yourOUTsource: Your LGBT Resource

Your Out Source, a Virginia-based non-profit organization announces the launch of a comprehensive resource and team building organization for the LGBT community.  Your Out Source is Hampton Roads only LGBT resource that provides information and details for all organizations, events and resources for the LGBT Community.   It is the mission of this organization to equip the community with the resources necessary to inspire individual and corporate change in a positive manner and create advocacy so that this change for the LGBT community can occur.  Partnerships with other community-based organizations are key in every program designed by Your Out Source.  It is the belief of the organization that positive change will occur on a larger scale and more efficiently if gaps are bridged between organizations, and Your Out Source aims to assist them in working together on behalf of the entire LGBT community.

Your Out Source consists of five programs that will launch at various times over the next two years.   These programs include:

Website: yourOUTsource.org (includes LGBT area news, comprehensive directory of LGBT Non-Profit organizations, a business score card that rates businesses based on factors such as Non-Discrimination Policies for LGBT workers, employee benefits that include benefits for same-sex partners, sponsorships for LGBT events, etc), a comprehensive calendar of all events occurring in the LGBT community in Hampton Roads and a resource component that provides national and local resources and statistics related to LGBT issues.  Launch date, August 1^st.

outEVENTS, Monthly Your Out Source-sponsored events that provide entertaining, educational and community-building events for members of the LGBT community.  First event will be held in September 2011.

Oral History Project: Community Words – specific focus is to examine the LGBT Movement in the Hampton Roads over the last five years.  Project will incorporate a performance piece followed by the interviews to be performed at various locations around Hampton Roads.  Interviews will begin in September 2011.

outEDUCATION – create educational programs for medical groups serving the Hispanic community that may be affected by HIV/AIDS, training for safe space locations (non-educational), diversity training for businesses, etc.  Education component to begin in the fall of 2012.

Print Component – eventually develop a print version of the directory and outSCORE, monthly news component, etc.  The print pieces will not be developed until late 2012.

The organizations leadership consists of members from the non-profit, academic, theatrical and marketing industries.  Advisory board positions are available to those interested in becoming tastemakers for the organization and help promote community building between area LGBT non-profit organizations and the general public.

For more information about the organization, please visit http://www.yourOUTsource.org.