LGBTQ Resources ‎

Gulfport, Florida January 31 – February 2, 2020

ReadOut 2020 Lesbian Literary Event Explores “Why Our Stories Matter”
If you missed the first two ReadOuts, another chance to attend this unique festival of lesbian literature comes again Friday, January 31st – Sunday, February 2nd, at the Gulfport Public Library. This year, ReadOut is bigger than ever, with 23 featured authors scheduled to read from their works and engage with an audience of readers and writers.

Acclaimed author, and Tampa resident, Sheree L. Greer will deliver the keynote “Why Our Stories Matter.” Among her many achievements, Greer, who teaches writing at St. Petersburg College, is the author of two novels, Let the Lover Be (a Rainbow Award Finalist) and A Return to Arms. She also penned a short story collection, Once and Future Lovers. Greer’s work has been featured in literary journals, magazines, and anthologies, and her most recent work, “Bars,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Greer is a Yaddo and Ragdale Rubin Fellow and an Astraea Lesbian Foundation grantee. When asked about her hopes and goals for the weekend, Greer shared, “My biggest hope is that we see a really diverse collection of writers and readers come out. I’m hoping to see a really inclusive weekend where we create space and hold space for each other’s stories.” Addressing the subject of “Why Our Stories Matter,” Greer offered, “If I could put it in a tag line, I’d say ‘Queer people do more than Pride parades.’ You know, we get coverage that one day of the year when we fill the street, but we also do a lot of important things that contribute to the community. We are every facet of the community. We are in every industry, working alongside you, everyday, and we do more than just fill up the streets in parades. This is a chance to see another side of our talents and our strengths that we bring to the community.

”And speaking of talents, Saturday night will feature entertainment by Nia & Ness, a dancer-poet performance art duo, from Brooklyn, New York, who will perform their evening-length piece “home.” at 8 PM, at Gulfport’s Catherine Hickman Theater. Reflecting on their work, Ness explained the audience is invited “to be a fly on the wall and listen to our very intimate and deep conversations, which have to do with our being an out, black lesbian couple. All the things that we experience, the good the bad and everything in between.”

If you’re not an out, black lesbian, Nia adds, “We feel like our work, honestly, speaks to everyone. Our work is about our lives, so it’s about being black, lesbian women, but everyone can find their own story in it. They can find aspects of themselves within our work,” and “I feel like you will definitely leave our show feeling empowered.”

The festivities kick off Friday, Jan. 31st, at 3 PM, with Romance authors reading from their works until 5 PM. From 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, Greer and other Featured Authors and readers will mingle at a Wine and Cheese Meet and Greet, along with Nia & Ness, who will offer a brief preview of their work. Books will be sold from 10 AM – 5 PM, Saturday, in the Author Vendor Room. Greer’s keynote goes from 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM, Saturday. Authors will read from their works and answer questions from the audience, from 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM and then again from 1:30 PM-4 PM. Lunch for attendees will be provided at the library, in between. Greer’s workshop, “You Are the Protagonist: Using Your Experiences to Create Compelling Fiction and Non-Fiction” takes place To see the full s of ReadOut 2020 events, go to gulfportreadout2020.bpt.me. Registration for the free events is not required, but you must register for the ReadOut writer’s workshop with Sheree L. Greer. A suggested donation of $25 is asked for the workshop, if you register by January 15th. A donation of $35 is suggested, when you register for the workshop after that date. A limited number of scholarships are available by writing to gulfportreadout@gmail.com. Tickets to see Nia & Ness are also available through BrownPaperTickets, at niaandness.bpt.me, or go to Beach Bazaar, in Gulfport, to get Nia & Ness tickets in-person. $20 gets you early-access choice seating, at 7 PM. $15 is the cost of general admission entry, starting at 7:30 pm.

ReadOut Schedule:

The LGBTQ Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization within the Gulfport Library that is dedicated to fostering knowledge about and support for the rich diversity of LGBTQ lives through a wide-ranging collection of materials, programs and events. Find out more about the Resource Center on the web at www.mygulfport.us/lgbtq-resources  or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GulfportLibraryFL.

LGBTQ Film Series

THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR (2019) NEXT IN LGBTQ FILM SERIES

Contact: Gulfport Public Library; (727) 893-1074

FREE at the Library (5501 28th Ave. S.).

Water, soda, popcorn and candy available – donations accepted for the LGBTQ Resource Center.  BYO “brown bag” supper and beverages.

Curve
Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide
Lesbian Connection
Passport
RFD
Sinister Wisdom
The Advocate
Out

• http://www.hrc.org – The Human Rights Campaign: Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equal Rights

• http://www.glaad.org – GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) is a non-governmental organization media monitoring organization which promotes the image of LGBT people in the media.

• https://lgbtqreads.com – LGBTQ Reads is a site dedicated to promoting curated LGBTQIAP+ literature for all ages.

• http://www.nclrights.org – National Center for Lesbian Rights – NCLR is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, legislation, policy, and public education.

• http://www.lambdalegal.org – Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights oflesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

• http://community.pflag.org – PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) We are a national support, education and advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, their families, friends and allies.

• http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/same-sex-marriage-laws.aspx – National Conference of State Legislature- same sex marriage laws.  A complete list of states where judicial decision established same sex marriage, where legislature has passed law allowing same sex marriage, and where no provisions allowing same sex marriage have occurred.

• http://www.actuporalhistory.org – ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) has compiled an oral history of surviving members of AIDS coalition to Unleash Power. The purpose of this project is to present comprehensive, complex, human, collective, and individual pictures of the people who have made up ACT UP/New York.

• http://www.sageusa.org – Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is the country’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults.

• http://www.oloc.org – Old Lesbians Organizing for Change is a national network of Lesbians over age 60 working to make life better for Old Lesbians through support networks and by confronting ageism in our communities and our country using education and public discourse as primary tools.

• http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu -The Williams Institute is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.  A national think tank at UCLA Law, the Williams Institute produces high-quality research with real-world relevance and disseminates it to judges, legislators, policymakers, media and the public.

• http://www.colage.org – COLAGE unites people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer parents into a network of peers and supports them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders in our collective communities.

• http://www.stonewallnationalmuseum.org – Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, the Stonewall National Museum and Archives promotes understanding through preserving and sharing the proud culture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their significant role in society. SNMA is one of the only museums in the United States dedicated solely to LGBT history, civil rights, art and culture. The museum features three gallery spaces with changing monthly and bi-monthly exhibits, and includes a permanent timeline of American LGBT history.

• http://eqfl.org – Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building, we are changing Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

• http://glsen.org/chapters/tampabay – Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network’s Tampa Bay chapter strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

• http://www.metrotampabay.org – providing premier HIV services, social networking, and other health and wellness programs that enhance the quality of life for the local community.

• http://www.stpetepride.com – The purpose of St. Pete Pride is to promote unity, visibility, self-esteem and a positive image of and among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community of Tampa Bay and throughout the State of Florida by way of cultural and educational programs and activities.

• http://www.pridecenterflorida.org – We provide a welcoming, safe space — an inclusive home that celebrates, nurtures and empowers the LGBTQ communities and our friends and neighbors in South Florida.

• http://gaystpete.com– online resource for LGBT information in the Greater St. Petersburg area.

• http://prosuzy.com – online resource for Lesbians in the Tampa Bay area. Includes a calendar of local events for lesbians ‘on the go and in the know.

• http://www.rainbow411.com/content/saint-petersburg.html – Listing/search engine for all the gay friendly businesses in Florida.

• http://www.watermarkonline.com – Watermark prints up to 20,000 copies every other Thursday, and distributes them in more than 500 locations throughout Orlando, Tampa Bay, Sarasota and throughout the state. The newspaper donates more than $200,000 annually in free and sponsor advertising to worthy local and national LGBT non-profits.

• http://www.save.lgbt – SAVE is recognized as South Florida’s leading organization dedicated to protecting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) against discrimination.

• http://swimwomen.org – SWIM stands for Social Women in Motion. They are a social, professional and community minded lesbian group in the Greater Tampa/St Petersburg area.

• https://www.outcoast.com – Outcoast works with the LGBTQ community on Florida’s Gulf Coast to promote business and non-profits through online media, photojournalism and marketing consultation.

• http://transequality.org/index.html – National Center for Transgender Equality. Organization that is “dedicated to advancing the equality through advocacy, collaboration and empowerment.
• http://transgenderlawcenter.org – Transgender Law Center works to change law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.
• http://www.translifeline.org – Trans Lifeline is not for profit dedicated to the well being of transgender people. Their FREE crisis hotline is run by transgender for transgender people in need of support and resources.
• http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/ – The mission of the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health is to increase access to comprehensive, effective, and affirming health care services for trans and gender-variant communities.
• http://transstudent.org/ – Trans Student Equality Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to improving the educational environment for trans* and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment. We believe that trans* and gender nonconforming youth should be allowed the same opportunities and respect enjoyed by their peers and that an equal education is a matter of civil rights.
• http://www.tsroadmap.com – Transgender Road map compiles several kinds of resources on the physical, spiritual, sexual, and mental well being for trans* individuals in transition.

• King of Peace Metropolitan Church
  3150 5th Ave. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33713
  (727) 323-5857
  http://www.churchstpetersburg.org/
• Christ the Cornerstone Church
  5545 62nd Avenue Pinellas Park FL 33781
  727-547-6280
  http://christcornerstone.com/
• Paul’s Lutheran Church
  407 So. Saturn Avenue at Gulf to Bay
  Clearwater, FL 33755-6597
  727-446-7718
  www.stpaulsclearwater.org
• Petersburg Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
  130 19th Ave SE
  St. Petersburg, FL 33705
  727-896-0310
  stpetersburgquakers.org/
• Pass-a-Grille Beach Community Church, U.C.C.
  107 16th Avenue
  St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
  (727) 360-5508
  www.pagchurch.org