Despite struggles, Our House legacy will carry on in Tulsa

Tulsa, Okla. — After 10 years of serving Tulsa’s LGBT community, local nonprofit organization and HIV/AIDS awareness and outreach resource Our House Too (OHT) has shut down, said Executive Director Kris Ryan.

However, Ryan said the legacy of OHT is thriving thanks to a partnership with The Parish Church of St. Jerome, which has agreed to continue OHT’s tradition of providing a toiletry and household pantry for the LGBT community in Tulsa — especially those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Ryan said the proceeds of the OHT fundraiser “Drag Queen Bingo” were all donated to The Parish Church of St. Jerome.

 “We have donated the funds raised at Drag Queen Bingo 2013 to The Parish Church of St. Jerome, and their staff has agreed to implement a toiletry and household pantry to continue, in part, the mission of Our House Too,” Ryan said.

While plans for Drag Queen Bingo 2014 haven’t been made just yet, Ryan said, the OHT fundraiser will live on thanks to partnering with St. Jerome’s.

“We will continue Drag Queen Bingo … to support both [St. Jerome’s] toiletry and household pantry as well as their Garden Grocery,” Ryan said.

Ryan said the church’s Garden Grocery serves the same clients as those that received services from OHT.

“Our board is thrilled to have [St. Jerome’s] as our partner and sincerely appreciates their desire to carry on our mission,” Ryan said.

Bishop Rick Hollingsworth of The Parish Church of St. Jerome said he was deeply saddened by the OHT shutdown.

"It is with sadness that we have been informed that Our House Too is closing after 10 years,” Hollingsworth said. “[OHT] provided outreach to the HIV/AIDS community of Tulsa in the area of socialization in a safe, homelike atmosphere. [It] also provided personal hygiene articles, which can be difficult to afford when one is economically challenged.”

While it was unfortunate that OHT was forced to close its doors, Hollingsworth said, the contributions from Drag Queen Bingo 2013 have prompted another door to be opened.

“St. Jerome's has been blessed to serve the same community through our food pantry for the last 17 years,” he said.

“Through a generous donation from the board of directors of [OHT], St. Jerome's will now provide personal items for those in need. We believe that we share [OHT’s] mission to provide support and acceptance in a loving environment.”

Aside from its continuation of Drag Queen Bingo in 2014 and its toiletry pantry at The Parish Church of St. Jerome, Ryan said, the future of OHT is currently on hold.

“OHT will not provide services for the time being,” Ryan said. “...the future remains uncertain.”

The Parish Church of St. Jerome was founded in Tulsa 1995 “to ensure that all people — regardless of gender, marital status, disability, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity or age — are embraced and affirmed as full members of Christ's Church,” according to its website at www.stjerometulsa.org.

For more information about The Parish Church of St. Jerome, visit their website at www.stjerometulsa.org.

by Siali Siaosi, Journalism Intern

The Gayly – June 3, 2014 @ 12:20pm