LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2003

In This Issue
u Talking with Korea
u Back from Ghana
u Unfinished Business
in Burkina Faso
u An Ineligible Bachelor

NewsLetter in Madagascar
u 2002 Financial Report
u D.C. Group Activities
February 2003

O
ur first issue of 2003 begins with a very timely piece by John Finn on his
experiences with openness with Korean friends. q Rose Rosely, recently
home from Ghana, describes the impact that country and Peace Corps had on her
life. q Another volunteer back from Burkina Faso chronicles his parting with a lover and
friend of the past two years. q Michael Foster writes about life in Madagascar. q Dan Rael
reports some good financial news. q Chris Hrabe brings us up to date on what the D.C.
group plans for Peace Corps Day.
Korea: The Time Has Come to Talk
- John Finn, RPCV Korea
It was a crisp and clear day in early exchange student. After I finally settled for a meeting in San Francisco and spent
March 1970, and our Peace Corps group back home in California, I spent several three days together in April 2002. He was
(Korea 12) had been in country less than years as an employee of the Korean Center the first of my former students with whom
three weeks. I had just been assigned to a in San Francisco. And when my lover and I I talked frankly about my life. At long last
boys’ middle school in Pusan, the Republic moved to Oakland from San Francisco in my self-imposed wall of silence had started
of Korea’s second largest city, and on this 1990, we found that the neighborhood was to crumble. It was a relief.
day teachers and students and I were at a Lee Jung-ho had become chair of his
pier in this port city waving goodbye to department and a specialist in national
South Korean troops embarking for South security issues. We discussed the politics
Vietnam. It was a strange scene for me – I A crisis once again brings of the Korean peninsula, and our open and
was an American urging my new Korean wide-ranging conversation made me reflect
students to demonstrate their support of Korea to the front pages on how much had changed since we had
their country’s soldiers who were off to of our world, and in my first met. The story of another student
fight in a war I opposed. But I didn’t reveal represents for me much of what happened
my political feelings that day. It wouldn’t small universe... over those years.
be the only secret I would keep from my Back in that first year at my middle
South Korean friends. school, a group of eighth graders and I had a
It’s now been 33 years since I first conversation about politics. I asked them
encountered Korea, Korean, and Koreans, giving birth to a small Koreatown. Korea, it about their president (Park Chung-hee) and
and much has changed on the Korean seemed, was never too far away. But in their adherence to the strict anti-Communist
peninsula and in my personal life. A crisis recent years I hadn’t been keeping current stance they were being taught at school.
once again brings Korea to the front pages with Korea or my former students there. One of the more articulate kids, Park Soo-
of our world, and in my small universe, I’ve All that changed because of the Internet. hyun, spoke passionately about his pro-
recently had reunions with and come out to One night last year I had a dream about a government feelings. Eight years later, this
several of my first crop of students. This is student from 1970, Lee Jung-ho. He and same young man – now a university
my cathartic attempt to weave these two his wife had visited my lover and me in San student in Seoul – was arrested by the
themes together. Francisco in 1982 while they were on their Korean CIA for having written the anti-
My connection to Korea began with way to New England where he was to government lyrics to a popular protest
Peace Corps, but it didn’t end there. I become a graduate student in political song. When I heard of his confinement, I
extended my Peace Corps stint and then science. I discovered an e-mail address for feared for his future because at the time
stayed on to do in-country training. In him at a university in Seoul, and I sent him South Korea had a repressive political
graduate school my (still-unfinished) thesis a message. By coincidence Lee Jung-ho and atmosphere. But through the recent visit of
was on North Korean newspapers. I his wife and two sons were in San Diego another former student I learned that today
returned to Korea as an international where he was on sabbatical. We arranged Continued on page 5
1
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2003
She's Finally Gone Over the Edge
Why would somebody quit a perfectly
fabulous career working in the animation
business in Los Angeles, making enough
money to fly up to San Francisco every
other weekend if she felt like it, to take a
job where she earned about a hundred
dollars a month? Or why give up a spacious
rent controlled apartment at the foot of the
Hollywood Hills, which all her friends
couldn’t believe she got in the first place,
for a two-room mud hut? Why sell her
brand new car for half of what it was worth,
give away or sell almost every possession
she owned, and kiss a lover of thirteen on-
and-off again years goodbye promising to
write? It sounds crazy ridiculous, down-
right stupid. If my grandmother were still
living she would have asked, “Honey, are
you okay?”
In retrospect, it all makes sense. I have
found that I love living life one adventure
after another. At the time, though, I’ll admit
it did seem a little absurd. Here I was about
to turn 40 in a couple of years and all I had
was 70 lbs. of material possessions that the
airline would allow me to take along to
Ghana, West Africa where I was to be an
environment volunteer in the far north of
the country. My qualifications for being an
environmental candidate? Well, I’d had a
few ornamental gardens at houses that I’d
owned along the way and living in LA I
could certainly vouch for the ugliness of a
smoggy sky.
This article is a result of my response to
an inquiry on the LGB RPCV listserv from
someone who is considering joining Peace
Corps. He was asking our collective
community of RPCVs what we thought
about his leaving his stable job because in
his words, “at my age it may be profes-
sional suicide.” True, but in this day and
age, some of the things that seem most
stable seem to crumble and fall at our feet.
Like me, he’s older than the majority of
volunteers who are in their twenties, he’s
afraid of what’s going to happen to his life
after the two years overseas, and he’s gay.
He’s having the last minute jitters before
sending in his application. When I
responded to him, I’d simply hit reply and
so everybody else on the listserv got my
two cents too. Michael, the editor of this
newsletter, saw it and asked me to
elaborate. So, let’s go.
Being a volunteer was the most amazing
time of my life. I left Ghana thinking that if
I died tomorrow, then it would be okay.
Seriously, because I’d lived enough in the
- Rose Rosely, RPCV Ghana
last three years to consider it a wonderful
life. Nothing I have done has compared to
my experience living in a rural community
in a developing country. My brain and all
my senses were summoned every morning
when the roosters crowed and they were
working until I fell asleep at the end of the
day out under the stars. I actually looked
forward to the sun coming up, knowing that
it would get hot enough to brew tea on my
front porch. Then there was the long ride to
town 15km down a bush path on a bicycle,
the soup made from baobab leaves that we
ate from one bowl, the small market that
To feel full up, spilling
over with the everyday of
life, is something that we
all chase but rarely have
the opportunity to catch. I
ran after it and grabbed
and didn’t let go.
happened every three days where I could
buy tomatoes and onions, and the women
who came to the literacy class I started.
Some days you’d reel because you were
bombarded with too much reality: a kid
convulsing from malarial fever, a thief being
beaten under the mango tree or a crippled
man dragging himself down the road. You
learn to let go, to let the day unravel, to
exhale, to be blown by the winds from the
Saharan desert during harmattan, to just be.
To feel full up, spilling over with the
everyday of life, is something that we all
chase but rarely have the opportunity to
catch. I ran after it and grabbed and didn’t
let go. Right before leaving Ghana, I wrote
home to friends and family that it was a
good thing that stories didn’t weigh
anything or else I’d have to leave too much
behind. My head and heart were overflow-
ing with memories and feelings. In the three
years living and working with another
culture (the Ghanaian people who are the
friendliest people on the planet) was a heart
expanding, mind blowing, soul rejuvenating,
self challenging experience that will always
make me feel full up.
It seems that I’m living life backwards.
When I was twenty-something I bought my
first house, planted a garden, dug into my
career. It seemed that I was settled and
2
successful. Now, that I’m forty-something
I’m courting wanderlust and adventure and
feeling like a rolling stone.
Even so, in the beginning, being around
all the volunteers who had just finished
college was not what I was expecting. You’d
think, from the marketing that Peace Corps
does, that the volunteers are just one big
happy Benetton ad. Or? Most of the
volunteers are young, white and straight.
Or? I’d left gay Hollywood, where the
queens from South America that lived in
my building use to meringue around the
pool on Sundays in heels, and ended up in
the middle of West Africa feeling alone and
out of place with one foot back in the
closet. Horrified that I’d just ruined my
life, thrown away everything that I’d
worked so hard to get, I wanted to go home
before training was finished. It took some
time to find my feet, but when I did there
was no more falling down.
The community of volunteers is like
marrying into a big crazy family. You hate
‘em, you love ‘em but no matter what,
you’re stuck with ‘em. So, figure it out. It’s
actually one of the coolest things about
Peace Corps. You end up getting to know
people that you’d never give a second
chance to in the States. I’d say that there
are definitely some difficult diversity issues
but most of them are complicated by how
we ourselves deal with it. For me, once the
shock wore off, I found myself relaxing and
finding my place. I’ve made friends for life
and am instantly connected to a myriad of
interesting folks because of this experience.
Now, that I’m back, I’m having to figure
out what to immerse myself in next. It’s not
a piece of cake. In fact all the possibilities
make my head spin. My mom says that
I’m like a cat, always landing with my feet
on the ground. Ground please? And another
returned friend’s words, “yeah, some of us
dream about living but then there’s those of
us that live like we’re in a dream.” I’m just
accepting that the beginning and the ending
of things are a bit of a struggle like the
butterfly emerging from its cocoon just
before taking flight. I’m a little stuck at the
moment, but not for long.
Rose Rosely returned home last
November. You can contact her by email-
rosalala2000@yahoo.com.

Post-Partum Conversations with P____
- a Recent Volunteer in Burkina Faso
October 16, 2002
Today, for the first time since leaving
Burkina, I talked to P_____. About two
weeks ago, we said our teary good byes at
Ouagadougou’s small, antiquated airport,
and since then, I’ve spent much of my time
in a black and white haze, imagining his
ashy, charcoal skin against my soft,
untested white. I miss his cracked hands.
(Upon meeting him, one Peace Corps
Volunteer said, “He’s got the roughest hands
I’ve ever felt!” P____ is a construction
worker. His specialty is cement mixing.)
P____ snapped me out of my corny, sepia-
toned reverie. “When can you send me an
American car?” His first question. “I don’t
even have a job yet, my friend, much less a
car to get me to a job, even if I were to have
one.” “Oh, okay. Well, when you have the
time, send me a car.”
This nonchalant request is no surprise,
but it is a wake-up call. I realize that today,
I officially become a long-distance sugar
daddy and that our conversations will
probably become numeric, filled with
Western Union transfer codes and exchange
rates. But then, money has always been a
tangible third party in our relationship.
When I met P____ I was penniless. I was
at the end of a pay quarter, and he had a
great gig as chief cement mixer on a
prestigious construction site. For a few
weeks, he bought my every meal, cigarette,
and beer. Soon his gig ended, my new pay
quarter started, and the tides turned. I
became the provider, a post I occupy to
this day. But P____ had proven himself to
me in those first few weeks. When you are
a westerner in the third world, your own
hunger can quickly winnow friends from
freeloaders. P____ is my friend.
November 20, 2002
P____ blew my mind (again) today.
“Guess what?” he answered when I called
him. “What?” “I finished my literacy
classes today. I can read and write now.
Like a regular student.” I was speechless.
A few days before I left Burkina, P____
asked me for ten dollars to enroll in a short
series of nighttime literacy classes. I gave
him the money, mostly expecting him to
squander it on local millet beer and
cigarettes within a day or two, but he
hadn’t.
One of my first interactions with P____
had been a lesson in the letters of the
alphabet, and my favorite memory
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2003
(sometimes) of my time in Burkina came
just a few days later. We were walking
down a city street one night, and he yelled
out “Shell! Total! I can read those!” He
was reading the signs of two adjacent gas
stations. “I can read those!” I had given
him that most basic of tools, the alphabet,
and he quickly taught himself what to do
with it.
I can never help but relate that incident
to our romantic relationship, though not in
such a hopeful, inspiring way. For I also
guided P____ through the basics of
homosexual love. He had offered me a
frightened, skittish kiss, and I had taken it
from there. But as sharp and curious as
P____’s intellect is, I know that he will
never learn to read the signposts of West
Today came the reality
that some small event, a
broken cell phone, a
change of number, a dead
battery, something small,
could and probably will
separate me from P____
forever.
African homosexuality, quite simply
because there aren’t any. During the two
years we spent together, I faced a daily
quandary: what would become of P____
after I left? Was I doing him a favor by
broadening his sexual horizons or simply
walking him down a dead end alleyway that
only I would be fortunate enough to walk
out of by leaving Burkina? These questions
remain unanswered.
When we’d finished our conversation,
P____ and I said goodbye, and then we
both lingered on the line in silence.
Eventually, he chuckled , a low, melancholy
laugh, and said, “I miss you. Where am I
supposed to go now? Who can I be with?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. I really don’t
know.
December 25, 2002
Today came the reality that some small
event, a broken cell phone, a change of
number, a dead battery, something small,
could and probably will separate me from
3
P____ forever. It’s Christmas, and for two
days I have been trying to contact him. His
cell phone is disconnected, and until he can
call me (a major financial investment, and
where would he get the cash?), I am
disconnected, éloigné. So I call a friend of
his in Burkina, asking the friend to track
down P____ for me. The friend says he
will do his best, and then the panic sets in.
What if that was it - two months of post-
partum communication and then kaput?
Perhaps now is the time to begin consider-
ing my life without P____ in it. I don’t
want to, but sometimes circumstances pre-
empt choice.
January 23, 2003
P____ has gotten his cell phone up and
running again. In the past month, the
following things have happened: 1)
P____’s uncle has fallen deathly ill, and as
the next eldest family male, P____ is
assumed responsible for treatment costs
(remember that he is a construction worker
in the world’s fourth poorest country, and
he’s a 24-year-old construction worker at
that); 2) P____ has gone approximately $80
into debt to cover hospital fees; 3) the loan
shark who lent P____ the money has had
him imprisoned for overdue payment; and
4) P____ has borrowed from another usurer
to repay debt number one and get out of
jail. “Why didn’t you let me know?” I ask
him.” I didn’t want you to think that I’m
with you for the money.” “But I know
you’re not with me for the money. Let me
help you out of this mess, my friend.”
“Okay.” P____ is my friend, but our
understanding is one that neither society
nor immigration laws will accommodate.
“I’ll never forget you. You know that,
right? “he asks. “I know.” “I thought you’d
have forgotten me by now.” This is
perhaps the most insulting thing P____
could have said at this moment, but also the
saddest. “But I won’t ever forget you
either, P____.”
So where are we supposed to go now?
Editor’s note: Because the author wants
to protect P____’s identity (Burkina Faso is
a small country), he has opted to write this
article anonymously. You can contact him by
email: bunnio@hotmail.com
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2003
The Mysterious Fiancée Halfway across the World
- Michael Foster, RPCV Madagascar, 2001-02
As any PCV or RPCV will tell you, it is
completely fascinating how much cultures
and attitudes do in fact change once you
finally get off the plane after travelling
across the globe. The continuously difficult
aspect for many people in these cultures to
understand is that not everyone plans on
having a traditional vady (spouse) and lots
of zaza-kely (little kids). This was the
looming question that awaited me as I
arrived in Madagascar right after graduating
from college where I had been open about
my sexual orientation with my friends and
family.
On top of all this, I knew that I was
going to be an English teacher in a decently
sized town, and being a mpampiananatra
vazaha (foreign teacher) in the town would
automatically draw lots of attention to my
personal life and me. Luckily enough I got a
chance to talk about this issue with the
Malagasy training staff and some of the
other gay and lesbian volunteers, and this
gave me some ideas on how to deal with the
questions once I got to my site.
When it finally came time to finding out
where I would be living for the (supposed)
next two years, I also found out that my
predecessor had been the first PCV in that
town and had married a girl from the town
and brought her back to the USA! Now
people were semi-expecting the next male
PCV to carry on the tradition! Luckily for
me, my site-mate was willing to help me
figure out a story that she and I could tell
the inquisitive townspeople when they
came asking, “Ee Ramose! Aiza misy ny
sipanao na ny vadynao?” (“Hey, teacher!
Where is your girlfriend or your wife?”) I
had a picture of me with one of my best
female friends from high school, and this
picture became the famous picture of me
with my fiancée who was a PCV in another
African country! Lots of people kept
asking about my marital status during those
first few months when the town initially
gets accustomed to their new vahiny
(visitor). When people would come to my
house and ask why I wasn’t seeking out a
sipa (girlfriend) in the town, I showed them
the picture of “me and my fiancée” and said
I was already taken.
People soon accepted this story and
gradually began to leave me alone about it
except for the young adolescent males (my
students) who always seemed to think that
if I didn’t have lots of girlfriends that I
would get sick. But even then the curiosity
died down after a few more months.
Personally, I never came out to any of the
people in my town and was never ap-
proached about my sexual orientation during
my time there. Furthermore, no problems
concerning or resulting from one’s sexual
orientation were ever made known to me.
On the other hand, like in many third world
countries, I feel it is best to be reserved at
first concerning one’s sexual orientation
until it is safe to disclose the information to
trusted persons in the community.
Another aspect of being gay in Madagas-
car was that many of the people, especially
the men, told me that homosexuality didn’t
exist in their country, and it was something
that was invented by the vazaha (foreigner).
The issue came up sometimes while I would
Another aspect of
being gay in Madagascar
was that many of the
people, especially the
men, told me that homo-
sexuality didn’t exist in
their country, and it was
something that was
invented by the vazaha
(foreigner).
either be watching BBC News at a
neighbor’s house or showing copies of
Newsweek Magazine to friends and some
news report or article dealing with the gay/
lesbian community would appear and spark
the people’s curiosity. I tried explaining in
simple terms to them that there are people
who prefer to be with someone of the same
sex, and the response was usually shock,
surprise, or denial that such a thing existed.
I usually left it alone at that except for the
occasional person who would dare ask how
two men or two women could have a baby
upon seeing pictures of homosexual couples
with children. I merely mentioned that they
could either adopt them or use artificial
insemination with the response usually
being Tsy mety izany (That’s impossible) or
Tena maha-gaga (That’s surprising).
This belief that homosexuality didn’t
4
exist was puzzling at times because the
Malagasy tend to be a homosocial culture in
which the men tend to spend more time
with each other holding hands, caressing
each other, and sitting in each other’s laps
than they do with their girlfriends or wives.
In addition, many of the men cross-dress by
wearing women’s hats, blouses, and sandals
because for many of them there is no real
distinction between the respective “his” and
“hers.” Some of my male students even got
dressed in drag and put on make-up to
imitate female students for a school parade!
However, on some of my travels around the
island, I did meet some homosexual men in
the capital and the big tourist towns that
worked in restaurants, bars, and hotels
where it wasn’t frowned upon like in the
smaller more rural towns like mine.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the
opportunity to fabricate any more
adventures in the long-distance relationship
of me and my fiancée because we had to
evacuate Madagascar in April 2002 due to
the political and civil unrest stemming from
the disputed presidential elections in
December 2001. Overall, I had a wonderful
experience that allowed me to travel
throughout the island, work as a Boy Scout
troop leader, create a radio program in
English, start an English club, and teach
classes all under the guise of an engaged man
who was of course off the sena ny sipa
(boyfriend market)!!!
- Michael Foster is living in the Midwest
and can be reached at
mfoster78@yahoo.com
PO Box 14332
San Francisco CA 94114-4332
lgbrpcv@yahoo.com
http://www.lgbrpcv.org
Editor Mike Learned
Layout Kevin H. Souza
The LGB RPCV Newsletter is published
quarterly by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual RPCV
Organization, an affiliate of the National
Peace Corps Association. We exist to
promote Peace Corps ideals and acceptance
of gays and lesbians throughout the world.
Submission of articles or graphics to be
published in the newsletter is encouraged.
The right to use or edit materials remains
with the editor. Copyright remains with the
author. Send submissions or inquires to the
above postal or e-mail address.

Korea...
Continued from page 1
Park Soo-hyun is a professor of economics
back in South Korea after having received
his doctorate in the U.S. His progression
through the stages of his life mirrors much
of what South Korea has seen in the last
several decades.
There was the extended period of
rigorously imposed loyalty to the govern-
ment. Despite occasional university
student protests – in the past these were
considered obligatory rites of passage – and
some labor strife, conformity to government
policy was required. While political
freedoms were curtailed, national develop-
ment defined South Korea for much of the
past 30 years. The world has witnessed the
accomplishments of the South Korean
economy, and the nation’s devotion to
education has been evident in the lives of
many of my students who have become
professors, doctors and government
officials.
But after years of rule by former
generals, the political realm was slowly
opened to greater participation, and
political life has become vibrant. This shift
has had an inevitable impact on the way
South Koreans see themselves and view the
relationship between their country and the
United States. The continued presence of
U.S. troops for many years had served as
an expression of American and South
Korean solidarity. Our countries’ soldiers
fought together in the Korean War and the
Vietnam War. (As an aside, my recollection
is that Peace Corps was invited to South
Korea in 1966 as a quid pro quo for Korean
involvement in the Vietnam War.) Washing-
ton was a staunch supporter of each
successive government – even during martial
law years. Lately, though, the relationship
has been fractured.
As Peace Corps volunteers we are
always uncomfortably aware of the fragile
relationship between our host country and
our home country – we try to reconcile the
noble with the real. So it wasn’t any
surprise that in conversations my former
students emphasized that Koreans today
yearned for greater respect from the United
States. They stressed that the younger
generation in South Korea – a generation I
have never encountered – was more
nationalistic in its thinking and independent
in its relationships. An incident last year
involving the deaths of two middle school
girls became an extremely sensitive topic for
South Koreans and an example of what has
LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2003
changed. South Koreans were angry that see Seoul chafing at still being regarded as
the two U.S. soldiers involved in the traffic the “junior” member of the partnership.
accident were not subject to the Korean Just as South Koreans are feeling it
justice system. Resentments that had gone necessary to be straight in their political
unvoiced could be stifled no longer. And conversations with Americans, I have found
the more South Korea matured the more it it important for me to be gay in the
looked for greater recognition from the depiction of my personal life to my former
United States. Washington, however, students. There will be more reunions as I
wasn’t ready to treat Seoul differently. plan a return to Korea soon, and it is a far
All of this is apparent in the current healthier approach for me to be honest and
crisis with North Korea. Regardless of open. I hope for the same in the relations
what approach one feels is best to take between our two countries.
regarding Pyongyang, South Korea’s views
on the matter have been subordinated to John Finn is LGB RPCVs Membership
Washington’s. At a time requiring candid Coordinator. You can reach him at
dialogue based on mutual respect, we can johnnfinn@aol.com.
D.C. Group – Peace Corps Day Plans
- Chris Hrabe, RPCV Latvia
The D.C. group of LGB RPCV’s is from support groups and counseling to
planning to help SMYAL (Sexual Minority creative arts and job opportunities.
Youth Assistance League) in Washington SMYAL has served over 1500 youth in the
D.C. celebrate Peace Corps Day with an past three years. If you are interested in
international event (food, songs, dances, helping out and being part of the celebra-
photos and information about opportunities tion, contact Chris Hrabe at
in the Peace Corps and LGBT people LGBRPCV@aol.com. You can also reach
around the world). SMYAL has been active Mike Giordano, SMYAL’s counseling
for over 17 years. They serve LGBTIQ manager (and RPCV Lithuania) at
youth between the ages of 13 and 21. They mike.giordono@smyal.org.
have a youth center filled with activities,
Financial Report / Membership Dues
- Dan Rael, Financial Coordinator
Although membership remained flat this
Income:
year, our financial situation has improved. We
have been able to control expenses. They are Membership Dues
down a bit for the newsletter because we have NPCA
$1492.50
Individual Dues $2100.00
been able to secure volume discounting from
Total: $3592.50
our printer. We are carrying over into the new
year $1,000 budgeted for a Peace Corps
Expenses:
related HIV prevention/education contribu-
Newsletter, Recruting & Membership
tion.
Materials $2087.07
With this issue we are asking non-NPCA
NPCA Affiliation Fee $218.00
members (belonging only to LGB RPCVs)
NPCA Dues Rebates $500.00
and others to renew their $15 annual dues. If
NPCA Conference $103.95
you are in this category, you will receive a
Other (Website, PO box) $55.00
membership coupon and addressed envelope
Total: $2964.02
with this newsletter. If you are an NPCA
member with LGB RPCVs as your affiliate
Balance (12/31/02) $5989.13
group, you will receive a request from the
NPCA during your membership month.
NPCA membership dues have increased to $50 this year. LGB RPCVs receive $15 of this
amount. We encourage everyone to join the NPCA or renew NPCA membership.
Dan Rael served in Paraguay and can be reached on daniel_rael@hotmail.com.
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LGB RPCV NewsLetter - February 2003

Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Who are we?
We’re an organization of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and others who are former Peace Corps volunteers,
current volunteers, former and current staff members, and friends. Founded in Washington D.C. in 1991, we have
several hundred members throughout the country and around the world who have served in the Peace Corps
since its beginning in 1961.
We are composed of a national steering committee, together with regional chapters. We currently have local
chapters in San Francisco, Southern California and Washington D.C. We are an affiliate member of the National
Peace Corps Association.
What’s our purpose?
We promote Peace Corps ideals and acceptance of lesbians, gays and bisexuals throughout the world.

What do we do?
u Provide support to our national members and current volunteers.
u Facilitate the creation of regional chapters.
u Actively involve ourselves as an affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA).
u Promote policies and projects that support Peace Corps ideals and the acceptance and active
involvement of lesbians, gays and bisexuals within the Peace Corps.
u Take an active part in Gay Pride events around the country encouraging gays, lesbians and bisexu-
als to consider the Peace Corps experience.
u Offer our members as informational resources and mentors for lesbians, gays and bisexuals who
have been offered a Peace Corps assignment.
u Host social events for our members.
u Communicate regularly with our members and others through a quarterly newsletter and our web site.

New Membership * Address Change Form

New Member
Name: Change of Address/Renewal
I would talk with applicants
Street:
about my experience.

City: State: Zip:

Phone: E-mail:

Country of Service: Years:

Peace Corps Job: Current Work: 05/03

Membership: $15 for LGB RPCV Affiliate Only or FREE to Current Volunteers
$50 for LGB RPCV Plus the National Peace Corps Association

LGB RPCVs; PO Box 14332; San Francisco, CA 94114-4332

E-mail: lgbrpcv@yahoo.com * http://www.lgbrpcv.org
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