Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 19:59:18 -0800 From: jessea@uclink2.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: Need for input of quality LGBT resources We have been informed by officials of the California Department of Education that they welcome "quality resources that address these ["gay, lesbian, and bisexual] issues." In an August 14, 1995 letter to a Bay Area educator, Eugene Flores, Chair, California Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission, and Del Alberti, Chair, the Commission's Health Subject Matter Committee, indicate that they "understand that you [the teacher, who testified at the state hearing on the instructional materials] were disappointed with the treatment of gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues in the resources recommended for adoption." "DISAPPOINTED with the treatment" garners these educators a grade of "D" for "Denial" and is also a contender for the "Understatement of the Semester Award." The resources recommended for adoption contain almost no mention of LGBT concerns. In 1995, with LGBT young people experiencing harassment, hate violence, and self-inflicted violence at record levels, those responsible for making public education policy in this most populous state must do better. The health education resources adopted this year will be in use for almost a decade...we cannot let them be devoid of potentially lifesaving information about sexual orientation. Mr. Alberti, in a conversation with a representative of The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project, described this annihilation of identity as "missed opportunities," a deceptively bland description of a policy of which is not only discriminatory but also deadly to our young people. How much longer can state officials pretend they have no duty to care for these young people being so badly victimized within their own jurisdiction? Letters of protest (keeping in mind that the State does not adopt resources which are considered supplemental, i.e those which address less than the entire course content) should be sent to Eugene Flores, Chair, California Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission and Del Alberti, Chair, the Curriculum Commission's Health Subject Matter Committee The address for each is: California Department of Education P.O. Box 944272 Sacramento CA 94244-2720 Mssrs. Flores and Alberti encouraged us to supply ONE part of their vast bureaucracy with some input which MIGHT actually get used to do some good in the system. They said "If you are aware of quality resources that address these issues, please share this information with Priscilla Naworski, Director of the Healthy Kids Resource Center, at the following address: Healthy Kids Resource Center Alameda County Office of Education 313 W. Winton Ave. Hayward CA 94544 (510) 670-4581" Since the Healthy Kids Resource Center actually IS the statewide resource center for health education materials for public schools, DO send Ms. Naworski any quality materials of which you are aware so that educators may access them and choose them for use in their schools. Please cc us here at The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project with citations for any resources you do supply to the Healthy Kids Resource Center so we may follow up and make sure they are being made available to educators. Please also cc us on your letters to Commission Chair Flores and Committee Chair Alberti. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ 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.