EY: The Colin Powell Youth Center will be run by Urban Ventures - a group with an anti-gay history. Urban Ventures is unpopular among many residents in the area UV operates - the Central and Phillips neighborhoods in Minneapolis.
WM: UV is also very popular with families who want their kids to play soccer and with other folks. UV supports MADD DADS and the Center for Fathering, both of which are strongly supported by some people directly around UV and across the city. Taking the temperature in one part of the population around UV does not give an accurate picture.
When Walt Gutzmer was the designated "Gay Representative" on an NRP committee in the Central Neighborhood, Urban Ventures sent out the meeting notes to committee members. Included in Gutzmer's board packets, was the copy of an article included in an Urban Ventures newsletter. This article called on gays to repent and to change to being straight. Other steering committee members did not get a copy of this article.
WM: This event was alleged to have happened sometime around 1992. No one ever saw the "magazine." I received the same packet, am a flaming queer, and did not receive such a "magazine." Neither did any other GLBT people who received NRP packets. Walt's report is also the only instance anyone hereabouts has come forward with that demonstrates that UV is anti-gay. UV has been in situ for more than 15 years, I think. if they did take an anti-gay stance, surely someone else would have noticed it by now. It could very well be that whoever assembled the board packets had his/her own personal agenda vis-a-vis Walt, who lives one block away from UV. I live around the corner from the president of UV, Art Erickson, who is part of my block club--a very GLBT block club. None of us has heard a discouraging word from Art over the last 17 years. If you are going to assert that UV is anti-gay, then I will need much more proof than has been provided. Remember, Walt didn't show that alleged piece of bias to anyone, GLBT or straight.
When parents are signing their children up for classes - soccer, swimming, art classes, dance, music lessons - no one should have to "check out" an organization to see if they have a hidden agenda.
WM: Were it my kids, I surely would check it out. Any scout troop, cub den, baseball camp, etc. If my kinder were going to participate, I'd have sniffed it out beforehand, particularly around issues of bias and to know how thoroughly UV screens their employees. As the Catholic Church is learning to its bitter shame, there are those who want to work with children who also want to harm them.
WizardMarks, Central ________________________________
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