Bay Windows - December 23, 2004
Laura Kiritsy, lkiritsy@baywindows.com.

There's no shortage of organizations that have toiled tirelessly for the GLBT community this year and no doubt they'd love to be on the receiving end of some holiday cheer. Why not give a little back by making a donation in the name of someone on your shopping list? It's a great way to help the cause and educate your loved ones about the issues that face the GLBT community year-round. After all, you wouldn't even have a mother-in-law were it not for the efforts of groups like Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry, the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Massachusetts chapter of the National Organization for Women, and MassEquality, to name just a few.

MassEquality, the coalition at the forefront of marriage equality in Massachusetts, has gone out of its way to assist stumped shoppers with gift-giving. The MassEquality Holiday Gift Card, comes in designs for Christmas, Hanukkah, or - for a more secular greeting - the "equality-loving reindeer." For a contribution - the suggested minimum is $25.00 - MassEquality will send a gift card to anyone on your holiday shopping list, "naughty or nice." They'll even handwrite your own personal message inside. Perhaps you'd like to send a festive, equality-themed holiday greeting to state Rep. Phil Travis or Gov. Mitt Romney. Remember, even Scrooge and the Grinch let their cold hearts be warmed by the spirit of the season. Maybe that's asking too much for our most ardent opponents, but at the very least you'll be contributing to winning the fight to save your right to marry.

We've all been marriage-minded with good reason this year, but many other organizations have continued to address other issues of importance with far less recognition. Now's a good time to remember those who look out for our health, well-being and safety; for instance, AIDS Action Committee, the Boston Living Center and Fenway Community Health, are just a few such places. The Network/La Red and the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project serve some of the most vulnerable among us: GLBT victims of domestic violence.

Perhaps more than many others, GLBT youth organizations have felt the sting of budget cuts, yet they continue working to improve the quality of life for young people. The Friends of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, a private nonprofit formed to offset budget cuts to the state's Safe Schools Program, just gave away $30,000 to schools looking to fund Gay/Straight Alliances, according to Kathleen Henry, chair of the Governor's Commission. Perhaps you'd like to help them refill their coffers.

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network/Boston (GLSEN/Boston) has long been a source of support for both GLBT students and educators. Is there a teacher on your gift-giving list this year? Want to thank that junior high gym teacher who was your role model as a baby dyke? Give to GLSEN.

Both Boston Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS) and The Home for Little Wanderers provide a range of services for at-risk GLBT youth. Notably, The Home operates Waltham House, a group home for GLBT youth in the care of the state Department of Social Services. Waltham House is always on the lookout for GLBT mentors for its charges. Now there's a gift that keeps on giving: The chance to make a positive difference in the life of a young person.

Let's throw the Girl Scouts on this list. Unlike the Boy Scouts, who ban gay scouts and leaders, the Girl Scouts have long welcomed gay people into their ranks. Let's hear it for the girls. Consider sending a donation to the Patriots' Trail Council, which serves 3,000 Girl Scouts in the Boston area.

How about sending a gift to a religious organization that has supported the GLBT community? While gold, frankincense and myrrh would be appropriate, the United Church of Christ (UCC) could use some cold, hard cash. UCC was in the news recently after a TV ad depicting the church as being welcoming to gay people was nixed by two networks as too controversial. Major media buys aren't cheap, you know. Let's hope to see them on the air in 2005.

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has long been at the fore of the gay rights struggle, and this year was no exception. UUA President Rev. William Sinkford was a forceful advocate throughout the year for the right of same-sex couples to marry. As an African-American man, Sinkford provided a critical voice when black ministers from other denominations attempted to claim the civil rights mantle in the debate on same-sex marriage. And of course, Arlington Street Church, long a haven for the GLBT community, threw open its doors on May 20 to dozens of same-sex couples for a marathon of marriages.

Of course, this is by no means a comprehensive list of the many wonderful organizations that serve the GLBT community in Massachusetts. Perhaps you've already thought of few that are missing, and surely they're as worthy of support as any included here. And any altruistic gift beats falling back on the old holiday stand-by of snowflake sweaters and socks.

041223
BY041204

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