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MSRA

The LGBT Group

Our group has been established since March 7, 2006.

It was originally named Mississippi Gulf Coast Gay Community Social Club

and has been responsible for providing outstanding events,

social, support, and information.

Our specialty is talking to the LGBT community and Allies to encourage mutual acceptance of one another,

as well as to educate and foster acceptance within Mississippi,

particularly in the Gulf Coast and Jackson areas.

We are soon to be a statewide level organization with volunteers, professionals and activist

we are networking with others in acceptance, fairness, tolerance, understanding, and patience.

We particularly value the social events and various other projects in which we regularly participate.
If you are not familiar with our group, feel free contact us by calling or go on facebook with our main organizers

Name:

Organizers or board members

Phone

Facebook Page

Shanna Yarbrough

Board Treasure

(601) 385-1138

http://www.facebook.com/shanna.yarbrough

Jill Carpenter

Board President

(601) 385-1138

http://www.facebook.com/jill.l.carpenter

Jessica Herr

Board Secretary

(601) 385-1138

http://www.facebook.com/

Laura Reed
Member at Large

Need more Volunteers

We would be pleased to hear from you!

Please let us know what your needs are and any questions you might have. We will be more than happy to help if we can.

What is LGBTQI?
(Identities and Sexuality)

The references as follows;
(L) Lesbian (G) Gay (B) Bisexual
(T) Transgender (Pre or Post)
Transsexual, aka Cross Dresser (Drag King or Queen),
(Q) There are two versions of the Q's
It’s either Question or Queer (Gender Queer),
(I) Intersex persons


MS Rainbow Alliance will not discrimination based
age, race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic status,
physical ability, cultural background, religious belief, lack of religious belief, HIV status,
or mental health status.


Age is not a problem and LGBTQI-friendly teens are welcomed at certain events
if parent(s) or legal guardian(s) signs a parental consent form for the teen to attend.
Parents are welcome, they may attend with teens as long as they show respect to the group.
(We have information sheets, parental consent and confidentiality forms.)

Founder

 

Paul G. Overstreet

Founder

I am a proud gay man of Irish and Cherokee Native American descent, and I was born and raised in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area. 

As a child, I attended both public and Christian schools.  I left Christian school due to certain restrictions, but obtained my GED in 1987.  Over the years I have remained as physically active as possible and I have earned a reputation for having a very strong work ethic and being punctual.  I am a computer geek!

I am a certified instructor of HIV/AIDS/STD education through Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and American Red Cross (ARC).  I am also certified as a Leader and Activist under the National Association of People Living With Aids (NAPLWA).  I frequently consult with peers in the HIV/AIDS community. 

Victimized

I became a victim of gay bashing by four men, three of whom I believed to be military men.  I told the police before leaving with the ambulance, "They have my keys to the vehicle."  The Gulfport police stated, "They are not a car-sitter."  But while I was in the hospital, the abusers returned to the scene with my keys and stole my van.  A few days later the police found my vehicle with someone else in it!  The person identified me as a friend.  To this day, I have never recovered my clothes, ID, wallet, or anything else that was left in my vehicle.  One of the guys claimed that he knew me, so I could not press charges because the police thought I was using the vehicle for a drug deal.  I told the police, "You got the it WRONG HOMO, because I was not any stereotype homo."  I demanded that they perform a drug test at the scene and they didn't.  It seemed to me that they think that all gays are alcoholics, drug users, and freaks.

I'm Coming Out:

I was only out to some of my friends, but not all. The day after the incident of the bashing I came out to my mom.  I became ill and told my dad in July 1998.  When the doctor released me, I was certified disabled.  I continued to love my family (which is 6 generations of Pentecostals) because they didn't excommunicate me from the family.  I finally told my best friend in Virginia about three years after the diagnosis of my condition.

HIV Attack:

I am a survivor!  For years I been fighting this dreadful virus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV.  I am not dying of HIV; I am living with it.

An Activist:

I have been an activist as much as I can.  I have served many functions, including, but not limited to, volunteer facilitator for HIV groups and the gay communities on the gulf coast and in the Jackson, MS areas, advocates for the clients on the gulf coast who have to deal with the Department of Health STD/HIV office, instructor in Bro-to-Bro and Mobilization in the African-American gay community.  I have taken activist leadership course, grant-writing courses, and educated and comforted clients who have tested HIV/AIDS positive.  I've received training in Safer Sex practices as well as Video Opportunities for Interactive Condom Education and Safer Sex (V.O.I.C.E.S), and much more.  I am also associated with AIDS Action In Mississi (AAIM), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Unity MS, in Jackson, MS.  I have facilitated for three years with the Support, Orientation & Service (S.O.S) Team HIV and Affiliates Peer Support Group. I've also served in many other capacities, such as secretary and treasurer.

I'm A Loving Guy:

I am trying to make the most of life as well as I can.  My life span is decreasing, perhaps more than the average non-HIV individual.  Thankfully I do not suffer from very much pain, just complications.  My love for people has grown deeper and deeper, and I believe that there will come a day in Mississippi that we will see a difference in all communities and the stigma of being part of the LGBTQI community will have been erased.  We would change our image as the state that others thought impossible to change for the better.  My love for the gay community is strong, and I believe that positive change is good and will bind us together as an a LGBTQI group.


What I Think Gays Need to Know:

I am trying to promote the gay community as much as I can.  I don't "out" anyone because I know how difficult it is to live in Mississippi with the stigma from the non-gay or allied community, and simply because "outing" someone is inappropriate.  People will come out in their own time and their own pace.  But I DO want the community to feel comfortable, and that is why MS Rainbow Alliance is trying to make the right moves toward helping people become comfortable in their own skin and live according to their own nature!

Professionals

We are not responsible

For Any of these Business Duties.
They have their rights to refuse or to serve their customers.
All we do is give referrals and post them as they are.
Most Referrals are from our members that had affiliate with these business(es)
Any e-mail or letter complaint would be forward to them.
But not on our part to make judgment calls.

We do not disqualify any business for anything.
Including in Bad Taste. We will make acception on those that has Hate or Discrimination toward the LGBT, Handicap, or Race.
I don't believe in boycotting and powering over money like certain groups or religious


Gay Friendly Professionals


DOCTORS:


LAWYERS:



THERAPIST/PSYCHOLOGIST:

Dr. David Penton, PhD
MS Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Referred by a Transgender
1711 Graveline Road
Gautier, Mississippi 39553-7633
Office: 228-238-1481 or 228-497-5981
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Tell him MS Rainbow Alliance sent you as a referral