Dear Friends of the Maine Speakout Project:

As President and CEO of Community Counseling Center, I am so proud to include Maine Speakout Project as one of the organization’s vital and life-changing programs. Through MSOP, volunteers from every walk of life give their time and voices to share powerfully personal stories and to make our communities better places for all of us. The magic of these Speak Outs is truly wonderful to experience, as misconceptions fall away and new understandings and connections are made.

Maine Speakout Program is all about sharing our stories, so let me tell a little about my own and why I care so passionately about this program. My husband and I have five grown children. They each grew up with unconditional love and the encouragement to follow their hearts and always to be true to their deepest selves. When we learned that one of our sons was gay, we were confronted with issues of discrimination and disrespect that we had never fully known existed. Perhaps we had been living in a veil of denial. Suddenly, I was aware of how many derogatory comments were made, how many distasteful “jokes,” how many unkind, though often unintended, homophobic remarks I overheard while going about my daily life. This was no longer some anonymous, faceless person – this was my son! And it became clear to me that while changing the law to guarantee civil rights for sexual minorities is important, it is equally important to change attitudes and hearts of people who do not realize that their prejudices exist and are harmful. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Morality cannot be legislated; but behavior can be regulated. This is where Maine Speakout Project comes in!

MSOP was started in 1995 to help create a society that is inclusive and respectful of people of differing sexual and gender orientations by providing opportunities for non-divisive dialogue. MSOP merged with Community Counseling Center in 2003 Community Counseling Center’s vision is of a community strengthened by diverse individuals and families, who are empowered and supported by caring environments. Together, we are working to develop a more understanding and inclusive society, leading to improved emotional health for everyone.

As a mother, I want all of my children to be treated equally, with respect and dignity. As a mental health professional, I know that their emotional well-being depends on it. As a grandmother, I want all of my grandchildren to grow up in a world where they are judged only by their personal integrity and their loving and responsible actions – not by their gender or who they love. This is why I support the Maine Speakout Project in every way.

I hope that you will enjoy learning about the many programs and services of Maine Speakout Program and will join us in this important work. Together we can make the world a better, safer, and more caring place for all of us.

Sincerely,

Leslie Clark Brancato
President and CEO
Community Counseling Center