We want to welcome Carole Zegel to our committee and urge anyone interested in celebrating and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community to join us. We have work to do!
In October ONA will sponsor a Pride seminar, and host a potluck brunch on Pride Sunday, October 22. We will also, no doubt, need people to go to Tallahassee during the legislative session to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
In these troubled times, the LGBTQ+ community in Florida is facing horrific discrimination. We need to be out loud and proud in support of our LGBTQ+ families and friends. This year the Pride Center will not have a parade. However, our own Donn Smith-Lopez, who is on the Pride Community Center Board, and our local Equality Florida representative, Susan Bottcher, asked if ONA/UCG could be the nonprofit applicant to have a Community Pride float in the UF Homecoming Parade on October 6. The UCG church council voted to support this project.
The vision for the float is to have representatives from LBGTQ+ supportive groups and faith communities march with the float. We are reaching out to groups and faith communities inviting them to join us along with UF LGBTQ+ student groups. Participating groups are welcome to carry banners, wear t-shirts, or make signs identifying themselves.
Ways you can help:
- Volunteer to work on building the float. Email Malika Green (malikagreen@gmail.com) or Elizabeth Husband (elizhusband@gmail.com).
- If you have flags or other decorations we might use on the float, let us know.
- We would appreciate getting the names of groups or churches we might miss, so please email us with the name of any organization you think will want to participate.
Susan Bottcher (swbottcher@swet.com) is coordinating the Zoom meetings about the float. If you want to be included, or have questions, please contact us or her.