Jvlmomof6- Who are you to judge anyone? Stop your bible thumping here, makes you look crazy. Maybe you should read a little more about the teachings of Jesus Christ before you apply the old testament to everything and cast judgement on others, THAT is what is critical here.
The bible is NOT the word of God it is a book written by MEN. A book with nice stories of Morality and lessons to live by, but many troubling stories of slavery, adultery, polygamy, and MUCH worse. Look into how the holy Bible was compiled , a group of priests and "Holy men" chose what was to be included and left out in the 1500's. Many goospels of Jesus left out.
Over the centuries Priests have sexually abused young men/boys, millons of people have been killed in the name of God, ever heard of the crusades? So please stop damning people and look in the mirror. Keep your simple minded insanity to yourself, thank you, and may God bless you.

While I applaud someone taking up for the youth and trying to find a safe space for such individuals, I do have a problem when the group itself is promoting itself for something it is not .
Since its inception this group has done nothing. No programming to speak of, no events, just a bunch of signs and banners and a tshirt that is basically a battering ram than an open hand. You want to reach people, you don't make them madder.
The leader of said group also goes around to businesses trying to solicit funds and when asked what the funds will be going to exactly, all they say is the organization, but not how.
To top that off if you do double check on their Facebook page, a profile page mind you, not a business page, you see them taking a clear political side over another. As a 501(c)(3), these individuals cannot be doing political activities of any kind and clearly have.
The page lacks any kind of professionalism and I would hate my child to see it. Not because of the LGBT, but because of how crude the language can be and how inappropriate it is for an organization such as this.
A 501(c)(3) run out of a home with children? Look below to see comments of such hatred and intensity...are her foster children even safe? Put a big ol sign on your front lawn and you are not helping a cause, you are making yourself a target for bigots who have no care about the children...It's one thing to be the Malcolm X to say Martin Luther King, its another to put your own family in danger, especially those who you were entrusted to care for.
Speaking of which just how are they funding this? With over 50 foster children one has to think where that money is coming from? the money she uses to take care of her foster children? I would seriously like to wonder where the money does come from and how it is spent exactly.
The individual who is starting this also has no credentials that say she can run an organization like this! At risk youth in the hands of someone who has no formal training or schooling in dealing with such an issue? Are they going to be in more danger soliciting advice from someone who lacks the ability to give grounded advice or someone who swears and acts like more of a friend than a program coordinator in charge.
While I identify as gay myself, I have seen so far what they have been doing, and while I admire their ability to be so public, I worry just how much danger they are causing to the youth and LGBT citizens by their lack of organization, ability to program, lack of professionalism, and lack of tact just in general.
I know this paper is trying to give a platform for groups that strive for equal rights, and have a positive spin on this article, but seriously, please check your facts on these individuals and see how credible their credentials and abilities to carry such things out are.
I have experienced these individuals, you have no idea how harmful they are going to be to the LGBT community here in Rock County than helpful.

Jvlmomof6 Stop breeding!! We don't need anymore people like you.

Oh - I guess I've been wrong all these years. I thought living a Christian lifestyle meant treating others as you would have them treat you; respecting and loving other people; helping those less fortunate than yourself; giving your time, talent, and treasure for the greater good; extending a hand of friendship to everyone; and I thought there was also something written about not standing in judgment of other people. Oops.... my mistake. <end sarcasm font>

jvlmomof6:

I think I'd rather go to hell and be surrounded by the: "fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and swindlers" (as you say) than to go to heaven and be among people (like yourself) who say self-righteous, judgmental, hateful, intolerant, and very rude things about others.

Who are you to condemn other people to hell? Save your prayers- no one needs or wants them when they come from such a dark and angry place.

You're not being nice to homosexuals to call it an optional life style, a sexual preference. You're not nice to them to do that. That isn't kind. That isn't thoughtful. That isn't loving. That is damning. The kindest thing you could ever say to someone engaged in homosexual sin is it is a sin that will damn you and it will exclude you from the Kingdom of God forever. That's the kindest thing you can say. A proper diagnosis is absolutely crucial. This is not a preferred sexual orientation. This is not an alternate lifestyle. This is not a genetic thing. This is sin and perversion that damns men's and women's souls. The massive movement to appease the guilt and to release lust unchecked, to free up homosexuals to live any way they want and to feel good about it by defining their blasphemous sexual conduct is nothing more than an alternative lifestyle is a damning thing. Those who advocate homosexual rights will have the blood of dead homosexuals on their hands. Homosexuality is an insatiable lust. It is a drive that goes beyond anything that heterosexual people experience. And these people are not only trying to justify their own lust, their unchecked, unbridled, insatiable desires but they are trying to sell it to everybody else because then that becomes even a greater justification the more they can normalize it. And so they're selling it to your children. The unrighteous who don't inherit God's Kingdom are characterized as fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and swindlers. Those are the kind of people who do not go into God's Kingdom, so if you're one of those kinds of people, you don't go into God's Kingdom...that's the bad news. Those kind of people can be washed. Those kind of people can be sanctified. And those kind of people can be justified. And they have been and they are being so that he could say to the Corinthian church, "Such were some of you." You used to be fornicators, and idolaters, and adulterers, and effeminate, and homosexuals. You used to be thieves, and coveters, and drunkards, and revilers, and swindlers, but you aren't anymore because you've been washed from those sins and you've been sanctified and you have been justified. That's good news.

I'm here to say this, primarily that God has good news for homosexuals. They are redeemable. They can be saved. They can be delivered from that sin. They can be washed from its stains. They can be set on a road of godly, holy, pure living called sanctification.

I like everything about this project, BUT I still find some of the t-shirts offensive.

Oh, and jvlmomof6 - I hope none of your children is gay because apparently you would not love them anymore. Not sure about yours, but my God created all in his own image, and therefore all humans are worthy of love just as they are. And by the way, if any of your children are gay, they came directly out of you that way because that's wiring from conception, so think about that.

OK, I am a little lost here. So the girl was tall and overweight and called names by bullies. I am not understanding where this segues into a LGBTQ article? I was a tall and overweight girl who got called names by bullies, too, but I am not gay and never got called that. I would not have sought support from this kind of group just because I was an outcast. I had friends of my own (as apparently this girl did). So, did the Gazette leave out part of the circumstances around the bullying of this girl? Or is it just that since Osterman could help with one kind of bullying, she believes she can help with another? Sorry, just a little lost here.

Jvlmomof6, you are the typical person I would expect to oppose any sort of assistance project in this city. You'd rather a confused and distraught teen be humiliated and ostracized than be accept into a group of her own peers, to allow her to find herself and the good in other people. The bible isn't showing people who are LGBTQ morals; it, and those like you who preach it, are showing them hatred and that they are sinners, and treating them like outcasts.

I guess my acceptance of different religions, sexual orientations, and beliefs equate me to a "disgrace to the human race"... but your opinion matters very little to me, I feel it's the right way to be.

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” Gandhi

jvlmomof6:let those without sin cast the first stone...sound familiar? These kids are not sinners, they are humans who are normal and gay or bi or transgender or whatever. Did you know that some people are even born with both sexes? And it's more common than you think...it is people like you who promulgate fear and hatred towards your fellow man or woman that make life more difficult...and thanks for showing your true colors today :)

Oh my, where have our morals gone? I urge everyone to take a look at the T-Shirts this 'organization' is selling on their website. Thanks for suggesting that 'ImJustSayin' Those who support this organization should hang your heads in shame, all you are doing is confusing these children even more and encouraging sin. I suppose a child that likes the taste of liquor should be encouraged to drink it as well? They enjoy lying and we should encourage them to continue? These kids need a lesson in morals and should all be handed the Bible, not an acceptance club to back up wrongful ways. You are all a disgrace to the human race and a prime reason as to why there are so many troubled youth in society. Thank you Gazette for informing me of those I need to keep my children from.

Just curious, but when they chose this name, did they realize there was a local organization called the Ruby Violet Project? I believe that the organization for battered women is still going. I hope that there won't be any confusion between the two names.

Kudos to all involved in this much-needed organization! Best wishes to you in your endeavor!

I wonder if any of the schools they will be going into will let kids wear the T shirts The Ruby Project has for sale on their website.
I'm just wonderin'...

Best of luck with the project Kelley. It sounds like a great idea.

Kudos to this couple for looking out for these kids. What soul!