The following meeting information concerning state-wide and area news, events, and activities is updated at the beginning of each calendar month. Please check with the originating organization because of likely cancellations or changes since they were originally posted here. See Local News for non-CCSJ events and activities organized and/or occurring in the Morgantown area.
WVNOW members are committed to fostering a unified intersectional, multigenerational feminist future for West Virginia.
The ACLU-WV announced that Danielle Walker is the new executive director. There is an open letter from Ms. Walker to the “ACLU
of West Virginia Family” here.
See more about ACLU West Virginia here or Facebook. Email them at mail@acluwv.org.
Appalachian Queer Youth Summit in 2023: The ACLU-WV is thrilled to announce that they will be continuing this free camp in 2023.
“This free camp will bring together young West Virginians either identify as LGBTQ+ or come from LGBTQ+ families from across the state, and give them the tools they need to organize and advocate for the issues they care about.
“Campers will learn how to talk to legislators, run effective meetings, tell powerful stories, and more, and will participate in a collective action to better the lives of LGBTQ+ people after the camp concludes. Perhaps most importantly, AQYS campers will get to be themselves for a week around people who understand them.
“The 2023 Summit will take place in Morgantown (campers will be provided with additional details upon acceptance) from late morning on August 9th to the afternoon on August 13th.
“Please contact Mollie Kennedy at mkennedy@acluwv.org with any additional questions.
“Follow AQYS on Facebook for updates, and stay tuned for our applications which will be opening soon.
“*Note: We know that COVID is still a reality and may require us to adjust our planning. At this time, we are hopeful that we can safely hold an in-person summit this summer. We will be following guidelines from the state as well as the CDC and other public health experts, and will provide updates throughout the process.”
Fairness is starting to publicize events for this summer. To schedule an event and see what is already planned, please go here.
At “press time,” the following events were scheduled for Morgantown and Fairmont:
Omnipresence: A Charity Concert 218 Walnut Street, Morgantown, WV on Saturday, June 3rd. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA) Initiative is hosting an all-ages charity concert at the Morgantown Art Party. The show features two up-and-coming West Virginia musicians: Emmalea Deal and KARMA. Doors are at 6:30 and tickets are $15.
Forty percent of proceeds from the concert fund Gender Affirming Care Packages (GAC Packs). GAC Packs are entirely customizable on The SAGA Initiative website and can include chest binders, trans tape, padded bras, tucking underwear, hair removal products, and perfume or cologne. The SAGA Initiative provides GAC Packs to transgender youth living in West Virginia at no cost with shipping and handling fees covered by the organization. The other 60 percent of proceeds go toward the Morgantown Art Party — another nonprofit involved in advocating for the LGBTQ+ community — and paying the outstanding artists performing at the event (30 percent for both parties respectively).
PFLAG Fairmont: Fairmont Greenspace, Adams Street and Monroe Street on June 10th. Connect with PFLAG Fairmont on Facebook for more details!
“The West Virginia Transgender Coalition is a grassroots organization that works to ensure the wellbeing, safety and lived equity of all trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive community members within the state of West Virginia.”
For more information, please go their Facebook page.
This group organized in December 2021 in Charleston “to illuminate the experiences of LGBTQ+ people of color in West Virginia and provide them with a safe space of fellowship,” according to a story in the Juneteenth edition of Black By God: The West Virginian. For more information, email WVBPfoundation@outlook.com or Kasha@wvpfoundation.com.
According to its website, blackbygod.org, “We are an emerging news and storytelling organization centering Black voices from the Mountain State. We provide a more nuanced portrayal of the Black experience in the Appalachian region.” Crystal Good is the editor/publisher/founder of Black By God.
There is a weekly online edition and a quarterly print edition.
To contact BBG, email Info@Blackbygod.org or call 3O4-207-0352. The mailing address is 2156 University Ave. Suite 400, Morgantown, WV, 26505. To make a tax-deductible donation, go to blackbygod.org/donate.