A friend of mine just told me about her yuletide celebration. It’s about light, she explained. Then came Hanukkah. It’s about light, too, as is Kwanzaa and Christmas when Christians welcome the Light of the World. And, although it may not have such seasonal overtones, the recent defeat of bigotry in Alabama (of all places) provided a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel moment for those hoping for the end of the political darkness that has befallen us. Symbolically, that small victory fell on the eve of Hanukkah.
Meanwhile, other friends, a pair of gay uncles, posted a photo of their 5-year-old nephew, Ethan, on social media. He was busy decorating freshly baked cookies. Ethan knelt on his chair to negotiate the height of the kitchen table, intensely focused on the task at hand. I mentioned him here months ago when I told the story of his response when asked, “What do like best about Christmas?” He replied, “making Christmas cookies.” So here he was again, seriously frosting cookies, completely immersed in the preparations for the holiday, doing the one thing he liked best about it, and sharing that joyful experience with his family.
It’s that same family spirit we foster as a community to support each other. GAMMA, one of Milwaukee’s oldest organizations, just donated a carful of toys, school supplies, clothes and, of course, a whole sleigh of teddy bears to Pathfinders Q-Blok program for LGBTQ homeless youth. It was part of the group’s charitable program, GAMMA Gives. Now an annual tradition, members bring a child’s gift to its holiday party. Last year, Penfield Children’s Center received a similar donation.
Other LGBTQ groups do the same but year-round. This Is It, the city’s oldest gay bar, has its regular Pink Hat Party fundraisers. Hamburger Mary’s holds Charity Hambingo Nights twice weekly. Both invite groups and organizations to host fundraisers for their own or other causes. Most are specific to the LGBTQ community. However, some beneficiaries are non-LGBTQ but are supportive through their missions that help marginalized and otherwise underserved people. Milwaukee Pride has its Plus One Campaign each year. That program asks guests to add $1 to their PrideFest ticket price to be donated to a selected beneficiary. Over the years these have included the Healing Center and the ACLU, among others. Individuals, too, are sometimes in need and the community has rallied its resources to help them as well. Recently, the Harbor Room raised money for one of their long-term customers who is seriously ill.
Then there are our philanthropic organizations, Cream City Foundation (CCF) and the G/L Community Fund. CCF functions on a larger corporate scale. Adding to its long list of funding recipients over its 35-year history, it has recently introduced a scholarship program for LGBTQ students and allies. G/L Fund focuses on supporting smaller groups but this year recommended Diverse & Resilient to its donors to help compensate for cuts in government grants to that organization.
So as the days grow longer, when we contemplate these moments of our natural kindness to each other, perhaps our optimism will grow as well. Happy Holidays to all!
