queer asheville

17/12/2010

Photo posted at 15:31

14/12/2010

Tranzmission Prison Project talks about being a queer organization in Asheville. (part 2)

Video posted at 21:02

Why gay Asheville is so special to me.

Text posted at 09:45

Tranzmission Prison Project talks about Asheville and being queer.

Video posted at 09:45

12/12/2010

Tyra Couture and Bruno Diez

Photo posted at 14:20

09/12/2010

Video posted at 10:17

07/12/2010

» Asheville’s Youth OUTright Expands Programming for LBGTQ teens

Youth OUTright, an Asheville based, all volunteer non-profit organization, currently provides a safe and supportive environment where youth can discuss the full range of issues impacting their lives. DerMargosian said, “Since its inception, it has been dedicated to helping LGBTQ and allied youth throughout Western North Carolina to be confident, proud, compassionate, and vital members of the greater community.”

Citing statistics compiled by the Center for Disease Control from 2007 (the most recent year available), about 180 children between 10 and 14 years old, and more than 4,100 youths between the ages of 15 and 24, killed themselves that year. “While it is impossible to know the exact figures, it is widely believed that LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented among these numbers. The thought of even a single child taking his or her life is staggering.”

But, he continued, “Simply providing a safe place for these youth is not enough to prevent their being bullied and harassed. The Board has determined Youth OUTright must actively work with the people who work with young people and help them teach tolerance, acceptance, and respect for all people. Youth OUTright must provide relevant anti-bullying, social, educational and service programs to the youth and must act as an informational, educational and advocacy resource for schools and other service providers throughout the region as they provide services to LGBTQ youth in their communities.”

Matthew Menne, Vice Chair of the Board, noted that, so far, Youth Outright has had no paid staff. “Expanding our programming to reach the people we must reach, providing programming for the youth, and working collaboratively with other organizations to ensure the safety of all youth requires the focus of a paid director. The youth we serve deserve a safe place to meet. They deserve to have someone working for their well being.” Given the expanded goals and associated increased expenses, the Board has embarked on an outreach and funding raising campaign.

Link posted at 14:01

Photo posted at 12:45

Simple

Simple?

by Matthew Ward

What to say? What to say? Do I ramble about the happenings of my love life? How interesting is that? I’m tired of hearing it reply again and again in my head. To love can be such a fortune, and yet such a curse. The object of my desire dwells where I dwell. His bed is past the bathroom, but he might as well be on Mars. How did I land myself here? Decisions made…..decisions…that’s what makes up life. One right after the other. What to do today? How to distract myself from my head…engulf by brain with school…plunge…go back to chasing my dreams..But love…oh love, how you follow me around, when I wish you would stand still and I could walk away, and return to you when I’m ready. It doesn’t work like that…DAMN YOU LOVE!!!! Is it the idea of love? The idea of being in love? What is it? If i think hard enough, i can find a reason to think myself out of it….it’s a trick…because the brain doesn’t stop. Life doesn’t stop…until one day, it all stops. STOP IT!!!! Get out of it…get over it. Live!!..for that is the reason of life….But when you’re trapped in your head, what do you do…when you can’t speak, but have so much to say…looking for answers that you already know…how does that stop?? Walk away and forget it all…but with so much to lose and nothing to gain except my piece of mind…how much is that worth…piece of mind..is there a price for it? Can’t you just buy a lifetime pass? ”Yes, i’ll take a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, and a 20 year supply of piece of mind…do you take American Express?” Distraction…School is mine. Work is another one…but there are lulls…and then the things you’ve put in the back of your mind to think less about, creep forward and you find yourself miserable again. STOP IT!!!!!!! Trickery…fool yourself…but that never works because you are the one in control…no one else can live my life for me… Decisions…choices…choices..what happned to my personal choice.. I would like to choose not to love someone who doesn’t return that love…where do i go for that package…”yes, i’ll take the life that excludes misery..thank you very much…can you make sure to double bag that?” But this is what life is made of…the shit that gets in the way..that’s life…you can’t plan everything…things happen…people die and babies cry, and the world keeps spinning…I need to get back to my river…flowing down the happy medium taking in everything as it comes…I’ve found myself wedged against a rock..and i’m cold and it’s windy…i’m trying to walk out back towards the current, but I’m tired…I wanna go back to the rock even though nothings happening there except self wallowing…I”M OVER IT…..then get over it! HA, if it were only that simple…Who ever said life was simple?

Text posted at 12:42