LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Way I See It |
| by Steve Elkins, Editor |
| Recently, the last days of Terri Schiavo have focused the attention of our countryindeed, the whole worldon the act of dying and how we approach it. Most of all, this tragic story of a family at one another's throats, reminds us all of the importance of making very specific plans for how each one of us would like to be treated at the end of our lives. For GLBT people this issue is even more important as we don't receive the same rights and privileges accorded to straight couples, plus there is sometimes the additional stress of strained or even hostile relationships with other family members because of sexual identity issues. Wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives are necessary in order to make our end of life wishes known, and to save family, friends, and loved ones from having to make the choice for us.
Participants in this year's CAMP Rehoboth women's conference will have the opportunity to learn the "fact or fiction" about a number of legal issues facing the GLBT community, including wills and powers of attorney. This "Know Your Legal Rights" workshop (conducted by Ellen Feinberg and Pat Stewart) is one of the many and diverse workshops being offered at this year's Conference. From golf, yoga, and swing dancing to lesbian sexuality and couples survival the Conference offers something for everyoneeven a few brave men! The afternoon session of the Conference is a film screening (in partnership with the Rehoboth Beach Film Society) of Radical Harmonies: A History of Women's Music introduced by Associate Producer Margie Adam. Margie and comic Kate Clinton can be seen in evening concerts accompanying the conference. Both concerts are open to all, as I've said before, and shouldn't be missedby men or women. On Thursday, March 24, I traveled to Dover to listen to the Delaware House of Representatives' discussion preceding the vote on HB36 (the old HB99) which would add sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination policy. The new version of the bill includes changes that do not permit same sex marriage or domestic partnership benefits from employers, or allow hiring preferences or quotas. The bill, with these changes, passed in the House but still faces a very difficult challenge in the Senatebeginning, of course, with simply getting the bill released from committee and to the Senate floor for discussion. 2005 is an important year for CAMP Rehoboth because of the many changes taking place, including the renovation of our new offices, and the design and construction of the addition to be built behind them. If we stay on schedule, we'll be moving in May, and as I announced in the previous issue of Letters, Lambda Rising will be relocating and expanding into our current space. All of this, of course, involves a great deal of hard work and effort on the part of staff and volunteers, and it is the kind of work that will continue to be needed as we continue to grow as an organization. An important part of all this growth is our volunteer base, and we are in the process of developing a whole new level of volunteers in every aspect of the organization, including the Board of Directors, committee members, and the staffvolunteers who are trained for a specific task and who agree to take responsibility for that task on an ongoing basis. One perk of being editor of a magazine is that I canwithout feeling guilty at all I might addwrite about the love of my lifewell, one of the loves of my lifemy dog Pete. Judging by all the pets who bring their owners by CAMP Rehoboth, Murray and I aren't the only dog lovers aroundor the only ones who like seeing our puppy in print. |
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LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 15, No. 3 April 8, 2005 |