Support ACF's LGBTQ Fund

Above the front door of the Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) office, birds have returned to their old nest again. What a welcome sight!  The spring of 2022 holds promise for them and a new hope for us.In line with hopefulness, I want to share some thoughts about our LGBTQ Fund.LGBTQ folks in Central Appalachia are organizing for equality and equity in their own hometowns.Being affirmed as a whole person is a special gift of the impressive number of Appalachian LGBTQ movement organizations, often small, and volunteer. Faced with limited resources, they build community with a positive vision. Such energy to move forward against the odds reflects our mountain culture. They share the view that a person should not have to leave home to be welcomed.Safe spaces, particularly for young people, are essential. Groups needing funding in Appalachia often begin with the simple need for that safe space where they can speak the truth of their lives, to be a full person with joy, relax, and celebrate differences while exploring what they have in common.As an older gay man, I know very well there are negative forces out there seeking to push us back. Over decades, however, I have seen transformation of awareness among people in Appalachia. There is more hope than despair.Ugly laws have been enacted at the state levels to block affirming treatment of transgender women and transgender men and exclude trans youth from sports. Even medical care is blocked by some laws. While marriage equality is firmly established as the law of the land, LGBTQ families are being denied child adoption services and parental protections.LGBTQ residents of Appalachia have responded through organizing, artistic expression, and mutual support for one another. Allies have come forward to stand with them in solidarity. Building walls to divide us is not as simple as it once was.Look at the battles we face like the lack of protection of children and teenagers who are LGBTQ. It is disturbing that children and teenagers are targeted for any reason, including because they are LGBTQ or because they are immigrants or people of color or whatever makes them unique.Bigoted efforts are underway to rewrite history and structure language to erase us. Silencing teachers in schools runs from being required to sugarcoat the history of slavery to banning the word “gay.” Imagine a child of a gay or lesbian parent told she cannot describe her family because it is taboo and illegal and by implication, shames the child. It would be a field day for bullies.There are many ways that LGBTQ folks resist. Visibility remains a powerful way to push back against homophobia and transphobia. Individuals often first come out to their families and among close friends. We have seen the liberating impact of a loved one sharing their whole self. It certainly was true for the children who grew up knowing my husband and me, as uncles or cousins, over our 46 years together. Not everyone can come out even today but it they do; they should find support in their community.I came out fifty years ago. What a different world! I was able to do so because of a movement standing up to say, enough is enough. The presence of the early gay and lesbian organizations sustained us. I cannot imagine how my life would have been without that community support.LGBTQ folks are not going back to a time of exclusion and isolation. It is as important as ever that as LGBTQ organizations emerge, they find allies and support.We say that no one should have to leave home to be welcome.Let us tell our neighbors to come as you are, pull up a chair and rest a while. Have a laugh. Share stories. For a time, put those weighty things to the side. Share the beauty of possibilities. Get to know each other and remember that love still conquers hate.The Appalachian Community Fund has provided grants to community organizing, Pride, and educational efforts among Central Appalachian LGBTQ communities. We wish it were more and that is where you come in.Like the birds in their nest above our front door, the LGBTQ communities of Appalachia continue to open their wings.Help ACF feather their nest and give today.Walter DavisACF AssociateP.S.: You can donate now on our website. You can mail a check to 1405 E. Magnolia Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Be sure to note if you are giving specifically for the LGBTQ Fund. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/AppalachianCommunityFundGroups can apply for grants from the LGBTQ Fund by going to here.