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| June/July 2006
Vol.18, No. 4
"When I Knew"
 TCC teams up with Norwalk's House Arts Center to present "WHEN I KNEW"
Friday, June 23 at 8pm, Saturday, June 24 at 8pm Carriage House Arts Center, located in Cranbury Park in Norwalk
TCC board and volunteers are working overtime on a June triple play of events!
Suddenly, June is busting out all over. Traditionally, TCC’s June event is the annual Fairfield County Gay Pride Celebration. This year there are two new June events – a fundraising theatrical production (usually held in May), and a brand new event, the First TCC Pride Ride.
Kicking off the trio is the First TCC Pride Ride. Starting at 8:30 AM on Saturday, June 17, from the Unitarian Church in Westport (site of the 5th Fairfield County Gay Pride Celebration later that same day!), TCC member and cycling enthusiast Chris Bisceglie will lead a 26.8 mile bicycle ride around the Saugatuck Reservoir. The route is a mixture of rolling hills and stretches, with a few obligatory challenging climbs. The pace is anticipated to be a stealthy 8-12 miles per hour. ANSI approved helmets and water are required, light snacks are recommended.
The ride will end at the Church, just in time for the opening ceremony of the 5th Fairfield County Gay Pride Celebration. The grounds (at 10 Lyons Rd., Westport) will be open from 12-5 PM. There is always something for everyone at TCC’s Pride Day. This year, the main stage will spotlight gay and gay-friendly entertainment including Karen Grenier of Provincetown, and a New Jersey sensation, the hot new duo Nekked. Also appearing are Bridgeport’s Essence and Westchester County’s Purple Rose. Sue Banay will again open the day with a fitting bagpipe soliloquy, and camping it up with more hairspray than a Broadway show, The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut will perform a few of their notorious show tunes. Children’s activities
include arts and crafts, face painting, a playground, songs by Miss Janine and storytelling for all ages by Suzy Capone. Rounding out the festivities will be a fine selection of grill items and refreshing smoothies, and an interesting array of
table vendors.
Just one short week later, on June 23 and 24, the Carriage House Arts Center and Triangle Community Center team up for the 9th TCC fundraising theatrical event -- a reading of excerpts from “When I Knew,” a collection of smart, hilarious and often poignant stories about that revelation for all gay men and women: when they first knew. Compiled and edited by acclaimed fashion and celebrity photographer Robert Trachtenberg, “When I Knew” is a vibrant and witty celebration of that sometimes glorious, sometimes painful, but always captivating moment when everything suddenly makes sense.
Director Frank Gaffney, a resident of Norwalk and TCC member, has adapted the book into a new multi-media presentation, which promises to enlighten and entertain. This marks the TCC’s 9th fundraising theatre production with the proceeds benefiting the Norwalk-based nonprofit community center serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community of Southwestern Connecticut, now in it’s 15th year.
The cast includes Jennifer Abbott (Greenwich), Andrea Garmun (Fairfield), Larry Greeley (Wilton), Michael Limone (Stamford), Frank Sisbarro (Milford), Craig David Rosen (New Milford), Maureen Mollahan (Bridgeport).
The TCC is proud to be part of the newly renovated Carriage House Arts Center’s 2006 season, which will include a series of plays, music performances and children’s shows between May and October (including a second TCC production in October, “The Sum of Us”). As an added bonus the gallery at the arts center will be featuring the photography of TCC Board member Brian Klecatsky for the entire month of June.
Past TCC productions include Whoop De Doo!, Pageant, Nunsense-A-Men, Ruthless! The Musical, When Pigs Fly, You Should Be So Lucky, Love!Valour!Compassion! and Torch Song Trilogy, which were staged in Norwalk and Stamford.
Performance dates are Friday, June 23 at 8pm, Saturday, June 24 at 8pm. The venue is the Carriage House Arts Center, located in Cranbury Park in Norwalk. Tickets are $20, which includes a pre-show reception. For ticket reservations call the box office at 203-229-9797.
The show is recommended for mature audiences.
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Fifth Annual Fairfield County Gay Pride Celebration
 Saturday, June 17, 12 – 5 PM At Unitarian Church of Westport
ENTERTAINMENT BY:
Karen Grenier & New Jersey’s new duo sensation, Nekked.
Also appearing, Essence and Purple Rose and The Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES:
Songs by Miss Janine
Storytelling for all ages by Suzy Capone
Arts & Crafts, Face Painting, Playground
FOOD, FAIR AND DANCING
ADMISSION IS FREE
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PRIDE RIDE
 Celebrate Fairfield County Gay Pride Day with a kickoff bike ride beginning at Unitarian Church in Westport, June 17TH Saturday, 8:30 AM
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Partygoers celebrate at Triangle Community Center’s 15th Anniversary Gala
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Fairfield County Gay Men’s Network
The search is on for a new facilitator
The Fairfield County Gay Men’s Network has met regularly at TCC for the past few years. Activities include discussions on
current topics as they relate to the LGBT community, movie nights, group dinners or a night on the town. Chad Marcel, has facilitated the FCGMN for six months and is stepping down from that position. The search is on for a new facilitator in order to keep this fun and important group going. (The group’s format is at the facilitator’s discretion!) If interested, please email joeguttadauro@sbcglobal.net.
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Live Your Pride - VOLUNTEER
We need volunteers to help set up and clean up from the 5th Fairfield County Gay pride celebration Saturday, June 17, 12-5 PM.
If you can lend a hand, please call Jason (203-570-5748) or Janis (203-820-9275) or send an email to tccenter@aol.com
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Thank You
Thanks to June Fagan for volunteering her studio and time for April’s Women Kick Ass Self Defense Workshop. Besides self defense, June also offers a full educational program of Karate for adults and kids. You can reach June at her studio, Kempo Karate & Self Defense, 35 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 – (203)563-9781, or visit her website at www.intuitions-club.com.
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Womyn's Social Group Presents Mini-Golf Adventures
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My Pride, My Soul
My Pride, My Sould is a social and discussion group that reaches out to Women of Color, as well as their friends, admirers, and partners. We meet once a month to discuss various social, political, and economic issues in our community. We also celebrate and support spoken word and other artistic endeavors.
CANCELLED - JULY 27 – 28, Join MPMS for a weekend retreat to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. We are taking over Abbey's Lantern Hill Inn - A local bed and breakfast just minutes from Foxwoods.
Rates range from $300 to $400 for single occupancy and $200 to 250 pp for double occupancy. The house only accommodates 18 to 20 people - First come, first served.
Additional details email mypridemysoul@yahoo.com
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SLAPHAPS - (Senior Lesbians At Play Happily)
A social group for Lesbians 55 & over and their younger friends.
SCHEDULE FOR JUNE 2006
SAT. 6/3/06 10 A.M.--- SUSAN G. KOMEN CT RACE FOR THE CURE. We will do either 4K or 1 mile walk. Meet at registration tent.
FRI. 6/9/06 5 P.M --- DINNER & CT SUN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME. Meet at Summer Shack Restaurant, Mohegan Sun. For game tickets call 877-786-8499.
WED. 6/14/06 10:30 A.M.--- MAGIC WINGS BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY, 281 Greenfield Road., South Deerfield, MA. Meet at main entrance. For more info call 413-665-2805
WED. 6/21/06 12:30 P.M.--- SLAPHAPS MONTHLY MEETING at New Haven Gay & Lesbian Community Center (NHGLCC) 50 Fitch St. 2nd floor. Bring lunch, plan future activities, & play dominoes.
THURS. - SUN. 6/22 - 6/25/06 -- GOLDEN THREADS in Provincetown , MA. For lesbians 50 & over. www.GoldenThreadsPtown.org or call 781-229-9028.
TUE. 7/4/06 2 P.M. -- 4th of JULY PICNIC at Kathy’s. BYO everything & folding chair. Dessert, paper plates, grill, etc. provided. Call 203-929-8113 by 7/1/06 for directions.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO GO, PLEASE LET US KNOW! SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE!
For more SLAPHAP info:
Kathy katslew@aol.com 203-929-8113
Linda elceeroady@comcast.net 203-606-2640
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Committee and Volunteer Opportunities
Please contact Joe at joeguttadauro@sbcglobal.net for additional information about the opportunities listed below.
No prior experience needed. We will tailor the opportunities to match your skills, time commitment and interests. Come join the fun and help to keep the TCC the hub of activity for the LGBT community.
Special Events and Programming Committee
Responsible for evaluating and producing educational, social, sporting, outreach and fund-raising events for TCC. Includes the following sub committees Pride, Festivus and The Play.
Responsible for scheduling, coordinating TCC’s programming calendar. Works with publicity committee to promote events. Defines event budgets and reviews them with the TCC treasurer. Works with volunteer coordinator to staff events. Works to ensure TCC is the hub of LGBT cultural events in Fairfield County. Meets quarterly with board liaison.
Policies and Process Committee
Works to ensure TCC bylaws are up to date. Ensures TCC’s policies and procedures are documented, followed and clearly communicated. Works with TCC secretary to ensure documentation is archived.
Communications Committee
Coordinates information and brand identity of all Center visuals including website, newsletter, published and press materials. Works to ensure the TCC brand is consistently communicated.
Finance Committee
Works to ensure that the TCC remains financially stable. Includes the following sub committees:
Advertising – handles advertising for newsletter and website. Pursues advertisers and keeps billing current.
Grant Writing – actively looks for and applies for grants.
Sponsorship – Promotes TCC. Actively looks for sponsorship opportunities for the TCC.
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Upcoming Meetings
We invite you to come to our monthly support meetings. We share our stories in a safe welcoming environment and promise strict confidentiality. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 P.M. at the Triangle Community Center in Norwalk. For directions, log on to www.ctgay.org. Any questions? Call Sandy at 203-226-0257 or email her at pflagswct@yahoo.com. Mark your calendar for the next three meetings: Wednesdays - June 7th, July 5th, August 2nd. Special June 7th program: PFLAG will have a panel from the TRANS community speak to the group, 7:30 PM at the TCC. For information email skhadjavi@sbcglobal.net
PFLAG Mission
• Promote the health & well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families & friends;
• Provide support to cope with an adverse society;
• Provide education to enlighten an ill-informed public;
• Provide advocacy to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights;
• Provide an opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation, and work to create a society that is healthy and respectful of all human beings.
Gay marriage’s future lies with DotNet youngsters
Deb Price, The Detroit News, May 8, 2006
As the gray heads in the U.S. Senate get ready to weigh in again this June on gay marriage, look elsewhere if you want to see the real deciders, as President Bush might call them.
Look to the 21-year-old getting ready to enter law school, the 7-year-old zipping by on a Razor scooter and the 2-yearold doing her first spin around the playground in a convertible Cozy Coupe. Their generation will, I predict, have the final say over full marriage equality for those of us who’re gay -- and they’ll give it an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Variously dubbed the DotNets or Millennials, Americans born between 1985 and 2004 are already demonstrating refreshing levels of civic engagement, respect for the power of voting and eagerness to solve problems through team work.
Generations scholar William Strauss, co-author of “Millennials Rising,” predicts young people growing up just behind the cynical, disengaged Generation Xers will be “the next great generation.”
Fortunately, the Millennials also are a big generation. Their impact is going to hit like a political tsunami in the next decade: Even before the final four years of Millennials were born, the 2000 Census put them at 72.4 million strong, nearly matching the 77.6 million Baby Boomers (born between 1945 and 1964).
Social researchers have found that each new generation is more gay-friendly than the one before -- and the oldest Millennials certainly fit that encouraging pattern.
Even two years ago, 15- to 25-year-olds favored gay marriage by 56 percent to 39 percent, according to a national survey by the University of Maryland’s youth think tank, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE at civicyouth.org).
“Each generation has come of age being considerably more tolerant and become even more so,” says CIRCLE director Peter Levine, who tracked the attitudes of generational groups over time.
“This youngest generation is very tolerant, a very large group, and they have turned around the voting decline in the first election in which they could vote. If you put all that together, it spells a huge change in gay rights -- and one not very far off,” he adds.
Other polling -- in which the eldest Millennials were surveyed along with half of Xers to tell us about 18- to 29-year-old voters -- likewise foretells a tipping point. Within perhaps 10 years, gay marriage will enjoy majority support nationwide because younger, more accepting voters will have replaced many of today’s 65-plus voters. Notable findings include:
Eighteen- to 29-year-olds are the first age group of voters to prefer gay marriage over other options for gay couples, 2004 election exit polls show. Asked their preference, 41 percent chose marriage for gay couples, 28 percent favored civil unions and only 30 percent said no recognition.
Age breakdowns provided to me by the Pew Research Center of its March poll show the 18-to-29 group favoring gay marriage, 52-42 percent. That contrasts with the 65-plus crowd -- opposed by 69-20 percent. (When all ages are combined, a bare majority -- 51 percent -- opposes gay marriage. Go to: people-press.org.)
The tipping point I foresee in 10 years may come earlier. Pew found a huge decline in “strong opposition” to gay marriage, “and the fall has been sharpest among seniors, Republicans and more moderate religious groups.”
Already, Millennials are beginning to drive public opinion. We can trust them to make good, solid gay-friendly decisions.
Reach Deb Price at (202) 662-8736 or dprice@detnews.com.
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News & Views is published bimonthly. To make an addition to the newsletter or calendar, send an e-mail to tcceditor@aol.com
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