GAY SAVANNAH AND THE GAY MONEY
A New Vision - by Richard Gourley, "Citizen"

Savannah is not New York City, San Francisco, Chicago or any other large metropolitan area with vast numbers of gay and lesbian individuals who are able to support multiple gay & lesbian endeavors and projects. Savannah also has few, compared to other cities, corporate sponsors who underwrite gay and lesbian events and projects. Savannah is also in the traditional “Bible Belt” of the Deep South and there are overriding restrictions, curbs and outright fear tactics from many Christian and non-Christian religious groups and churches that block the flow of any individual’s, group’s or a corporation’s charitable dollars to any gay/lesbian organization.

In other words, we here in Savannah have a limited source of charitable dollars for our LGBT organizations and their causes. So, what are we to do as our community grows and new efforts emerge, such as the new Savannah Gay & Lesbian Film Society, and seek support from the same economic base already supporting the older more established Savannah organizations, not to mention organizations on the state level, Georgia Equality, and organizations on a national level, the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force?

Could we in Savannah possibly consider a NEW VISION? Could we in Savannah consider coming together, putting our egos and agendas aside and creating one overriding LGBT organization that clearly identifies Savannah, Georgia to all concerned, locally, statewide or nationally, as one charitable/fundraising effort with a number of sub groups who will benefitfrom any and all dollars donated/raised? Could we all work together on one higher level to achieve financial success and freedom while simultaneously working separately on lower levels in the areas we each have a passion?

One Consideration – I personally would propose that First City Network, Savannah’s and Georgia’s oldest LGBT organization, reorganize with a new Board representing all LGBT groups in Savannah and the GA/SC area, change its name so that Savannah (or the SE Coastal area) is identified as who and where we are and then have sub Committees/Boards underneath representing the various special groups and efforts (Pride, StandOut Youth, The Film society, Georgia Equality, the old FCN etc.). All fundraising would be done on the higher level and then parceled out as various groups had events /needs or donations were made to other non-profits less fortunate. This vision would require only one central web site with subpages for the various groups and this vision would require only one newsletter with pages or sections for the various subgroups.

All in all, by coming together, organizing under one banner (The Savannah LGBT Rainbow Coalition, for example) we would focus and simplify our fundraising efforts, better utilize our limited volunteer energies and show to the world at large a happy and unified LGBT community that would be an example for others and surly make Savannah a more desirable city and area to relocate to and/or visit. Lastly, this brings up the subject of the need for a Savannah LGBT Center. My above vision simultaneously destroys the need for a center and yet creates one. A center like the ones in NYC, San Francisco, San Diego, etc. is a separate non-profit organization competing for the gay & lesbian dollars along with the organizations it supports. My vision creates a center in the one overriding LGBT organization but does not create an additional fundraising entity. My vision creates only one non-profit that feeds its many subgroups.

So, I have come full circle in a desire for a center. We need one, but not in the traditional way other, larger cities have one.

In closing I ask all the members of the Savannah/SC LGBTcommunity, are you willing and able to come together and worktogether to serve the common goal to create one charitable,non-profit organization to oversee, feed and nurture all of thediverse efforts and causes within our community life? If you are, or are not, please make your voices heard to any and all theorganizations you are involved with, on any survey that you are asked to comment on, at Pride on the 20th or contact anyone you know in a leadership role to let your thoughts be heard.