December 2022 Update
ID: “December Monthly Update” www.freedomoklahoma.org/news and the FOK logo. The background is a picture from Pride with a light blue overlay with orange and blue lines and dots
With big fights still in front of us, we’ll tackle them together, in community, centering the joy and resilience of 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans.
We’re certainly feeling the weight of this year. It hangs heavy with despair and inaction from so many of those in charge. Business as usual, normalcy at the expense of the most vulnerable…it’s not new, but the silence around it feels harder. And, that all weaves into an end-of-year schedule that demands we be busy when our natural state should be rest. We know that this time of year can bring its own joy and heartache, new and well-known. So, we want to make space to share resources that may be the support you’re looking for in this moment.
We also know in the wake of the act of gun violence that targeted 2SLGBTQ+ people at Club Q in Colorado Springs, taking 5 lives, including Daniel Davis Aston who so many in our Tulsa and Tahlequah communities personally knew, that we’re in a moment where our community is grieving, enraged, and often without recognition or action from those in our lives and those in power. We know that there aren’t words to take the fear or hurt away in the face of harm, but we will lift up the message we sent in the immediate aftermath of the news. We deserve safety and safe spaces and joy in abundance. To perform and celebrate and dance and live without fear that we might die simply because of who we are. We’ll keep working for the future where that is true.
We also know so many of you are thinking about how you can support our work. We appreciate each of you who gives financially to make our day-to-day operations possible. We could not do it without you, and we’re always grateful for new and renewed donors. And, we know that we have a diverse community with so much to offer. If you have skills or resources you’re hoping to lend to our Freedom Oklahoma team in our advocacy work in 2023, please feel free to indicate your interest, here.
There are big fights still in front of us, and we will tackle them together, in community, centering the joy and resilience of 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans. We hope in these final days of the year, there is space for you to be in community with people who see you and love you. We wish you all health and safety, and lots of laughter and joy in the final weeks of 2022.
As always, we do our best to respect the balance of how personal the work at Freedom Oklahoma is, and where we can create space to ensure our longevity in the work ahead of us. Our team will be out of the office the final two weeks of the year to rest where we can in order to show up for 2023 best able to fight together for the future 2SLGBTQ+ people deserve.
With love and light to each of you,
Nicole McAfee (they/she)
Important Links and updates:
giving Tuesday THANK YOU!
We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to everyone who helped support our work this #GivingTuesday2022 with a gift to Freedom Oklahoma. We're grateful and humbled to be a part of a community that sees this work as valuable and necessary. If you would still like to help support the work we do for our 2SLGBTQ+ community year-round, it's not too late to make a contribution.
"Thank you!" in all caps on a digital collage with the top half of the background white and the lower half orange. In the lower left-hand corner "#GivingTuesday2022" in white and in the lower right hand corner is the FOK logo. Center photos show individuals at an OKC Pride Alliance event and people supporting trans youth at the Oklahoma State Capitol Rotunda in a Kodak Porta 400 film roll.
YAM Art Contest
We want YOU to create an image that will be the visual for YAM 2023! How so? Participate in our YAM 2023 Art Contest! Entries can be any medium that will translate to 2D- photography, painting, drawing, graphic design, etc.
The winner will receive $100 and some of our favorite “banned” books! The art can be any medium that will translate to 2D- photography, painting, drawing, graphic design, etc. The winner will receive $100 and several “banned” books! Your entry needs to be able to answer this question:
What does showing up for community mean to you?
This could highlight community building, being active in community organizing, showing up for one another, you name it. Just tell us what showing up for community means to you! The deadline for entry is by the end of January 2nd. Submission limit is 2 entries. Age limit is 25. The winning piece will be used on social media and print to represent YAM 2023. The winner can decide how they would like public credit for their work (i.e. aliases can be used if needed). We at Freedom Oklahoma look forward to seeing what you create!
Submissions can be emailed to Taylor Raye at taylor@freedomoklahoma.org. Please include your name, age, school (if applicable), and where you are in Oklahoma in the submission email. PDF is best for attaching a submission. If you need to make other arrangements for submission, please contact them via email or by call/text at 4052942573. Check out our YAM resources from last year for inspiration on ways art can be resistance.
"YAM 2023 Art Contest! Submissions due January 2nd!" on a zine-style collage of paper, paintbrush strokes, film photos, images of people creating art, colored pencils, blotches of paint, and stickers.
2SLGBTQ+ Virtual Community Groups
2SLGBTQ+ Virtual Community Groups
Sign up for our December 2SLGBTQ+ Teacher, Parent/Guardian, and Student Virtual Community Groups scheduled for December 13-15. You can use these spaces as to talk, share resources, get support, or do anything you need during these times.
This month’s Student Group will also serve as an arts and crafts night—feel free to work on a submission for the YAM Art Contest or any craft project that you haven’t had the time or motivation for lately. Let’s make art together and build community. We hope you’re able to join us. You can register with this link.
Schedule:
Teachers: Tue (12/13), 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Caregivers: Wed (12/14), 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Students: Thurs (12/15), 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
If you have barriers to accessing a virtual meeting please reach out to us so we can work with you to remove those obstacles.
To the left is a circular image of a person speaking at a podium and the Freedom Oklahoma logo. The text: "Freedom Oklahoma Virtual 2SLGBTQ+ Community Groups" "Teachers & School Staff: Tuesday, 12/13 Parents/Guardians: Wednesday, 12/14 Students: Thursday, 12/15" and "2SLGBTQ+ youth organizing & GSA support" on a blue background with dark blue and orange gradient circles and white squiggles.