Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 18:22:43 -0400 (EDT) Reply-To: Jessea NR Greenman Subject: Action Alert- Virginia school commission [info from a PERSON Project subscriber in Virginia] "The Student Support Services and Transition to Work Committee of the Governor's Commission on Champion Schools meets in Conference Room 625, Ninth Street Office Building, Ninth and Grace Streets, Richmond, VA, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Tuesday, August 29, 1995. This committee is charged with making recommendations to the Governor concerning guidance counseling, school nurses, student health, and the state's program for sex education in the public schools (among other things). I [the PERSON Project subscriber in Virginia] recently sent this committee a two page cover letter, accompanied by 23 pages of support material, urging the commission to recommend that local school boards adopt a number of policies benefitting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth, as well as youth who are unsure of their sexual orientation. The letter also urges the commission to recommend banning discrimination in employment practices on the basis of sexual orientation. Supporting letters and phone calls, especially from Virginia residents, would be useful, and very much appreciated. Direct such communications to the Student Support Services and Transition to Work Committee, Governor's Commission on Champion Schools, 200-202 North Ninth Street, Room 506, Richmond, Virginia, 23219, Tel: 804-692-0244. Given the short notice before the next meeting, you need not be specific in your request. Simply urge support for "the policies and recommendations concerning sexual orientation recently submitted to you by Charlottesville resident Mitch King". (20 of the 23 pages of support material in my letter have been previously posted to ssyglb by Jessea Greenman and I. The other three pages are recent real-life examples of inappropriate responses by inadequately trained guidance counselors and teachers from several Virginia high schools to the problems of sexual minority youth. Feel free to include *your own* examples of homophobic responses by school officials in your statement of support!) Thanks!" *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RE-POST OR PRINT, WITH ATTRIBUTION Jessea Greenman The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project*; ph/fax: 510-601-8883 586 62nd St. Oakland, CA 94609-1245 To get to our gopher, gopher to "gopher.outright.com" Point a web browser at http://www.outright.com/project21 Another Web site, courtesy of "Gay & Lesbian Web Alliance": URL: http://emanate.com/glwa/proj21 The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project is *always* looking for volunteer organizers. If interested, please contact Jessea as shown above. Please cc us on all correspondence you send or receive regarding one of our action alerts...we file it ALL! Thanks! *The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project was formerly called Project 21 but it is no way connected with GLAAD. P.E.R.S.O.N. (copyrighted) stands for Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally.