Here is a breakdown of what’s happening at the center this week.
If you’d like to stay current on the goings-on at OUTMemphis, sign up for our Weekly What’s Happening Newsletter and check out our Calendars for a schedule of upcoming events.
MONDAY 9/16
HIV Testing
6:00p-9:00p:
Knowing your status is the first step in reclaiming your sexual health, which is why OUTMemphis offers free HIV testing every Monday and Wednesday evening from 6:00p-9:00p, no appointment needed!
The test is free, quick, and confidential. The test takes around 20 minutes and includes a confidential sexual health counseling session with one of our highly trained testing staff.
For more information visit our website, Facebook event page, or email us.
Perpetual Transition
6:00p-8:00p:
Perpetual Transition is our core Transgender Services peer-led community group, meeting continuously since 2005. PT is a safe and welcoming space for transgender folks of any flavor, identity, expression, or gender to meet and socialize with other like-minded individuals.
PT is open to anyone who identifies as transgender or is questioning, and is a safe and confidential space to ask questions, meet other people, and form bonds with the Memphis transgender community.
For more information, email us or visit the Facebook event page.
Trans ID Workshop
7:45p-8:45p:
The Trans ID Workshop is designed to help transgender individuals navigate the legal documentation and processes of transitioning, including name change, gender markers, and other such paperwork. Where applicable, blank documents and applications will be provided as part of the workshop. See the web page for Frequently Asked Questions.
TUESDAY 9/17
Zentangle
2:00p-5:00p:
Join OUTMemphis and Zentangle Instructor Nysha Nelson for this class on Zentangle, a meditative drawing technique that produces beautiful works of art. This initial session will be a way to gauge interest in this class, and if it is well-received it will be picked up as a class series offered by the Senior Services program at OUTMemphis. This class is free to attend, and all supplies will be provided.
If you are LGBTQ or Allied and 55+, we invite you to join us for this free initial session. For more information, send an email or call us at 901-278-6422.
WEDNESDAY 9/18
HIV Testing
6:00p-9:00p:
Knowing your status is the first step in reclaiming your sexual health, which is why OUTMemphis offers free HIV testing every Monday and Wednesday evening from 6:00p-9:00p, no appointment needed!
The test is free, quick, and confidential. The test takes around 20 minutes and includes a confidential sexual health counseling session with one of our highly trained testing staff.
For more information visit our website, Facebook event page, or email us.
STI Testing
6:00p-9:00p:
Starting on September 11th, CHOICES will begin sending staff members to OUTMemphis every Wednesday evening during our regularly scheduled HIV testing hours (6:00p-9:00p) to offer syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia tests, free of charge.
OUTMemphis is proud to collaborate with our partner organization CHOICES: Memphis Center for Reproductive Health. Thanks to a grant from Campaign for Southern Equality, OUTMemphis and CHOICES are able to come together for the first time to provide a pilot program that will allow more LGBTQ and Allied folks in the Mid-South to have access to free STI testing beyond HIV.
PRIDE Yoga with The Phoenix Project
6:00p-7:30p:
This trauma-informed therapeutic yoga class series is being offered free of charge to the LGBTQ+ community of the Mid-South by The Phoenix Project. This initiative aims to help heal trauma and mental health beyond talk-therapy as many LGBTQ+ persons often struggle with this and seek other solutions like meditation or delta 8 carts to help treat their stress. The Phoenix Project hopes to address this need for alternate treatments in an all-inclusive environment.
From their website: “The Phoenix Project is an initiative to provide free trauma-informed yoga services to the Memphis community. We were founded in 2019 by Caroline Schratz, a local mental health therapist and yoga teacher. Her dream to help at risk populations in her hometown became a reality when she started fundraising to start a women’s therapeutic yoga group. The overwhelming support she received from the community led Caroline to realize there was a need to expand her services to reach even more people. Thus, The Phoenix Project was born. Through trauma-informed yoga, we can help bring healing to our city and hope to our neighbors.”
These two classes will be free, open to the public, and will require no equipment on the part of the participant. Instructor Caroline Schratz will be conducting these two initial sessions with the intent of it becoming a recurring event, provided there is enough community interest. We invite you to join us in this class series. All are welcome to participate.
Sexual Health Committee
6:00p-7:00p:
This peer-led committee meets twice-monthly to decide Sexual Health Services decisions, create and plan events, and to curate the Sexual Health programs at OUTMemphis to fit the needs of the community.
This committee meeting is closed to members only, but if you are interested in joining this committee, send an email to Martavius Hampton, Senior Director of Health and Evaluation.
THURSDAY 9/19
Seeking Serenity
5:30p-6:30p:
Seeking Serenity is a peer-led community support group for LGBTQ friends and family of people in recovery for alcohol.
Seeking Serenity provides a weekly session for LGBTQ community members who support are associated with problem drinkers to convene for community, discussion, and social support from like-minded people in similar situations. While allies are welcome, Seeking Serenity is centered and gives precedent to the lives and experience of LGBTQ people.
Join us for this weekly, confidential group. For more information, check out our website, Facebook event page, or email us.
FRIDAY 9/20
Delta Trans Masculine
5:30p-6:30p:
Delta Trans Masculine is a peer-led community social group for trans and gender non-conforming folks who identify more on the masculine side of the spectrum. This is a safe place for transmasculine folks to be authentically themselves around like-minded people who share similar identities. This group is open to friends, family, partners, spouses, and supportive allies as well.
For more information, visit our website, email us, or visit the Facebook event page.
GenQ
7:00p-9:00p:
GenQ is our group for LGBTQ and Allied folks ages 18-25. This group meets once per week, and is a safe, closed environment for connection, discussion, and most importantly fun!
Each week, this group meets at OUTMemphis (892 S Cooper), during which time they engage in snacks and drinks, fun planned activities, and discussion, all with peers who understand their experience. This group is peer-led (like most groups at OUTMemphis), meaning that the facilitators of GenQ are also LGBTQ or Allied and 18-25.
This group, being a more mature age group than our other youth services, has a lot more freedom of activity, and will occasionally plan to do non-traditional things such as off-site meetings and activities. These will be discussed beforehand and approved by the group. This group also participates in our Life Hack program, a series of classes aimed at building skills and learning things necessary to being a productive member of society. This includes things like cooking classes, financial planning, anger management, interviewing skills, and many others.
To see Frequently Asked Questions about GenQ, click here.
For more information, visit our website, Facebook event page, or email us.
SATURDAY 9/21
PRYSM
4:00p-6:00p:
PRYSM is our group for LGBTQ and Allied youth ages 13-17. This group meets once per week, and is a safe, closed environment for connection, discussion, and most importantly fun!
Each week, this group meets at OUTMemphis (892 S Cooper), during which time they engage in snacks and drinks, fun planned activities, and discussion, all with peers who understand their experience. Check out the web page for Frequently Asked Questions.
For more information, email us or check out the Facebook event page.
SUNDAY 9/22
FU;BU (For Us; By Us)
4:00p-6:00p:
FU;BU is a peer-led community social group for same-gender loving (SGL) men of color. The primary goal of FU;BU is to foster a safe, creative, and positive space for SGL men of color.
FU;BU aims to build positive relationships with self and community through great conversation, while providing a forum for community building and socializing.
For more information, visit our web page, Facebook event page, or email us.
MONDAY 9/23
HIV Testing
6:00p-9:00p:
Knowing your status is the first step in reclaiming your sexual health, which is why OUTMemphis offers free HIV testing every Monday and Wednesday evening from 6:00p-9:00p, no appointment needed!
The test is free, quick, and confidential. The test takes around 20 minutes and includes a confidential sexual health counseling session with one of our highly trained testing staff.
For more information visit our website, Facebook event page, or email us.
Perpetual Transition
6:00p-8:00p:
Perpetual Transition is our core Transgender Services peer-led community group, meeting continuously since 2005. PT is a safe and welcoming space for transgender folks of any flavor, identity, expression, or gender to meet and socialize with other like-minded individuals.
PT is open to anyone who identifies as transgender or is questioning, and is a safe and confidential space to ask questions, meet other people, and form bonds with the Memphis transgender community.
For more information, email us or visit the Facebook event page.
LGBTQ+ Town Hall with Steven Bradley
5:00p-6:00p:
Please join OUTMemphis and the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) for a series of Town Hall conversations featuring the 2019 candidates for Memphis City Mayor. This occurrence will feature Steven Bradley.
LGBTQ+ individuals live in every zip code, are represented in every race, ethnicity, ability level, religion, and age regardless of socio-economic status, citizenship, or education level. In the 2019 Mayoral Race, the legal protections, health and wellness, and civic culture for LGBTQ people is vital to the future of Memphis. Bring your questions and concerns for our mayoral playing field. Don’t miss this essential opportunity to voice the unique needs and ambitions of LGBTQ Memphians to our future mayor!
Each Town Hall will be moderated by OUTMemphis Executive Director Molly Quinn. Information on the city and state legislative agenda for LGBTQ issues will be on-hand, furnished by TEP. Town Halls are all ages and free and open to the public. Each event will feature a question and answer portion with the candidate and a meet and greet reception. RSVPs via Facebook are encouraged but not mandatory.