We WIN When . . .  

We Support Equity in Our Communities 

By: Crystal G, WIN President and WIN Leadership

     During June, we’ve been able to gather together as a community, mostly all vaccinated, to celebrate Juneteenth and Pride. We’ve embraced our differences and worked at increasing our understanding. But Juneteenth and Pride have also pointed out how much work we have yet to do. Many of those whom the events celebrated lack the same equity afforded to the rest of the population. Foremost and frightening among the inequities that minority and LGBTQ+ folk experience is the degree to which mental health can suffer in their communities. The pandemic has made one thing abundantly clear: access to healthcare, including mental healthcare, is not equal...READ MORE

By: Anonymous 

Pride is bittersweet to me because I'm not out publicly. My parents and friends know, though my siblings do not. Even then, I'm not completely open about everything I'm feeling - my sexuality is pretty well figured out (though unlabeled), but the rest of me isn't, and that makes me sad. 

Walking around Pride in the city I was raised on the outskirts of made me feel lonely because I don't have the courage to be out. I don't feel safe enough to be. I know being out or failing to fly under a radar means opening myself up to an increased risk of harm.  

 I have "passed" all of my life. I was not aware that I could actually feel attraction towards anyone other than a man until I was 17, though I had had an inclination of possibility years prior. I made a point not to explore those feelings all the way. I didn't want to open myself up to the questions or scrutiny I knew it would bring....READ MORE

Roe Has Fallen 101 

What do Ohioans do now? 

By: Crystal G

 Women across the nation will never forget where they were on the morning of Friday, June 24, 2022, as the leaked decision overturning Roe v. Wade became final. Many states had trigger laws in place with immediate impact. While Ohio did not, it was not far behind. Within an hour, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost boasted on twitter that he had filed to dissolve the injunction that had prevented Senate bill 23, also known as the “Heartbeat Bill,” from being enforced. The injunction was dissolved by early afternoon...READ MORE

Show a Little Respect  

By: Barb F  

  How many of us have had a sing-along with Ms. Aretha when she is belting out one of her signature songs: R-E-S-P-E-C-T?

       We have all worked to overcome the challenge of earning respect from not only our employers but also partners, family, and friends – even if our beliefs or opinions are not all on the same page, or in some cases not even close. 

       But there is an old saying, “Respect has to be earned.” OK, I don’t think any of us would disagree with that in theory; so how do we earn that respect? Just as in earning a paycheck, we give our employer a physical or intellectual service, so in turn, for us to receive respect...READ MORE

Community Spotlight
Community Spotlight: Dion Green 

By: Melinda B 

It gives WIN great pleasure to highlight the recent achievements of Dion Green. Dion was in Dayton along with his father, Derrick Fudge, on the fateful night of August 4, 2019, when the mass shooting in the city’s Oregon District took place. Derrick Fudge lost his life that night. Dion had to work to come to terms with his grief and the trauma he experienced as a survivor of gun violence. In the process, he has published a book documenting the steps he took; established and become CEO of the Fudge foundation, which honors his father...READ MORE

Jean Colleen Buscemi:

Fierce Patriot and Friend of the People, 

Once Named Clark Co. Democrat of the Year 

While Jean Colleen (Mullin) Buscemi lived a long life, she never shared her age, so we won't either. She passed peacefully in the early hours of May 15th, 2022, following a brief stay in hospice care at Mercy Hospital after spending her final half year with the fine residents and caretakers of Oakwood Village...READ MORE

Choking Hazard 

By: Anonymous

Choking on pink ash

Cinnamon that's been poured down my throat

I can't breathe, I can't spit

I can't speak

I can't SPEAK...

READ MORE

Dessert Surprise: 

Encountering Jim Jordan Before My Son’s Prom

By: Jessica H  

 I was surprised recently with the honor of being my son’s prom dinner date after his original plans got canceled. I thought this was purely delightful! Towards the end of our meal I was stopped mid-sentence, however, as none other than Republican U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan, 4th District Ohio, was seated directly across the aisle from me!  After a double-take to confirm, I assured myself it was him, seated with smug ego beaming from his grinning face. I made eye contact with the two women with him, who shared equally eager grins.  I had to acknowledge this opportunity.  This disgraceful representative was in a group of four and no more than two arm lengths away from me!  This dinner was about to change...READ MORE

Relevant Reads for Progressives

Mental Health Month

By Rebecca (Becky) W

Non-Fiction:

Title:  Bedlam: An Intimate Journey into America’s Mental Health Crisis| Author: Dr. Kenneth Rosenberg | Publication Date: Avery, 10/1/19

Today in the U.S., it is estimated that one in five adults—40 million people—experiences mental illness each year. Because of the alarming rate of mental facilities’ closures in the 1980s, patients often have nowhere to go. They may join the ranks of the homeless or end up incarcerated.  In fact, the largest mental institution in the country is the Los Angeles County Jail....READ MORE

Legislation Watch   

Unfortunately we are going to see a lot of challenges to individual rights this fall beginning with Ohio's Abortion Ban House Bill 598 Gov. Mike DeWine expressed support for additional legislation depending on the details of the Dobbs decision...READ MORE