Saturday, June 10, 2017

June is LGBTQA+ Pride Month

June is LGBTQA+ Pride Month!
In honor of this, we at Esprit wants to share some of the great resources for both members of the LGBTQA+ community and their allies right here in the Fox Valley. Below is a list of resources and a short description of each from their websites.

Valued Families promotes family equality for Fox Valley LGBT parents and their children by providing social networking, education, community outreach, and advocacy to increase recognition and respect for LGBT families in our community.

LGBTQ Anti-Violence Project: https://www.facebook.com/FoxoAVP/
The Fox Valley & Oshkosh Anti-Violence Project (FoxO AVP) was created to improve the safety of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals who may be experiencing violence or be at risk for all forms of violence (including hate crimes, suicide, intimate partner violence and sexual assault).

The FoxO AVP will work to meet the immediate safety needs of the underserved LGBTQ community and provide long-term solutions by developing supportive infrastructures at the 4 collaborating domestic violence and sexual assault agencies, law enforcement, health care professionals, schools & universities, as well as in the LGBTQ community itself.

Rainbow Alliance for Youth- Safe Group in Neenah/Menasha: https://www.diverseandresilient.org/work/cultivating-leaders/rainbow-alliance-youth/
The Rainbow Alliance for Youth (RAY) focuses on building capacity, nurturing leadership, and strengthening collaborations to develop comprehensive programs addressing the needs of LGBT youth in Wisconsin and throughout the country.  By integrating LGBT youth programs into mainstream community efforts about prevention, youth, and social justice issues, RAY can focus on LGBT youth as leaders and resources to their community, maximizing their development and risk prevention as well as enhancing communities.

The LGBT Partnership is an ongoing leadership development and support group for youth ages 14-18 who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and allied. Spectrum is a social and educational group for adults 18 and older who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, questioning or allied. T-Force is a transgender social group for adults 18 and over.

UW Oshkosh also does some community SAFE trainings.  You can request a training here:  https://www.uwosh.edu/lgbtqcenter/safe-training
  Participants  take part in a three hour interactive workshop designed to introduce you to LGBTQ+ terms, culture, some of the challenges that many LGBTQ+ people encounter in their lives, and how to be an effective ally both in and out of the classroom. 
SAFE training prepares you to become an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.  We address the ever changing terminology in the community, the messages that are generated in society about LGBTQ+ lives, the coming out process, and other skills necessary to being a successful ally.  Learning goals for this training include:
·         Be sensitive to various identities of our students, faculty, and staff.
·         Understand the challenges of being asexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, transgender, questioning in a predominately heterosexual and cisgender society.
·         Confront acephobia, biphobia, homophobia, and transphobia in all its guises through educational means.
·         Provide support to LGBTQ+ students, staff and faculty.
·         Promote and acknowledge safe places for LGBTQ+ individuals.
·         Increase awareness of self-defined LGBTQ+ allies.

Fox Valley Pride Out Loudhttp://www.foxvalleyrprideoutloud.org/
           
The Fox Valley is known for offering great opportunities in education, enterntainment and culture.  Having a Pridefest is a wonderful way to show that the Fox Valley is an accepting and safe place for everyone in our community.  Our event will include a potluck picnic, live music, booths, and vendors during the day and a drag show in the evening.  It is a chance to spend the day with people who understand and offer support for the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community.  Fox Valley Pride Outloud was created to celebrate the whole LGBTQ community no matter how they identify themselves, and show that the Fox Valley is an inclusive place for everyone.  

Nicki Phillips is an counseling student at Esprit and a graduate student at UW Oshkosh working towards a degree in clinical mental health counseling. She brings a fresh perspective to her work along with a vibrant personality. She believes everyone is inherently worthy of respect and compassion, and strives to create those qualities in her relationships with clients. She sees clients who are uninsured, underinsured, or prefer to pay out-of-pocket for a reduced cost. She particularly enjoys working with adolescents and young adults, and has also worked with children (ages 6 and up) and adults. She has immediate openings for new clients! Please schedule online at espritcounseling.com. She can also be reached via email at nicki@espritcounseling.com or by phone at (920) 383-1287.






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