The Equality Herald

A Middle Tennessee group hoping to serve people in rural areas has stepped up to the plate. The Rural Middle Tennessee GLBT Association (RMTGA) offers peer support and a contact point for referral to more formal counseling for people in need of services.

From their Yahoogroups Web page:

The purpose of this group is to create a forum for an open and productive discussion of issues impacting the GLBT community and to organize Tennessee's Rural Counties, regarding the further betterment of all GLBT peoples.

“Our site is monitored 24 hours a day, so if someone needs to talk - like a teenager, who may be having a hard time, thinking about committing suicide, we can help. We have an excellent crisis line here and several counselors who are wiling to help, they may call us at the number listed below from 8.30 am till 10.00 pm.

Working with other Middle Tennessee groups such as the Tennessee Equality Project, RMTGA is looking to serve community members in Bedford, Coffee, Maury, Marshall, Lincoln, and Moore. Other contiguous counties may be added in the future.

“I am finding it hard to get our message out for our area. We are covering rural counties around Davidson County,” says Keith Greenfield, organizer of the group.

“We are planning some long range projects like marching in the Shelbyville Memorial Day parade, as well as the Christmas Parade, and trying to do some education with some of the Chambers of Congress in these counties,” Greenfield explains.
”During the Vote No on 1 Campaign, I took money from my own pocket to run ads in our local newspaper which did treat us with respect. But as the case may be was lambasted with hateful letters from Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches.”

The Web page for joining the group is located at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RuralMiddlTennesseeGLBTAssociation.

Contact them by phone at (931) 536-1482. The Crisis Line is 1-800-809-9957 and Hopeline for suicide is 1-800-784-2433

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