How capitalism stole Christmas

by Tavae Samuelu, Grassroots Fundraising Coordinator

Despite the many emails reminding me ‘tis the giving season, I find myself struggling to conjure up the warm and fuzzies that the last two weeks of the year demand. At the risk of sounding like the Grinch, I don’t like “the giving season.” There are few seasons that do stay on my radar: football season, basketball season, and winter (solely because it determines my outerwear). Perhaps it’s because I’ve never known Christmas as a holiday doused in presents and candy cane thoughts.
As the daughter of a Pentecostal Christian pastor, Christmas means additional days in church instead of just the usual marathon services on Sunday. Each year while other children enjoyed tales of Santa Clause and reindeer, I learned about the three wise men and what a manger is. I have heard the story of Jesus’s birth at least 22 times in multiple languages. Correction: 23 times because I’m sure I attended one of JC’s birthday parties in utero. My family got our first Christmas tree when I was about eight or nine years old. It wasn’t some large gesture to embrace pagan symbols. The tree was symbolic of assimilation. My parents were learning how to be American. 

Home for the holidays: reconciling family and queerness

by mai doan, SAFIRE youth organizer

What does family look like? What does it feel like in your body? What are its colors, textures, smells?

These were the questions I asked during a guided meditation for an art workshop I led this past week for LYRIC youth. The theme was family acceptance/holiday blues and I had come in to teach altar-making as a tool for manifesting our visions for home and family.

Following the guided meditation, I had each person pick an object that most accurately resonated with what came up for them when asked about their given family: Family is a porous black vase, something that drains whatever is put in it and never really hold us in our entirety. Family is a large rock, something heavy, grey, difficult to carry but with many different sides to it. Family is a braid of sweet grass, something we are so deeply interwoven with that is difficult to know how or when to break away. Family is a mirror, when we look at it, we see ourselves reflected back at us and vice versa.

What SAFIRE means to me

By Susan Cuong

My name is Susan Cuong and I am an alumni of ACRJ's youth organizing program, SAFIRE.  I was born and raised in Oakland and graduated from Oakland High School in 2009. I will be turning 20 years old in November and I am currently a third-year Psychology major and a Korean minor at UC Berkeley (GO BEARS!). I can't believe that I'm already half-way through with my college years...

I've come a long way since high school and I definitely would not be the person I am now without having been part of the SAFIRE youth program in high school. I first joined SAFIRE during the summer of my Sophomore year which was summer of... 2010? I think that I first heard about the program from Catherine when she was passing out flyers in the school commons, trying to get girls to join the summer program. At first I didn't know what to expect but after an amazing summer filled with great company, volleyball, and a new insight on reproductive justice and gender empowerment, I was sold. From then on, I loved the program so much that I just kept coming back.

New support group for LGBT caregivers

November was National Caregiver month celebrating the more than 50 million Americans caring for family members, friends, neighbors and loved ones. Families care for a greater number of chronically ill or disabled loved ones than institutions do, shouldering the enormous responsibility of balancing self-care and the needs of another person. While many communities on the culture spectrum are caregivers, the LGBT community faces a unique set of circumstances and despite some progress in LGBT civil rights, the needs of LGBT caregivers are often not met.

SAGE, the country's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT adults, says that LGBT older adults often avoid seeking needed services out of fear of discrimination. The tendency for LGBT older adults to go "back in the closet" is particularly distinct in situations where they are most vulnerable - such as when accessing home health care or residing in assisted living or residential care facilities.

Culturally sensitive policies and services are not in place to meet the growing needs of LGBT elders and their caregivers. Many LGBT elders are being cared for by spouses, friends and neighbors. Here at Strong Families we believe that all families matter, no matter how your family was formed or who’s in it, which is why we are excited to support SAGE’s newest program: a national telephonic support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) caregivers.

The caregiver support group will provide a safe space for caregivers to get emotional support discuss their needs, the needs of their loved ones, and share information and resources. SAGE recognizes that the well-being of everyone involved in care.

For more information about the support group or to learn more about SAGE please click here.

Expand access, not exemptions

By Jessica Arons, director of the Women’s Health and Rights Program at American Progress.
This blog was originally posted at Think Progress.

As the Obama Administration debates whether to expand an exemption to a new health insurance requirement to cover all FDA-approved methods of contraception, there are some important facts to keep in mind:

• The average woman spends five years pregnant, postpartum, or trying to get pregnant, and at least 30 years trying to avoid pregnancy.  
• More than 99 percent of women of reproductive age who have had sexual intercourse have used at least one method of family planning.  
• Contraception is the most commonly prescribed medication for women ages 18 to 44
• Eighty-eight percent of voters support access to birth control
• Approximately three-quarters of Americans agree that insurance should cover contraception
• Fifty-eight percent of pill users rely on oral contraception at least in part for non-contraceptive reasons
• Eighteen percent of women on the pill reported inconsistent use, such as skipping doses, as a cost-cutting measure

What are you thankful for?

Ernest Mark

This season can often be filled with chaos and a hurried energy that leaves us feeling like we've missed the opportunity to really enjoy the presence of those we care about. Our trasformative mind-body practice here at ACRJ, reminds us to stay in a Forward Stance with 180 degree awareness as we appreciate the company of our friends and families this season. We encourage you to hold steadfast to your Forward Stance and relish the opportunities for caring, love and laughter as the year comes to close.

This post was originally posted on The International Coaches Federation site.


I love Thanksgiving Weekend. I love the spaciousness and the time to share and enjoy good food, to be with loved ones, to relax with leftovers, to unwind and be thankful. In the regular bustle of life, I often feel I’m just rushing through my days, i.e. getting the kids to school, rushing to work, bouncing between meetings and then rushing to pick up the kids and getting through the night routine. Phew, it’s exhausting thinking about it… and there is so little time to smell the roses.

This week I get to experience both the bustle of the preparation and the space to smell the roses, or in this case, the food, wine and good company. I love cooking and typically throw myself into Thanksgiving preparations, it’s my vehicle for expressing love for my family and friends. Our dinner is a potluck, so it’s a collective sharing of food, love and mutual appreciation for each other. When the meal begins, there’s usually a quiet moment as everyone settles into exploring the landscape of their plates. Then the conversation comes back and time seems to slow down to match our need to take it down a notch and enjoy each other. And in the spaciousness of this holiday, there is gratitude.

In the spirit of the holiday, I’ve been thinking about gratitude and spaciousness this week and noticing the possibilities of experiencing it. When I pause, I notice the bustle slows down, my breath gets a little deeper and my heart softens. I feel the possibility opens up for me to be more present, patient and loving with my family and others around me. And in the pause, I am taking a moment to be kind to myself which creates the possibility to be truly open and gracious with others.

As we wind up 2011 and head into the holiday season, what are you thankful for? What do you notice when you take a moment to pause and feel gratitude? Who would you like to share that with?

Ernest Mark is a coach and consultant working in the non-profit social justice sector. He works with a broad cross section of leaders and organizations across the sector and brings an approach that is fiercely culturally relevant and community led. Ernest lives in Oakland, California with his wife, Mimi, and daughters, Olive and Juniper. Ernest can be reached via email at ernest@ernestmark.com.