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This issue: In Grateful Remembrance Jim Bussen: Voice of Dignity Welcome to the Board Board Happenings Chapter News Bequest Helps Fund Strategic Priorities DUSA Announcements Donate to Dignity Tech Tip from the Webminister Chapter Anniversaries

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their stories, in hope that we never again deny anyone the right to bring her or his complete self to their vocation. In November, we also mark National Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a tragic mark of the state of our country and our movement that the one day set aside for this community is to memorialize those who were killed due to antitransgender hatred or bias (http:// www.transgender.org). Id prefer to recall Barbara, the first transgender person I met, who was a Naval officer, nuclear submarine commander, and parent. I got to know her at regional events, and saw her as a strong, giving, respected, valued member of my community. I didnt know that she was transgender until Id known her for some time. Barbara patiently answered the same questions dozens of people must have asked: Are you Mom or Dad to your kids? How did you choose your new name? Did you know you were in the wrong body when you were in the Navy? How did you cope? I was fortunate to have this as my first experience of what it meant to be transgender. In honor of Barbara, and all the other amazing transgender people Ive been privileged to meet since that time, I pledge to make Transgender Day of Remembrance a celebration of strength, honesty, courage, and Gods immense, wildly creative love. Finally, as Thanksgiving approaches, I will, once again, be grateful for all who are and have been DignityUSA. I honor all who had the vision and tenacity to birth this organization, who led us through decades of growth and challenge, who have persevered despite unimaginable obstacles, and who are helping to shape the vision of our future. I thank all of you who have joined our movement this year, or who have renewed your membership for the umpteenth time, who give generously to support our work for justice and an end to division within our
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In Grateful Remembrance
By Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA Executive Director

The month of November is rich in emotional touchstones. We begin with the commemoration of All Saints and All Souls Days, when I always feel the connections that transcend time and spacea real sense of the Communion of Saints. These feasts usher in a reflective period, a time of remembrance and refocusing on relationships, current and past, fulfilling and failed. Growing up in a military family, Veterans Day was also an important holiday. This year, I know Ill be thinking of all the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender service members who served a nation that demanded their silence as the price of our freedom. May those still with us feel freed to tell

Dateline
DignityUSA Board of Directors Officers Lourdes Rodriguez-Nogues - President Lewis Tanner - Vice President Paula Lavallee - Secretary Glenn Crane - Treasurer Directors Bill Baird Leo Egashira Alice Knowles Mark Matson Victor Postemski Tom Yates Mark Clark Jack Frielingsdorf Honour Maddock Linda Pieczynski Patricia Russell

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(In Grateful Remembrance... Continued from page 1)

Church, and who pray for those who have yet to hear the liberating truth that Dignity represents. I thank my spouse and children who support me in this work with love and patience. I thank you all for the opportunity to serve. This month, I pray that each of you will be blessed with a full and meaningful November, and will make time for reflection on the people who have been important in your life.

Jim Bussen: Voice of Dignity

By John Accrocco, reprinted in part with permission from Windy City Media Group
"My life has been exciting beyond my wildest dreams," said Jim Bussen, a former Chicago gay-rights activist. Originally from a small town in Southern Illinois, Bussen hoped to deepen his Catholic upbringing and to live his life openly. Bussen attended seminary school in Omaha after high school, but quickly found the limitations of the Midwestern city. "This was the early 1970s and there really wasn't anywhere to go; there were only two gay bars in all of Omaha. Omaha is a very Catholic city," Bussen said. "What we needed was a discussion group. A few of us would get together and just talk about the articles in The Advocate, and eventually we held Omaha's first gay dinner-dance in a hotel." In 1973 Bussen was motivated to leave the staunchly Catholic community and the seminary by accepting a position with the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board as a claims examiner in Chicago. Bussen found Chicago's chapter of the gay Catholic group Dignity the very first Sunday of his new life in Chicago. Though the big city was progressive enough for the Catholic gay prayer circle, Chicago was only slightly less conservative than the Omaha Bussen left. "Life was barely more out than the closeted '50s:
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National Office DignityUSA PO Box 376 Medford, MA 02155-0004 Voice: 202-861-0017 or 800-877-8797 Fax: 781-397-0584 www.dignityusa.org Info@dignityusa.org Staff Marianne Duddy-Burke Executive Director executivedirector@dignityusa.org Voice: 617-669-7810 Peggy Burns Operations Manager Info@dignityusa.org Logan Bear -- Technology Program Manager webminister@dignityusa.org Jim Smith Program Manager programmgr@dignityusa.org

Dateline & QV: Quarterly Voice Publications Team

Leo Egashira Publications Committee Chair Legashira@yahoo.com Laura Monroe Editor lauramonroe57@gmail.com Peggy Burns Proofreader Paul Keaveney Proofreader DignityUSA is a not-for-profit religious corporation organized under U.S. IRS Service Code 501(c)(3).

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(Jim Bussen: Voice of Dignity...Continued from page 2)

bars, bookstores, baths were the gathering places," he said. "Dignity and MCC [the Metropolitan Community Church] were the two biggest organizations then until the Lincoln Park Lagooners started, which became huge. Back then only first names were used by the vast majority; only a brave few used full, real names. One can't dismiss the sexual boom of the baths and the entertainment there (a la Bette Midler) as the start of a real social scene, then separating from the sexual which led to all the variety of clubs and organizations. I joined Dignity because it felt nice to meet other gay Catholics." Dignity/Chicago began as the fourth chapter in the nation in January 1972. The idea behind DignityUSA is what it means to be gay and Catholic. The Dignity/Chicago chapter was mostly inspired by an organization created in 1970 by Mary Houlihan, who noticed the need for spiritual guidance in the GLBT community. Dignity/Chicago succeeded in hosting not only the discussion group aspect of the DignityUSA mission but also the idea of an inclusive worship at Masses. Dignity/Chicago began holding meetings at St. Sebastian before finding its current home at the Broadway United Methodist church. Dignity/Chicago quickly became one of the first non-bar gathering places for the local GLBT community and eventually became a strong political organization. In the current age of growing religious indifference, some Chicagoans may not know what Dignity/Chicago is or what it stands for. "Dignity is like a split personality, we want to be an inclusive worship community but we also need to take up GLBT advocacy because the Catholic church can afford to (and does) hire lobbyists against gay marriage, so we are trying to be both a supportive network for worship but also stand up against the Catholic church," said Bussen.
A reprint of the 1987 full-page ad that DignityUSA purchased in the nationally-distributed publication Newsweek. Under Bussens leadership, Dignity became the first GLBT organization to advertise this way.

To read this article in its entirety, and to see pictures of Jim, visit Windy City Media Group

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to pre-register now!

Jack Frielingsdorf
DignityUSA is proud to welcome three new Board Members to its National Board of Directors! In May of 1980 I first visited Dignity Metro NJ in Maplewood NJ. A few months later I joined the group. Shortly after that the local treasurer resigned and Kathy H. (the very persuasive person that she is) asked me to fill in for a month or so until they found a new treasurer. I held that job for five years and then moved on to regional delegate, then chapter vice president, president, secretary, newsletter editor, membership chair, and I think even janitor for a while. During that time I was also involved with National, as I called it you know it better as DignityUSA. I was on the Finance Committee and worked on the New York Convention in 1985. Over the years I have attended at least 12 conventions. After 35 years working for Nabisco (you know - the cookie people), I retired in 2001 and thought now what. There was a group forming to support GLBT youth at the local high school which I became very active in, working to help set up the infrastructure, finances, and organization. Once they were established I left the group and once again said now what. It was just about that time that Mark Matson wrote a letter to all Dignity members challenging us to Get Involved. Mark did, by becoming president, and I took his words to heart and joined the Fundraising Committee, a place where I thought I could do some good for the organization. Shortly after I was named Chair of the committee; that was about four years ago. I also ran for the Board of Directors in 2008, but wasnt elected. Earlier this year Honour Maddock called me and asked me to consider running again. At first I was reluctant; what if I lost again? After some more encouragement from members of my chapter and others, I did run again, and won. Thanks to all for your faith in me and support. As your new Director my goals are simple, do what it takes to make DignityUSA and its local chapters viable entities for a long time to come. Make the organization financially strong and build membership; without these there will be no organization.
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Patricia Russell
My name is Patricia Russell and I am a newly elected member of the DignityUSA Board of Directors. My passion for community building, activism, womens issues, and Liturgy have all found a voice within Dignity over the past 17 years. My careers have included teaching both children and adults, social work, project management, and photography. I am a current member of the steering committee for the New York chapter and am honored to be working with our Young Adult members.

Bill Baird
I have been a member of Dignity for over 34 years and am now serving my first term on the national Board of Directors after having held several other positions in the organization. I started the Denver chapter while an at-large member, and attended my first convention in 1975 (Boston). I co-chaired the By-laws Committee that was created at the 1977 Chicago Convention, and again served on that committee following the 1991 Washington, DC Convention. After moving to San Francisco with my partner (and now husband, John), I became involved in the San Francisco chapter. I served several terms on the chapter Board, including a term as Co-Chair. In 2000 I received the chapters Pax et Bonum award for service to the organization. I was involved in the planning of the 2009 DignityUSA Convention in San Francisco, and coemceed that Convention with Marianne Duddy-Burke. During that Convention I received the Michael Olivieri Award for my work with the Defenders (Dignitys outreach to the leather-levi community). I now serve as the National Coordinator for the Defenders. Following the San Francisco Convention, I was asked to join the newly formed DignityUSA National Convention Committee, which I chaired as of October 1st. I will be actively involved in the planning of the 2013 Convention in Minneapolis, and encourage everyone

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(Welcome to the Board...Continued from page 4)

A little bit of background for those who dont know me. I grew up in NYC, graduated from Pace University, served in the US Army for a couple of years and spent most of the 1970s traveling all over the world auditing for Nabisco. I settled down and moved to Verona, New Jersey in 1980. I met my partner Richard two years later. In August of this coming year we will be celebrating 30 years together. We share our home with Maggie May, our cat, or is it the other way around?

The directors also discussed and mapped out the Strategic Plan for this year, highlighting some key goals and activities to accomplish. A review of the 2011 National Convention and a preview of the National Convention Committees work on the 2013 Convention were discussed. The Board acknowledged the Dignity/ Washington Chapter for their great work on the Convention this year. The directors were blessed by the generosity of the Dignity/Detroit members. Directors were provided transportation to and from the airport. Dignity/Detroit also hosted a very nice dinner at an Italian restaurant in which leadership and members of the chapter joined the Board. Friendships were discovered and plans to meet again were made. The Board of Directors thanks the members of Dignity/Detroit for this outstanding show of hospitality and generosity. The directors will continue to meet monthly via the telephone. The next in person meeting will be the weekend of Feb. 24-26, 2012.

Board Happenings
By Paula Lavallee, DignityUSA Secretary

Dignity/Detroit hosts dinner for DignityUSA Board of Directors, Dearborn MI, October 15, 2011

The DignityUSA National Board of Directors met in Detroit, MI the weekend of Oct. 14-16, 2011. Board members unable to attend the weekend in Detroit due to personal and medical reasons were able to "attend" the meeting through Skype and conference calls. This use of technology really helped the discussion and voting on some key issues. The Board is looking at other ways to use technology to help get directors to the meeting when they are unable to travel. A large portion of the weekend was spent in discussion and reworking of the proposed procedures regarding child sexual abusers serving as Dignity Chapter and Caucus presiders. The Board took the suggestions and comments that were submitted by members and chapter leaders after the leadership teleconference call and reconsidered major parts of the policy. A sub-committee will continue to rewrite it and refine the policy before it is presented to the membership again.

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Dignity/Dayton News
Upcoming Weekend Retreat in Dayton
By Bob Butts, Dignity/Dayton Dignity/Dayton's Living Beatitudes Community and Dignity/Columbus will be co-hosting a weekend retreat on Friday February 24-25 featuring presenters from both communities at Christ Episcopal Church, located at First and Ludlow Streets in Downtown Dayton. This co-hosted retreat will focus on spiritual development and feature Marie Sweeney, the homilist for the 2011 DignityUSA Convention held in Washington DC. Also presenting will be Debby Schaffer, a presider for the Living Beatitudes Community. For more information, contact Bob Butts at rbutts@yahoo.com

fected, or affected by HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C. Stigmatization remains a tremendous barrier for individuals who have been marginalized due to health status, sexuality, race, poverty, and other factors. Furthermore, substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, and low socio-economic status increase the risks of infection and create additional obstacles to treatment. Each year HELP assists over 1,200 individuals and families living in Southeast Michigan by providing the following services: food vouchers and nutritional supplements; nutritional counseling; housing services; utility assistance; medical case management; housing case management; mental health counseling and emotional support; early intervention services; education and skills building; and assistance accessing medical care and medications. The Dignity/Detroit team is happy to support such a far-reaching and meaningful organization in the community.

Dignity/Detroit News
Dignity/Detroit Raises over $11,000 for local organization
By Frank DAmore, Dignity/Detroit

Dignity/Washington News
Dignity/Washington Blesses Animals in Observance of St. Francis DAssisi Day
By Henry Huot, Dignity/Washington Dignity/Washington held its annual Blessing of Animals during Sunday Mass on October 9. Father Tim MacGeorge, one of the communitys presiders, did the honors and received much appreciation, especially from all the pet owners and their charges who attended.

On Sunday September 19th, Dignity/Detroit participated in the AIDS walk and raised $11,100.00 to benefit Health Emergency Lifeline Program (HELP). HELP assists individuals who are at-risk, in-

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Dignity/San Francisco News

Membership Anniversary Pins for Sale
By Vicki Cummins, Dignity/San Francisco

The 30th and 35th anniversary pins are a little larger, round shaped with a more colorful reminder of the lifelong relationship with the Church and the GLBT community. The pricing for the pins run from $5.00 - $10.00, plus a small shipping fee in some cases. Any chapters, or individual members of DUSA, who are interested in ordering membership anniversary pins from the chapter or would like more information about pricing and design, please email us at info@dignitysanfrancisco.org, call the office at 415-6812491, or mail an order/inquiry to us at Dignity/San Francisco, 1329 Seventh Avenue, San Francisco CA 94122. We have quite a bit of stock available and will be glad to ship an order right away.

Dignity/San Francisco has membership anniversary pins available for individuals or chapters that wish to celebrate and recognize our commitment to our Dignity community of faith. Lapel pins are available to commemorate every five years of membership from the 1st anniversary through the 35th (with plans to design a 40th anniversary pin in the near future!). Does your chapter celebrate membership anniversaries each year? If you are looking for a special way to acknowledge your members, this might be a new tradition to consider. We know that sacraments leave an indelible and permanent mark on our souls, but sometimes it is nice to have a splashy piece of bling to show the world who we are and what we stand for, shares Tom Bower of Dignity/Washington. These bits of metal and enamel reflect our individual commitment and our long history as an organization. Jimmy Calnan of Dignity/Philadelphia adds that a great part of their annual celebration is seeing folks who don't attend regularly come back to get their pins and to reconnect, and that when members present added up their total years of membership, the time accumulated went into the thousands. Each design is slightly different with the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th taking a small, triangle shape and denoting the number and Dignity name.

Thinking about your year-end giving? Please remember DignityUSA! Donate on-line at http://www.DignityUSA.org, or send your tax-deductible contribution to DignityUSA, PO Box 376, Medford, MA 02155

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Bequest Helps Board Fund Strategic Priorities

From the Directors of DignityUSA DignityUSA was recently notified that we have received a gift of just over $20,000 from the estate of James Wozniak, a long-time member of Dignity/Toledo and DignityUSA. This generous rememJames Wozniak brance will allow DignityUSA to invest in several of its strategic priorities, including supporting activities to harness the energy of young adult and women members, and further investment in Chapters strategic planning activities. We are very grateful that Jim decided to give a legacy gift to DignityUSA, said Marianne DuddyBurke. As a college professor, I believe he would approve of the Boards decision to use some of this gift to support young adults involvement in DignityUSA, and to help develop the next generation of Dignity leaders.

Mark Your Calendars: Call To Action Conference November 4-6

Call To Action is holding their national conference, Living the Gospel of Love, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from November 4-6. Marianne Duddy-Burke, and Casey and Mary Ellen Lopata, on behalf of Equally Blessed, will be holding a pre-conference discussion, What does the Holy Family look like in the 21st Century?. DignityUSA will have a reception Friday night immediately following the keynote address. We will also be an exhibitor at the Conference. If you would like to be involved, email Lewistanner@yahoo.com. We hope to see you there!

For information on planned giving to DignityUSA, please contact Marianne at ExecutiveDirector@dignityusa.org, or 617669-7810.

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Do you work for an organization with a United Way Campaign? You can designate DignityUSA to receive your work-site contributions during the United Way Campaigns conducted at many workplaces throughout the Fall! Simply write-in Dignity, Inc. dba DignityUSA, PO Box 376, Medford, MA 02155 on the Employee Choice section of your form. If your local United Way requires our Federal Employer Identification Number or other information, please contact us at 800-8778797 or info@dignityusa.org. Thank you for supporting DignityUSA.
Long Island 34 years

Did you know that DignityUSA hosts several chapter websites? Many have been converted to the same format as DignityUSA, and with this conversion come new features to help your chapter advertise, organize, and plan. Through these websites you can create photo albums, post pictures, update your calendar of events, and manage an online contact page. If you want to know more, visit my blog : http://voices.dignityusa.org/blog/image-galleries-chapter-website Or contact me at webminister@dignityusa.org.

For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird, and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee! -Ralph Waldo Emerson