*Hi PuppyEyes29 and everyone else.*
I am just like you all, other than donating money, I am not part of the board or anything.
Saving the DeFrank Center is not about religion, it is not even about politics, it is about creating a centralized place where we as a GLBT Community can come together in good times and bad.
Last week, I set up a monthly donation to the DeFrank Center because - I need a community I know I can go to if I need it. My family are right wing republican fundamentalist christians (how is that for a mouthful! LOL).and I sadly can’t count on them.
*How have I benefited from the DeFrank Center?*
- Nancy (my spouse) and I took same sex ballroom dance classes there - where we learned how to do the waltz. From those classes we ended up meeting some very good friends. - I like to stop by and drop off GLBT magazines once I am done with them so others can enjoy them. - We have gone to the DeFrank Picnics at Vasona Parkl! They are so much fun - with the games and food and good company! - When Prop 8 happened the DeFrank Center stepped up and helpe organize events. This was an amazing resource for this area. I don’t know of anyone else who would have stepped up and organzied it like they did.
We are all frustrated about Prop 8, We are all frustrated about the economy. The question is - how with what little time and money we have make a difference.
I would humbly suggest that you may want to try at least one of the following and ask your friends to do the same:
a) Set up a monthly donation or send them any donation b) Post on Facebook a link to the donation page - Please Click HERE c) E-mail Friends tell them about the DeFrank Center d) Use the DeFrank Center and all their resources f) Tell the DeFrank Center what you would like to enjoy through the center! g) Volunteer.
We can all make a difference if we all take one single step forward together!
Warmest Regards, Holly

On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 10:35 PM, wrote:
> Perhaps if you hadn’t put in your Christian based bullshit in your > appeal, I and others would be moved to help. But instead I will opt to > delete your email and tell you and everyone else that shares your bullshit > views to take your sanctimonious asses and shove it. > > — On *Sun, 7/26/09, Christopher Flood *wrote: > > > From: Christopher Flood > Subject: [Friends of DeFrank] What Will You Do? > To: svrcc@yahoogroups.com, lgbtbayarea@yahoogroups.com, “Southbay Sappho” > , “Southbay Trojans” > , BDF-buds@yahoogroups.com > Date: Sunday, July 26, 2009, 8:51 PM > > > > > *Why give?* > > > > I went through a period in my life when I was a

Why give? I went through a period in my life when I was a “born again” Christian. Without going into detail about that whole experience, I have to admit that the Christians have it down when it comes to fundraising. There is this principle they call “tithing” that comes from the Old Testament which basically requires those of sincere faith to give 10% (a tenth or tithe) of their wealth back to God. What, you may ask, is God going to do with all that money? Well, of course, God isn’t going to do anything with it. The original principle was to collect money to maintain the priesthood that maintained the temple and performed sacrifices for the faithful. The principle was later applied in Christian churches for the payment of minister’s salaries and maintenance of Church buildings. Now, a lot of that money is given to political campaigns that are working to limit and take away our rights. Another principle that comes with Christian giving is that God will reward you with all kinds of blessings if you give generously and unconditionally. Eastern religion has the same principle in the concept of “Karma” - if you put goodness out, you will get goodness in return. What has this got to do with the Gay Community? Perhaps we in the Gay Community have become a bit self-centered and have developed a sense of entitlement. In our rebellion against everything conservative, we have forgotten some basic principles of good will toward our fellow humans and the Community as a whole. When it comes to supporting our LGBT Community Center, there are a lot of people out there that think somebody else should do it. We have been overly dependent on government sources for several years. One person recently told me that we should find some rich Gay guys to give us a million dollars. The point here is that we are not willing to take responsibility for our own community. We are expecting someone else to do it for us. I say enough of this. If we believe that it is worthwhile to have an LGBT Community Center in San Jose, then I think we need to seriously look to ourselves and ask, “What can I do?” I personally have donated to the Center in the past and realized that I can do more if I make smaller contributions over a longer period of time. I am committed to giving $50 per month. Sometimes I will be able to do more, but for now I will do a minimum of $50. What will you do? Please click here to make a recurring contribution today. Christopher Flood Vice President Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center 938 The Alameda San Jose, CA 95126 (408) 293-2429

Please become a fan of the Billy DeFrank Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BillyDeFrank Thanks. Chris Flood