According to MGLFF Program Director Carol Coombes, “Quality women’s films are more numerous and prominent this year than ever before, thanks to the generosity of our AFW grant.”

...through youth panel presentations and youth conferences that address women’s issues highlighting the specific challenges facing lesbian and bisexual female students in public schools, the female-led trainings will run from June 2007 through the end of the year.

...throughout Miami-Dade County in courses that aim to empower women and girls in helping to correct the seeming imbalance of power in the male-dominated and male-focused gay community.

...will use the funds to continue the series of workshops that started out aimed at assisting LBTQ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer) youth with life skills (etiquette, education, and leadership), to expand the program for community activities and cultural outings, as well as one nutritious meal a week.

...who want to work toward changing societal norms and perceptions of same-sex relationships both within the LBT community and in the community at-large.  The program includes a training curriculum and speakers' bureau that will set up in private homes for small to large group gatherings.

The Fourth Annual Lavender Footlights Festival will present staged readings of new and relevant works from America's emerging and recognized lesbian and gay authors. The festival also offers writing workshops for young theater students, gay youth and aspiring writers to develop their skills and voices using gay themes in theater writing. Panels are open to the general public and talk back sessions are held with the playwrights, directors and actors at the performances. The festival will be held May 3-7 at Dot 51 Gallery in Miami's Design District.

LBT Women's Programming at the 8th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF) will take place from April 21-30, 2006 in the Regal Cinemas South Beach, Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach and the Gateway Cinemas in Ft. Lauderdale. The specific LBT Women's Programming during the 10-day event aims to draw more than 4,000 women ticketbuyers and activate over 50 women volunteers for screenings and events comprised of the best of contemporary and historical international film and video work produced by, about and of interest to the lesbian, bisexual and transgender women's community, as well as their friends and families, in the South Florida region.

The LBT Women's Programming at the 8th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival will continue to address the need of providing a positive cultural and social activity venue for the LBT women's community in South Florida by presenting challenging films of high artistic quality. MGLFF is the largest arts and culture organization in the region committed to creating specific sub-events aimed at bringing together South Florida's diverse LBT women audiences and other sophisticated film lovers, a significant achievement in a region which is still "institutionally young" in many ways.

The "Becoming Women Program" is a series of workshops that teach LBTQ youth life skills in health, etiquette, education and leadership. This project will extend the Leadership Workshop and create an Advisory Board to promote awareness and advocate LBTQ issues in South Florida. The goal of this project is to educate all the participants of the "Becoming Women Program" on leadership skills and to establish an Advisory Board that will facilitate the organization of GLBT youth in high schools, community meetings, and within Pridelines Youth services. The program will take place from March 2006 until December 31, 2006. The specific activities will include workshops on time management, public speaking, advocacy, community organizing and computer training. The Advisory Board will organize events for National Coming Out Day and Day of Silence. Also, it will plan a trip to the Equality Florida Lobby Day in Tallahassee, Florida. The workshops will take place at PRidelines Youth Services, Inc., while the events sponsored by The Advisory Board will take place throughout South Florida and Tallahassee. Currently, 15 LBTQ youth participate in the "Becomen Women Program."

The YES Institute, received a $5,000 AFW grant to increase the number of women participating in its Communication Solutions and Leadership Development Courses. This project seeks to cultivate full participation by lesbian, bisexual and transgender women at community and organizational levels. They hope that by enrolling and training women it will help correct the imbalance of power in the gay community, which is male-dominated and focused largely on male issues. Women will be empowered both in their personal development (family, friends, work), but also at a community level — stepping into and filling the void of female leadership. The YES Institute will train women to become certified course leaders and give them leadership opportunities.

The MGLFF received $5,000 AFW grant to support its women’s programming, which broadly reflects a span of diversity and socially relevant issue-driven material that is both relevant to and reflective of South Florida’s lesbian, bisexual and transgender women’s community. Programming for the women’s community during the 10-day festival aims to draw 4,000 women-ticket buyers and activate over 50 women-volunteers for screenings and events that include the best of contemporary and historical international film and video work produced by, about and of interest to the LBT women’s community, their friends and families in South Florida.

Creative Arts Enterprises, which produces and presents small cast musicals and Off-Broadway plays that seek to reach out to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, elderly and youth communities, received a $5,000 AFW grant to help mount their production of “Hannah Free.” This is an award-winning play that deals with the subject matter of long-term lesbian relationships, aging and death with dignity. The play’s local run hopes to benefit the South Florida women’s community, promote awareness of LBT women’s issues in the broader community and encourage a positive self-image and understanding among LBT women. The production is planned for August 2006.

Continuation of the Women's Outreach Project (WOP), an initiative specifically designed to increase the number of young women participating in programming offered at PYS. Activities include a Women's Nite at PYS, workshops regarding LBTY health issues and distribution of safe sex supplies to LBTY. The WOP was launched with a 2002 Women's Fund grant award.

A joint project directed at improving lesbian health and well-being through sensitivity training for medical professionals; health care and wellness education targeting women's LGBTQ community and community capacity to sustain women's LGBTQ health and wellness efforts.

Support towards the 5th ONI Women's Conference, which will focus on health, wellness, cultural and economic issues AFWfecting the women's community. Primary focus will be on the women of color community. The objectives of this conference will be to bridge cultural gaps within the women's community, provide an opportunity for women of multicultural backgrounds to dialogue, and research issues around race, gender, health and leadership.

Women's Resources intends to provide the Lesbian community of South Florida the tools needed to obtain information regarding mental and physical health issues, women's rights and movements, culture and communities, race, ethnicity, family and relationship issues by purchasing two databases: Women's Resources International and Sexual Diversity Studies: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Abstracts. Neither database is currently available in South Florida

To fund a first time initiative designed to increase the number of young women participating in Pridelines Youth Services' programs; to provide information and workshops about health issues impacting lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth; and to distribute safer sex supplies to, and educational materials designed for LBTY. Miami-Dade County organization

To fund an eight week workshop in writing, painting, and drawing culminating in a performance and expo event. This workshop will provide opportunities for women of the lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community to write, create artistic works on canvas, and build local community as well as empower women to have their voices heard, freely and powerfully. Broward County organization.

To fund a conference comprised of workshops on health, wellness, diversity, intimacy and relationships, finances, immigration, empowerment and legal issues. The theme for the conference is common ground between Hispanic and African-American women. CPCF was formed in 1996 to address issues of African-American women's health. Current areas of concern are health programs for women and children, capacity development for grassroots organizations, and an HIV/AIDS program to address the impact of the disease in the Lesgaybitrans and questioning communities of color. Broward county organization.