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I’ve been working for the Baltic Street Mental Health Board, Inc.’s Staten Island Peer Advocacy Support Center where I had a Rainbow Alliance Peer Support group for gay consumers. I also had my own television show on ITV where I presented discussions on things that go on in the community. Consumers called in and gave their viewpoints and comments on the issues covered in the show.
I used to be the president for a group that was a branch of the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) at the College of Staten Island (CSI) where I attend. The college lost the funding for the group and so it disappeared.
Last summer, I contacted The Community Health Action Center (CHAC) and The Anti-Violence Project and got their representatives to come and do presentations for consumers on laws that protect gay people from acts of prejudice, sexually transmitted diseases and disease prevention.
The Community Health Action Center held the first ever Staten Island (Gay) Pride Parade and festival last year in June. Since I first connected with that organization, both their organization and my company have been working well together to help put an end to discrimination, help educate the consumers and to show the community that both straight and gay people can live and work well in harmony.
During the month of February, the CHAC e-mailed me about a trip to Albany in where we would be joined by many other groups throughout New York State. We would discuss our issues with the legislators and hopefully get a bill passed in order to protect gay students who are going to school. We had a great turnout.
I’m a part of many other organizations that help gay people. When I heard of the possible closure of the Rainbow Heights Club, I immediately got on the phone and made calls to many people in order to help keep it open since they are such a vital organization to the community. I’ve called the CSI and got the contact information for the colleges in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I called them, let them know what transpired and asked them for their support. I’ve also contacted the CHAC as well for their support. Thank goodness they got the support they needed, and can stay open.
I’m also trying desperately to get the property located on New Dorp Lane across the street from New Dorp High School in order to build a center that serves gay people, and the mentally ill. I’ve contacted the New Dorp Central Civic Association and The Staten Island Advance (a newspaper) in order to help me put a stop to something else to be built there. I’ve also contacted people and businesses and discussed my idea of what I’d like to see put there. I’m also working hard at trying to get the money to get things started. Things should work out well if we get the property.