New York Group Organizing

A group of lesbian and gay RPCVs has met in New York City in hopes of organizing an LGBT RPCV group here. Nine RPCVs attended the initial meeting in Manhattan, on August 22, and seven RPCVs attended the second meeting, on September 28. Eighteen lesbian and gay RPCVs have joined a yahoo group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nylgbrpcv, and expressed interest in making such a group work in the City. The eighteen members represent a variety of RPCVs, including recently returned Volunteers (2006) to Volunteers who served in the 1960s, and countries of service from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe.

After getting to know each other, those in attendance at the first meeting discussed what, exactly, a group of LGBT RPCVs in New York City would be about. Ideas included a purely social group, a group that would be a resource for newly returned LGBT Volunteers in the New York area and the local and national Peace Corps offices, a group that does volunteer work in the community, and a group that would get together to discuss issues related to development and immigration. No decisions were made other than to continue to meet and discuss and see where we go. The second meeting continued the conversation and included a lively discussion of our unique Peace Corps stories, which were all the more interesting because of the wide range in dates and countries of service of those present.

The group plans to meet again on November 7, Election Night, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, to continue the conversation and cheer Peace-Corps-friendly candidates on to victory! LGBT RPCVs in the New York area are encouraged to join us then or later on. You can join our listserv at nylgbrpcv-subscribe@yahoogroups.com which will include all announcements. Contact Alan Yount (Guatemala, 1985-86) at alanyount@alan-yount.net if you’re interested in learning more.