Our next meeting will be Wednesday May 15th and will be an informational meeting about hate crimes. I’m sure some attendees have noticed the presence of local FBI agents and Sparta Police Detectives at our meetings. They have been such a huge support of our meetings and we are so grateful for them showing up. They have offered to speak at our upcoming meeting about hates crimes: what classifies as a hate crime, ways to report through local, state, and federal channels, and resources that are available.

We look forward to seeing they’re presentation to learn more and ask the questions we’ve all had on our minds.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday April 17th and will be a support group discussion facilitated by one of our Board Members, who is the parent of a transgender child. Zoe Heath, President of Sussex Pride, will be joining us during first part of meeting to solicit input on community activities we would like to see part of Sussex Pride Celebration, which will be taking place on Saturday June 8th. Meetings take place from 7pm to 9pm in Demarest Hall in SUMC and will have refreshments available.

Paint Your Pet Workshop

Join us for a fun evening of painting. Lisa Hess from Treehouse Crafts has been painting Custom Pet Portraits since 2007 and will be sharing her knowledge with you. She will create a detailed hand drawn portrait of your pet prior to the workshop and will provide you with all the supplies you will need to create your very own Pet Portrait. By the end of the workshop, you will have completed an 11x14 portrait on gallery wrapped canvas.

Your pet's photo can be sent via email to Lisa at info@treehouse-crafts.com no later than April 8th. Be sure to provide a clear photo of your pet's head and chest, your pet's name and background color you prefer. Due to the length of the workshop, only one pet per canvas will be allowed.

*Class has limited seating. No painting experience necessary. Due to the customized nature of this workshop, there will be no refunds available. Feel free to pack your drinks and snacks.

Deadline to register and send in your picture is April 8th. Tickets are $55 per person.

Get Your Tickets and Instructions Here!!

Unfortunately this event is not wheel chair accessible, but keep an eye out for the next event which will be.

We will be having a book discussion with Mary Ann Horton, author of Trailblazer: Lighting the Path for Transgender Equality in Corporate America on Wednesday, March 20th 2024 at 7:00PM. Mary Ann is offering PFLAG Sussex County a special price as well as a personalized signed copy!! The price for the book with shipping and taxes using the promo code will be $23.00.

You can purchase your personalized signed copy below. Use Promo Code PFLAG-Sussex.

https://maryannhorton.com/mary-ann-horton/signed-copies/

“To have invented the email attachment is one thing. To have done so while transitioning from male to female and paving the way for Trans rights in the workplace is quite another. Trailblazer is a brave and powerful memoir that is both touching and thought-provoking and absolutely worth the read for those who care about equality.

As a child, Mark Horton loved wearing women’s clothes. Short denim skirts, high heels, anything that made him feel like a woman. As he grew, he hid his proclivities in favor of a more traditional home and work life. But soon the question “who am I, really” was too loud and Mark began to make room for Mary Ann.

In her debut memoir, Mary Ann Horton recounts her search for her true self and reveals the intimate details, both professional and personal, of her transition from male to female. From navigating the dissolution of her marriage to parenting young boys, to “coming out” to coworkers, Mary Ann balanced both her responsibilities and staying true to herself. But not without struggle. She would quickly learn the challenges and heartbreak that came with navigating the maze of social, medical and legal rights afforded, or rather not afforded to the Trans community.

As Mary Ann fully became Mary Ann, her voice grew and with it a commitment to advocacy and activism. Aided by her indomitable spirit, Mary Ann became a powerful force for the acceptance of transgender benefits and rights, first at Lucent Technologies, blazing the trail for corporate America to follow.”

We hope you enjoy her book as much as we did and join us to discuss her book with her on March 20th.

We will be hosting a community movie night on Friday March 1st from 6:00-8:30pm. The movie will start promptly at 6:30pm. We will be showing the movie “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.” There is no charge to attend this event.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Feature film adaptation of the musical about a teenager from Sheffield, England who wants to be a drag queen. The musical follows and is based upon the true-life story of 16-year-old British schoolboy Jamie Campbell, as he overcomes prejudice and bullying to step out of the darkness and become a drag queen.

Watch the movie trailer HERE! Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, strong language, and suggestive material

BYOCC (Bring Your Own Comfy Chair) We are asking everyone to bring your own comfy chair to sit on to watch the movie. We will have metal foldable chairs, but they are not the most comfortable to sit on for a long time.

Popcorn, drinks, and a hot chocolate bar with be provided. Please feel free to bring your own snacks.

For our February meeting we are having Pastor Steve Bechtold, the pastor at Sparta United Methodist Church, for a meeting on what the Bible actually says about homosexuality. He will be speaking about the 6 clobber verses from the Bible that people always bring up when they talk about homosexuality and religion. Check out our social media and website for more details!

REV. DR. STEVE BECHTOLD

Steve is a graduate of Albright College (BA in religion), and holds the Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the Theological School at Drew University. He is a certified Minister of Christian Education, and holds a certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Guild for Spiritual Guidance, Ossining, New York with a certificate in Spiritual Direction. He has served in a variety of volunteer capacities within the Greater New Jersey Conference, including the Board of Ordained Ministry, clergy mentoring and coaching, and as a workshop leader in a variety of settings.

Steve began his ministry in the United Methodist Star Parish, has served as Resident Director at Aldersgate Center, as well as pastor in the Branchville and Butler United Methodist Churches. He comes to Sparta following an 8 year assignment as District Superintendent. He is married to the Rev. Ellen Mearns Bechtold, pastor of the Milton United Methodist Church. They have two grown children and four grandchildren. He finds great joy in music, service in short term missions both here in the US and internationally, and spending time outdoors, particularly in the mountains.

Join us for a Paint and Sip Class. We will be painting wood decor pieces at the guidance of the teachers of Painted Grape.

We will be painting decorative pieces of wood for Valentine’s Day and St.Patrick’s Day.

You can register for the class HERE! You can see what the decor that we will be making will look like at their website when you go to register. ***Make sure to pick the date of Friday February 9th!!! The price is $40 per project, all supplies will be provided for you as well as help with the process, technique, and assembly of your items.

Feel free to bring a few drinks and some snacks and join us for a fun night of making a fun craft with awesome people.ible,

This facility is accessible but the bathroom may not be wheel chair accessible. Please call The Painted Grape with any accessibility questions at 973-823-1464.

Gabi & Liz Return!

“Bi"-Curious! Gender and Sexual Diversity: Discussing the Non-Binary 

They were here last June and provided us with a ton of great information. Their presentation was informative and entertaining. We are very excited to have them return for another great presentation and discussion on gender and sexual diversity. Please feel free to invite anyone who may be interested in attending.

Join us for a community potluck during our upcoming meeting.  With the holidays coming up, we wanted to provide an opportunity to our community members to have a chance to have a get together in a comfortable judgement free environment.  Come to enjoy great company, conversation, support, and of course food!  We are asking anyone who would like to participate to bring a dish for everyone to enjoy, but please feel free to come and enjoy if you don't want to bring anything too.  Please feel free to sign up for one of our categories and just let us know what dish you will be bringing. 

We are asking everyone to bring a dish that would feed about 10 people.  Please bring a list of ingredients with your dish.

*Dishes do not have to be homemade, you can buy something too.

Click the Sign Up Picture below or go to the following link to sign up to bring a dish to the Potluck. Potluck Sign Up

Join us for a board game night at Unplugged: A Board Game Cafe.

When: Sunday December 3rd 2023

Time:   1:00PM - 3:00PM

Where: Sterling Plaza  190 Munsonhurst Rd, Franklin, NJ, United States, 07416

There is a fee of $10.00 per person to play for 2 hours.  Children under 6 years old are free. You can pay when you get there.

Unplugged is a place for people of all ages to come, play games, socialize, and connect on a personal level. This facility is wheelchair accessible. Please feel free to reach out to the facility with any accessibility questions at (862) 364-4213

There is no need to RSVP ahead of time, you can come as you are and play some games with us 😊

Please join us to learn and ask questions about how it is to be a parent of a transgender kid. The panelists will tell us a bit about themselves and their journeys, then they will be presented with questions that they will answer for everybody. We will also open up the floor to questions as well. We look forward to seeing you there!

Come show your support at the Hardyston Board of Education meeting and make your voice heard! The Hardyston Board of Education is trying to repeal Transgender Student Policy 5756. We will be reading a statement showing our support to keep Transgender Student Policy 5756.

Wear RED to show support!!!

The meeting will be held at the Hardyston Middle School. 183 Wheatsworth Rd. Hamburg, NJ 07419

Read Our Statement Here

Come show your support at the Sparta Board of Education meeting and make your voice heard! The Sparta Board of Education is trying to repeal Transgender Student Policy 5756. We will be reading a statement showing our support to keep Transgender Student Policy 5756. Wear RED to show your support!!!

The meeting will be held at the Mohawk Avenue School, 18 Mohawk Avenue, Sparta NJ

Read Our Statement Here