I’m sitting here writing to you as the sun sets in the Florida sky.  Much, as usual, is happening here at Coach Sappho and in the world.  I am always grateful for what is ‘going well’, especially when it relates to quality of life! 

Speaking of which, a special thanks goes to Congress and the President (believe it or not!) who passed The Pension Protection Act this week, providing sorely needed financial protections to same sex couples.  Be sure to stop by The Human Rights Campaign website to read all about it.  And, while you’re there, be sure to check out their new guide for ‘living openly in your place of worship’ – I hear it’s a nice guide.

My week started out on a very positive note as I connected with the new social network here in Ocala, Florida, LGBT Ocala.  They’ve got a fall gala coming up 9/3, so, if you are in the area, be sure to go to their website and learn more about the event and the network in general. 

LGBT Ocala is a diverse and friendly bunch and their goal is to make Ocala a better place for the GLBT community.  They seem to be off to a strong start and their website looks great.  I look forward to making future meetings, and continuing to re-connect with old friends and making new ones.  For those of you reading this who live in major metropolitan areas, please support your friends in less populated areas, like Ocala.  Given that I’m from Baltimore, it is an ‘education’ process for me, learning a different culture.  I think that in many ways Ocala is at least 20 years behind where Baltimore is today, in terms of gay rights and gay community.

On Wednesday I  attended the August Equality Florida Meetup at MCC Ocala.   Those in attendance (a small but passionate crowd) cooked up some cool ideas.  Look for Rob Poth, coordinator of Equality Florida Marion and Citrus County to announce some exciting events in the near future.  Hint:  one is elections/political in nature and the other event is for the broader Ocala community.  Hey – if you want to know more, you’ll just have to be sure to come to the next Meetup in September!

If you aren’t in the Ocala area but you’re interested in knowing what’s going on, let me know.

National Happenings

I’ll be heading to the eastern shore of Maryland next weekend for Chesapeake Pride!  Unless I go to Orlando Pride in October, this will be my last pride festival in 2006.  Just a hop and a skip from Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and most of the eastern shore, Chesapeake Pride will be held near Annapolis, the state capital. 

I’m looking forward to having my booth there, so, if you are in the vicinity, be sure to come on by and say ‘hi’ to Rachael and I and support the efforts of organizer Wayne Schwandt and company!  They’ve got a great event planned, complete with vendors, food, and live music.  To learn more about Chesapeake Pride, click here.

Sponsors of  Chesapeake Pride include Southwest Airlines, Baltimore Gay Life Newspaper, and the area MCC Church.  Vendors include yours truly (I love it, they call me ‘Sister Sappho’!), the ACLU, the Baltimore Gay Community Center, PFLAG and about 30 others.  Also invited is Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, who is running for governor.

SPECIAL CHESAPEAKE PRIDE OFFER!:

In honor of gay pride, anyone who stops by my booth at Chesapeake Pride and registers for Coach Sappho’s 10 week ‘Relationship Readiness’ Class starting in early October, will get $200 off the price of the seminar PLUS a complimentary copy of ‘Conscious Dating:  How to find the love of your life in today’s world’ ($25 value), autographed by yours truly!

For those of you who are interested in the seminar but who won’t be able to attend Chesapeake Pride, just email me on August 26th and I’ll send you the special, 66% off link for the seminar.  If you register within 48 hours, I will honor that rate!

Barb Elgin’s
Creating a Life I Love
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TODAY’S ISSUE:

I.  Great news from California!  California state senate passes gay marriage bill!!!

II.  Barb Elgin to hold open telephone conference line on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 at 8:30pm for support re: Hurricane Katrina.

III.  Join Coach Sappho’s Fall 2005 Life Makeover Tele-group (early bird registration through 9/10/05).

I.  Great news from California!  California state senate passes gay marriage bill!!!

Great news from the political front lines today.  California continues to inch forward on the gay marriage issue!  The California senate has passed a bill called The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.  Now it goes to the state assembly and if passes California would be the first legislature in the country to pass equality rights legislation for same sex couples.  If you live in California, this is your chance to call your legislators, especially in the assembly and tell them you support this human rights issue.

Speaking of gay marriage, did you know that I’ve been recording an internet radio show called

Gay Marriage…Who Cares?

I hope you’ll go and check it out – hint:  while we are in production the program will be available at no cost online.  Eventually, the series will be compiled into a CD for sale.

II.  Barb Elgin to hold open telephone conference line on Tuesday, September 6, 2005 at 8:30pm for support re: Hurricane Katrina.

I’ve been taken by the heartbreak on the Gulf Coast, as I’m sure you have too.  Got lots bottled up about it and no where to go to release it?  I’ve got an outlet for you:

On Tuesday evening, September 6, 2005, at 8:30pm EST, I’ve reserved a teleconference line for anyone who’d like to join me to de-stress, strategize ways you can get involved and/or raise consciousness together around this tragedy.  These, I think, are three of the best things you can do to handle your emotions around this issue.

I’m offering this discussion to the community gratis.  Your only cost is your usual long distance telephone charges.  To attend, just call in to the following line on Tuesday at 8:30pmEST:  413.200.7075, private access code: 51861 and the ‘#’ sign.

By the way, people are doing all sorts of creative things to help out.  Today, members of our community wrote to me with the following ideas (sorry for the font issues, but I wanted to get these out as fast as possible):

• Encourage a group you are involved in or an area business to pitch in to collect items that can be packed up and mailed to rescue organizations. I hear that the following items are needed:

Towels

• Animal rescue - of course, in the chaos of what is going on, animals could and are getting lost in the shuffle.  But there are organizations you can donate to if you’d like resources to go to the care of the animals affected by the storm.  My friends over at Rainbow Ranch suggest the following:

Both the ASPCA out of New York and the AKC have donation mechanisms set up:  The AKC is accepting donations for the canine victims of Katrina.  See:  http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2599

http://www.noahswish.org/ – comes highly regarded – they are ‘hands on’ and already in the area of the disaster.

The Humane Society of the United States is accepting donations: https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2005/step1/r-pqLFC61kp5X 

Have a Heart for Companion Animals sent the email below just now that Best Friends www.bestfriends.org in Utah (the No More Homeless Pets people and sanctuary) is also coordinating fundraising to help the disaster pets.

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you have now had some experience of Coach Sappho.  Have we enhanced your life?  If you’ve gained in any way from spending time with us, we’d like to invite you to tell others how spending time with us has helped you.  Would you like to spread the joy?  It’s easy to let friends and family know more about us.

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1.  NEW!!! Coach Sappho 2 page flyer describing our programs – chock full of testimonials.  Feel free to print out and share with your friends!  NEW!!!

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Thank you for your support!

• Looking on the bright side this week I’d like to congratulate the State of Maine, who became the 16th state to add sexual orientation and gender identity to a Maine law that bars discrimination in employment, housing, credit, public accomodations and education.
• How’s your love life?  If you’ve ever been in a relationship over a year, you know things tend to “cool down.”  But, is it inevitable that they “cool off?”  I’ll never forget what the psychology professor I took a Human Sexuality class with in college said:

Did you know that your biggest sex organ is between your ears!?!

Yes, indeed, is she nuts, now, just what did she mean?  That imagination, mystery and creativity are sexy turn ons!  So, don’t let your brain cells go limp when it comes to sex and intimacy, even if you are not in a relationship (catch my drift!). 

Hate to break it to you but love isn’t all wine, roses and, for some of us, chocolates!  We have to add a dash of brain food in there too once in awhile.

Make time for sensuality in your life, you deserve it (and it’s no doubt great for stress reduction!).  Stimulate your dendrites and they will give you a tingle!

And, if you’re looking for suggestions to jump start your brain, here’s a couple of my favorite books/tapes on the subject:

Hot Monogamy by Pat Love, EdD (book) (audiotape) – excellent ideas delivered in an often humorous manner.  I just love Pat Love!!!

The Whole Lesbian Sex Book by Felice Newman – full of education and information

Or, here’s a simple suggestion that goes the distance:  each of you should make a list of activities you’ve gotten away from doing that you enjoy or that you’ve fantasized about or want to try.  Then, be sure to do one of those activities at least once a week, alternating back and forth.  And, again, if you are a single slinger, make a list and treat yourself.

Champions keep playing until they get it right! – Billie Jean King

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. – Anais Nin

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, spring has sprung!  While it may not feel that way yet (hey – it’s even been dark, chilly and rainy here in Central Florida the past couple of days!), you can bet warm, sunny days are just around the bend.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT COACH SAPPHO:  Look what Coach Sappho has been cookin’ up for you, to keep you warm and toasty till lady spring pokes her head out:

Famous author, Angela Bonavoglia is Coach Sappho’s “Uncommon Courage” guest for March 2005.

Thursday, 3/31/05, from 7-8pm EST

Coach Sappho’s ‘Creating a Life I Love’ Club’s “Uncommon Courage” guest for March 2005 is a fabulous ally by the name of Ms. Angela Bonavoglia.  I met Ms. Bonavoglia about 18 months ago while interviewing Kathy Itzin, the catholic religious education instructor from Minnesota who had a lifetime achievement award taken back by her city’s bishop when he found out she was a lesbian.

Angela Bonavoglia has just published her latest book, Good Catholic Girls:  How Women are Leading the Fight to Change the Church.  Angela Bonavoglia is an award-winning journalist and author who covers social, health, religious and women�s issues. A previous book on abortion, The Choices We Made, was featured on Oprah. Her feature articles, investigative reports, op-eds, personal essays, and profiles have appeared in Ms. (longtime contributing editor), the Chicago Tribune, Redbook, Mirabella, Cosmopolitan, Newsday, and The New York Times, among other publications.

Angela’s article, “The Church�s Tug of War,” about women as an invisible force for reform in the Roman Catholic Church, was the lead article in The Nation in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandals of 2002.

I can’t wait to talk with her about how and why she chose the career path she is on today.  Aren’t you curious?  I hope you will join her and I via the teleconference bridge on March 31st for an exciting discussion.  If you have specific questions you’d like me to ask her during the interview, email me so I can prepare.

Click here to read more about Ms. Bonavoglia and her latest book.  Or visit her website: http://www.goodcatholicgirls.com.