Tag: OUTMemphis

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Memphis Gaydar News

LGBTQ Leaders: Merriam-Webster’s Selection of ‘They’ as Word of Year is Powerful

Merriam-Webster selected the non-binary pronoun “they” as the 2019 Word of the Year.

The dictionary giant reports that in 2019 searches of “they” on its site increased by 313 percent from the previous year.

Earlier this year in September, Merriam-Webster officially expanded the definition of the pronoun to include references to “a single person whose gender identity is non-binary.” The dictionary says “there is no doubt” that this use is “established in the English language.”

“English famously lacks a gender-neutral singular pronoun to correspond neatly with singular pronouns like everyone or someone, and as a consequence ‘they’ has been used for this purpose for over 600 years,” the Merriam-Webster website reads. “More recently, though, they has also been used to refer to one person whose gender identity is non-binary, a sense that is increasingly common in published, edited text, as well as social media and in daily personal interactions between English speakers.”

The dictionary defines non-binary as “relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely make no entirely female.”

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Molly Quinn, executive director of OUTMemphis, said many who have opposed the use of “they” as a singular pronoun in the past have used “the guise of grammar to delegitimatize queer people and experiences.”

Quinn

“By putting ‘they’ smack into our dictionary, Merriam-Webster gives power and visibility to non-binary and gender-curious people. The singular they has been used for centuries, and is only criticized by those seeking to denigrate.”

Quinn adds that the singular “they” is not only essential for those who elect to use it as their primary pronoun, but the pronoun can also be used to describe those whose gender identity is unknown.

“Which is another way of saying the singular they gives us all autonomy and freedom,” she said. “Language has always been used as a tool of both marginalization and of reclamation for small and significant acts of oppression. By reclaiming our language, we reclaim our right to tell our own stories.”

Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, said the following about Merriam-Webster’s election of “they” as the word of the year:

“When singer Sam Smith came out as non-binary, millions of people became more aware of people who use the singular ‘they’ pronoun,” Sanders said. “Rather than openness and understanding, non-binary people are still often met with arguments about grammar. So, it matters a great deal that a dictionary now no longer provides the underpinnings of disrespect.”

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Memphis Gaydar News

Pro Pronouns: Gender Identity In the Workplace

Bianca Phillips

A transgender flag flies over OUTMemphis.

Eagle-eyed emailers have noticed something new in some email signatures: pronouns.

Signatures are those few lines of information at the bottom of an email that tells the receiver basic information about the sender, details like their name, title, company, phone number, address, and more. Some senders’ signatures around Memphis now include their preferred gender pronouns, or personal gender pronouns, sometimes just called gender pronouns, or, more simply, just pronouns.

All of the words are ways to describe a person when you are talking about them. Typically, those identifying as male will use “he/him/his;” those identifying as female will use “she/her/hers;” and some transgender people, gender noncomforming people, and others use the gender-neutral “they/them/theirs.” However, there are more sets of pronouns out there.
Lambda Legal

Kayla Gore, of Memphis, speaks during a news conference Tuesday outside the federal courthouse in Nashville.

“Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity,” reads an explanation from those behind International Pronouns Day, set this year for October 16th. “Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people.”
[pullquote-1] LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have popped up at some of Memphis’ largest organizations and corporations. Now, preferred personal pronouns (sometimes called PGPs), are popping up in work culture, including email signatures.

Mary Jo Karimnia is the residency manager at Crosstown Arts. She added “she/her/hers” to her signature over the summer but wished she’d done it sooner. She said preferred personal pronouns, “in reality are not ‘preferred’ pronouns, just pronouns.”

“As the residency manager for Crosstown Arts, part of my job is to welcome the entire community to the residency program,” Karimnia said. “Although my she/her pronouns are somewhat predictable, this signals that I am accepting of other people’s pronoun choices.”
Justin Fox Burks

Ellyahnna Hall

As gender issues and preference rise to the mainstream, discussing them and the pronouns that go along with them is becoming more common but maybe still tricky to those not accustomed to it.

That’s why the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQI) Resource Center at the University of California Davis devised a website to help. There, you can find a list of many of the lesser-known, gender-free pronouns like ”xie/hir/hir,” “ey/em/er,” “co/co/cos,” and more. You can also find some easy ways to talk about pronouns with others.

So, the site suggests you ask, “What pronouns do you use?” You could also share yours by saying, “I’m Jade and my pronouns are ze and hir.”
[pullquote-2] Pronouns in email signatures (and other spots in the workplace) caught on early among Memphis health care providers, said Molly Quinn, executive director of OUTMemphis. But they are now popping up in signatures of other businesses “that may or may not have anything to do with gender identity, or sexual orientation, or health.”

Justin Fox Burks

Cole Bradley

Quinn’s pronouns — “she/her/hers” — were displayed on her work name tag during an event recently. She said part of the work of OUTMemphis is to serves the transgender community here, “to make the entire world a comfortable place for people who are trans.” This includes her email signature, where she shares her pronouns.

“In the past five years, and certainly in the past 15 years, the visibility, the legal advocacy, the political narrative, and the services that are available to our trans community has expanded nationally in every way,” Quinn said. “Regardless of your gender expression, we really believe that gender expression and gender identity should be the choice of each individual. We believe that you should have the choice of the way you are referred to, what you’re called, and how you’re classified by the world.”

Back at Crosstown, Karimnia said being upfront about pronouns is “a good way to let people know in advance that we are a queer-friendly place.”

“We also ask for pronouns on our (residency) application,” Karimnia said. “We make a point of introducing ourselves at our first dinner meeting with residents using pronouns.

“This creates space for people who use pronouns besides she/her or he/him without singling them out. It can also be an educational tool for those who aren’t yet used to this convention.”

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Memphis Gaydar News

OUTMemphis Expands with New Office, Donation Space

CREDIT: Toby Sells

Toby Sells

Molly Quinn, OUTMemphis executive director (center left), and Ashley Coffield, PPTNM president (center right), speak during a news conference in front of OUTMemphis’ new administrative office building.

OUTMemphis will open a new adminstrative office building and donation center at I-240 and Summer soon, thanks to a donation from Planned Parenthood of Tennessee & North Mississippi (PPTNM).

Leaders from the two organizations announced the move Thursday at the building close to the Summer Quartet Drive In theater and the PPTNM health center. The building was a call center for PPTNM, but the organization moved that function into its Poplar headquarters.
OUTMemphis

OUTMemphis’ new adminstrative office building.

Molly Quinn, OUTMemphis executive director, said the new 4,500-square-foot facility will raise the regional platform for its work and increase the “capacity to serve the Mid-Southerners who need us the most.”

It will be home to all administrative office space. That move will open more space at the organization’s Cooper-Young facility for programming and expanded health services. The new facility will also be a donation drop-off and distribution venue for clothes, furniture, and hygiene supplies for LGBTQ+ people under age 24.
OUTMemphis

OUTMemphis’ Cooper-Young community center.

“[PPTNM and OUTMemphis] work together on a simple principle that unites us that all bodies and minds are good, righteous, and deserving of health, pleasure, safety, and joy,” Quinn said. “This building and the growth it represents are truly unparalleled contribution to the assets of Memphis and the community we serve.”

Ashley Coffield, PPTNM president, said regardless of where OUTMemphis would have expanded, “Their strength helps us and vice versa.” She said OUTMemphis has stood “shoulder-to-shoulder” with PPTNM during attacks on the organization over the years, “and we stand with them as well.”
Toby Sells

Molly Quinn, OUTMemphis executive director (left), and Ashley Coffield, PPTNM president (right), speak during a news conference in front of OUTMemphis’ new administrative office building.

“Planned Parenthood’s doors are open to all everyone regardless of gender expression, gender identity, or gender orientation,” Coffield said. “We believe all deserve high-quality and affordable health care and good information about sexuality and sexual health, no matter who they are or where they live.

“That’s why we work in partnership with the LGBTQ+ community and expand their access to health care.”

Quinn said construction of OUTMemphis’ youth emergency center and overnight shelter, called The Metamorphosis Project, begins Friday morning. She said she expects the facility to be up and running by January 2020.
OUTMemphis

OUTMemphis’ proposed youth emergency services and overnight shelter building.

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Memphis Gaydar News

OUTMemphis, TEP Host Mayoral Town Halls

CREDIT: Bianca Phillips

Bianca Phillips

Flags fly over OUTMemphis.

Mayoral candidates will stump at events hosted by OUTMemphis and the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) starting tonight (Tuesday, September 10th) at OUTMemphis.

Each town-hall-style event will be moderated by OUTMemphis executive director Molly Quinn. Each will feature a question-and-answer session with the candidate and a meet-and-greet reception after that. All events are open to all ages and all are free and open to the public. 


Here’s what OUTMemphis and TEP say about the events:

”LGBTQ+ individuals live in every ZIP code, are represented in every race, ethnicity, ability level, religion, and age regardless of socio-economic status, citizenship, or education level.

“LGBTQ Southerners are adversely affected by the limitations in protections and services in health, housing, laws, spiritual resources, and education resources.

”In the 2019 mayoral race, the legal protections, health and wellness, and civic culture for LGBTQ people is vital to the future of Memphis.

“Bring your questions and concerns. Don’t miss this essential opportunity to voice the unique needs and ambitions of LGBTQ Memphians to our future mayor!”

Here is the schedule for the events so far:

Tami Sawyer
Tuesday, September 10th, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Lemichael Wilson
Tuesday, September 12th, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Jim Strickland
Tuesday, September 24th, 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
The presentation begins at 5pm.

Where: OUTMemphis, 892 S. Cooper Street.

The groups say all filed candidates running for mayor this year have been invited to speak at these events. If accepted later, additional dates will be added. Any candidate who does not appear at an event, “chose to decline our invitation.”

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Memphis Gaydar News

CHOICES Receives Grant to Support LGBTQ Health Care

CREDIT: Facebook/CHOICES

Facebook/CHOICES

CHOICES’ main clinic on Poplar

CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health is receiving a $5,000 grant to assist in its efforts to transform LGBTQ health equity in the South.

CHOICES, a non-profit that offers reproductive health care services here, including transgender healthcare, is one of four recipients of the community grant.

The Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE), an Asheville, North Carolina-based organization working to improve LGBTQ equality in all areas, also awarded grants to organizations in Asheville, Greenville, South Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia.

CSE awarded a total of $30,000 to CHOICES and the other three organizations in an effort to “promote innovations in providing health care to better serve LGBTQ Southerners.”

“The infusion of funding to organizations on the leading edge of serving LBGTQ Southerners is designed to support new models in the South that increase access to care and ensure that people are treated with dignity and respect in health care settings,” a statement from CSE reads.

More than one third of all LGBTQ Americans live in the South, where they experience “disproportionate health disparities,” according to the group.

“The South is the epicenter for the modern HIV crisis in the United States, particularly for transgender women of color and black men who have sex with men,” CSE’s statement continues. “Transgender and non-binary Southerners are frequently confronted with ignorance or discrimination while seeking care.”

Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of CSE said health care is a “human right that is fundamental to being able to survive and thrive.” The goal is for the grant recipients to use “innovation and grit to create new models to help Southern LGBTQ people access the care they need and deserve,” Beach-Ferrara adds.

With the grant, CHOICES plans to provide free sexually-transmitted infections (STI) testing, education, and referrals to LGBTQ patients through a pilot program in partnership with OUTMemphis.

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“With funds from the Southern Equality Fund, CHOICES is excited to work with our local partner to provide free STI testing and linkage to care for LGBTQ persons in Memphis,” Katy Leopard, assistant director of CHOICES, said.

Currently, CHOICES provides wellness exams to LGBTQ patients that include breast exams, birth control consultation, HIV testing, hormone management, and overall health evaluations.

Leopard said the clinic has nearly 200 transgender patients in the Mid-South area and that it can be difficult for those patients to find care elsewhere in Memphis.

“It’s very difficult for that population to find caring providers who ask questions in the right way and don’t ask unnecessary questions,” Leopard said. “A lot of our transgender patients have been wronged by the healthcare system. So they have a real wariness when coming to see a healthcare provider at all. So the fact that they see CHOICES as a place where they can come and be respected and valued is really big.”

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Memphis Gaydar News

LGBTQ Job Fair Headed to Crosstown Next Week

CREDIT: OUTMemphis/Facebook

OUTMemphis/Facebook

OUTMemphis is hosting an LGBTQ youth job fair next week at Crosstown Concourse.

If you’re LGTBQ between the ages of 18 and 25, get your resume and yourself to the second floor of the atrium on Tuesday, June 25th from noon to 5 p.m.
[pullquote-1] “We will have plenty of LGBTQ-affirming employers ready to talk to you about joining their teams,” OUTMemphis said. “This is a safe space for LGBTQ youth seeking employment opportunities, and as such all employers will be seeking skilled and hard-working folks regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other identifying factors.

For more information on attending or becoming a vendor, send an email to youth@outmemphis.org or check out the Facebook event.

The event is co-sponsored by the city of Memphis and its Division of Housing and Community Development.

What: LGBTQ Youth Job Fair
When: Tuesday, June 25th, noon-5:00 p.m.
Where: Crosstown Concourse, Second Floor Atrium
Who: LGBTQ job seekers 18-25

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Memphis Gaydar News

Youth Service Programs Fueled with FedEx Grant

CREDIT: FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. has donated $25,000 to OUTMemphis to support its services and programming for youth ages 13-25.

The company’s Global Citizenship grant will support social support groups for youth and families, trainings and outreach at Memphis-area schools, and the Metamorphosis Project, a wrap-around network of services for youth ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness and instability.

“Our Youth Services program started a decade ago with a youth group, a food pantry, and a closet full of interview clothes,” said Stephanie Reyes, OUTMemphis’ director of development. “ As more and more young people came to the center from across the South looking for support, we realized that we had a mandate to expand and fill the gaps we were seeing.” 

OUTMemphis says across the country, 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ, largely due to family conflict. Of that number, the largest percentage of homeless youth are both black and LGTBQ, a significant community in majority black cities like Memphis.

From OUTMemphis:

Five years ago, OUTMemphis began providing case management to youth clients and identified a significant need for hygiene supplies, bus passes, and other emergency services. With support from the community, The Youth Emergency Services Program gradually expanded to a holistic approach to supporting young adults who find themselves without ways to care for basic needs.

Beginning in 2017, OUTMemphis began receiving support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which allows the organization to provide a full year of rental assistance and case management to 18-to-24-year-olds experiencing homelessness. This program is one of just two youth-specific housing programs in Memphis and the only one dedicated to LGBTQ youth for hundreds of miles in every direction.

At the end of this 2019, the Metamorphosis Project will again significantly expand its housing and emergency services program with a Youth Emergency Center, located at 2055 Southern Avenue. The space will host a drop-in center for any young person in need under 25 and an emergency shelter for LGBTQ youth ages 18-24.

“The growth of our youth services program across the spectrum of young Memphians that we serve – and our capacity to provide even more looking ahead – is not possible without the enormous support that OUTMemphis receives from the community, including the partners who made the emergency center possible and believe in the work we are doing,” said OUTMemphis executive director Molly Rose Quinn. “We are so grateful that FedEx sees the value of the work we are doing with youth in Memphis and wants to be a part of it. We hope that as we grow, more companies will take their lead and get involved with the work that is being done locally.”

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Memphis Gaydar News

Memphis 901 FC Hosts Pride Night

CREDIT: Memphis 901 FC

Memphis 901 FC

Memphis 901 FC hosts its first Pride Night on Saturday, June 8th to help raise awareness for OUTMemphis and the Bluff City Sports Association.

The 901 FC takes on Indy Eleven that night at AutoZone Park in an event “aimed to benefit community groups serving all Memphians regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender expression, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.”

Here’s what’s on tap for the evening:

The Bluff City Mafia, 901 FC’s recognized supporters group, will host a pre-match Pride March beginning at The Brass Door and ending at AutoZone Park prior to kickoff.

Molly Quinn and Stephanie Bell of OUTMemphis will serve as the night’s honorary captains while Chris Balton, former North America Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance commissioner, will be the guest of honor for Memphis’ pre-match guitar smash.

In addition, Memphis 901 FC forward Jochen Graf will participate in the Athlete Alley’s Playing for Pride campaign. Hundreds of soccer players have taken part in the campaign aimed at supporting LGBTQ rights.

Throughout the month of June, Graf, players, and fans can donate to Playing for Pride for every game played, every assist, and every goal scored. In the past, those donations have been matched with donations exceeding $25,000.

Tickets:

Tickets start at $15. For $30, you can get a sideline ticket and pretty baller hat. Get your tickets online or by calling (901) 721-6000.

Bluff City Sports Association, Inc. is nonprofit organization aimed to provide a safe environment for the LGBTQ community and friends of the LGBTQ community to participate in sports.

OUTMemphis is a nonprofit that empowers, connects, educates and advocates for the LGBTQ community of the Mid-South.

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Petition Seeks Rainbow Crosswalks in Cooper-Young

CREDIT: Jerred Price/change.org

Jerred Price/change.org

An online petition hopes to bring rainbow crosswalks to Cooper-Young.

Jerred Price, running for the Memphis City Council’s District 7 seat, started the petition last week. He said among the neighborhood’s “quirky stores,” “artisanal coffee spots,” and “boisterous pubs” is “one thing you may not know about Cooper-Young.”

“…It has the highest density of LGBTQ+ people in the west portion of Tennessee!” reads the petition. “It is also home to OUTMemphis. Through their hard work and sacrifice, they built an ‘oasis in the desert of our struggle.'”

Petition Seeks Rainbow Crosswalks in Cooper-Young (2)

For this, Price began the petition at change.org. As of Monday morning, the petition had 603 signatures. It needs 1,000 signatures before the proposal can be submitted to local government leaders.

The move, at least, has support from the Cooper-Young Community Association.

Petition Seeks Rainbow Crosswalks in Cooper-Young

Here’s Price’s petition pitch in full:

“Cooper-Young is a hip, arty neighborhood with century-old buildings occupied by quirky stores selling rare vinyl, handmade chocolates, custom drum kits, and vintage fashion. Artisanal coffee spots share the streets with eateries serving Memphis barbecue, sushi, and Italian fare, as well as craft beer bars and boisterous pubs with live music.

“But one thing you may not know about Cooper-Young is it has the highest density of LGBTQ+ people in the west portion of Tennessee! It is also home to OUTMemphis. Through their hard work and sacrifice, they built an ‘oasis in the desert of our struggle.’ This organization, known as the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center, became effective on February 23rd, 1989. Whether or not you’ve ever walked through their doors on Cooper Street or attended one of their events, know that they continue to work to make life better for all in our city!

To celebrate our city, which welcomes all within its limits, let’s ask the city of Memphis to join other national leading cities, such as Atlanta, to recognize this neighborhood and its people with a rainbow crosswalk!

Memphis is turning 200 years old this year, and it’s time for fresh, new, progressive ideas such as this to take place and take us into the next century! Memphis loves everybody! Let’s show some love to our LGBTQ+ population!”

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OUTMemphis Starts Building New Youth Center

After years of behind-the-scenes work, OUTMemphis will begin building its Youth Emergency Center this week and it will serve as the area’s only LGBTQ-specific shelter and drop-in center.

Work began on the center in 2016. OUTMemphis closed on a piece of Shelby County Land Bank property at 2059 Southern that spans three parcels. But work to clearly identify the problem with homeless youth who identified as LGBTQ here began in 2015, with the city’s first ever survey/count of that population.

Last year, the Community Alliance for the Homeless 2018 Point-in-Time/Youth Count found that 57 percent of homeless youth utilize emergency shelters and 43 percent use transitional housing. In Shelby County, 51 percent of unaccompanied youth are 18-24. LGBTQ young people aged 18-24 make up 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness.

OUTMemphis piloted several possible solutions to the problem, including host families and hotel vouchers. Ultimately, the group founded The Metamorphosis Project, a long-term approach to LGBTQ-specific emergency shelter for youth.

Memphis and Shelby County Office of Planning and Development

A site map shows how the group would use shipping containers to build its shelter.

“One night, I received three calls in an hour from youths across the state looking for housing services,” said Stephanie Reyes, who launched OUTMemphis’ Youth Services programs and spearheads The Metamorphosis Project. “That very night, we decided enough was enough. We needed to do something drastic to serve our kids.

“For years, LGBTQ youth in Memphis have had to endure shelters that were not safe, free, or welcoming. Now we will have a space of our own, so our youth can not only survive but thrive.”

OUTMemphis has said the center would house 20 clients at full capacity. The Metamorphosis building will start with four beds, a classroom, meeting and office space, a kitchen, laundry, storage, and parking.

The Youth Emergency Center is one part of the overall, three-pronged effort by the Metamorphosis Project. It also includes Youth Emergency Services (YES), which supplies hygiene products, food, clothes, bus passes, case management, and more. The overall project also includes Rapid Re-Housing, which began in 2017. It helps participants with one year of rental assistance and guidance on renting a first home.

When finished, the center will be one of about 20 like it across the country.

This map shows where the OUTMemphis youth homeless shelter will be located.

“This space will be the first and only drop-in center and shelter for youth in Memphis,” said Stephanie Bell, Youth Services Manager at OUTMemphis. “This will be the city’s first chance to change the lives of those most vulnerable.”

Reyes has said in the past that many Memphis-area shelters don’t advertise that they are LGTBQ-friendly. Others are either not free, safe, or welcoming.

Funds for the new building and the Metamorphosis Project came from the Assisi Foundation, Plough Foundation, the Mystic Krewe of Pagasus, Friends of George’s and Manna House.

“It showed us that we were not the only people in this city to see this need and want to help,” said Reyes. “People rallied together to make this happen, and we expect to see that significant support continue as the emergency shelter begins operations and, hopefully, expands.”

Google Maps

In 2016, boarded-up houses stood on the site where OUTMemphis wants to build a homeless shelter for LGBT youths.