Safe Homes Honors Advocates : IMC Worcester

WORCESTER - Safe Homes, a program supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, will host an event to recognize leaders working for equality in all areas of the community.

The Safe Homes People of Courage Awards will be presented in a ceremony on Tuesday, June 6th at 6:00 p.m. at the Beechwood Hotel, Plantation Street, Worcester. The event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased by calling 508.755.0333.

The 2006 Award of Courage Honorees are:
Corporate Award: Central Mass. Business Council, Paul Leone & Adriane Zakarian, Co-founders
Volunteer Award: Ruthie Turbidy
Public Service Award: Judi Kirk, Worcester YWCA
Youth Award: Conor Caracciolo
Special Recognition: Cha Cha Connor
Award Of Courage: Rev. Aaron Payson, Unitarian Universalist Church Of Worcester

This is the second year that the People of Courage Awards have been held. The 2005 event was an extraordinary success that this years’ organizers are planning to replicate.

“The awards are an opportunity to celebrate good things going on in our schools, offices and neighborhoods,” Safe Homes founder and event organizer Al Toney, said recently. “We are delighted at the response we’ve received from community leaders, politicians and business people. This promises to be an extraordinary event!”

The event will also honor local and national activists who are working on behalf of equal rights and enlightened public policy. Arline Isaacson has worked on behalf of GLBT individuals for twenty years. As co-chair of the Massachusetts Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus, she has helped shaped state policies that effect the health and well-being of all citizens, including safe schools advocacy, domestic partnership benefits, hate crimes legislation, and confidentiality in HIV testing. During the past several years she has been at the fore-front of the fight to legalize same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

Laura Galaburda, M.D. is one of the plaintiffs in Cook v. Rumsfeld, the class-action law suit challenging the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Dr. Galaburda is one of twelve former service persons involved in the suit, brought by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Proceeds from the event help to operate Safe Homes, a program designed to provide safe and supportive services to GLBTQ youth in our area. Safe Homes is a program of The Bridge of Central Massachusetts, Inc., a human services agency serving children and adolescents with serious emotional, behavioral, and family problems, as well as adults with mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse challenges.

The Bridge operates 33 programs, including special education, residential treatment, supported housing, community-based outreach, support to gay and lesbian youth, and assistance to families transitioning from homelessness. Safe Homes online: http://www.safehomesma.org