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.

 

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
	Participating in the walk were Cimarron Board Co-Chair Clayton Hickox, Cimarron Horizon Award Winner Kendel Powers and former board member Saul Olivarez
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!
   

• Greater Community Outreach – Programming includes the "Stop Hate in the Hallways" conference and other community events.
   

• Fundraising – Plans the annual fund-raising dinner and other events throughout the year. Also researches grant-making foundations and writes grant proposals.
   

• 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)