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A Message
from Cimarron’s Co-Chairs
Dear Friends,
It is difficult to believe 2009 is
already coming to a close. This
past year serving as the co-chairs
of the Cimarron Alliance Foundation
has been one of busiest and most
rewarding years of our lives. It
has filled us with energy, pride,
and hope for the future of the LGBT
community and what we can accomplish
together.
The all-volunteer Board of Directors
took a hard look at the economic
climate following 2008 and evaluated
what would be realistic for us to
achieve in 2009. We decided to
temporarily “scale back” our efforts
to preserve financial resources so
we could transition Cimarron to the
next level as an organization by
hiring our first full time Executive
Director and establishing our first
permanent office. But scaling back
for Cimarron has had quite a
different meaning.
In the spring we successfully held
our third LGBT Community Summit
that brought together dozens of
community leaders and organizations
to share ideas, build new
relationships, and strengthen
existing coalitions in our continued
efforts to improve the lives of LGBT
Oklahomans. We put together a
magnificent banquet and awards
ceremony held at the Oklahoma
History Museum to honor and
celebrate the great works of many of
our LBGT community leaders,
volunteers and friends of the LGBT
community, such as Rep. Anastasia
Pittman, Reverend Scott Jones, and
the Bob Lemon family. We provided
scholarships to a number of
students to assist in their
educational efforts and energy
towards equality for the LGBT
community. And once again we
proudly raised the Cimarron
banners along Lincoln Boulevard
leading up to our state capitol and
the NW Expressway for all of
Oklahoma City to see and celebrate
LGBT History month in October.
We also dedicated much of the year
to searching for and now hiring the
most amazing person to function as
Cimarron’s first full time
Executive Director, Mr. Scott J.
Hamilton. Scott brings to Cimarron
an impressive resume and a level of
enthusiasm and excitement we are
proud and honored to have. When we
set our standards and goals for the
person we needed and Cimarron
deserved to function as the
executive director we created quite
a wish list. We never imaged we
would find someone who not only met
our wish list but exceeded it.
(Please see Scott’s letter on the
following page.)
In 2010 Cimarron will be moving into
our first office space,
launching a new and exciting
website, increasing our
partnerships and educational
programming efforts. 2010 will
undeniably be one of the most
notable and inspiring years in
Cimarron’s great history. We have
set our goals higher than they have
ever been for our educational
programs, partnerships building and
our continued pursuit for a Fair
and Just Oklahoma. We look
forward to your continued generous,
tax deductible, financial
support to help us make all of this
and more happen. 2010 will
represent a new and inspiring
chapter in the history of the
Cimarron Alliance Foundation. We
deeply appreciate you being a part
of our history and most importantly
our successful future.
Margaret
Cox
Clayton Hickox
Co-Chair
Co-Chair
A Message from Cimarron’s
Executive Director
Dear Friend,
When I learned that the Cimarron
Alliance Foundation was searching
for an executive director, I became
very excited. For while I spent most
of my adult life in New York,
Oklahoma has always been home. I’d
been hearing much about all of the
advances made in rebuilding downtown
Oklahoma City and about the progress
being made in addressing social
justice issues. It seemed like an
exciting time to return to Oklahoma
and join a dedicated, progressive
organization in a city and state
showing great promise.
I met with the Cimarron Board of
Directors in October and, after the
meeting, one of the Board members
mentioned that she was parked near
the subway. I thought, “Wow,
Oklahoma City really has come a long
way; they even have a subway
system.” Alas, I learned that the
subway in question was just a
sandwich shop. So, perhaps the
progress downtown wasn’t quite as
extensive as I’d hoped. There was
still work to be done.
And that same sentiment, I found,
applies to issues of social justice.
While significant strides have been
made, there is incredible work yet
to be achieved. Far from being
discouraged, though, I was energized
by the incredible commitment
demonstrated by the Cimarron Board
and many others within the LGBT
community. I was also astounded to
find that so many other people were
empathetic to the issues facing
lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgendered, and other
underrepresented individuals and
groups.
I wondered: is there enough of a
grassroots effort to really affect
positive change in Oklahoma? I
pondered this question only briefly
before seeing for myself that
there is, indeed, energy and
dedication enough to work towards a
fair and just Oklahoma. It was
with this realization that I
accepted the invitation to serve as
Cimarron’s executive director. And,
I must tell you, that I have never
begun a job that feels both as
challenging and exciting as this
position. I believe with absolute
certainty that, working together,
we can make a powerful difference
now and for generations to come.
Shortly after the first of the year
we’ll be sharing exciting news with
you regarding Cimarron’s new
website, new Board members,
and a brand new home of our own.
I’m anxious to begin working
together with other like-minded
organizations throughout the
state and to empower younger
members of our community. I
envision building a strong
government relations committee
that will work proactively to
educate lawmakers. I am eager to
connect with supportive religious
leaders and their
congregations so that we might
work toward broader “moral equality”
within Oklahoma’s religious circles.
It’s also vital that we galvanize
support within our community and
begin the critical work of
heightening awareness and
understanding of social
injustice issues among the public at
large. At the core of all of this
work is our imperative need to
actively address fundamental
issues of fear and ignorance as
these pose a threat to equality for
everyone in the LGBT community and,
more broadly, women and all people
of color.
Are these ambitious goals? They
certainly are. But we can attain
them if each of us walks
hand-in-hand on this journey.
While I report to the
Cimarron Board, I am responsible
to every member of the LGBT
community and every person who
shares our vision. That means that I
am anxious to hear your thoughts and
concerns, to engage in meaningful
dialogue about how best to address
our critical issues, and how to
build greater strength within our
community. It also means we need to
add to our stable of deeply
dedicated volunteers. And it
means financial support.
I look forward to meeting you in the
new year as we begin to work
together. In the meantime, I
sincerely hope that you will
demonstrate your commitment to the
Cimarron Alliance Foundation’s
mission by making a year-end
monetary gift today. The financial
support of our friends will send a
far-reaching message that we as an
organization and we as a community
are here to stay. And that we intend
to work until our vision is made a
reality.
Please consider making a generous
tax-deductible gift today.
I am honored to serve you and our
community in this new position. And
I offer my sincere best wishes for
the holiday season and the year to
come.
Very truly yours,
Scott J. Hamilton
Executive Director, Cimarron
Alliance Foundation
New law expected soon protecting
LGBT citizens
The U.S. Senate
has passed a historic expansion of
federal hate crimes statutes to
include sexual orientation. The
chamber voted to approve the Local
Law Enforcement Hate Crimes
Prevention Act (also known as the
Matthew Shepard Act) by a vote of
68-29, sending the first civil
rights legislation protecting gays
and lesbians to President Obama for
his signature. The bill was attached
to a Defense Department
appropriations bill.
The Cimarron Alliance Foundation,
through its Stop Hate in the
Hallways educational program, has
worked to educate elected officials
and community leaders about issues
related to bullying and hate crimes.
In recent days, a gay Tulsa man fell
victim to what appears to be a hate
crime (See
story here).
Cimarron applauds Congress for
taking a stand. The law broadens the
current definition of federal hate
crimes -- which covers attacks
motivated by race, color, religion
or national origin -- to include
those based on gender, sexual
orientation, gender identity or
disability. It would also create a
new federal crime to cover attacks
against U.S. military personnel
because of their service.
Thanks for making the Gala a
BIG success!
About 150 people attended
Cimarron Alliance Foundation's
Inaugural Gay History Month Gala on
Friday at the Oklahoma History
Center, and we couldn't be more
pleased with the evening's turnout.
Our thanks to Rep. Al McAffrey, who
introduced award recipient Rep.
Anastasia Pittman, and to Lance
McDaniel, a former board member, who
volunteered to lead the audience in
a comedic coin-toss game. (A special
thanks to the winner of the game who
donated her winnings back to
Cimarron!)
We'd like to thank David Poole, who
helped gather numerous items for our
silent auction, and to Paul Riedl,
who volunteered his time to
photograph the event. View his
entire photo gallery at
www.paulriedl.com by clicking on
the "clients" link at the top and
entering the password: gala
We couldn't have done it without our
board members (listed to the left)
or our numerous volunteers: Jon
Horinek, John Cloud, James Cooper,
Cole Long, Danny Hites, Christopher
Cowden and Hieu Nguyen. Also, thanks
to all who participated in the
silent auction, heads/tails game and
the wine pull. Your support is
appreciated! Also, the Oklahoma
History Center for an amazing venue
and Ned's Catering for the great
food!
It's especially important to
remember our award recipients, whose
speeches hardly left a dry eye in
the house. Those were: Volunteer
of the Year: Colin Raley, Young
Democrats of America; Horizon Award:
Kendel Powers, RAIN Oklahoma; Media
Award: Rusty Surette, KWTV News9;
Legislative Award: Rep. Anastasia
Pittman; Torch Award: Rev. Dr. Scott
Jones, Cathedral of Hope - OKC; and
Bill Rogers Lifetime Achievement
Award: The Bob Lemon Family.
And we certainly couldn't have done
it without our sponsors for the
evening:
GOLD: The Lemon Family
SILVER: Mulinix, Ogden, Hall,
Andrews & Ludlam PLLC, Jeremy Hood
and Michael Brown
BRONZE: Jeffrey J. Alexander/New
Amsterdam LLC, Laurette Taylor,
Sally Hasenfratz, Mark Fitch &
Guest, J. Kevin Doolen, Michael
Korenblit, Respect Diversity
Foundation, Jackie & Barbara Cooper,
Margaret Cox, Mark Henricksen &
Guest, Clayton Hickox, Dan Lorant,
Roger Etling and Chip Oppenheim.
EVENT SPONSORS: The Boom, Spirit
Shack Liquor and New Leaf Floral
Again, thank you for your continued
support of Cimarron and all of the
work we do to ensure a Fair & Just
Oklahoma. We look forward to sharing
more exciting news with you in the
coming weeks, and here's to an even
bigger Gala in 2010.
Respectfully,
Jeremy Hood & Michael Bratcher
Gala Co-Chairs

Bob Lemon admires the Bill Rogers
Lifetime Achievement Award he
received at Friday night's Gala.
Cimarron
participates in the Oklahoma City
AIDS Walk
Cimarron board
members and volunteers joined
hundreds on Sunday, Oct. 11 for the
annual Oklahoma City AIDS Walk. The
walk raises thousands of dollars,
which go to support local charities.
Below are a few shots from the
event.
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Walking with
Cimarron were, left to
right, Cimarron Volunteer of
the Year Colin Raley, Board
Co-Chair Clayton Hickox,
volunteers Cole Long and
Scottie Bartel, board member
Jeremy Hood, Board Co-Chair
Margaret Cox and former
board member Saul Olivarez |
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Participating in the
walk were Cimarron Board
Co-Chair Clayton Hickox,
Cimarron Horizon Award
Winner Kendel Powers and
former board member Saul
Olivarez |
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Taking a
break from the walk were
Cimarron board members
Jeremy Hood, Margaret Cox
and Clayton Hickox |
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WE WANT YOU!
The Cimarron
Alliance Foundation depends on
committee-level volunteers to carry
out efforts and programming in the
following areas:
-
LGBT Community
Outreach – Programming includes
the annual LGBT Community Summit
and cimarronARTS!
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Greater
Community Outreach – Programming
includes the "Stop Hate in the
Hallways" conference and other
community events.
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Fundraising –
Plans the annual fund-raising
dinner and other events
throughout the year. Also
researches grant-making
foundations and writes grant
proposals.
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Media / Public
Relations – Sends out regular
press releases to local media;
Publishes a monthly
e-newsletter; Maintains Web site
content.
Cimarron, throughout
the year, assumes an ambitious
agenda of educational programs and
outreach activities. As a result, we
are currently seeking volunteers at
the committee level. Committees
generally meet on a monthly basis
and time requirements vary depending
on committee activities. If you
would like to donate your time and
talents to the Cimarron Alliance
Foundation, please submit your
information through the following
link:

Cimarron Alliance Foundation 2008
Annual Report
(download PDF)
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