JUST US FOR ALL:

ASHEVILLE

At the core of Basil's work lies a deep commitment to community building, equity, storytelling, and mutual aid. Prior to interning with All Out, creating Transilient, and furthering his scholarly pursuits in New York City, Basil played a pivotal role as an LGBTQ organizer during his eight years in Asheville, NC.

During his time in community college, Basil founded an advocacy group called Just Us For All (JUFA) in response to violent incidents targeting LGBTQ community members in Asheville. Established on August 2, 2010, JUFA's mission revolved around fostering safe and inclusive communities. Basil aimed to bring together LGBTQ individuals as a united front, promoting solidarity, self-confidence, and friendships, while collectively working towards a more just society.

Mission

Just Us For All supports the full human and civil rights of all LGBTQ people. Our mission is to serve as a central point of exchange for a kaleidoscope of issues that impact the Asheville queer community. In our work we give under represented LGBTQ people a voice and a home. JUFA is intersectional and nobody is pushed aside in our work due to gender identity, age, race, and sexual identity. At the end of the day we affirm and uplift people. We are all perfect just the way we are.

Media

We're Not Bashful

Chick- fil- A

TDoR 2011 

Thanksgiving for LGBT youth and homeless folks

Midnight March (Response to Amendment 1) 

Queer-O's

People of Faith Come Together

Asheville Activist Panel

How We Identify

Blue Banner

JUFA Still Causing a Stir

A local NC paper with a problematic headline

KEY MEMBERS

Basil Soper  

Yolany Gonnell          

Bill Pence

Kate Pence

Cory Seithel

Adam Cable

Amy Orenchuk

Tucker Lenora

Nicole Culbertson

Neil Garson

Andi Espenshade

Katie Good

Bastine Shanely

Carlos Vargas

Luna Tiongson

EVENTS

We Are Not Bashful Rally  May 12, 2010 

"We’re Not Bashful was a free speech protest rally that was organized in direct response to local gay bashings in Asheville, NC and brought much of the Asheville community together. It was a catalyst within Asheville that has really helped expand the queer and LGBT movement through connecting with one another and our allies."

Blue Ridge Pride Oct 2, 2010 - 2014

" Just Us For All information booth with be set up in space number 14. Raffle to win a weekend getaway in Tennessee; handbags for sale and free informational handouts to be distributed. "

In With the New: A Rally for Equality  Nov 7, 2010

"Concerned supporters have come together to encourage all of North Carolina to take a stand against discrimination. Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Durham have passed resolutions supporting the freedom of marriage and we hope to foster this progress here in Asheville. Allies are welcomed to participate in the rally beginning at the Vance Monument on November 7, 2010, at 1 pm. A free speech protest march will commence at the First Congregational Church of Christ (20 Oak Street, Asheville, NC), where keynote speakers will focus on marriage equality resolutions and speak until 5:30 pm."

How We Identify: Subversive Words & Art  Jan 16, 2011- Jan 2014

"How We Identify: Gender Subversive, Art & Words is a fundraiser to support Just Us For All and their work around equality initiatives. WE in it’s prominence stands for the human race. Just Us For All hopes that this show will shed light on queer identity choices and maybe allow everyone the space and capability to take a look at their own gender and how they express themselves. This event is a creative platform for local artist to reclaim and redefine gender binary norms through art, mixed media, personal essays, and poetry. The event will also be infused with music and dancing."

Glamatuer Drag Night Feb 2, 2010

"Just Us For All is having a drag benefit show in support of their work around LGBTQI rights and initiatives in the form of one of gay culture’s oldest traditions. If you love live performance, gender bending, catchy pop tunes, and queers then this event is for you. If you’re also interested in objectifying (in the most fun sense of the term) and embarrassing your friends then this event is also for you because we will be conducting a date auction too!"

Picnic For Progress Feb 22, 2010

"The Asheville, NC activist groups, Just Us for All and GetEqual NC, have organized an event to focus the community on the resolution in support of “Full Equality for All Asheville Citizens” produced by the clergy group People of Faith for Just Relationships .This informative demonstration will bring people together to celebrate the potential equalities presented to the Asheville City Council and the possible freedoms that lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and intersex people may be able to partake in. The event will bring many demographics of the community together to advocate for human rights. Some of the rights included in the resolution are: a same-sex domestic partnership registry: an employment non-discrimination act for Asheville City employees; anti-bullying legislation; and a resolution supporting marriage equality. "

We Are Not Bashful 2nd Annual Rally  May 12, 2011

"As we all know, gay bashings, homophobia, transphobia, and blatant actions of violence still occur in our city. These actions affect many demographics. Just Us For All would like to continue with We’re Not Bashful and make it a yearly tradition in Asheville. Each year the free speech gathering will be a form of standing up for ourselves and hopefully one day it’ll be a celebration and a realization of how much things have changed. Most importantly it will help to keep our community glued together and visible."

JUFA Halloween Party  Oct 31, 2010-2014

"Are you looking to go out for Halloween Night? Of Corpse you are!"

JUFA put on yearly LGBT Halloween dance parties. 

90’s Dance Theme Party Nov 5, 2010

"JUFA makes you wanna jump jump…a huh a huh…REMIX! If you know anything about the 90’s then you already GOTZ the “anything goes” clothing approach…a little bit of this…a little bit of that and you are all set to LIPSync your favorite 90’s tunes and DANCE."

Safe and Accepting Streets – Asheville (SAS-A) Workshop Feb 2, 2011

"We are launching a Safe and Accepting Streets – Asheville (SAS-A) initiative that promotes affirmation and acceptance of all people regardless of race, creed, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, or ability. SAS-A will bring attention to emerging issues of safety for LGBTQA and other marginalized people in our community and produce a resolution that supports sustainability of local resources and solutions to increase visibility. This workshop is the first of it’s kind, in which we are bringing together local resources to inform people of the issues that affect them. Topics include: creating safer streets by being proactive, survival tips for walking alone at night, breaking the silence and the importance of reporting, knowing your rights as a victim, and shifting identities: from being a victim to becoming a survivor."

Blue Ridge Pride Oct 1, 2011

"Just Us For All information booth with be set up across from the Asheville Fire Department. Bleeding JUFA Heart T=shirt for sale. Participate in the TDoR fabric writing initiative! All Fabric squares will be used in a quilt and displayed on November 21, 2011 during Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) event.  "

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) Film Series and Discussion Nov 19, 2011

"FREE Viewing of film and discussion of Boys Don’t Cry (1999) at The Boiler Room, 11 Grove Street will begin at 7 p.m.. Boys Don’t Cry is the real story of the life of Brandon Teena, a transgender male teen was discovered he was born biologically female and was met with disturbing reactions. (trigger warning: transphobia and violence)"

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) Nov 21, 2011 - 2014

"Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who are killed due to trans-phobic hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since TDoR has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world.  In Asheville, Just Us For All and our partners UNCA Alliance are asking the community to gather at 5pm on November 20, 2011 at the Civic Center downtown and march in procession in a silent candle lit vigil to The Vance Monument. At The Vance Monument people of the community will read the names of those that we lost and tell some of the stories of the deceased in honor of their memories. We hope to not only memorialize the victims but also hope to create some visibility around the issue." 

SAS-A Workshop: Dealing with it Dec 18, 2011

"Just Us For All will be hosting a workshop and open discussion meeting around being a survivor, a queer person, or an ally and are having to deal with the pressures and emotional turmoil that comes up around the holidays. We plan to give resources, talk about coping mechanisms, and be a place of support. If you’ve come out on the other side or are in the middle and struggling with this issue please attend.

Other past events (2012- 2015)  included: Organizing a trip to the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, The Midnight March, yearly Transgender Days of Remembrance event, JUFA Kickball, Gobble Til You Wobble: Thanksgiving for Displaced LGBT people and the homeless, Various Rallies, Support for the Black Lives Matter , Queeros: LGBT Elders Series, River Tubing, Monthly Dance Parties, Supporting LGBT Youth, Various speaker engagements, Blue Ridge Mountain Hikes, Monthly Potlucks, Trans 101’s for local businesses, the gender neutral bathroom initiative, and teaming up with many other organizations in the Western North Carolina area.