elainegrey

In this age of connections and communication, i'm glad i found out about Bonnie Tinker's death at Friends General Conference Gathering through a direct message at Facebook, and not one of the tweets. I'm not close to Bonnie, but i can't imagine what it would be like to find out in 140 characters, especially if you were simply following the hash tag for the gathering -- in which case you may not know the person posting the 140 characters. However, there's something meaningful to scroll through tweets from the conference: Bonnie wasn't the only serious injury so far -- someone else has been taken to the hospital after a skateboarding injury.

While i don't think of being a Friend as safe at all, i never really thought any of the risks might be mitigated by helmets. (Which is not to say either Friend was not wearing a helmet: i do not know.)

Bonnie meant much to the LGBTQ movement in Oregon and the Northwest of the US, working with schools for respect and support for children with same sex parents since 1988, and until her death vice-chair of the Sexual Minority Parents Advisory Group. Since the early 90's she's been involved in a number of ways, leading discussion about gay and lesbian relationships. I hadn't known she was a radio talk show host for a while. Imagining a Quaker as a radio talk show host certainly leads immediately to the comic for me, remembering the general horror of 'Dead Air,' but i suspect it was a venue she was able to turn to thoughtful and compassionate ends.

I posted this in the LJ Quakers community

I'd only met Bonnie once, at the FLGBTQC gathering in Portland in February. I'd seen her posts to the lists and had begun to know her a little better in Facebook. I had been clear from my early impressions that Bonnie's way of being with others in this world was one of compassion and integrity. I know many others must have known her more deeply and are much more touched by the loss and grief. I know Bonnie's immediate family has been contacted, her spouse and son are headed to Virginia to join her daughter(s).

A post from someone at gathering, sharing some of the Remembering of Bonnie is at
http://imperfectserenity.blogspot.com/2009/07/remembering-bonnie-tinker.html

A short biographical sketch can be found on Love Makes a Family's web site: http://www.lmfamily.org/index.php?n=Main.AboutBonnie