Finding Strength in Community

Hey there! Sam, President of the Board here. Spring has sprung at the Glass House Resource Center! We have events coming up almost daily and invite you to join us. In challenging times, when the world around us seems to flood us with stressful, intimidating news, it can be hard not to internalize the negativity. We wake up daily to historically heartbreaking headlines and the celebration of legislation aimed to harm our community daily, and I find myself fighting the urge to pull the covers back over my head to self-isolate. But I am reminded by my closest friends that we are stronger together and that the one thing they can never touch is our spirit. The negativity and attacks are aimed at separating us, so I encourage you to lean into the community. Whether you are a Glass House regular attendee or you have been trying to find time to swing by, I invite you to our upcoming events:

Today, April 5th, our Executive Director Erin and Board Member Cree are at the Tyler Public Library for a Job Resource Fair to connect local LGBTQIA folx seeking employment with local employers welcoming them to apply and ready to celebrate our diverse skillsets.

Tomorrow, Sunday, April 6th, we are all relaxing at the Center for a Potluck - bring your favorite snack or just yourself, no pressure! This is a great time to gather the community together to relax and socialize. I think coming together to eat, share our lives, and get to know one another is a great way to refresh our souls and wash away all the ‘ick’ we find ourselves nagivating through. We have board games, movies, computers, and comfy couches, so I hope you join us!

For the krafty-kind, we have rescheduled our Knitting Class with Quoe to Tuesday, April 8th. I have been wanting to learn to knit myself, so I am looking forward to this one!

Next Thursday is our monthly Board Meeting - We always welcome the community to join us, and we want to hear from you!

Twice monthly D & D is coming up on Sunday, April 13th. I haven’t had time to engage in a new crusade in a while so I look forward to joining in on this myself soon.

I will be hosting our first SNAKE DAY on Saturday, April 19th, and I cannot tell you how excited I am. If you’d like to RSVP for this one, send us a message at info@theglasshousetyler.org and let us know you’re coming. I have a presentation prepared, and I’ve been coaching three of my slithering friends on center etiquette to make sure they are ready to meet you too! I plan to bring Medusa, Gia, and Ourosboros for some hands-on learning. Bring all your snake questions because I love to nerd out on this!

That same night, Alphabet Army will be doing a PJs and Pizza movie night! I cannot wait to show off my rainbow onesie PJs - We Listen and We Don’t Judge, okay?

The following week we have Creative Writing for Queer Expression on Tuesday, April 22nd so get your creative ideas flowing! There is no better way to advocate than to dissent against tyranny through expressive writing or to escape reality into the queer storyline of our dreams.

Then, on Thursday, the 24th, we have our monthly 21+ Trans Support Group led by our wonderful volunteers! We welcome the trans community, their partners, and those questioning/exploring gender to join us for support with fellow community members experiencing similar journeys.

Whew! We have a lot coming up, and we hope you can join us for Community support and socializing in the coming weeks. It is never more important than times we feel down to come together to remember that you are not alone and we are in this together.

See you this month!

Sam Wall

President of the Board

If ever there was a time to speak up, it’s now. Calling all allies…

Friday. Today I got up and had coffee and sat reading my chapter homework for later tonight. 

I tended to little chores in my home and added to the family grocery list. 

I went to work and put in a full day of phone calls and answering questions. A lot of that time was spent being called condescending pet names a man reserves only for women and never used to address male counterparts or male receptionists even.

I came home and was a present member in my family’s life for a brief moment to enjoy dinner together and talk about our day. Then I went back into my homework. Then I saw SB406 was suddenly scheduled for hearing the following Monday…

So then I tended to other little chores around the house and used my sweeping to meditate on the gravity of SB406 - the bill to stop changes of sex markers on the birth certificate in Texas. What that means for the people I know… 

And the next day I repeated much of that. Swap work for a workshop in allyship. 

More homework and worry on Sunday. 

Monday. I’m calling my Senators and urging them not to vote that horrid bill out of committee. Spreading the word to my network to raise the alarm. And go to work. And do my homework. And try to be a present member of my family. 

And I am tired. 

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

—Martin Niemöller

I ponder this over and over.

If ever there was a time to speak up, it’s now. Calling all allies… 

• H from East Texas Rainbow Network

How To Be A Better Ally

Yesterday, the Glass House Resource Center, Tyler Area Gays+ (TAG+), and East Texas Rainbow Network came together for a “How to be a better Ally” class. We had a lovely turn out, met new members of our community, and shared the actionable items it requires to be a true ally. Doug, the partner of our Executive Director Erin Bailey, spoke from the Ally perspective. We were all very touched by his speech, so we share it with you now.

Good afternoon, Merriam-Webster defines an ally as one that is associated with another as a helper; a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle. My name is Doug Dickerson and my pronouns are he/him. I am a Marine veteran as well as a veteran of the conflict in Afghanistan. Up to a few years ago, I would have considered myself more of a republican and would have been more likely to have been part of a protest on the other side yelling slurs instead of words of hope, encouragement, and kindness. With all that being said, you may wonder why I am here before you and why I decided to become an ally when I am a straight and clearly East Texan male. There are several answers to that question that i hope to help you understand today.

I believe that a lack of acceptance and an attitude of intolerance is one of the biggest issues our society faces and has been a root cause to several historical events. More specifically it has led to LGBTQIA+ bullying, homophobia, and heterosexism has caused many tragedies. It has caused the tragedy of beautiful and talented queer adults and kids no achieving the success the could in their lives. It has caused untold amounts of hurt, suffering, and depression to people just trying to live their lives. Anti-queer bullying is a common and extremely serious problem, and I have no desire to sit by and watch it wreck so many innocent people’s lives. That’s probably the main reason I am an ally, because it is the right thing to do.

I strongly believe that anti-queer bullying not only negatively impacts the queer community, but also creates an environment in which no one can feel comfortable being who they are and expressing themselves due to the fear of being judged, labeled, bullied, is harassed. A hostile environment where people are more worried about becoming a victim is not conducive to a healthy society or healthy people. My hope as an ally is that everyone will be able to live their life as they want and just focus on being the best person they can be. I want those who I consider myself to be an ally to be free of the gender stereotypes that would stifle their ability to live the life they want to and deserve.

I believe that if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor and that is not the side I want to find myself on and hopefully neither do you. As an ally, you find yourself in a position to be the change you often want to see. You will find yourself in a position to break down walls between the queer communities and their straight peers and remove the feelings of isolation that often exist. You can also be the voice for people who are still in the closet and cannot speak up for themselves, be a supporter for those who are coming out or need someone to talk to, and to fight alongside the queers who have worked so hard to achieve a safer and more inclusive society.

So what can you do to become a better ally? First of all, be accepting. Accept people for who they are and don’t make assumptions about them. Be a good listener and listen to the experiences of queer people and be open to learning. You are always able to learn more about those you care about. Make yourself visible by attending events and rallies to show your support for the community. Always challenge discrimination. Call out homophobic, transphobic, or biphobic behavior or actions. Support businesses, charities, or initiatives owned or operated by queer people. Always be mindful of your language and use terms that the queer community use to describe themselves and introduce yourself with your pronouns even if you think it is obvious. Be humble. Accept feedback and corrections. I am not the best ally there is and neither are you. Take action and advocate for queer people, raise awareness, and defend the community. Be aware of your privilege and recognize where you hold an advantage and use your influence to advocate for others. And finally, do not tolerate harassment of bullying in your space.

Being an ally is something I would encourage everyone to do. You will certainly face some challenges like I have of losing those close to you due to differing, bigoted views. You might even have your masculinity questioned by people who can not understand why a straight male would be friends with queer people and those people are simply insecure in either their self or their sexuality. On the other hand, you will also have many great experiences and meet so many amazing people from simply being an ally. I have learned so much about myself by simply taking the time to learn about others. Meeting and talking with those that just a few years ago I would not have found myself having conversations with has allowed me to be more open and vulnerable. I have learned how much privilege I truly have and how to use that as good for others. I have also realized how to truly listen and that I wasn’t necessarily the best at that before. I have also made so many great friends that if I had stayed in my small, bigoted, and uneducated world that I would not have met otherwise. At the end of the day, I feel very proud  to be  a part of a movement that involves people of all different sexual orientations and gender identities, joined together for a great cause. I am also proud to now be able to call them my friends and myself their ally.

-Doug Dickerson

The time to prepare your legal documents is NOW.

My beautiful community,

It is time to ensure our families are safe despite what the government is or is not doing. We cannot wait until we NEED to produce these documents, we need to have them in place and copies secured in safe places and with trusted friends or allies. On Wednesday, February 26th we are hosting a “Power of Attorney” night and I encourage - no I PLEAD with you to come and take advantage of the legal instruction we will be receiving. This includes General Power of Attorneys, Medical Power of Attorneys, HIPPA, and Mental and Physical Health Directives. If you were to be involved in an accident or unable to communicate for yourself, who would the hospital call? Your next of kin? In many cases that may be a parent or sibling that may not be supportive of you authentic self or your relationship status. We cannot rely on people who merely tolerate us to make these decisions. We must ensure these things are in place and ready in case something arises. You should file the Medical/Physical/HIPPA forms with your primary care physician, it is important the medical community has this knowledge and reached out to the correct people. You should have copies secured in a safe place at your home as well as copies with friends that will guard them diligently. I do not mean to sound hyperbolic or to fearmonger in anyway, but the phrase “better safe than sorry” is well known and I would never want to see that impact our community. If you would like to attend our POA night, please RSVP HERE so we have enough legal packets.

Sam

President, Board of Directors

Update from HRC’s: “How We’ll Protect Our Progress”

Community,

We just got off the Human Rights Campaign’s call, “HRC and Trump’s First 100 Days: How We’ll Protect Our Progress” which contained a lot of great knowledge and advice.

First: the law hasn’t changed.

Executive Orders do not immediately undo law. These things will move through the court systems and will take a great deal of time during which the law of the land remains. Let this provide a bit of reassurance. Sarah Warbelow reminded the call that we all knew this adminstration would undo rights for our Community, and they have been preparing strategic litigation for this very reason. Stand firm and RESIST. It is incredibly important that we do not pre-comply. Again: the law has not changed. Do not allow them to gain progress by willingly giving it away. We must not self-censor.

Their goal is to terrify our Community and our Allies, making them take a step back to leave our most visible members more vulnerable. Allies, this part is for you: THIS is the sign to speak up. The time of silently standing by and supporting in private is over. If you have ever read a history book and wondered, “how could people just silently stand by without speaking out" - this is your chance to stand firm and use your voice to help us.

What can we do?

Take action. HRC is taking 100,000 actions in 100 days and they are already 40,000 actions in. That is proof we have allies, we have numbers, we have each other. Together we can make an impact. Stay plugged into action networks. Write your representatives, share your stories. You do not have to give your name or your address or your employment - simply say you are a “constituent in your district” or share simply your zip code. We must own our narrative, it is ours and no one gets to re-write our stories or experiences for us.

Get your legal documents drawn up, Wills, Power of Attorney, Adoption if non-birth giver, etc.

Support your LGBT+ friends and family. Check-in. Then check-in again. Support one another.

Advice from HRC (paraphrased):

Same-Sex Marriage - the law has not changed. Should it go through the court systems and revert back to state-law there would most likely be a legacy clause affording recognition for same-sex couples already married.

X Gender Marker Passports - no longer being issued. Be cautious traveling outside the United States with an X passport. HRC suggested reaching out to the Department of State and requesting a written letter stating that you would in fact be allowed back into the United States.

Transgender care/access - the majority of focus has been on youth under the age of 18. Access for adults to HRT will be highly dependent on the state in which you live and the specific legislation being proposed.

Resources from HRC:

• HRC.IM/Timeline - It is important to understand our history; progess is forward, backward, then forward again. This is why we must continue to fight back.

• Text ‘Action’ to 472472 to join their Action Network and stay plugged in.

• HRC.IM/EqualityHub

• WelcomingSchools.org

I left the call feeling empowered. We are not alone, we have one another and national leaders paving the way with lawsuits to block these Executive Orders until they go through a long court battle ahead. I encourage you to visit the Human Rights Campaign’s website, support Lambda Legal, and to stay plugged into actions we can take to make our voices heard. The Glass House is here to welcome LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages and provides a safe, inclusive space. We hold support meetings, movie nights, arts and crafts, D & D, food pantry, clothing closet, and so much more. Together we will get through the next four years and protect the progress we have made. Let’s fight like hell.

Our Community has always known struggle.

Hi there.

The Glass House Board of Directors President here, Sam. How are you feeling? Have you been hydrating? Are you eating? Sometimes, things as simple as feeding our bodies can be hard when the burden upon our shoulders is so great. This is my second blog post since coming on as President of the Board and since creating the website, and in this one I’m going to be vulnerable. So skip it if you want!

I’m struggling; I bet you are as well, and that’s okay. It’s okay to not be okay, to mourn, to have fear, and to cry - that I’ve been doing a lot of. But mostly, I’m struggling with anger. It seems to be the only thing I do have an abundance of right now, at the administration steadfast on harming marginalized Americans across the country, at the people we thought cared about us but would rather see the price of eggs lower than for us to live a safe, authentic life, and at the feeling of our autonomy being stripped away with each anti-human rights Executive Order that is signed. But I am reminded that this is no new experience for our world, for our country, or for our community. Xenophobia has reared its head throughout history and devoured those it aimed to alienate. That is where I find myself now, unable to wallow any longer and unwilling to let the anger inside me or the hate we face daily consume me.

I woke to a great post from one of my closest friends yesterday, reminding us of the way Marsha P. Johnson lived. I hope they don’t mind that I steal the post,

“If you want to actually *be* like Marsha P. Johnson, you have to BE like Marsha P. Johnson.

You need to be kind.

You need to care about housing for queer people.

You need to care about queer youth.

You need to care about sex workers.

You need to care about food access.

You need to practice joy and gratitude.

You need to learn to give people their flowers.

You need to learn to share.

You need to learn how to raise your voice and fight.

You need to have pride in yourself.

But always, you need to be kind.”

Do you know what the “P” in Marsha P. Johnson stands for? “Pay It No Mind.” She used this to deter questions she didn’t want to answer and to assert her autonomy - she wasn’t going to share anything she didn’t want to. Today, I decided I’m not going quietly. Marsha, Sylvia, our Mothers of the Resistance, didn’t go quietly. They raised hell. They fought hard. They organized together. They created STAR, which Ms. Rivera said was “for the street gay people, the street homeless people, and anybody that needed help at that time." Our community has known struggle, we were BORN of struggle, and we will not go quietly in this one either. We have strength in our community, we know how to organize underground. We have strength in our allies, they are willing to put their bodies between the Black, Brown, and Queer community that may need it. We have strength in our history, humans are not kind but both give us a roadmap to utilize and remind us that when a pendulum swings extremely far one way there is a reaction with equal force or greater - its physics. So while we wait for the next 1,379 days (you better believe I’m counting it down) to pass, be kind. Be kind to yourself, your body is getting you through these hard times. Be kind to our community; this is NOT the time to alienate each other. They are working hard to divide us already, we need the shared strength and resources of our community more than ever. So I leave you with what I’m working toward this week: Being kind and fighting like hell.

You are Valid. You are Worthy. You are NEVER alone.

To our Beautiful Community:

We see you, we hear you, and we mourn with you. It is important to take the necessary time to grieve, to hold space for yourself, and to gather together in support. Yes, uncertain times may lay ahead of us but you are not alone. As the results began rolling in last night so did the calls from activists and allies, emboldened and ready to be on the front lines to protect you. A favorite quote from Ms. Sylvia Riveria comes to mind:

“We also have to remember one thing: that it was just not the gay community and the street queens that really escalated this riot — it was also the help of the many radical straight men and women that lived in the Village at that time, that knew the struggle of the gay community and the trans community. So the crowds did swell.”

— Sylvia Rivera

You are not alone. We standby ready to take action along with our growing numbers of straight allies and neighbors. So friends, hold space for yourselves and each other in coming days and weeks. When you’re ready, we are here to fight alongside you for the next four years. You are not alone.

-The Glass House Tyler

If you are in need of support, please reach out to these available resources:

Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860

Trans Lifeline is a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive.

The Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386 - or via chat or text at: thetrevorproject.org/get-help/

The LGBT National Hotline: (888) 843-4564

The LGBT National Youth Talkline (youth serving youth through age 25): (800) 246-7743

Both provide telephone, online private one-to-one chat and email peer-support, as well as factual information and local resources for cities and towns across the United States.