October 18, 2012- Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Rep. Susan Allen, Matthew Everett, Jefferson Fietek

Host: Dixie Treichel

Guests: Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Representative Susan Allen, Matthew Everett, Jefferson Fietek

Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Institute for Welcoming Resources and Faith Work Director

Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, is the Institute for Welcoming Resources and Faith Work Director for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Before coming to the Task Force, she served as Interim National Coordinator for the United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns, as pastor of Spirit of the Lakes United Church of Christ and as Program Staff for the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence. Rev. Voelkel is the author of Preventing Sexual Abuse: A Course of Study for Teenagers (Pilgrim Press, 1996) as well as numerous articles and sermons. She and her partner, Maggie, are parents of Shannon MacKenzie, their daughter.

Institute for Welcoming Resources, The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

www.WelcomingResources.org

www.thetaskforce.org

Representative Susan Allen, (DFL) District: 61B

Susan is Lakota, Dakota and Anishinabe. She is an experienced tax and tribal law attorney. As an American Indian woman and a lesbian, Susan has faced barriers and overcome discrimination throughout her life. She is the first Native American lesbian to serve on a state legislature and is a strong advocate for Marriage Equality. Susan is working to get out the vote on November 6, 2012 concerning the Marriage Amendment and the Voter ID Amendment by going door-to-door in her district, working with the Ellison campaign and MN United for All Families.

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/members.asp?id=15377

www.mnunited.org

Matthew Everett, playwright

"But Not For Love”, a comedy about marriage - gay & straight, directed by Richard Jackson 

Workhouse Theatre and the Flower Shop Project

October 12-28, 2012 at The Warren

www.workhousetheatre.org

Jefferson Fietek, Justin's Gift co-Founder and Vice President

Justin's Gift, a group for LGBTQ youth and their friends, was recently informed they won't be allowed to walk in the annual Anoka Halloween parade because "there were too many people already walking in the parade” but the real reason is yet to be determined and questions of bias are coming to the front.

Justin’s Gift was created to provide safe environments where young people can be themselves in a bully-free zone, achieve self-confidence and be proud of who they are. It was created in the memory of Justin Aaberg a 15-year-old Anoka High School student who took his life after he was verbally and physically harassed because he was gay.

www.justinsgift.org