BLOOMINGTON BEACON CENTER

Serving the Southern Indiana GLBTQ Community

 

OUR GOAL

 

Providing a safe, welcoming and positive space for GLBTQ
people, their families and allies, in south-central Indiana, together with
networks of support, human services and educational, economic and cultural
opportunities.

 

HOW THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED

 

Opening and operating a community center, maintaining a Web
site, and collaborating with community, campus and government groups and
agencies.

 

WHY A COMMUNITY CENTER IS NEEDED

 

South-central Indiana lacks a community center for gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) people and their
families and allies. The nearest to Bloomington is the Diversity Center in
Indianapolis, which operates a Web site only, not a physical facility. The next
closest are in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

Ninety-one of nearly 100 local survey respondents agree that
a GLBTQ community center is a much needed resource in this area. Local GLBTQ
high-school students frequently complain that there are few safe, attractive
places for them to socialize. Members of Bloomingtons transgender community
have approached us about meeting space. Several local agencies say a GLBTQ
community center would be a good place to do social-service and health-care
outreach in Monroe County and surrounding counties. And the lack of a visible
town-based source for a variety of information hinders newcomers from
identifying GLBT-friendly venues, social groups, churches and services.

 

About 5-6% of school-aged teens nationally identify as
sexual minority. There is growing recognition that inadequate family and
community support may leave GLBT youth at greater risk than their heterosexual
peers for suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, school drop-out, family conflict,
homelessness, and HIV/STD infection.

 

To address these needs, Bloomington Beacon has launched a
Web site to provide information and networking opportunities and plans to open
a community center.

 

ABOUT BLOOMINGTON BEACON CENTER

 

Bloomington Beacon Center is a project of Bloomington
Beacon, Inc., a non-profit incorporated in 1997. Bloomington Beacon published a
GLBT community newspaper from 1997 to 1999. Work to create a community center
began in the summer of 2002. In 2004, Bloomington Beacon launched its Web site,
became a Donor Choice Agency with United Way Community Services, and joined the
National Association of LGBT Community Centers and the Bloomington Nonprofit
Alliance.

 

The center is a membership organization. Its operations are
directed by a board and planned and executed by several committees open to
non-board members: Resource Development; Programs and Services; Public
Relations; and Web Site Development.

 

OUR PROGRESS TO DATE

 

Since summer 2004, Bloomington Beacon has made slow progress
and suffered one significant setback in accomplishing its goals.

 

Web Site Development
The Beacon Web site was launched in May, 2004
(http://www.bloomington.in.us/~lgbtctr). Information pages and a yahoogroups
list were among its original features. Added this past year were an Events
Calendar, Photo Gallery, and links to advocacy organizations and research
projects. Community Information pages are currently in development, focusing on
youth, GLBT families, limited-English-proficient Latinos and newcomers.

 

Public Relations
Bloomington Beacon purchased a professionally designed logo and marketing
package and developed a brochure and assorted handouts to publicize itself at
Indy Pride 2004, PRIDE film festival, the 2d Annual Bloomington Pride picnic
and an Open House reception at an office we rented. We obtained a toll-free
telephone number. Between phone calls and e-mail queries, we have responded to
about 170 requests for information, assistance and membership since July 2004.

 

Programs and Services
We conducted (and continue to conduct) a survey to gauge local interest in a
community center and particular services. Of the nearly 100 people who've
answered our survey, 91 per cent agreed with the statement I feel that a GLBT
Community Center is a much needed resource in this area. The surveys indicate
interest in: an environment offering coffee, refreshments and games and with
adequate parking; information bulletin boards; Internet lab; meeting space for
GLBT groups; space for large events; support groups; HIV/AIDS testing and
educational resources; youth services; a video/CD/book library; and a
donated-goods store.

 

In addition, we:

• Wrote a proposal for a monthly
  Youth Friendship Group for GLBTQ youth and an Astraea Lesbian Justice Fund
  grant to support it
• Received one large collection
  and smaller donations of books for a lending library
• Gathered donated furniture and
  computers for office use, and maintained an office mid-July through
  mid-December.
• Spoke to Bloomington Newcomers
  Club about reciprocating in referring newcomers to town; set up a newly
  arrived couple with a community mentor
• Collaborated with Bloomington
  PFLAG, Indiana Equality and bloomingOUT on a July 4th community
  Pride picnic
• Began working with libraries
  to facilitate access to resources for the GLBT community
• Began a partnership with a
  local attorney to develop a comprehensive Web site on GLBT family law
  issues and resources
• Put together an advisory team
  and a plan for a comprehensive needs assessment of the GLBT populations in
  the greater Bloomington area
• Networked with a variety of
  civic, social-service, health-care, university and GLBT advocacy groups
• Worked with Indiana University
  SPEA students and an Ivy Tech student on class projects

 

Bloomington Beacon rented an office mid-July through
mid-December but vacated the site due to a combination of concerns. This was
our biggest setback of the year.

 

Resource Development
The original seed money for the Bloomington Beacon Center came from
fundraisers held by Outspoken, a local lesbian social/philanthropic group. This
past year, we raised money through special events, such as a rummage sale and a
gift-wrapping session at Borders. Two donors provided a monthly stream of
income, in addition to generous one-time donations from others. As a Donor
Choice agency, we received small quarterly disbursements from United Way
Community Services of Monroe County. For a needs assessment project, we wrote a
Colin Higgins Foundation grant and obtained offers of in-kind donations from
the IU Dept. of Applied Health Sciences and United Way Community Services of
Monroe County.

 

THE COMING YEAR

 

In the coming year, we plan to: complete and post several
Community Information pages on the Web site; cultivate business sponsors;
finish the needs assessment and publicize its results locally; launch the Youth
Friendship Group; offer a series of public trainings; raise $50,000 to use for
renting and maintaining an office; and move into a donated or rented space.

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP THIS EFFORT

 

• Become a business sponsor of
  the Beacon. Donate space for the community center, or make a monthly
  tax-deductible donation to help us afford rental space and a part-time
  executive director. (PayPal donations are accepted online.)
• Volunteer for our board and/or
  committees (Resource Development, Programs & Services, Public
  Relations, Web Site Development).
• Complete our online community
  survey.

 

Bloomington Beacon,
Inc.

P.O. Box 2363

Bloomington, IN 47402

www.bloomington.in.us/~lgbtctr

1-888-249-9255 (toll
free)