A small group of 10 people met on Thursday December 29th to further discussions on our Pride Celebrations to be held in June. This year we celebrate our 25th Anniversary of Pride Celebrations in the Dayton Area. Some committees were established but others still need volunteers. If you would like to volunteer your time at the pride celebrations or help with the planning, please contact Bret.Wendel@daytonlgbtcenter.org or info@daytonlgbtcenter.org and you will be notified when our next meetings will be. We do seek all the help we can get.
In the course of the meeting we discussed many fundraising ideas and opportunities. Of course fundraising can always be our largest challenge so we seek as many that can assist in this task as possible.
The 1st pride celebration in the Dayton Area was held in the 80’s so we will make our Pride Dinner for 2012 an 80’s theme party. So break out your favorite 80’s clothing or put an 80’s outfit together to wear. Don your gay apparel for a great night of fun as we share in our rich histories and exciting entertainment.
We next meet on January 22nd at 2pm for the “Big Gay Meeting”, the “Pride” meeting will take place at 3pm at MJ’s Community Room. See You Then!

The holidays are ahead with many wonderful opportunities to share in the spirit of the season. We kick off the season with the family Holiday, Thanksgiving. Saturday night, November 19, 2011 the annual Greater Dayton LGBT Community Thanksgiving Dinner is offered for all our family and friends.

The LGBT family & friends plan to gather at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church at 101 Huffman Ave in Dayton to share with all this “Family” Holiday. The sponsors of the Thanksgiving will provide the ham, turkey and all the fixing’s. Bring a salad, dessert or side dish to share – the event sponsors will have the main entrees, tableware and beverages.

The evening begins at 5:30pm with a social hour followed by dinner at 6:30pm. After dinner we will share in a program with community announcements and entertainment by the Rubi Girls.

This is a free event for all LGBT family and friends.

On November 20th join us for the “Big Gay Meeting” as we all work together to strengthen and lead our community.

Visit our calendar for all events and times of events throughout our gay community.

As we look back on the events of 9/11 we are ever reminded of the horrors of those hours, the lives lost and ever thankful for the hero’s that charged into danger to try to help those in need. As those great heroes brought the victims out of the rubble those victims were simply given numbers until they could be identified. So in this story I want to tell you a little bit about the man that world came to know as victim NUMBER ONE.
Victim number one was Father Mychal Judge, chaplain to the New York City Firefighters and an openly Gay Franciscan Priest. Father Mychal never considered himself a hero or even a great man or Priest, but simply a humble man wrestling his own demons while reaching out to touch others in an attempt to make their lives a little easier. Some would say he touched lives in miraculous ways.
Mychal Judge knew the pain of loss and suffering. He struggled with alcoholism and was an outspoken AA advocate. It was through his own vulnerability, imperfections and fragile humanity; he was able to reach people in their pain, shame and fragility. Father Judge was a gay man who loved his priestly work.
In the early morning hours of 9/11 Father Mychal was having coffee with a friend when they heard the news of the attack on the World Trade Center. Father Mychal told his friend, “I have to go be with my boys.” As the Chaplin to firefighter he felt he must be with his guys, pray for them, and help them as they helped others. Even though his friend tried to get him to wait and go later but that was not who Father Mychal was, he literally rushed into Hell for a Heavenly cause. He felt he must be there to up lift the spirits so the men could carry on. Father Mychal Judge became the first victim that was carried out of the Twin Towers forever more known as victim NUMBER ONE.
A documentary sponsored by Equality Forum and narrated Sir Ian McKellen was later made about Father Mychal called “The Saint of 911.” This is a riveting film that I highly recommend everyone view and get to know The Saint of 911.

PRIDE 2011 celebrations have come and gone and now we move forward towards other plans and celebrations.
The Greater Dayton LGBT Center is planning a “Big Gay Meeting” In this meeting we are asking representative from each and every group in the Greater Dayton Area to meet on Sunday August 28th from 1pm to 4pm.
The purpose of this meeting is to foster a greater working relationship with each group. We ask each group to bring a copy of their calendar so we may be able to create a central calendar in which we may all use to be aware of what and when things are happening in our community. We will discuss our strengths and weakness wherein we may be able to lean to each other to ultimately create a more cohesive bond, so “Together We Can” stand to all adversity. Together We Can!
Mark your group’s calendars and make plans to join us on Sunday August 28th from 1 -4 pm at the Dayton Women’s Club (boardroom), 225 N. Ludlow Street, Dayton, OH 45402 for a “Big Gay Meeting”