Promoting CommUNITY at the Eugene Family YMCA
Overview
This inspiring educational series invites us to explore ways to build awareness, compassion and kindness in our everyday lives. Each month centers around a new theme, offering opportunities to connect beyond our differences, foster meaningful relationships, and grow as better neighbors and community members. Hear from experts who bring fresh insights on each month's theme, helping us better understand and support one another. Together, let’s gain the skills to be active allies and create a stronger, more unified community. Join us and be part of something meaningful! You're invited to join just one session or multiple sessions throughout the year!
Y membership not required to attend. Please sign up for a FREE COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP, which grants you access to free programs like this, before your register for a session. If you have any questions, please reach out to the event coordinator, Cass Averill.
Drop-ins welcome! No prior attendance required—join us for any that interest you.
Upcoming Themes
| MONTH | DATE | TIME | TOPIC | REGISTER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | Oct. 22 | 5 to 7 p.m. | LGBTQIA+ Inclusion | REGISTER |
| November | Nov. 18 | 5 to 7 p.m. | Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Inclusion | REGISTER |
Non-Y members are welcome to attend any or all of these sessions, but will need to sign up for a free Community Membership in order to register.
Full Series Overview
- February: Understanding Racial Equity
- March: Gender Equity & Empowerment
- April: Disability Awareness & Advocacy
- May: Ageism and Age Discrimination Awareness
- September: The History & Experience of Refugees & Immigrants in America
- October: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
- November: Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Inclusion
Next Meeting
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22
Time: 5 to 7 p.m.; arrive at 5 for time for mingle of food and drinks before the talk begins at 5:30
Topic: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
About: Join us as we explore the diverse experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and understand the power of inclusive words and actions in creating a sense of belonging. We’ll also dive into the unique challenges faced by transgender and non-binary people and discuss how we can be meaningful allies. Together, we’ll build compassion, understanding, and a stronger sense of community for the LGBTQIA+ community. It's sure to be a powerful evening filled with rich perspectives, personal stories, and chances to connect and grow over meaningful conversations—and free refreshments!
October Speaker
Oblio Stroyman, LMFT
Oblio is a Licensed Relationship Therapist (LMFT), with an undergrad in Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies, and a Masters of Education in Relational Therapy. Oblio is a white, Jewish, queer, transgender parent of an autistic son from a mixed-race family who grew up below the poverty line, causing him to face his own privilege and oppression since he was a small child. He has been designing and delivering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Justice (DEIBJ) educational experiences formally since 2006, and less formally has been working with groups on social justice issues for even longer. Oblio works hard to incorporate voices that represent perspectives beyond his own into everything that he does, and strives to build bridges of understanding along the way.
Panelists
You’ll also hear from a panel of LGBTQIA+ community members with diverse identities and experiences. Through a guided conversation, they’ll share their stories and insights to help us deepen our understanding of what true inclusion looks like—today and beyond.
Optional Reading
The Savvy Ally: A Guide for Becoming a Skilled LGBTQ+ Advocate, by Jeannie Gainsburg
If you'd like to engage with this topic more deeply ahead of the event, we invite you to read The Savvy Ally, an enjoyable, humorous, encouraging, easy-to-understand guidebook for being an ally to the LGBTQIA+ communities. It is chock-full of practical and useful tools for LGBTQ+ advocacy!
Take our Survey!
Whether you’ve attended one of our Promoting CommUNITY events or just caught a glimpse of the series on our screens or website, we’d love to hear from you! Promoting CommUNITY is about coming together to build awareness, compassion and kindness—especially toward those whose experiences may be different from our own. Your voice matters in this work. We’re currently planning the next round of events, and your feedback will help us make them even more impactful, welcoming and accessible to all.
Take a moment to share your thoughts in our quick survey—it only takes a few minutes, and every response makes a difference and helps guide our next steps.
