Post by Jerry on Jun 1, 2012 20:49:32 GMT -5
Unceremoniously during the upcoming renovation at Manhattan's ONLY LGBT Community Center, the Sage drop-in room is being removed…supposedly because at this point in time Sage is suffering great financial distress and cannot pay the necessary rent to maintain a room there. This is not just outrageous and insulting to the MANY gay seniors who count on that meeting place almost entirely for their social life and long-term friendships...IT IS UNACCEPTABLE!
For more than 20 years, Sage and the drop-in room has been an integral part of and support to the successes of the LGBT Center. That some sort of an accommodation cannot be reached, by the powers that be at the Center and Sage, to continue having a small drop-in room somewhere at The Center...and a financial break be given to Sage on rent for the time being until ways to raise funds to support our continued presence can be worked out is UNACCEPTABLE...and the many Sage loyalists who are being thrown under the bus and out on the street must determine that this is a fight to be fought and won. We owe it to the Sage people who have support this drop-in, volunteered and maintained long-term friendships there for as much as 20 years or more.
For more than 20 years, Sage has faithfully paid their rent and leased our room but now that there is a financial crunch the "LGBT" Center is kicking us out because of MONEY! Is that what the "Gay Community" is now? Just another greedy landlord looking at the bottom line? There are dozens of rooms in that center. Without a doubt, during the renovations there will be empty rooms sitting there during the drop in hours from 12:30 until 4:30...while countless older gays will be deprived of a social situation they have come to count on as a daily lifeline to friends and interaction.
We are DEMANDING a meeting of the real powers that be from the Center and Sage along with the real loyal Sage members who HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD FROM up until now. This is a fight that must be fought, and no stone left unturned in the battle, including getting the media and politicians involved, if need be.
The Sage community is looking for a small room anywhere in the center to move our couches and chairs to a table where we will put our coffee pot, and a financial accommodation as to rent until we can improve our money raising effort to afford to pay for our space there as we always have. If that is too much to ask for from the LGBT Community that we seniors have been intergally involved in creating, then SHAME on the whole concept of a "GAY COMMUNITY" because it becomes a false empty play on words.
THE FIGHT STARTS NOW. The ball started rolling today. Stay alert and vigilant as to where it goes from here.
If the term "Power to the People" ever really meant anything..this is that time.
Thanks for your attention and please get involved before we lose our space
Jerry Hoose
For more than 20 years, Sage and the drop-in room has been an integral part of and support to the successes of the LGBT Center. That some sort of an accommodation cannot be reached, by the powers that be at the Center and Sage, to continue having a small drop-in room somewhere at The Center...and a financial break be given to Sage on rent for the time being until ways to raise funds to support our continued presence can be worked out is UNACCEPTABLE...and the many Sage loyalists who are being thrown under the bus and out on the street must determine that this is a fight to be fought and won. We owe it to the Sage people who have support this drop-in, volunteered and maintained long-term friendships there for as much as 20 years or more.
For more than 20 years, Sage has faithfully paid their rent and leased our room but now that there is a financial crunch the "LGBT" Center is kicking us out because of MONEY! Is that what the "Gay Community" is now? Just another greedy landlord looking at the bottom line? There are dozens of rooms in that center. Without a doubt, during the renovations there will be empty rooms sitting there during the drop in hours from 12:30 until 4:30...while countless older gays will be deprived of a social situation they have come to count on as a daily lifeline to friends and interaction.
We are DEMANDING a meeting of the real powers that be from the Center and Sage along with the real loyal Sage members who HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD FROM up until now. This is a fight that must be fought, and no stone left unturned in the battle, including getting the media and politicians involved, if need be.
The Sage community is looking for a small room anywhere in the center to move our couches and chairs to a table where we will put our coffee pot, and a financial accommodation as to rent until we can improve our money raising effort to afford to pay for our space there as we always have. If that is too much to ask for from the LGBT Community that we seniors have been intergally involved in creating, then SHAME on the whole concept of a "GAY COMMUNITY" because it becomes a false empty play on words.
THE FIGHT STARTS NOW. The ball started rolling today. Stay alert and vigilant as to where it goes from here.
If the term "Power to the People" ever really meant anything..this is that time.
Thanks for your attention and please get involved before we lose our space
Jerry Hoose
