Are You As Queer As a $3 Bill?

by Evelyn Bailey

Today Shoulders To Stand On announces a $10,000 Matching Donation.  Mr. Anthony Mascioli (shown in the picture on the left with Kevin Indovino) will match all monies that are donated to Shoulders To Stand On between December 2, 2011 and January 15, 2012 that total $10,000.  A Rochester success story, Tony was born in Rochester, left Rochester and in 1974 opened the Wall Street Sauna in New York City with two other partners. Tony now splits his time between Rochester, NY and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Shoulders To Stand On is at a critical point in its fundraising efforts.  WE NEED YOUR HELP! THE GOAL: Have every LGBT person or straight ally in the Rochester region contribute at least $3 to help us raise $120,000.

BE A PART OF THE BIG PICTURE: help us complete our documentary in time for the 20th Anniversary ImageOut Film Festival in 2012.

Make a donation on line at: http://www.gayalliance.org/shoulders-support.html

Mail your contribution:  $3 Bill Campaign, Shoulders to Stand On, Gay Alliance, 875 E. Main St.  Rochester, NY 14605

Tony is one of the Rochester “shoulders” that Kevin Indovino and Evelyn Bailey are doing pre-taping interviews with for the 90 minute documentary entitled “Shoulders To Stand On: A History of the Gay Community in Rochester, New York” to be completed for the 20^th Anniversary of the ImageOut Film Festival in 2012.  The groundwork has been laid for the research necessary to accurately and thoroughly document our history through the digitization of the Empty Closet. 

To be inclusive of all members of the community, the Gay alliance has received two New York State Archives Grants to establish a Finding Aid to assist in locating and identifying as many of the 260 lgbt records of various individuals, groups, organizations and agencies. 

Of these 260 we have updated contact information for 154.  The Empty Closet and the lgbt records from these individuals, groups, organizations and agencies are primary source material.  These materials document the history of the LGBT community in Rochester, NY.  From these materials, and the oral histories being tape recorded and archived, the Gay Alliance is pursuing preserving the LGBT history of our community with urgency and diligence. 

Always looking to the future, and the future needs of our community, what is the next step after the documentary is completed?  With the documentary, Shoulders To Stand On will prepare an educational kit for the 90 minute documentary to be used and incorporated into local history courses in grades K -12, in college local history programs, in teacher training diversity programs, and in corporate diversity programs – a kind of Gay History 101.  This piece is as equally important as the documentary itself. 

As Kevin and I talk to our “elders” in the community, it is clear that the gay experience of the ‘50’s, ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s here in Rochester was vastly different from today.  The documentary will explore these differences, and will try to paint a clear picture of those times for past and future generations to gain an appreciation of the struggles the community went through to create the gay friendly environment  Rochester, NY enjoys today. 

Do not misunderstand me – Rochester is not perfect.  Many of our young people experience bullying on a daily basis and they do not feel safe.  Our seniors are concerned about being accepted for whom they are, and many feel compelled to return to the closet due to a myriad of financial and health care issues. 

That being said, Rochester has come a long way in a very short period of time because of the efforts of Rochester businesses, churches, political leaders, gay organizations and YOU.  There is still much to do to secure freedom from homophobia for our young people, our aging population and our transgender community.

 Our past experiences and current experiences individually and personally are not that different.  Documenting and preserving our history provides a road map to future successes in improving the quality of life for all Rochestarians.

SO …  What can YOU do?  How can YOU Help?

First and foremost be yourself – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender! 

THEN with the energy generated by that freedom CONTRIBUTE and GET INVOLVED!

CONTRIBUTE 

Financially Support Shoulders to Stand On - Donate on line at                                        http://www.gayalliance.org/shoulders-support.html

Mail your contribution:  $3 Bill Campaign, Shoulders to Stand On, Gay Alliance, 875 E. Main St. Suite 500, Rochester, NY 14605

Start emptying your closets – bring your gay memorabilia, scrap books, other written documents, books and magazines to the Gay Alliance.

GET INVOLVED  Go to www.ShouldersToStandOn.org to volunteer.

This community project belongs to all of us.  All of our “shoulders” are needed to accomplish our immediate goal of raising $120,000 to complete our 90 minute documentary in time for the 20th Anniversary ImageOut Film Festival in 2012.  With Tony’s financial support to match donations that total $10,000 Shoulders To Stand On fundraising efforts have the promise of success. 

Shoulders To Stand On is proud to be a program of the Gay Alliance, and proud of the many “shoulders” already involved in supporting this project.  Be a part of this historic documentary CONTRIBUTE – GET INVOLVED!!!   

Comments

[rc helicopter]

Impressive blog! -Arron

[Barbara Moore]

Thanks Arron, glad you like it