MEETINGS

💥NEW edition!      🏳️‍🌈 2nd RAINBOW & Allies gathering on ZOOM!

Nov 18th, Tuesday 6:30-7:30 pm   Come and join the conversation!

Link to zoom meeting: https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/83864958778?pwd=L5gsCLLfZgixaD5cbG5CGbeTObzqu1.1  

👉Nov 5th, Wed - HOLYOKE RAINBOW SUPPER CLUB 

Holyoke Senior Center, 291 Pine Street, Holyoke 5 PM - 7 PM

Enjoy dinner, conversation and an activity.

https://accesscarepartners.org/programs-services/lgbtq-support/

To make reservation for dinner RSVP October 2025 Rainbow Supper Club

👉Nov 6th, THURSDAY - AMHERST COFFEE HOUR – Date moved due to election!

Bangs Community Center, Amherst, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Join us for coffee, tea, bagels, and conversation!

Learn more at: https://www.rainbowcoffeehouramherst.com/

👉Nov 7th, Fri - MEN'S MEETUP

Fame Lounge & Eatery, 386 Dwight Street, Holyoke, 6:30 PM

(One of two meetups this month! See below for the other one.)

👉Nov 12th, Wed - BELCHERTOWN RAINBOW SOCIAL HOUR

Belchertown Senior Center, 60 State Street, Belchertown, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Learn more at: https://rainbowsocialhour.my.canva.site/

👉Nov 13th, Thurs - RAINBOW ELDERS @ LIFEPATH

South County Senior Center, 22 Amherst Rd., Sunderland, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM 

An in-person luncheon. Click here to register.

Rainbow Elders Luncheon Club Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

💥NEW! Nov 18th, Tue - 2nd 🌈RAINBOW & Allies on ZOOM 6:30-7:30 pm

Come and join the conversation!  Link to zoom meeting: https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/83864958778?pwd=L5gsCLLfZgixaD5cbG5CGbeTObzqu1.1  

👉Nov 19th, Wed - HADLEY SENIOR CENTER Rainbow “Brown Bag Lunch”

Hadley Senior Center, 46 Middle Street, Hadley, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Learn more at: Council On Aging Calendar | Hadley MA

💥NEW format!  Nov 20th, Thur - S. HADLEY SR CTR - Rainbow “Brown Bag Lunch”

South Hadley Sr Center, 45 Dayton St, South Hadley 12:30 PM - 2 PM https://www.southhadley.org/324/Council-on-Aging

👉Nov 21st, Fri - MEN'S MEETUP

Hotel Northampton, 36 King Street, Northampton, 6:30 PM

Sign up for the mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/3aa0d4c1613c/sign-up-to-our-mailing-list

Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthamptonGayMensMeetUp

👉Northampton Sr Center - Silver Lesbians - 1st, 3rd & 5th Tuesday at 2:30 pm 

👉Northampton Sr Center - Gay Men's Group, every Friday@ 1 pm

https://northamptonma.gov/2055/Senior-Services 

💥Coming Events in November! 💥

🏳️‍⚧️Voices for Belonging: Coming Out as a Trans Woman Late in Life

WHEN: Sunday, November 9th from 1:30 pm to 3 pm (A light lunch will be available at 12:45)

WHERE: Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield

245 Porter Lake Drive, Springfield, MA 01028

Join us for a conversation with Julie Fitzgerald, who came out as a trans woman at age sixty-two. Julie shares aspects of her journey and her experiences as a transgender woman. An Air Force veteran, Julie is currently a police officer in Portland, Maine, their first openly trans officer. She will talk about her experience as a member of the force and with the community since coming out, as well as the response from friends and family. (see poster below)

Voices for Belonging is a series of events produced by the Pride Action

Care Team of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield.

🎭HMS Pinafore is being performed November 6, 7, 8, & 9 at the Academy of Music, Northampton, MA by the Valley Light Opera, VLO.org who is celebrating their 50th year anniversary! They are known for their orchestra, amazing costumes and fun. (see poster below)

🌎Our Root, Our voices, November 7, from 5 pm Friday, through the night to Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 6:05 pm+ at the Fellowship Hall at Center Church, 1 Church Street, South Hadley, MA (elevator accessible from street level) (see posters below)

Our Roots, Our Voices is a non-partisan and non-sectarian civic event offering people from all walks of life a platform to share their roots, passions, dreams, and the futures they see for themselves and our country. As we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary, this is an opportunity to give voice and share stories of the courage and tenacity of our ancestors. 

🤫Your privacy is important to us. We will never sell or share this email list 

Community Resources

CRESS Community Responders for Equity, Safety & Service 

As Community Responders we aim to fill the ever-present gaps in Amherst, to serve as community builders connecting people to services and resources. We are an unarmed public safety department that supports the Amherst community, rooted in trauma-informed and anti-racist frameworks. 413-259-3370 Community Responders for Equity, Safety & Service | Amherst, MA - Official Website

Amherst Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion 

(413) 259-0364 youngp@amherstma.gov

Amherst embraces and is strengthened by the unique and dynamic backgrounds of its community members.  The Town believes in fostering and maintaining a safe and welcoming community, which is based on mutual respect for our residents, students, employees, businesses, and guests. Department of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion | Amherst, MA - Official Website   

💥DEI Newsletter  If you would like to be added to this newsletter, please email Philip at avilap@amherstma.gov

Translate Gender
A trans-led non-profit organization supporting trans, non binary, and gender-expansive community members Website: https://www.translategender.org/

GrandPride - Grandparents Support Space (In-Person)
A monthly support group for grandparents of trans, non binary, and/or gender-expansive grandkids. Meets at: Northampton Senior Center on the 2nd Thursday of each month, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM RSVP to: groups@translategender.org

UniTy of the Pioneer Valley
A transgender support group for the Springfield, MA area.
Meetings: 2nd Thursday of every month (Sept-June) at 7:00 PM, 3300 Main St, Springfield, MA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UniTySpringfield

PFLAG of Franklin - Hampshire Chapter
Provides support, education, and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community and their loved ones. Website: https://www.fhcpflag.org/

PFLAG of East Longmeadow
Provides support, education, and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community and their loved ones. Meets the second Wednesday of each month. Email pflagel413@gmail.com for more details and to receive their newsletter. www.pflageastlongmeadow.org

Tapestry Health Systems
Provides healthcare, support services, and education for safer practices.
Website: https://www.tapestryhealth.org/

Unity of the Pioneer Valley, First Church of Christ in Longmeadow is a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC). 763 Longmeadow St (Rt 5). About | First Church Of Christ In Longmeadow | Longmeadow

Below are photos from the AMHERST SENIOR CENTER MURAL UNVEILING RECEPTION

December 10, 2024, Tuesday 9-11 am 

@ Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst

• Students Of Lucia Monge’s Public Art And Collaborative Practices have been hard at work painting a mural inside the Senior Center. It is time to unveil their masterpiece! Please join us for the reception! Thank you to the Center for Community Engagement at Amherst College! Refreshments generously provided by Amherst College. 

The Town of Amherst is proud to announce that it has achieved an outstanding score of 99 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), illustrating the Town’s unwavering commitment to equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors.  

“We are honored to receive this high score, as it represents our Town's dedication to creating a community where everyone feels welcomed and valued,” said Town Manager Paul Bockelman. “This achievement is a testament to the hard work of our Town departments, community leaders, and advocates who strive to ensure that Amherst is an inclusive space for all.” 

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipality Equality Index is a nationwide evaluation of cities and towns on how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. 

“It’s essential that the LGBTQ+ community feels safe and valued, as this fosters a more inclusive, supportive environment for all residents,” said Philip Avila, assistant director of the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “Ensuring safety and representation helps break down stereotypes, strengthens community bonds, and promotes equality. Amherst’s commitment to inclusivity is key to building a town where everyone, regardless of their identity, belongs and flourishes.” 

Some of the key initiatives contributing to the Town’s score include: 

• Implementation of comprehensive non-discrimination policies in all areas of municipal operations.

• Providing town services to LGBTQ+ youth, people experiencing homelessness, and older adults.

• Elected and appointed leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.

• Partnerships with local LGBTQ+ organizations to provide support and outreach services.

• Community programs that celebrate and promote LGBTQ+ culture and visibility.

The Amherst Police Department also announced that Detective Marcus Humber has been designated as the LGBTQ+ Police Liaison, serving as an accessible and friendly ear to the town’s LGBTQ+ community and elevating related concerns to the police chief and other Town officials. With this announcement, the Town is confident of achieving an MEI score of 100 in future years.  

“The Town of Amherst remains committed to continuous improvement and enhancement of its policies and practices” said Pamela Nolan Young, director of the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “While this score is an important milestone, the journey toward full equality and inclusion is ongoing.” 

“Over more than a decade, the Municipal Equality Index has worked with cities and towns in all parts of the country, in all fifty states to advance the fight for lived and legal equality,” said Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson in an announcement of this year’s scores. “For LGBTQ+ people, building community isn’t just a phrase, it’s a way of life. In many important ways, local politics shapes our lives just as much as state or national politics does. Mayors and city councilors who take LGBTQ+ inclusion seriously build stronger communities, and in turn their cities thrive.”   

The full MEI report, Amherst’s scorecard, and a searchable database for other municipalities’ scores are available online at hrc.org/mei. To learn more about what Amherst is doing to support LGBTQ+ equality, please contact the Human Rights Commission at humanrights@amherstma.gov. 

Amherst 2024 Municipal Equality Index Scorecard

Posted on: November 25, 2024  https://www.amherstma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3698

An LGBTQIA+ & Allies Coffee / Social Hour

Come and meet others for friendly conversations! 

Contact this group by email @  Rainbowandallies@gmail.com