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Why did you get involved? I got involved with Outlinc because I want to "be the change you want in the world." I've always been the kind of person that wants to make a difference. In fact, it's my paid work. I decided I wanted to do something in my private life too. Outlinc is a great opportunity to make change happen. What do you enjoy most about our community? I love Lincoln! I think it's a great community. Being the state capitol, the home of UNL and other great Universities, having an active arts community, a growing foodie culture -- there's a lot to love. And, it's the kind of community where I know I can impact city government if I'm actively engaged. Where do you want to see our community go? I want my community to value ALL it's citizens and to treat us with the dignity and inherent worth we all posess. I want to see Lincoln enact employment protections and support an LGBT community center. I want my community to have loud and proud Allies who work with us to make Lincoln the Best mid-sized, Midwestern city going. The kind of city LGBT people want to move to; hip smart young people want to stay in; and socially responsible companies want to headquarter in. Wanna help? |
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Why did you get involved? I came out in Lincoln and had my first taste of gay community in Lincoln. I met many wonderful people who helped me come to terms with my identity as a gay man. I joined Outlinc so that I can contribute to making Lincoln an even greater place for LGBTQA people in the Midwest. What do you enjoy most about our community? Lincoln is a very friendly town and there is a great sense of solidarity in the LGBT community here. Where do you want to see our community go? Our community has many talents and I would like to see them get together to realize a better Lincoln. Hopefully in the next few years there will be a physical space as a center for LGBTQA people and more resources for the community to move forward in getting things like same-sex marriage bans repealed or domestic partner benefits approved. |
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Why did you get involved? A few months ago, a change in my personal life prompted me to re-examine my core values and how they informed the way I spent my time. I was struck with a new found appreciation for the importance of human connectedness, especially within the LGBTQA community. I felt called to be of service by working to further the mission of Outlinc. What do you enjoy most about our community? There is a friendliness in the Midwest that you don’t necessarily find in other parts of the country, and I think the climate for the LGBTQA community here is getting better all the time. Lincoln is populated by some truly incredible people. Outlinc is a community within a community, and I love being part of a network of brilliant, charming, hardworking, civic-minded people who still know how to have a good time. It eliminates the inherent tension that always existed for me between my personal life and my social consciousness. Where do you want to see our community go? My primary goal in working with Outlinc is to reduce the fragmentation in Lincoln’s LGBTQA community. There is strength and comfort in our numbers, and we need to harness our collective energy so that it can sustain us on both a personal and a political level. My call to action comes from Audre Lorde: “When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” |
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Why did you get involved? When I moved from Chicago to Lincoln, I was told Lincoln had a large LGBT community. And while I discovered that was true, I also discover the LGBT community had no voice, specifically among people of color and women. I wanted a way to be more involved in my community, to contribute, and to give a voice to Lincoln's LGBT Community. I truly believe in order to be counted in the world, you have to stand up. Being involved with Outlinc means I don't have to stand up alone and my voice will be heard. What do you enjoy most about our community? That we still have room to grow and that our community is ever changing. Where do you want to see our community go? I would like to have employment and housing protections so individuals feel free to fight the good fight without losing their homes and jobs in the process. |
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Why did you get involved? I wanted to help Lincoln develop a more engaged LGBT community. I wanted to meet more involved members of the community and make Lincoln a more accepting place. What do you enjoy most about our community? It's openness and inclusiveness is important to me. Where do you want to see our community go? I want to see it grow into a community that serves all aspects of the community from the religious to the secular to the sporty to the nerdy to the shy to the flamboyant. I want to see our community grow into the place where everyone can find common ground, respect and support. |
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Why did you get involved? I got involved with Outlinc because I believed that this was an organization on the grow with huge potential do good in the community and to bring the community together as a whole. What do you enjoy most about our community? The Outlinc community is ever growing and it never fails to surprise me how many new people I get to meet through the Outlinc community here in Lincoln at events and gatherings whether be a formal meeting or the result of a new friendship made through Outlinc. I always can walk away feeling grateful and personally upbeat. Where do you want to see our community go? Outlinc has so much potential to grow and encourage growth within Lincoln and the local businesses that to see it become a larger ever more meaningful resource for all isnt something I see as impossible. With such great resources and partnering up with organizations such and NAP, Panic, Q, Libations, Star City Pride and many more not listed here, Outlinc can become a moving force and a strong voice for the the LGBT community within Lincoln and beyond, nothing is impossible. |
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Why did you get involved? It is so exciting to see a group of people working towards making Lincoln a great place for the LGBT community, and I had to be a part of it! What do you enjoy most about our community? Our community, and Lincoln in general, is small enough to still have a familiar feel when you go out and about, and everyone is pretty friendly. Where do you want to see our community go? Let’s work to retain younger LGBT people in Lincoln, and encourage them to mold Lincoln into one of the most vibrant, stimulating communities in the Midwest. |
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Why did you get involved? I want to make Lincoln a city where everyone can be proud to call home. What do you enjoy most about our community? There are wonderful people who make Lincoln a great place to live. The friends and colleagues that I have are simply incredible. Where do you want to see our community go? I want to see business, community and elected leaders speak out in support of LGBT people. We are your friends, co-workers and loved ones. |