Speaking Out - Notes from Dana Street

Scheduled and Planned Speakouts

This is clearly the year of the Diversity Day in Maine schools. Since January, we have taken part, or will take part, in school events in Auburn (Edward Little HS), Augusta (Cony HS), Biddeford HS, Brunswick HS, Gray (GNS HS), Limestone (Maine School of Science and Mathematics), Newport (Nokomis HS), Naples (Lake Region HS), Pittsfield (Maine Central Institute), Portland (Deering HS and Portland HS), South Portland (Mahoney Middle School), Topsham (Mount Ararat HS), Turner (Leavitt Area HS), and Wilton (Western Mountains Renaissance School). The number of gay/straight alliances and civil rights teams is up substantially this year as well.

Churches, particularly in rural communities, continue their support of the Speakout message. The Allen Avenue Unitarian Universalist Church (Portland), Dexter UU Church, Sangerville UU Church, and Small Voice Ministry (Episcopal, Cushing) all have scheduled Speakouts in the first half of this year.

MSOP has launched a statewide effort to learn the facts about how local and state police departments educate their employees about LGBT people, both on their staffs and in their communities. We hope that our speaker network can play a role in improving both recruit and in-service training. Please give Venues Coordinator Steve Farrand a call at the MSOP office (879-0480) if you can assist us in any way.

Speakout Statistics

The MSOP speakers' bureau is off to a very strong start in the first quarter of this year. We have already held 58 Speakouts, 45% of our annual goal; this is also nearly 90% of the total Speakouts held in 2001. However, we have yet to schedule a 2002 Speakout in Hancock, Lincoln, Oxford, or Washington counties. Statewide coverage continues to be a goal, and continues to be a real challenge both Down East and in the County. So please help us with suggestions for new venues!

A New Volunteer Speaker Survey

Be on the lookout for a new survey of MSOP speakers in the mail. We need to confirm current address, telephone, and e-mail information with all of our speakers. If you use an e-mail address, please share it with us: it allows us to let you know about upcoming Speakout gigs instantly and for free.

The other information we will be asking our speakers for helps us meet the sorts of requests we get from venue hosts. Although virtue is its own reward, perks are always nice. For everyone who completes the survey, we promise you 1) a card on your birthday (for sharing your birth date with us); and 2) an entry in a prize drawing for a $60.00 gift certificate to Seascapes Restaurant in Cape Porpoise. MSOP is very grateful for this donation, donated by Seascapes owners Angela and Art LeBlanc.

Send Us An E-Mail

We are in the process of creating an e-mail "Activity Alert" database and would like your name! Please send to: Project Coordinator