International LeatherSIR® / Leatherboy®
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The James Hall Memorial Fund AnnouncedP R E S S R E L E A S E
To my brothers and sisters in the leather community: As many of you know, James Hall, Northwest Leatherboy 2005 and my Regional "sash boy," died on December 10th 2005 in Portland, Oregon. He is survived by Brian Olheiser, his partner of 10 years, and many friends and associates. While my time with James was much too brief, I found in him a rare joy and exuberance. I was looking forward to our joint endeavors throughout the coming year and will miss him. I'm writing to you because James' death has inspired me to do something beyond the usual fundraiser. The relationships of sexual outlaws don't enjoy the benefits and legal protections of marriage and people in the prime of life often neglect wills and other forms of estate management. Our biological families too seldom understand or support our relationships and are less likely to provide the sort of financial assistance our heterosexual peers sometimes take for granted. We've all seen good people in long-term relationships lose their partners and find themselves financially devastated at a time when they're already emotionally distraught. No one should have to face losing a relationship and their home or other basic necessity of life at the same time. In concert with Generic Leather Productions of Washington (GLPW) and with the support of Seattle Men in Leather (SML), I'm pleased to announce the establishment of the James Hall Memorial Fund. Administered by GLPW, the fund will provide short-term financial assistance to surviving family of members of the leather community facing financial difficulties as the result of the death of a primary relationship. It will also support and encourage estate management, living wills, and the establishment of other legal support not granted to relationships other than marriage. What you can do: For once, we don't want your money - we want your stuff. Clean out your garage, attic, basement, and closets, and donate shippable, salable goods you no longer need to the Fund.
See these and all the current listings on www.eBay.com. This will be an ongoing effort, so check back often. If you have questions or suggestions, just write to GLPW's Fund Administrator at info@glpw.org, or to me personally at intlleathersir2005@michaelrcongdon.com. Thanks for your attention and generosity. I wish you and yours a successful, joyous and altogether kinky New Year.
Warm regards, Generic Leather Productions of Washington (GLPW) exists to raise monies to support other non-profit human services organizations serving the sexual minority community. Each year, GLPW produces several leather title events and other productions which supply funds for our charitable grant programs, honoring the first Seattle Mr. Leather, Billy Jefferson, and Northwest Leatherboy 2005, James Hall. Visit us at: http://glpw.org Founded in March 1989, Seattle Men in Leather (SML) is A Gay Men’s Social Group Promoting with Power and Pride, the Seattle Men’s Leather Community. Visit us at: http://seattlemeninleather.org |
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