Welcome to the First Friday Breakfast Club!

The First Friday Breakfast Club (FFBC) is an educational group for gay, bisexual and transgender men. We gather monthly in Des Moines for breakfast, fellowship and a speaker. We provide a safe and supportive environment for all members and guests.

As Iowa’s largest breakfast club, we are active, dynamic and engaging. We educate ourselves on LGBTQ issues. We work to reduce prejudice and discrimination. Throughout the year, we raise scholarship funds for students who fight homophobia. We offer guidance to those who need help in the coming out process. And we provide opinion leaders and the community with positive images of LGBTQ people.

Please visit our website www.ffbciowa.org where we have our upcoming speakers and archive of prior speaker recordings as well as newsletters.  
 
You now have the ability to make one-time or recurring donations to support the scholarship program!

Click HERE to donate to the scholarship fund.  

The November 2021 newsletter is now available HERE.

Upcoming Speakers

November 5, 2021:  Steve Karlin, the KCCI anchor, in an extremely candid social media post opened up about his struggle with depression, which affects approximately 16.1 million adults in the U.S.

December 3, 2021:  Most Rev. William M. Joensen, Ph.D., the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines.
 
January 7, 2021:  Dr. Loren A. Olson, M.D., an award-winning author of the book Finally Out and new book soon to be released No More Neckties.
 
February 4, 2022:  Edward Kelly, Jr., a Des Moines Register opinion guest columnist on September 5, 2021, titled “My journey from anti-gay activist to LGBTQ ally.”
 
March 4, 2021:  Mark A. Babcock, who sang with Leonard Bernstein and Robert Shaw, and performed at Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic, will speak about playing the carillon at Des Moines’ St Paul’s Episcopal Church.  See the September 6, 2021, Des Moines Register Article, “Meet the man who plays the church bells that ring through downtown Des Moines“

 
April 1, 2021:  Dave Miglin, a member of the Broadlawns medical center board and has recently completed his mission of visiting every incorporated city/town in the state of Iowa. He’s also involved in Iowa Stage Theatre Company.
 
June 3, 2022:  Scholarship Presentations!  Becky Smith (She/Her/Hers), the Executive Director of Iowa Safe Schools. 

FFBC members enjoy breakfast and a speaker during the monthly gatherings. Breakfast begins promptly at 7:00 am. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are at the Hoyt Sherman Place.

Hoyt Sherman Place (website) 
1501 Woodland Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50309

To view past speakers (and listen to remarks from select speakers), click here or on the PAST SPEAKERS link at the top of the page.

Speaker Recommendations:  If you have a recommendation for a speaker for a future First Friday Breakfast Club meeting please email to [email protected], providing information about the potential speaker, and contact information for them.  Your contact information would be appreciated as well. 

Items of interest

2020-2021 Scholarship Presentation

July 2, 2021, was the 2020-2021 scholarship awards presentation.  Scholarship were awarded to nine outstanding students:  Moira Blue, Allissa Cox, Leah Kaminsky, Keon Kruse, Maverick Meimann, Emmaline Mitchell, Greyson Pullen, Michael Rosenberg, and Lennon Schriever. See more about each scholar on the Scholars page.

The July speaker was Kevin Newbury a theatre, opera and film director based in New York City. Kevin’s work focuses on issues of community, empathy and social justice, with a particular focus on our shared LGBTQAI+ history and education. After extensive research into The Lavender Scare and this neglected period in American history, he developed a new opera, FELLOW TRAVELERS based on that learning and around Thomas Mallon’s book of the same name.The opera version, also titled FELLOW TRAVELERS premiered at Cincinnati Opera and has seen subsequent productions atPrototype Festival/NYC, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Arizona Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera on July 17, 2021.  

Graying Rainbows Podcast Interview of FFBC’s David Cotton

Retired Air Force Brig. General David Cotton shares his story of coming out LGBT+ after leaving his military career. He struggled with depression and with ending his marriage, but he shares how he learned how to embrace vulnerability and discovered new ways to connect with others.  CLICK HERE for interview.

The Trevor Project National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021

The past year has been incredibly difficult for so many, but we also know that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth have faced unique challenges. The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health sheds light on many of these challenges by capturing the experiences of nearly 35,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13–24 across the United States.
 

PRIDE on FX & Hulu

Pride on FX & Hulu starting May 14, 2021.  From Emmy® Award-winning Killer Films (This American Life, Mildred Pierce) and Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize winning VICE Studios (Flee, The Report) comes PRIDE, a six-part documentary series chronicling the struggle for LGBTQ+ civil rights in America from the 1950s through the 2000s.  See more at this link.