May 13, 2012

Strike Out Homophobia

Hello! <3

I’m raising money to help out a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping queer youth 25 & under across all of Nova Scotia around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. I’ve been volunteering there for the past 6 years of its 19 year history, and I really believe in the work that they do and I’ve seen first hand how it affects the lives of the youth. They provide a variety of programs and services including support groups, referrals, supportive counseling, a resource library, educational workshops, social activities, and a food bank. They also organize an annual queer prom, and two summer camps, the Ally Card Program, and they network all of the GSA’s across the province. This organization is very youth directed, with a youth board that decides what programming is offered and how to spend the budget. Events and programs are always kept relevant as the ongoing needs of youth change over the years.


The reason we’re starting a new annual fundraiser is because we had a huge blow to our education budget and are losing one of our education facilitators. Each year the Youth Project hosts over 500 anti-homophobia workshops in classrooms across Nova Scotia, for grades 4-12. They also provide professional development opportunities for teachers, youth workers, social workers, and healthcare professionals around both sexual orientation as well as gender identity. They offer resources, guides and materials for making classrooms and learning environments welcoming for both LGBTQ students and teachers.

In an effort to continuously improve and expand our education capacity we are trying to raise an extra $15,000 a year through an annual bowl-a-thon, Strike Out Homophobia. Please help me help them. I have a goal of raising $1,000. I’m already over half way there with only two weeks remaining. To donate, please click on ‘Sponsor Me’ on the upper right hand corner of the page from the link above. Donations over $10.00 will automatically receive a tax receipt. If you are unable to donate but still want to help, please give me a little signal boost to send my message along! Any and all help is extremely appreciated!


Thank you all in advance!!


Much love,

Owen Owl


May 8, 2012 • 1 note

Strike Out Homophobia

Hello! <3

I’m raising money to help out a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping queer youth 25 & under across all of Nova Scotia around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. I’ve been volunteering there for the past 6 years of its 19 year history, and I really believe in the work that they do and I’ve seen first hand how it affects the lives of the youth. They provide a variety of programs and services including support groups, referrals, supportive counseling, a resource library, educational workshops, social activities, and a food bank. They also organize an annual queer prom, and two summer camps, the Ally Card Program, and they network all of the GSA’s across the province. This organization is very youth directed, with a youth board that decides what programming is offered and how to spend the budget. Events and programs are always kept relevant as the ongoing needs of youth change over the years.


The reason we’re starting a new annual fundraiser is because we had a huge blow to our education budget and are losing one of our education facilitators. Each year the Youth Project hosts over 500 anti-homophobia workshops in classrooms across Nova Scotia, for grades 4-12. They also provide professional development opportunities for teachers, youth workers, social workers, and healthcare professionals around both sexual orientation as well as gender identity. They offer resources, guides and materials for making classrooms and learning environments welcoming for both LGBTQ students and teachers.

In an effort to continuously improve and expand our education capacity we are trying to raise an extra $15,000 a year through an annual bowl-a-thon, Strike Out Homophobia. Please help me help them. I have a goal of raising $1,000. I’m already over half way there with only 19 days remaining. To donate, please click on ‘Sponsor Me’ on the upper right hand corner of the page from the link above. Donations over $10.00 will automatically receive a tax receipt. If you are unable to donate but still want to help, please give me a little signal boost to send my message along! Any and all help is extremely appreciated!


Thank you all in advance!!


Much love,

Owen Owl


April 26, 2012 • 14 notes • glorylizard

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April 18, 2012 • 19 notes • shayrhymeswithgay
shayrhymeswithgay: For Raymond, and for all of the Raymonds, which is to say: for everyone Written by Tanya Davis on April 17th, for the death and life of Raymond Taavel and for the love of Halifax (An audio version of this poem is available here) There are words that spring to mindlike sadnesslike violencelike senseless crimelike how this affects all of uslike how every tear in every eye falls from all of usand today Halifax is an ocean of anguisha sea of angrybeside the Atlantic. And how do we handle thiswhat happens nexthow do we manage the sorrow and the stress?This afternoon I walked the sidewalksnot so different than the one where he met his deathwhere no person should ever have to lay their headboth concrete and Raymond were innocent.I walked the sidewalk and every person I metI tried to look into them Do you know? Do you know?Do you know what we’re supposed to do now,‘cause I don’t I won’t hate moreI won’t love lessso many people - maybe even his killer - are lovelessnot unloveablemaybe ignorant, definitely sickand probably he shouldn’t have been let out to walk aroundand probably he was hateful and homophobicbut what’s painfulbesides this loss, besides all deathis the simple fact of it that remains:this isn’t over yet              - people left behind for every step we gain I walked down the sidewalk that is in the city where I live and loveI look for eye contactfor allies in the right to live and loveI wore black and toughas it is complicated stuffhow to protect oneself and yet open up I stumble hereit isn’t clearI put my ear to the ground to listen for the sounds of people’s fearbeing taken down by other people’s fearwho are guilty for their deeds but do not live in isolation here There are systems failing us everywhereprisons and education and mental health carethere is separation stark and severewe reach out our hands to make connectionbut some are all mixed upbring death and destructionit’s all fucked uplike when he struck him, here And, now, a being from the tribe of Love is goneand we are one less strongin a battle we are tired of fighting in the first placelay down your armspeace is your birthright One more time we pick up the pieces and we keep lovingstruggle for freedomfor all beingsGottingen street gets another beating. Well, we’ll love it harderreach our arms out furtherto encircle all of our neighbours‘til we work through all of the hating             this is for all of you            this is for the pain in our city today            this is for Raymond

shayrhymeswithgay:

For Raymond, and for all of the Raymonds, which is to say: for everyone

Written by Tanya Davis on April 17th, for the death and life of Raymond Taavel and for the love of Halifax

(An audio version of this poem is available here)

There are words that spring to mind
like sadness
like violence
like senseless crime
like how this affects all of us
like how every tear in every eye falls from all of us
and today Halifax is an ocean of anguish
a sea of angry
beside the Atlantic.

And how do we handle this
what happens next
how do we manage the sorrow and the stress?
This afternoon I walked the sidewalks
not so different than the one where he met his death
where no person should ever have to lay their head
both concrete and Raymond were innocent.
I walked the sidewalk and every person I met
I tried to look into them

Do you know? Do you know?
Do you know what we’re supposed to do now,
‘cause I don’t

I won’t hate more
I won’t love less
so many people - maybe even his killer - are loveless
not unloveable
maybe ignorant, definitely sick
and probably he shouldn’t have been let out to walk around
and probably he was hateful and homophobic
but what’s painful
besides this loss, besides all death
is the simple fact of it that remains:
this isn’t over yet
              - people left behind for every step we gain

I walked down the sidewalk that is in the city where I live and love
I look for eye contact
for allies in the right to live and love
I wore black and tough
as it is complicated stuff
how to protect oneself and yet open up

I stumble here
it isn’t clear
I put my ear to the ground to listen for the sounds of people’s fear
being taken down by other people’s fear
who are guilty for their deeds but do not live in isolation here

There are systems failing us everywhere
prisons and education and mental health care
there is separation stark and severe
we reach out our hands to make connection
but some are all mixed up
bring death and destruction
it’s all fucked up
like when he struck him, here

And, now, a being from the tribe of Love is gone
and we are one less strong
in a battle we are tired of fighting in the first place
lay down your arms
peace is your birthright

One more time we pick up the pieces and we keep loving
struggle for freedom
for all beings
Gottingen street gets another beating.

Well, we’ll love it harder
reach our arms out further
to encircle all of our neighbours
‘til we work through all of the hating

            this is for all of you
            this is for the pain in our city today
            this is for Raymond

April 17, 2012 • 1,044 notes • carmichaelcollective.com

pacify-eris:

Memorials to fallen bugs by Carmichael Lynch

Why do I love this?

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