Queer As Folks
Twin Cities Hosts NAGAAA Cup and North Star Classic
The inaugural North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) Cup is coming to the Twin Cities as part of the annual North Star Classic over Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30. The possibility of up to 80 softball teams participating makes it one of the biggest national tournaments. Though the NAGAAA Cup will highlight the ever-popular Twin Cities GLBT softball leagues, the event takes place in the shadow of what is becoming a very public legal battle. On April 20, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Washington State against NAGAAA on behalf of bisexuals Steven Apilado, LeRon Charles, and Jon Russ of San Francisco. It claims that team D2 on which the men played was discriminated against at the 2008 Gay Softball World Series. Current NAGAAA rules limit the number of heterosexual/bisexual players on each team, which the organization asserts D2 team exceeded. An open letter can be viewed at www.nagaaasoftball.org.
Dr. Katherine “Kit” Rachlin Keynotes Beyond the Boxes
Beyond the Boxes: Midwest LGBTQ Mental Health Conference took place March 26 at Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota. The U of M GLBTA Programs Office, Office for Equity and Diversity, and Queer Student Cultural Center, along with the Minnesota LGBT Therapists Network, sponsored the event. Keynote speaker was Dr. Katherine “Kit” Rachlin, a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist with extensive experience supporting transgender people, their families, and partners. She has authored many published papers and book chapters on transgender health and well-being.
BECAUSE Conference Features Keynote Speaker Amy Andre
The annual Bisexual Empowerment Conference: A Uniting, Supportive Experience (BECAUSE) was held April 16-18 at Hamline University in St. Paul. Participating were bisexuals, queers, trans-questioning persons, and others, regardless of identity. The event drew people throughout the Midwest who attended various educational workshops, learning to become active in the community, and creating new connections. National educator, writer, and activist Amy Andre was a keynote speaker. Other speakers included Ryan Li Dahlstrom and Robyn Ochs. For more information, visit www.becauseconference.org.
