Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association: Youth

Oak Park Area
Lesbian & Gay Association
947 Garfield, Oak Park, IL 60304, U.S.A.

Info-line & Messages: (708) 848-0273
FAX: (708) 848-7544
E-mail: info@opalga.org

Prism Youth Director:prism@opalga.org
Prism/Spectrum Tel: (708) 386-3463

Prism logo

Prism is open to LGBT youth ages 14-18
Prism meets every Thursday night from 6:30-9:00pm

Come on over, have fun, meet other youth, snacks and drinks are on us! If you have any questions about the group, you can call me, Susan at (708) 386-3463 or email me at prism@opalga.org. See you soon!

Prism Poet : Sean Marquez

Lamenting

Observe how my mind blurs,
Twists & Turns, Shifts & curves for
The Most disturbed Person on Earth.

No Laments terms, stupid
Listen & Learn or get burned
Then Submerged in an ocean of words

The words won't reach,
dealing with backwards speech.

Besides, I have no mouth with which I can speak
My own voice makes my prison complete.

Gay Black Male

I've been the most hated on Earth, since birth
GBM, my 1st step even hurt. Living with
twerps & jerks driving me berzerk.

Looking for my Personal Prize others despise.
between anonymous thighs

Criticize without trying to visualize individuals live
through a GBM's eyes.

My Shattered mask exposes the truth at last
Lap my life twice because the lane was too fast.

I know most of you have seen the rainbow flag, or triangle, or just about anything with a rainbow, and know it is associated with gay culture, but do you know why? I received the following from GLSEN:

-- Susan Abbott

Our Rainbow Flag
opalga flag

In the early years of the American lesbian-gay movement (1960's and 1970's), activists gravitated to the lambda as signifiers of gay identity and pride. Lesbian-femininsts generally embraced the labrys (double-headed ax) for matriarchal, amazonian symbolism.

In the 1980's, the pink triangle, black triangle, and rainbow flag joined the pantheon. According to Lambda Rising, distributor of a popular brand of stick-on rainbow flags, the rainbow flag has become "the" recognized symbol of the gay and lesbian community. Use of the rainbow flag began in the late 1970's, primarily on the West Coast where it could be seen waving in the wind during Gay Pride marches. Today it is recognized throughtout North America, Europe, and Australia as a symbol of lesbian-gay community and pride.

More specifically, in May of 1978, designer/activist Gilbert Baker created what he called the "Rainbow Flag for Freedom". The six colored stripes are intended to represent the diversity, strength, beauty, and unity of lesbian and gay people around the world. Lesbian/gay activists make a conscious effort to recognize and support the wide diversity of the people who make up our community ~ a community that encompasses people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, ages, classes, disability statuses, and national origins.

Rainbow flags should always be displayed with the red strip on top.
The flags gained great exposure and popularity at the 1993 March on Washington and the 1994 Stonewall 25 celebrations in New York City, where they were purchased and waved in the thousands. One of the most dramatic public uses of the rainbow flag occured when The Stadtlanders Foundation launched their "Raise the Rainbow Project" to raise money for AIDS charities nationwide. A mile-long rainbow flag was carried in the International March on the United Nations (June 26, 1994, New York City) as part of the Stonewall 25 week.

The also-popular aluminum freedom rings ~ worn primarily as necklaces, boot jewelry, and jacket shoulder-strap accessories ~ are designed with the same color scheme: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple (in that order). More rainbow-motif products are coming on the market each month. But watch our for sellers who only want to make a buck off of gay pride enthusiasts: Often their products have the purple stripe on top, indicating that they're making the product with no idea whatsoever of what it represents or that it's a flag. You wouldn't display the American Flag with the stars on the bottom, would you? If you're going to use the rainbow as a Pride symbol, be sure it has the right six colors in the right order.

Be Out, Be Proud, Be Safe

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Prism Poet : Sean Marquez

Lamenting Observe how my mind blurs, Twists & Turns, Shifts & curves for The Most disturbed Person on Earth. No Laments terms, stupid Listen & Learn or get burned Then Submerged in an ocean of words The words won't reach, dealing with backwards speech. Besides, I have no mouth with which I can speak My own voice makes my prison complete.		Gay Black Male I've been the most hated on Earth, since birth GBM, my 1st step even hurt. Living with twerps & jerks driving me berzerk. Looking for my Personal Prize others despise. between anonymous thighs Criticize without trying to visualize individuals live through a GBM's eyes. My Shattered mask exposes the truth at last Lap my life twice because the lane was too fast.

I know most of you have seen the rainbow flag, or triangle, or just about anything with a rainbow, and know it is associated with gay culture, but do you know why? I received the following from GLSEN: -- Susan Abbott
Our Rainbow Flag
In the early years of the American lesbian-gay movement (1960's and 1970's), activists gravitated to the lambda as signifiers of gay identity and pride. Lesbian-femininsts generally embraced the labrys (double-headed ax) for matriarchal, amazonian symbolism. In the 1980's, the pink triangle, black triangle, and rainbow flag joined the pantheon. According to Lambda Rising, distributor of a popular brand of stick-on rainbow flags, the rainbow flag has become "the" recognized symbol of the gay and lesbian community. Use of the rainbow flag began in the late 1970's, primarily on the West Coast where it could be seen waving in the wind during Gay Pride marches. Today it is recognized throughtout North America, Europe, and Australia as a symbol of lesbian-gay community and pride. More specifically, in May of 1978, designer/activist Gilbert Baker created what he called the "Rainbow Flag for Freedom". The six colored stripes are intended to represent the diversity, strength, beauty, and unity of lesbian and gay people around the world. Lesbian/gay activists make a conscious effort to recognize and support the wide diversity of the people who make up our community ~ a community that encompasses people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, ages, classes, disability statuses, and national origins. Rainbow flags should always be displayed with the red strip on top.	The flags gained great exposure and popularity at the 1993 March on Washington and the 1994 Stonewall 25 celebrations in New York City, where they were purchased and waved in the thousands. One of the most dramatic public uses of the rainbow flag occured when The Stadtlanders Foundation launched their "Raise the Rainbow Project" to raise money for AIDS charities nationwide. A mile-long rainbow flag was carried in the International March on the United Nations (June 26, 1994, New York City) as part of the Stonewall 25 week. The also-popular aluminum freedom rings ~ worn primarily as necklaces, boot jewelry, and jacket shoulder-strap accessories ~ are designed with the same color scheme: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple (in that order). More rainbow-motif products are coming on the market each month. But watch our for sellers who only want to make a buck off of gay pride enthusiasts: Often their products have the purple stripe on top, indicating that they're making the product with no idea whatsoever of what it represents or that it's a flag. You wouldn't display the American Flag with the stars on the bottom, would you? If you're going to use the rainbow as a Pride symbol, be sure it has the right six colors in the right order.
Be Out, Be Proud, Be Safe