by Tara Cobb I’m not going to lie; I was nervous about moving to a small town and not at all certain I could handle “small-town life.” I mean being queer and finding a supportive community of other LGBTQIA+ folks and allies was hard enough in the suburbs of Chicago where I grew up and… Continue reading Here and Queer
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So Simple. So Powerful.
By Jaime Collins “Can I help you?” said a man biking in the opposite direction. It was a hot and sunny afternoon far from home on the Military Ridge Trail, and I was a little more than half way through an agonizingly long training run, completely out of water, and visibly hurting from my dehydrated… Continue reading So Simple. So Powerful.
#rainbowactsofkindness
By: Angela Lindeman Doing kind things for a family member, neighbor or friend is definitely nice and recommended any time one is able to do so. What happens when that kind of effort is extended to people that you don’t know? I think the #Rainbowactsofkindness endeavor answers this question. This project makes it pretty easy… Continue reading #rainbowactsofkindness
Never Meant to be Ordinary
by Angela Lindeman For as far back as I can remember, I never really felt like I fit in anywhere. I could never put my finger on why that was though. I spent lots of time thinking about it over the years. I distinctly remember when I was about 8 or 9 years old having… Continue reading Never Meant to be Ordinary
PRIDE: A Long, Incomplete Journey
by Angela Lindeman After a tremendous and terrifying start to this June 2021 for myself, personally, by being physically attacked by my partner for being who and what I am, I feel this is the PERFECT time for me to write this. More often than not, Pride Month arrives as the sun returns to us… Continue reading PRIDE: A Long, Incomplete Journey
Pansexual Pride
by Angela Lindeman One day, a long, long time ago, I heard a word that was completely foreign to me. Pansexual? What on Earth does that mean? I would come to find out that it answered several questions that I had had about myself forever. Pansexual means: not limited in sexual choice with regard to… Continue reading Pansexual Pride
Creating Community on Our Own
By Jaime Collins I never imagined going out for this one simple walk would change so much about how I want to live. But then something unusual happened, and my perspective shifted. It was all so simple. Passing a yard with a cluster of tall pine trees, I glanced underneath and there, on a soft… Continue reading Creating Community on Our Own
Your Love is the Blessing
Rev. Zayna Thomley, UCCPlatt.org When I write letters or emails to my congregation I most often address them to “Beloved.” As in: “Beloved, thank you for your generous gift!” or “Beloved, this week we’ll be having a special service of…” You get the idea. I’ve been doing it for almost eight years now so they’re… Continue reading Your Love is the Blessing
My Authentic Valentine
By Angela Lindeman You know the deal….you walk into any store anywhere, and you see hearts, candy, teddy bears, and flowers abound. I don’t know about you, but it never felt welcoming to me. It never felt like I belonged. I mean, realistically, how do you celebrate a holiday centered around love if YOUR kind… Continue reading My Authentic Valentine
Girl in the Mirror
by Jaime Collins, President, Southwest Wisconsin Rainbow Alliance My story begins one November evening in 1963. At the moment of my birth the doctor took one very quick look at me and informed my mother, “It’s a boy.” In that moment, that doctor was giving me a lifetime prescription for exactly what was expected of me. How I should… Continue reading Girl in the Mirror