One great act of courage that we all have in common is stepping through the door into an Alpha-Omega meeting and confronting the fact that we are not unique, and not alone.  The reward we get for this brave act is the support and wisdom of a community, the chance to share ourselves safely and freely, and a the chance to give of ourselves to others.  But the truth of the matter is that Alpha Omega is just one community among many dealing with issues that lie outside the mainstream here in the greater Cleveland area.  Each community forms for its own reasons, and attempts to serve the needs of differing groups of people.  While some people never need or desire the support of a group with common feelings, others look despairingly for the right match.  While some may feel fulfilled being in one group, others must belong to several.

Alpha Omega is not for everybody.  It has a mission, and to fulfill that mission it must neglect other ones.  But as we grow in understanding and compassion we grow to care that people  who need a community find their place, and that as a community of communities we are aware, informed and respectful of alternatives.  Any of us could find ourselves trying to help a friend or acquaintance find the support they deserve.

This article is the first in a series dedicated to introducing other resources in our local area to our members.  Having the curiosity, the desire, the time and the willingness to share what I learn I am also eager to write about it. I am undertaking to define a broad list of fraternal and sororital organizations, support services and less formal communities in the greater area, to visit them, collect and present useful information about their mission, style and members.  It is not the purpose of this adventure to rate or rank these organizations, I simply seek to inform.

I anticipate many benefits from this effort.  First, our better informed members can help others better.  Second we can forge ties with other organizations, share information and concerns on an organizational level.  With good ties we can support each other when we have common cause. Third, by visiting these organizations we can make sure that our community is more broadly known, and reach more people who need us.  Fourth, we can always learn new ideas and approaches to building a better group and serving our members needs.

Some of the articles may deal with professional support facilities for dealing with Gender and sexuality related issues.  People  may be concerned that such articles constitute advertising. And articles about vendors who are friendly and supportive could also be seen as advertising.  Again, I believe that collecting and distributing the information is important in itself.

I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Diane S. Frank
Director of Outreach