Pride Month from Stonewall to West Michigan

Project Light Newsletter
June 2009 Edition

The month of June this year was a milestone in GLBT rights, marking 40 years since the riots at Stonewall Inn in NYC that sparked the movement. This June Project Light’s Director (Adam Taylor/I) and Shaun Schoonhoven, friend of Project Light stood in front of Stonewall Inn and spoke with a man that was there the night of the riot. After that a stop at the Duplex where “Just Jack 2000” was filmed for Will and Grace was a additional treat. This was just part of a business trip in NYC with the Jed Foundation this month.

Due to the volunteer work of Andrew Jagger, and many other volunteers in the spring a video was submitted to the Jed Foundation in summary of the work of the founder of Project Light has done for college age youth emotional and mental health. The video which is on our website www.projectlight.info and http://jedfoundation.org/about/jed-news/the-jed-foundation-honors-student-mental-health-activists was selected as the winning application.

June 11th Director Adam Taylor, and friend (Shaun Schoonhoven) who is a long time supporter of Project Light, flew out to NYC. Arriving we were driven by town car to the hotel and checked into the Columbus Six on Columbus Drive, just outside of Time Square and Central Park. Around noon, Anita from the Jed Foundation took us to Time Square to enter MTV-U studios and have a in depth interview over the issues of GLBT youth mental health, and history, services of Project Light. After the interview we got to see Logo Channel office as well. This interview will be aired later this year is the current hope.

June 12th started with, going to the Today show and being one of the screaming fanatics behind the rail. The news anchors stopped just feet in front of us and did 5 minutes of news. Later a online search found we were indeed seen waving saying “Hey ma look I am on the Today Show.”
Following that a subway ride later Shaun and I had the great pleasure of having coffee with out actress, Heather Matarazoo who is known for being in the L Word, and Prince Dairies. Later that afternoon, dawning on suits we walked to the Jed Foundation Gala Awards. This was an evening to never be forgotten quality. Networking with staff from 60 minutes, Stone Philip former NBC news anchor, CEOs from Meijer’s, and many other high names took place. Heather M. introduce me (Adam) and the award along with the video addressing the matters of GLBT youth suicide to a room of 500 people and several newspaper, bloggers and magazines reporters. I got up from a table that had the Bacon Brothers, Brittany Snow (actress in Hairspray) too address the audience. It was a moment I will never forget. I had ad the great privilege of addressed the issues of dual stigma of what is GLBT mental health to 500 people who were going to take this message to many others. With many calls to action and donations and linking in the Trevor Project I sat down to have Stone Philips jokily told us that I would never make it as news anchor as I took little credit and thanked all the volunteers and donors of Project Light.

The night ended for Shaun and I after a Mind Ball, and meeting many more people.
To learn more about the NYC you can check out these sites for media, blogs and photos:

Project Light gallery: http://projectlight.info/Gallery/NYC%20Jed%20Foundation%20Gala/index.html
Jed Foundation Flicker event page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29601420@N08/sets/72157619963644308/show/
Between the Lines:
http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=35698
Media outlets that covered can be found here:
http://jedfoundation.org/about/jed-news/jed-foundation-eighth-annual-gala-a-success

Pride in Michigan!

Hours after landing from New York City, Project Light was at Arcadia Park June 13th or an amazing day of Kalamazoo Pride which had c. 4,000 people attend throughout the sunny day. We helped with set up and, than tabled for several hours talking with people about GLBT youth mental health needs, and crisis prevention. Photos are up @ http://projectlight.info/Gallery/Kalamazoo%20Pride%202009/index.html

A team of Volunteers put out Project Light materials on June 13th as well at Michigan Pride in Lansing. Many thanks to helping us being a guiding light in two places at once!

June 20th Project Light arrived early on scene at Grand Rapids Pride to help out with set up and than tabled for the day. Minus the many inches of rain from the night, the day was amazing, from seeing 4,500 people attend, so many diverse and rich lives, and fabulous drag queens perform. West Michigan Pride, President John Czerny awarded Director of Project Light, Adam Taylor an ACE award for Advocacy in West Michigan over the last several years. This opportunity was used to open a dialogue of GLBT mental health.
Photos can be seen at: http://projectlight.info/Gallery/West%20Michigan%20Pride%202009/index.html

We need your help to keep our services going!
Now that Pride month has come to a close, we have to stay active! With all the activities we have done this month Project Light is very low on funds and needs your help to keep our volunteers able to travel and give out materials to help youth/young adults who face Suicide/Crisis.
Please DONATE TODAY. www.projectlight.info

Take Action with upcoming events:
June 29th 6:30pm come to Kalamazoo City Hall for the Vote on Non Discrimination Ordinance.

July Project Light will be needing volunteers as we gear up for three projects/events:
1. Project Light is helping the Kalamazoo Suicide Prevention Action Network update its County Suicide Prevention Plan with putting together information for the GLBT section. This is a landmark after 3 years of advocacy by our Director Adam, who serves on the board to see our county become a leading county in the state of Michigan on GBLT written into its County Plan, carried out by institutions like Gryphon Place, Family Children Services, County Mental Health. People with research and writing skills please contact us, adam@projectlight.info
2. Planning is underway for the Education Forum, in November. This years theme is covering Spirituality and GLBT mental health. We are seeking to form a committee of volunteers to carry this out. Please contact us adam@projectlight.info
3. Team Project Light is getting activated for the Out of the Darkness Walk with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. To donate, or walk check us out @ http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&eventID=878&teamID=9839
a. See Team Project Light from 2008: http://www.kalamazooafsp.info/OOD2008Pictures.php

Michigan Dems stand for Anti Bullying with Enumeration

Citizens Lobby against Bullying in Michigan Schools,

Already this year, five students/youth in the United States have died due to bullying.  Every school day many children are bullied, many are hurt.  It is time to put an end to this violence in our schools so that all our children can be safe. Please join us for the All American Lobby Day to end bullying against all youth in Michigan! Young students in school are getting bulled and hurt because of who they are.  Help us to stop it. We need your support/endorsement for the Lobbying Day, May 13th.

We also need your help in getting the word out to others.  Please work with us to mobilize people to be apart of the Lobbying Day.  Please join us Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at 9 am at Teamsters Hall (local 580), located at 5800 Executive Drive, Lansing.  We will lobby for SB 0159, a law to protect all Michigan youth from bullying and to make our schools safe!  Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer will train participants that morning on how to lobby most effectively.  We will hold a press conference at midday.   Please tell your friends, neighbors and others about this lobby day.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact our Chair Phil Volk philvolk2004@yahoo.com or (734) 340-4868, or Vice Chair Adam Taylor at adamtaylorus@yahoo.com, 810-479-6897. Sponsoring and endorsing organizations include Michigan Democratic Party LGBT and Allies Caucus, Michigan Equality, Project Light, Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center, PFLAG of Southwest Michigan and many more. If you are willing to endorse this lobby event in writing, please send an email to me and Jen Chapin-Smith at jench1977@hotmail.com.
Volunteers Needed. We need volunteers before hand, if your on the East Side of Michigan each Tuesday starting April 14 until Lobbying Day we will have a work parties in Ann Arbor at 7:00 pm in the lower level of Starbucks at State St. and Liberty St.  If you are in the West Michigan, contact we will be meeting at the Kalamazoo County Dems Headquarters located at 3254 S. Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo Mi 49008 every Wednesday starting at 7:00pmon April 15th  until lobby Day. The times may move for West Michigan hours of volunteers.

We will need everyone’s help to mobilize the entire state. Help get in on spreading the word by personalize letters, spreading materials, getting trained, donations, gain endorsements, by emailing Phil Volk (Chair) at philvolk2004@yahoo.com, or Adam Taylor (Vice Chair and West Michigan Office Coordinator) at adamtaylorus@yahoo.com 810-479-6897.
All American Lobby Day Please read this is the most important part of  Bill SB0159:     (iv) IS BASED ON A PUPIL’S ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED RELIGION, RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, DISABILITY,HEIGHT, WEIGHT, GENDER IDENTITY, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, OR ANY OTHER DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC OR IS BASED ON ASSOCIATION WITH ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAS OR IS PERCEIVED TO HAVE ANY OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS.

Is Wall Street Just a Scam Against the Common Worker?

So with the economy in a bust mode I wanted to explore opinions on investor wealth. If there is such a thing. Is Wall Street just another way rich people get money from us to cushion there own asses from probable failure?

The investor market has several areas for investment, all of which is capital for businesses to use. How legitimate is the stability of businesses that could not secure funding vs. getting others to feel secure in basically giving money to someone else and hope to get it back.

Our money is the lifeline of the market where the rich shop. They find securities companies with money to use in their next big idea. Trump is a fine example he filed bankruptcy for a third time, who lost money him? Not likely…most likely your uncle who invested his life through a pension and had no personal say on if they could use it. We trust people with our futures that only care about their bottom line. If you want a basic look at the ideas try checking out The Daily Show and watch the episode with Kramer from CNBC.

How Much Is Enough!

We continue to help out failing businesses.  Why doesn’t the government just print out more money to buy hope for all the businesses that failed, like Circuit City or Linens-N-Things?   These companies supply jobs and valuable revenue to the economy as well.  So let’s bail them out too AIG keeps getting money.  Is that because the insurance company is paying out too many claims?  They lost 100 billion last year and we gave them 150 billion.  Doesn’t that mean they made 50 billion!  Seems like I should start a failing company run it like a retard without vision and get a bailout and give myself an incentive for fooling the government.  Why are Americans allowing the government to foolishly throw our tax money at these companies?  What do you think?

Is Obama Gonna Have to Slap a Bitch?

When I ran for State Rep in 2006 and 2008 my campaign manager noticed a huge character flaw, if that is what you would call it. I was almost obsessed with trying to make everyone happy and like me and the ideas I represent. So with that in mind I watch closely the new president and guess what? He won with 365 electoral votes and 53% of the popular vote.

So why in the hell is he still explaining his ideas to people who undoubtedly will never agree with him? This seems to be the same character flaw I suffer from, so why does the President, of all people, continue to address his so called non-supporters? Why waste valuable time? Just get to the business at hand, ignore the cynics and do what the people elected you to do. Do what you promised for once.

Plus, I think it would be entertaining to see Obama do what a few comics have said he should do. As I was watching him speak to Congress on Tuesday night, I pictured a Saturday Night Live skit in my mind. I could see them running a skit where Obama plays the role of a stereotypical, powerful black man. Remember when Wayne Brady parodied himself on the Chappelle show? Just to refresh your memory, here is a clip:

Wayne Brady did this skit because Chapelle had earlier accused him of being too “nice” with his image. Imagine Obama doing something like that. Imagine Obama saying to the GOP, “Is Obama gonna have to choke a bitch?” To me, that would be hilarious.

New 2010 Candidates in Michigan

We have added 5 new candidates to the Secretary of State list, and one to the Attorney General list.

Check them out!

Abe Lincoln Would Oppose the Iraq War

I’m not going to provide commentary. Rather, I am simply going to reproduce an actual quote from our 16th President to back up my claim:

“Allow the president to invade a…nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose – and you allow him to make war at pleasure.”

On a related note, my next tattoo is going to say “Malice Toward None”, another favorite Lincoln quote of mine.

America: Home of the Free?

So how does one who is wealthy stay wealthy? To answer this, one must look at the formation of our country. It was supposed to be founded to protect people so everyone had a voice, but what really started it? Taxes and tariffs that the wealthy white men in the colonies decided were too high. Was this the reason, because they wanted to keep more of the money? That’s not freedom, its greed, and we the people paid for it with our lives in the Revolutionary War.

Our original constitution gave us freedom? How? Women and blacks weren’t allowed anything, and the people to run the system had to be wealthy land owners themselves. So how have things been influenced by this true fact?

The result of getting away from the monarchy has left us in my opinion in the same situation. We pay taxes and the wealthy still want to keep more, and they still run the country. Finding one example of a person making less than $100,000 in an office of significant importance would be rare. So we continue the trend, except the common men and women are given an illusion of freedom and importance. The big difference is we have too many kings/queens and they all want the taxes and control, so we the people once again get to pay the price.

So when will the people really have control? Is Obama pushing us closer to this goal, or is he the newest king on a list of many? We are all but sheep that, regardless of how hard we are fighting, are being led to slaughter. Do we need a radical movement or new revolution to declare ourselves free of the tyranny of an over taxing government? What do you think?

More Evidence that George W. Bush is Human

Former President George W. Bush was very gracious during the transition to the Obama Administration. He seemed to understand that the American people had rejected his policies and wanted a clear change, and he did not resist. He sincerely wished Obama the best. And unlike Dick Cheney, who has already attacked the new President, Bush has remained low-key since leaving the White House.

But now we have some more evidence that W is actually a human being. (This could also prove that his horrible, failed actions while in office were really the result of him being controlled by Cheney.) Anyway, a hardware store in Texas offered W a job as a greeter. Although he turned it down, he was kind enough to show up and spend some time with the employees and shoppers there.

Governor Granholm Stands up for Michigan Citizens

Watch Governor Granholm go to town on Chris Wallace and friends: