Hello and Happy Fall,
As we move closer to October, we are closer to our 2nd annual Halloween Ball/Fundraiser, Vamp Motel. I am writing to nudge everyone to get involved in helping us make this event a success. This event will help fund the HRA and our continued work as we plan out our next 30 years and leave an important legacy for the LGBTQIA+ community in Santa Fe.
There are so many ways you can help!
- Buy a ticket (they’re only $25.00)
- Become a Sponsor of the event(Sponsorships start at $500.00)
- If you can’t join us – no problem. You can donate here in any amount.
- Volunteer to help with the event.
- Share our event in your social circles.
HRA is also sponsoring a special Community Conversations on Sunday, October 1, at Teatro Paraguas. Love Alone: Elegies for Rog. According to Jonah Mendelsohn, the author of the play:
“My goal in presenting this play in New Mexico is to create community spaces for New Mexicans to remember lost loved ones and to honor those AIDS veterans who fought and continue to fight this disease – people with HIV, caregivers, and activists. AIDS activism in the 80s and 90s was marked by a particularly inclusive and intersectional approach to activism that bridged class divides and proved astonishingly effective. While remembering the past, I hope that performances of this play help us learn from their courage and resistance how to effectively fight for healthcare equity, social justice, and human dignity.”
There’s more information below in our newsletter. If you or someone you know was impacted by AIDS – please let them know about this important performance.
On October 7, we have our first Board retreat in over three years. We will be sitting down, rolling up our sleeves, and getting down to the important work of setting a forward-facing mission for the Human Rights Alliance. We still have three open Board seats. Let us know if you are interested.
We will reimagine what’s possible for our organization, leadership, and community by practicing justice from the inside out; our work is essential to fostering a culture of equity and belonging.
We will be focusing on the following outcomes and goals:
- To center people with lived experiences of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, and ableism in all spaces, especially our decision-making spaces.
- To honor an emergent process
- To best utilize personal experiences, knowledge, and proximity to power
- To unify people standing in & with the LGBTQIA+ community
- To embrace intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, ableism
- To listen
That’s all for now. Stay well.
Until next time!