Watch Sebastian Cook speak at Spektrum Health’s Trans Day of Visibility Rally, March 31 2023. After the rally, the 250 people who attended marched over the causeway to express support for the trans community.
SPEKTRUM Health is an innovative leader in LGBTQA+ healthcare in Orlando and Melbourne, Florida. And now, given the climate in Florida, SPEKTRUM is increasing its advocacy efforts, as our trans community is under attack on numerous fronts – social, medical, and legal.
On March 31, 2023, SPEKTRUM Health sponsored a Transgender Day of Visibility Rally and March in Brevard Florida. SPEKTRUM has made it a mission to care for the LGBTQA+ community, and that care includes advocacy for the community – especially the trans community in this time of relentless legislation targeted at harming the trans community.
At the rally, SPEKTRUM’s founder and CEO spoke about the mission and his personal commitment. Listen here.
March 31, 2023, SPEKTRUM Health sponsored a Transgender Day of Visibility Rally and March from 5-7 at the Eau Gallie Square in Melbourne Florida. SPEKTRUM is a 501(c)3 comprehensive healthcare organization serving the primary, GAT, and mental health needs of the LGBTQA+ population, with offices in Orlando and Melbourne (Brevard) Florida. Over 250 people attended the rally, which was covered by Florida Today.
Speakers at the rally included the emcee and organizer, Shelley Rodden, a prominant local advocate for the LGBTQ community; Sebastian Cook, a young trans man and Brevard resident; Kathryn Hagen, a trans woman and member of SPEKTRUM’s board of directors; Allie Munshi, parent of a trans child; Lara Klopp, social work counselor at SPEKTRUM Melbourne; Lana Dunn, Chief Operating Officer of SPEKTRUM, and Joey Knoll, SPEKTRUM’s founder and CEO, and an APRN. Vocal artist Tina Jensen sang several songs to begin and close the rally.
After the rally, participants marched over the Eau Gallie Causeway to show support for the trans community. At this time and political climate in Florida, SPEKTRUM’s rally and march for the TDoV ’23 was a much-needed and wonderful showing of love and unity.
In the second part of my interview with Coleman Todd, associate at the Cocoa Beach Community Church, in Cocoa Beach Florida, we continue to talk about the role religion, and specifically Christianity, plays in our society today.
We discuss Christianity and the LGBTQ community, and delve into the deeper issues of divisiveness that exist in our country right now.
This podcast is part 1 of my interview with Coleman Todd, associate at the Cocoa Beach Community Church, in Cocoa Beach Florida.
I initially reached out to Coleman because I know a young transgender man who is being sent to conversion therapy by his parents, in the name of Christianity. I realized that it is important to speak with faith leaders and scholars about how different religous traditions view our LGBTQ community, and discuss the fact that many Christian denominations and other faith traditions are welcoming. ‘
I hope to help LGBTQ youth and adolescents realize that there are welcoming congregations of Christian faith.
In our conversation we also touch on other social issues, and the concept of caring for one another, and what that means in the lens of Christianity.
In this episode of my podcast, I share the second part of my conversation with my friend Jenelle, a transgender woman who speaks about being herself, being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and the political climate in Florida.
#transgender #LGBTQ+ #LGBTQallies #saygay #woke
In this episode, I talk with my friend Jenelle about being a young, homeless transgender adolescent in South Beach, Miami Beach, in the late 60s and early 70s. She talks about the people who mentored her, including the famous Queen of South Beach, Henrietta Robinson. If you are interested in the kids who changed their yearbook we refer to, click here. Here is more information about the Federalist Society.
If you are aware of, or a victim of, human trafficking, please call the Human Trafficking hotline at 888-373-7888, 24/7. You can also text “help” or “info” to 233733.
If you are transgender and need to speak with someone supportive, please call The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386, 24/7, or text “START” to 678-678. You can also chat by going to thetrevorproject.org.
If you are considering suicide, please know help is out there. Call The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255.
You are not alone.
In this podcast, we go back a bit in time. Hear Peregrine Hayward when she was a senior at Satellite High School in 2017, as one of the panel members of Space Coast Progressive Alliance’s Pride and Prejudice in Brevard panel discussion.
Peregrine talks about the ways in which school can be difficult when you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and the improvements she’s seen during her lifetime. Unfortunately, in many ways we appear to be regressing, but her hopeful message still resonates.
Guide to Creating Safe and Welcoming Schools 