Rocking the Airwaves, Taking to the Streets - September News Blast!
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Oh boy, there's a lot to catch you up on, so buckle up...
Old Folks, Young Folks and Some Ageless Stories
We're doing our stretches and adjusting our goggles, getting ready to dive into the Fall 2009 LGBTQQ Intergenerational Storytelling Project. This unique three-month program is a collaboration with LYRIC and New Leaf and brings together LGBTQQ elders and youth to share stories, build community, develop skills and create a radio piece to air on major public radio stations. Each year the participants give hugely positive feedback about the experience. Take a listen to last year's awesome show!
And by the way, we're still looking for elders! If you or someone you know is over 65 and LGBTQ-identified and you'd like to join the group, contact Patricia at New Leaf: (415) 626-7000 x429.
Sex Ed, Vampires, Love-Phobia: outLoud Spring '09 Shakes It Up
On June 12th we proudly premiered the work of our six newest Youth Producers at Meridian Gallery in San Francisco: Alette, Charlotte, Jon, Kalen, Phuong and Sandra. We honored the work of our interns and fabulous volunteer instructors Jill Montgomery, Elena Botkin-Levy, Catherine Epstein and Misha Chowdhury, and the families and friends of our participants.
But that wasn't the end of the road for these young folks and their work! They put their audio pieces together into a radio show, Pride outLoud (take a listen!) which aired on KALW in June. Some of them created reviews of films in the Frameline LGBTQ Film Festival, and in July several outLouders brought their pieces to KPFA for another airing and some live discussion.
Eatin' Well
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Youth development and good radio are delicious! In our Spring 2009 Youth Producer Training Program, our participants, staff and volunteers ate like queens at each and every one of our sessions due to the newest way our community is supporting outLoud — our fabulous food fairies. Thanks to Sasha Vodnik, Kate Ramsey, Sean Realite, The Juice Bar in Berkeley, Elena Botkin-Levy, Noah Miller, Jill Montgomery and Libby, Chris Freimuth and Shruti Swamy for some really yummy meals. Want to be a food fairy too? It's a great chance to meet the crew and be inspired by young and old smarty pants queer folks and allies. It has been a really fun and gratifying experience for our past lunch allies!
Lookin' Good
We now have our very own patches and t-shirts and (coming soon) stickers to express our outLoud pride and spread the word about our work. The week before Pride we gathered with current and past participants and learned to print from a silkscreen in the performance space of our new office at CoutnerPULSE theater. We listened to a little Jackson 5 and ate cake in honor of Youth Producer Jon's birthday. Then we walked out looking like a million dollars.
Helping Keep outLoud Strong (Some Shout-Outs to Our Community)
Dozens of super folks came out (wearing those fancy new t-shirts) to raise over $3000 for outLoud while enjoying the festivities in the streets at San Francisco Pride. Thank you!
We are also proud and grateful to announce funding from Horizons Foundation as well as continued support from the San Francisco Foundation. Thanks you both! Thanks as well as to the outLoud youth who have been helping us with grantwriting. You rock.
And just as awesomely, outLoud parent Lisa Dearborn turned us on to our first corporate grant. Thanks, Lisa, and thanks Hitachi Datasystems!
We continued to get wonderful support from LYRIC through its Queer Youth Training Collaborative: it's because of this great program that our participants are able to be paid interns. Thanks so much to LYRIC.
You, our community of individual donors, have been wonderful and are crucial to outLoud's continued support of LGBTQA youth. You can contribute to outLoud's work in a number of ways, at any time. Thank you.
Watch out, Minnesota!
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This just in: outLoud alum Diego (Spring 2008 Youth Producer Training Program) just got an internship at Minnesota Public Radio! Stay tuned (literally, if you're in Minnesota) — more to come.
Grassroots Fundraising Kick-off
outLoud is gearing up to raise the community funds we need to serve more LGBTQA youth, with our new Grassroots Fundrasing Leadership Team. For just a few hours a week you can take part in the success of the only LGBTQA youth radio training program in the country! To learn more and join the team email Philipe today at philipe@outLoudRadio.org. Ensure the reality of our unique and powerful youth project creating leadership and social justice!
Photo: D Sharon Pruitt
