Mygazine

Day 11: 31 Days of Giving

It is true. We are everywhere. And the musical community is no exception.

Outmusic is a network of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered musicians and supporters. Performers, composers, lyricists, producers, recording artists, activists, promoters, press/media and even non-musicians who believe in LGBT music have joined Outmusic over the years. Since, 2001 the group has given out its annual Outmusic Awards. 2006 award nominees include Lea Delaria, Billy Porter and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.

 

               

Day 10: 31 Days of Giving

2007 will be here before we know it, and in January the indie film community, along with the folks behind the Queer Lounge, will be making the annual pilgrimage to the Sundance Film Festival. If, like me, you are huge fan of LGBT film, think about making a donation to this great group.

By donating, you will help ensure that films important to the LGBT community have a voice in the mainstream; that the next generation of LGBT filmmakers have the professional knowledge, contacts and opportunities to create compelling work and reach broad audiences; and that our community has an advocate, challenging Hollywood and the independent film world to continue to make and distribute films with LGBT themes and characters.

A Look Back at Week One: 31 Days of Giving

Here is a list you can use to learn about the many worthy charities I wrote about in the first week of my 31 Days of Giving.

• AVOC
• The Trevor Project
• GALA Choruses
• GLSEN
• The Lambda Literary Foundation
• GLAAD
• The Hetrick-Martin Insitute
• Freedom to Marry
• Family Pride

Days 8 & 9:31 Days of Giving

With the gay community's ever-increasing focus on marriage and family, you may want to consider supporting either or both of these organizations.

Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Headed by Evan Wolfson, one of America's leading civil rights advocates and lawyers, Freedom to Marry brings new resources and a renewed context of urgency and opportunity to this social justice movement. Freedom to Marry brings the work of its partner organizations into a larger whole, a shared civil rights campaign that fosters heightened outreach to non-gay allies.

From their policy and legislative work in support of all loving families to the fun week the organization sponsors each summer in P-town, Family Pride works with other progressive national and state-based organizations, local parents groups and families, friends and allies to make change, share information and build community. 

Day 7: 31 Days of Giving

Despite all the media attention that lgbtq youth receive, these kids often still face a very tough road in one of the places where they should feel safest--at school. Luckily here in New York City, we have The Hetrick-Martin Institute.

While HMI’s serves youth Members, ranging in age from 12 to 21, from 172 zip codes throughout all of New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area, the organization's flagship program is Tthe Harvey Milk High School. Founded in 1985 in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, which administers the school and is responsible for admissions, the school is the first and largest of its kind in the world—a public school devoted to fulfilling the specific needs of at-risk youth. HMI’s goal is to provide each young person with the skills and support necessary to move safely through adolescence and successfully into the realms of higher education, career, and life.

Think about giving generously to support another very wothy cause.

Days 5 & 6:31 Days of Giving

GLBTQ literature is alive and thriving in large part thanks to organizations like The Lambda Literary Foundation. In addition to giving out its annual literary awards, sometimes known as "Lammies," the foundation works tirelessly to promote and advocate on behalf of the entire lgbt literary genre and community.

In 2006, the group's initiatives included the relaunch of Lambda Book Report as a quarterly publication, an outreach program to GLBTQ youth to help form book clubs and a media watch program that monitored and advocates for review coverage of GLBTQ books in the nation’s newspapers and periodicals.

Speaking of the press and media, you might also considering making a gift to GLAAD, our communities most prominent national media watchdog. Known for its annual GLAAD Media Awards held in several major cities across the country, the organization is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Day 4: 31 Days of Giving

You're gonna shop for gifts this month. So, why not make purchases and contribute to a very worthy cause at the same time?

When you are ready to settle for some on-line holiday shopping, click on over to the the Towleroad Holiday Gift Guide. You'll find suggestions for everything: books (including one by yours truly), DVDs, electronic gadgets, baby gifts for your favorite new g,l, b or t parents, soothing grooming products, just to name a few things.

The best part is that 25% of any proceds generated here during December will be donated to GLSEN (Gay Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), an organization which ensures safe schools for all students and works to combat harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Day 3: 31 Days of Giving

All across the country this month, gay and lesbian choruses large and small will be keeping our spirits high with a slew of holiday concerts. From New York City (NYCGMC) and San Francisco (SFGMC) to Colorado Springs (Out Loud) and Albuquerque, New Mexico (NMGMC), gay and lesbian choruses truly are everywhere. If you haven't heard your local group perform, there's no time like the present.

If you choose to support an individual chorus, a few worthy ones are mentioned above. Or, if you would like to contribute on a more national level, you can give to the national governing organization, GALA Choruses. GALA is a not-for-profit organization serving the GLBT choral movement. The mission of GALA Choruses is to support GLBT choruses as we change our world through song. GALA Choruses is open to all GLBT and GLBT-allied choruses. Through workshops, festivals and ongoing networking and administrative support services, GALA Choruses fosters the continued artistic and organizational growth of its member choruses.

It's Better to Give Than to Receive

December is a big month for giving. Of course , there are the 25 days of Christmas and all the accompanying holiday hype. Our Jewish friends celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah. And if they don't celebrate Christmas, some African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa. Hey, regardless of how you choose to do your thing at the end of each year, there is one good way to do your part. Choose a charity whose work you feel strongly about and give generously to it.

In the spirit of helping our fellow man (or woman or child) during this season, follow the Mygazine 31 Days of Giving. Each day we will highlight at least one worthy charity you could choose to donate your money and time to during December and throughout the year.

Day One
As yesterday was World AIDS Day, it seems only appropriate that we begin with a charity that does work around HIV and AIDS.  I thought I would start with, AVOC an HIV/AIDS service organization from my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. AVOC was started in 1983 in response to the first case of HIV in Cincinnati.  The organization currently employs over 30 full time staffers, and is the only full service HIV/AIDS organization serving Cincinnati.

Day Two
Personally, I am a big fan of charitable organizations that support and nurture GLBT youth. Take some time to learn about the work of The Trevor Project, a nonprofit endeavor established to promote acceptance of gay and questioning teenagers and to aid in suicide prevention among that group. If you live in Los Angeles, or plan to be there this Sunday (December 3) consider attending their Cracked Xmas event.