When I first worked on RESCQU.NET’s resources database as a temporary volunteer, I had no idea what I was in for.
There we were, in the Lair of Abraxas, for an event to build a database of over 150 LGBTQ+ resources, and I was looking over several weeks worth of work, matching organizations with their contact information. There was a long way to go, but I approached it as a logic game.
The night was full of tea and friends, and I even got a T-shirt at the end! Weeks of work beforehand started to come to fruition. At the end of the night our leader, Samantha, approached me. She complimented me on my work in the database over the prior few weeks and asked me how I felt about it.
And then she asked me if I'd like to join the team, curating this database permanently—the rest is history.
I’m Ricki Palmisano, and this is the resource database.
A main feature of the database is the ‘vetting’ process. We will call and email each organization to make sure we have the best anonymous contact for closeted and out folks alike. Automation is something we can look forward to, but for now, I’m working out the kinks, and enjoying the one-on-one time I get to have with some of our founding partner organizations.
So What's on the Database?
Contact Northern Colorado Eclectic if you're local to Colorado. Two organizations immediately jumped on board the database project with me.
Northern Colorado Eclectic:
Eclectic was kind enough to share their resources with us from day one and largely contributed to the volume of resources our database has now. Eclectic is a local group that organizes events, support groups, and programs in the northern Colorado area to support and educate people in and around the LGBTQ+ community. Eclectic also doubles as an advocacy group associated with CO state representative Dr. Joann Ginal, who focuses on health care and public issues for the LGBTQ+ and intersectional communities. Check them out on our database!
Northern Colorado Eclectic:
Eclectic was kind enough to share their resources with us from day one and largely contributed to the volume of resources our database has now. Eclectic is a local group that organizes events, support groups, and programs in the northern Colorado area to support and educate people in and around the LGBTQ+ community. Eclectic also doubles as an advocacy group associated with CO state representative Dr. Joann Ginal, who focuses on health care and public issues for the LGBTQ+ and intersectional communities. Check them out on our database!
Beyond the Mirror is an awesome resource. Check it out if you are in Fort Collins. Beyond the Mirror:
Is an identity counseling service flew through the vetting process and I’m proud to have them on our list! They are useful for folks questioning, still in the closet, or at any point in their journey. They provide services specialized for teens and those with eating disorders. Look up their name or ‘counseling’ on our database to find their anonymous contact or your own local equivalent LGBT+ counseling services.
Take a look at our database to find these resources and more. Type in the organization’s name into the search bar on the upper right-hand corner of the database window.
Is an identity counseling service flew through the vetting process and I’m proud to have them on our list! They are useful for folks questioning, still in the closet, or at any point in their journey. They provide services specialized for teens and those with eating disorders. Look up their name or ‘counseling’ on our database to find their anonymous contact or your own local equivalent LGBT+ counseling services.
Take a look at our database to find these resources and more. Type in the organization’s name into the search bar on the upper right-hand corner of the database window.
What’s Next for the Database?
Now I have a new task in front of me: How do we make this database easy to navigate?
Together, Samantha and I came up with a solution: a way to tag each organization with searchable keywords that you would use to find that resource. That way people could easily find the resources most useful to them at the time they need it.
Over time, spearheading the database has become a bit more organized. I brought a friend of mine with me to volunteer and now I have a partner in crime. Together our goal is to make the database as full and accessible as possible.
If you have any questions on how to use the database or have a suggestion of your own, you can email me anonymously at Ricki.Palmisano@rescqu.net! (I’m closet-friendly, too)
Together, Samantha and I came up with a solution: a way to tag each organization with searchable keywords that you would use to find that resource. That way people could easily find the resources most useful to them at the time they need it.
Over time, spearheading the database has become a bit more organized. I brought a friend of mine with me to volunteer and now I have a partner in crime. Together our goal is to make the database as full and accessible as possible.
If you have any questions on how to use the database or have a suggestion of your own, you can email me anonymously at Ricki.Palmisano@rescqu.net! (I’m closet-friendly, too)
About the Author: Ricki P.
Ricki is the Database coordinator for RESCQU.NET. She vets and establishes partnerships with organizations to ensure closet-friendly resources are in the database.
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