2008:
March 16 Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran
Three sisters escape the Iranian revolution and open a café in a small Irish village.
April 20 Three Junes by Julia Glass
The tale of several central and connected characters during three separate Junes spanning 10 years.
May 18 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
A powerful, harrowing depiction of Afghanistan, where women are agonizingly dependent on fathers, husbands, and especially sons, the bearing of male children being their sole path to social status.
June 15 Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish
A tale that tracks five strangers who become soul mates over the course of a funeral, posthumously organized by their mutual friend Annie, who died from ovarian cancer at age 56.
July 20 The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
A hauntingly beautiful novel about two characters whose lives are woven together in such complex ways that even after the last page is turned, the reader is left to wonder what really happened.
The book club meets every third Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The OPALGA Center, 947 Garfield, Oak Park, unless otherwise specified. All books are available through www.amazon.com. In addition, copies can be requested from the Oak Park Public Library (834 Lake St., Oak Park) or ordered from The Book Table (1045 Lake St., Oak Park). Remember, OPALGA receives a charitable donation from The Book Table for each book purchased there (regardless of whether it is a book club selection). Please let them know that you are purchasing your book as a member of OPALGA.
Women’s Mix and Mingle Potluck
On Sunday, March 30, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., please join us for a Women’s Mix and Mingle Potluck. This is a great opportunity for the women of OPALGA to enjoy a casual afternoon get-together to reconnect with old friends and to meet some new ones. This event will be hosted by Bobbi Allen, 721 Ontario St., #212, Oak Park, IL 60302. If you have any questions or need directions, please contact Bobbi at 708-524-3350. Note that this is an adults-only event, so we request that you leave your children at home. We look forward to seeing you there!
Around The OPALGA Center
OPALGA Hosts LCCP Focus Group
On Thursday, January 17, OPALGA hosted a focus group for the Lesbian Community Care Project (LCCP), a program of Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago, to help that organization create an upcoming campaign focusing on lesbian health. The 17 women who participated comprised a racially diverse group ranging in age from 20 to 70 years! Topics ran the gamut from breast and cervical cancer to sexual practice, health, and general wellness. The group could have talked all night, and it became clear that we need to engage in more intergenerational dialogue and to talk more about women’s health and sex! Look for upcoming programming to meet this need, and if you have any programming ideas, please call The OPALGA Center to let us know so that we can work these programs into our 2008 calendar. To hear more about the focus group, or to discuss ideas for women’s programming, please contact Susan Abbott at The OPALGA Center by phone (708-386-3463) or e-mail (prism@opalga.org).
New Services in 2008
OPALGA has once again received funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide education in HIV/STD prevention, but a new addition this year is the ability to provide FREE, ANONYMOUS HIV testing both on site at The OPALGA Center and in the community. If you would like to make an appointment to be tested or to meet one-on-one with our trained test counselors to assess your risk, please contact Susan Abbott at The OPALGA Center by phone (confidential voice mail at 708-386-3463) or e-mail (prism@opalga.org).
OPALGA has learned that two HIV+ support programs in West Suburban Cook County are no longer in operation. We are interested in starting a peer-supportive group for HIV+ individuals. If you are interested in participating, please contact Susan Abbott at The OPALGA Center by phone (708-386-3463) or e-mail (prism@opalga.org).
Amigos Latinos Apoyando Siempre (ALAS) is now meeting EVERY Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at The OPALGA Center. ALAS is for gay-bi-trans-identified Latino males of age 18 and over. For more information, please contact Hector Salgado at alas@opalga.org.
We Need You!
OPALGA is forming a planning group to provide more programming and educational opportunities for communities of color. If you are interested in being involved with this group, please contact Lisa Pearson at 630-399-2116.
We are looking for HIV+ speakers to share their stories with our HIV prevention groups Spectrum and ALAS. If you are interested in speaking, please contact Susan Abbott at The OPALGA Center by phone (708-386-3463) or e-mail (prism@opalga.org).
Women Like Me Will Not Meet in March
Women Like Me, which normally meets on the fourth Sunday of every month, will not meet on March 23 due to the observance of Easter Sunday. Women Like Me is a supportive community group for women who are lesbian, bisexual, or questioning, or who are coming out later in life. Look for the regular meeting to resume at The OPALGA Center on April 27.
Programming Committee Takes New Direction
OPALGA’s Programming Committee recently held a meeting to reconfigure itself after a break of several months. One major change is that the committee will now be known as the Social Committee because it will primarily concern itself with social-type events. This was a direct result of the recent strategic planning process wherein the Board identified the need to differentiate social events from substantive programming for specific groups such as families, singles, etc. Programs targeted for these and other specific groups will be put on by a new Programming Committee, while the Social Committee will now consider a wide range of activities including events such as the drag show, gay bingo, theatre outings, and the like.
“The timing of the new structure is perfect because it now gives us a chance to think totally outside the box,” said David Rappoport, Board member and interim Chair of the Social Committee. “We can continue with events that have been successful in the past while at the same time come up with totally new ideas that satisfy the needs of our members for more diverse social events.”
The Social Committee meets monthly on the second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at The OPALGA Center and is looking for new members who want to help plan and put on events for the membership. “Your involvement can be limited to occasionally lending a hand, or you can take on and manage your own event if you have the time and interest,” added Rappoport.
“I am truly grateful for David’s willingness to step up and help us at this time,” said Mike Cochran, OPALGA Co-Chair. “Already this year we had over 85 people at the post-holiday brunch and 5 days later over 60 people attended the Steppenwolf benefit evening. These numbers show that our members enthusiastically respond to the right kinds of events.”
Anyone who wants further information about the Social Committee and its activities should contact David Rappoport at davidsteven@comcast.net.
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 and 2008 Gala Co-Chair Rick Whitehead.
Empower: How long have you been a member of OPALGA?
Rick: I have been a member of OPALGA for about four years.
Empower: How long have you volunteered with OPALGA?
Rick: The first year, I attended a few potlucks and the Gala with my partner, Mike Cochran. I began volunteering my second year as a member.
Empower: In what capacity do you volunteer with OPALGA?
Rick: I’ve volunteered each year at A Day (A Gay) in Our Village. I did the 3:30 a.m. shift one year for the Donut Days fundraiser at the Oak Park Farmers’ Market. I’ve participated in the last three Independence Day (4th of July) parades in Oak Park. I co-hosted an OPALGA house walk with Mike in 2005. I was a co-chair for Table Captains for the 2006 Gala. I’m Co-Chair for the upcoming “Twelfth Night” Gala on April 5 with Lee Latham.
Empower: What first inspired you to become active and involved with OPALGA; that is, how did you first become a volunteer?
Rick: Mike and I were both volunteers on Oak Park Village commissions. Joanne Trapani, then the Village President, who was a Table Captain, first invited us to a Gala. Mike first became active in OPALGA, and then I followed suit shortly thereafter.
Empower: How would you encourage others to become active volunteers with OPALGA?
Rick: To become more active, I would suggest that members read Empower to see what the upcoming events are and where they need assistance. Then, call The OPALGA Center to volunteer. It’s that easy. With the variety of events and programs that OPALGA offers, it is usually easy to match up your interests with the group’s needs.
Empower: There are so many organizations with volunteer opportunities in the Oak Park area; what made you choose OPALGA as the organization with which to volunteer?
Rick: As I mentioned, I had been on one of the Village’s commissions—the Farmers’ Market commission. In fact, for six years, I chaired the commission, which kept me pretty busy, especially all summer. As a member of the LGBT community, however, I wanted to actively support and give back to the community, so I got more active in OPALGA as my workload eased with the Farmers’ Market.
Empower: Are you involved with other LGBT organizations?
Rick: No, OPALGA is the only LGBT organization with which I am actively involved.
Empower: What do you find most satisfying, rewarding, or inspirational about being an OPALGA volunteer?
Rick: For myself, I enjoy meeting other new LGBT people in our community. The monthly potlucks, for example, are just amazing places to meet new people and to see friends on an ongoing basis. The most rewarding aspect of volunteering is being able to support the great programs that OPALGA offers for the LGBT community. Growing up, to have the youth programs available that OPALGA now offers would have been so beneficial.
Empower: What is your professional background?
Rick: I am a transplant from the Lancaster, PA, area, but my career brought me to Chicago about 29 years ago. I’ve worked in various roles at the corporate offices of a corrugated container company—Packaging Corporation of America—in Lake Forest. PCA has four paper mills and 68 corrugated plants in the U.S. Most of my career has been on the operational side of the business. My last three years, I’ve been in our Sales and Marketing group, managing Sales Compensation, a fleet of 600+ vehicles and providing training to our 68 plants.
Empower: Is there any other personal information you would like to share with our readers? (Where you live, what your hobbies are, etc.)
Rick: For the past eight years, I have lived on South Harvey Avenue in Oak Park with my beloved partner Mike and our yellow Labrador Jordan. Our home is on a fairly large lot, which allows me to spend much of my time with one of my true loves—gardening. I also have other interests, such as playing tennis and scuba diving. In fact, recently in Hawaii I fulfilled a long-time desire to do an evening dive with manta rays, which was amazing. I recently started a part-time job at a dive shop in Oak Park called H2 Go Scuba, located on Chicago Avenue. I’m working with H2 Go Scuba toward obtaining Master Diver certification. And, living with Mike, I have become quite familiar with the music of Madonna and Barbra.
Thank you, Rick, and thank you to all of our volunteers! You may be next in the spotlight!
