Date: Fri, 27 Jun 1997 17:31:55 -0700 From: richter@eecs.berkeley.edu (Jean Richter) Subject: 6/27/97 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. New book: "Open Lives, Safe Schools" 2. CA: More on Los Angeles school district domestic partner benefits 3. MI: Anti-gay flyer used in school board campaign 4. Updated call for proposals for GLSTN's Mid-Atlantic conference 5. Latest issue of Oasis webzine online =================================================================== X-Sender: dcase@mail.sdsu.edu Date: Wed, 4 Jun 1997 12:00:10 -0800 From: "Channel Q" Sender: Doug Case Subject: New Book: Opne Lives, Safe Schools The following advertisement appears in this week's issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education: BREAKING THE SILENCE OPEN LIVES, SAFE SCHOOLS Addressing Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education Edited by Donovan R. Walling "A useful volune for educators interested in practical discussions about gay and lesbian issues in education." - Harvard Educational Review The authors of 21 essays adddress important gay and lesbian issues in education, from the coming out processes of students and adults to gay-positive/gay-visible curricula to parenting and family concerns. The authors are advocates of safe schools in the most basic sense: Schools should be places where it is safe to be oneself. Contributors include Ian Barnard, Jan M. Goodman, Henry Gonshak, Christopher T. Gonzalea, Kevin Jennings, David Phillips, Tony Price, James T. Sears, John Warren Stewig, Virginia Uribe, Dan Woog, and other writers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. 300 pages. Paperback, 8" x 9" format, illustrated. $30.00 Order Direct at 1-800-766-1156 Or send your purchase order to Phi Delta Kappa International, P. O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789. Include $5.00 for processing on orders up to $100.00; for larger orders add $10.00. Indiana residents add 5% sales tax. Purchase orders and MasterCard and VISA orders are also accepted by fax at 812/339-0018. ==================================================================== From: WildcatPrs@aol.com About the cost of domestic partner benefits, and in answer to questions from Hawaii: At the tense L.A. Board of Education meeting the other day, as the board debated this very issue, the two board members opposing the issue opted to argue from the top estimates and insisted that the proposed package was going to cost LAUSD around $7 million dollars. The benefits will cover unmarried heterosexuals as well as homosexuals. The two opposers cited district desperation about low teacher salaries and decaying schools as a reason not to add this package to the general fund's budget. Union official Callahan pointed out that in other school districts in CA where these benefits are now the rule (San Jose, San Francisco and San Diego among them), the real-life cost had come in on the low side -- meaning that LAUSD could expect to pay more like $2 million. President Jeff Horton (who incidentally is one of the few gay men in the U.S. to serve as a school-board president) made the telling point that employees who have their family medical costs well covered are better employees because their lives are less stressful and anxiety ridden. If cost alone is the consideration, Horton said, why give other benefits? Why not just cut them for everybody? The board majority agreed with Callahan and Horton, although Dave Tokovsky did protest the adding in of heterosexuals as "political". The final vote was 5-2, passing the domestic partners package. I'm sure the religious right are now laying awake nights wondering what they can do to reverse this vote, as LAUSD's growing array of gay-friendly programs and policies -- including new course materials for elementary schools desiring to do sensitivity training that was just released by the Gay & Lesbian Education Commission, on which I have the honor to serve -- have long been a major target of their outrage. Patricia Nell Warren wildcatprs@aol.com ===================================================================== X-Sender: dcase@mail.sdsu.edu Date: Thu, 5 Jun 1997 18:56:12 -0800 From: "Channel Q" Sender: Doug Case Subject: PFAWAF Condemns Anti-Gay Flier in Michigan School District ====================================== People For the American Way Action Fund Press Release June 5, 1997--Immediate Release CONTACT: David Elliot, Dave Cour, Christopher Gould, Delisa Saunders (202) 467-4999 ====================================== PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY ACTION FUND CONDEMNS ANTI-GAY FLIER IN MICHIGAN SCHOOL DISTRICT People For the American Way Action Fund strongly condemns an anti-gay flier posted on the streets of Wayne County, Mich., that used slurs to attack Patricia Brown, president of the Wayne-Westland School Board. Brown is up for re-election June 9. Brown has encountered opposition from religious conservatives and endured hateful personal assaults such as this because her school board unanimously approved a policy protecting students and staff from harassment based on their sexual orientation. Such hate and intolerance are an affront to the democratic principles this country was built on. They are not the American way. "It is unfortunate, if predictable, that the people responsible for posting an offensive flier attacking Patricia Brown did so anonymously," said PFAWAF President Carole Shields. "Instead of openly airing their complaints against the school board's policy of protecting students' civil rights, these individuals launched a personal, offensive attack on an individual -- not because of anything she did, but simply because of who she is. "Sadly, the authors of the flier are also wrong when they complain that they cannot discriminate against gay men and lesbians. Such bigotry is still quite legal in most states, and is one reason vile attacks such as this one can occur. "At People For the American Way Action Fund, we believe this anti-gay incident shouldn't be seen in isolation. Intolerance fosters more extreme intolerance, and it therefore comes as no surprise to us that the Wayne-Westland School District is now being challenged by Religious Right opponents over a policy that seeks simply to protect gay students and employees from discrimination and harassment. This incident proves the need for that policy." People For the American Way Action Fund has fought acts of intolerance and hate across the United States for 17 years. This month PFAW is publishing the 1997 edition of Hostile Climate, a state-by-state report on anti-gay activity. PFAW also publishes Attacks on the Freedom to Learn Online, a bimonthly newsletter on censorship in the nation's schools and libraries, and this fall will release a report on the Religious Right's attack on public education. ====================================== People For the American Way Action Fund | 202 467 4999 Fax: 202 293 2672 | 2000 M Street NW Suite 400, Washington DC 20036 | http://pfaw.org ==================================================================== From: GLSTNAlert@aol.com Date: Fri, 6 Jun 1997 08:18:10 -0400 (EDT) Subject: 1997 GLSTN Mid-Atlantic Conference: Call for proposals Do not hit reply to this message. Send relpies to GLSTNMatt@aol.com ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The 1997 GLSTN Mid-Atlantic Conference, entitled "From Dirt Roads to Cyberspace-Gay Issues in Education", will take place in NYC on October 25 and 26. It will be sponsored by GLSTNNYmetro. We are also calling for workshop proposals at this time. Please contact Matthew Stuart or Donna Checkan at GLSTNMatt @ aol.com with questions or proposals. ________________________________________________________ Do not hit reply to send an email to GLSTN. GLSTN's email address is GLSTN@glstn.org Staff Addresses: Kevin Jennings: GLSTNKev@aol.com John Spear: GLSTNJohn@aol.com Deidre Cuffee-Gray: GLSTNDGray@aol.com ======================================================== GLSTNAlert is a GLSTN news bulletin service of the The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN). ======================================================== To Unsubscribe from GLSTNAlert simply send an email to GLSTNAlert@aol.com with the words "Unsubscribe GLSTNAlert" in the subject line (no quotes and note the lack of space in GLSTNAlert). ======================================================== To Subscribe to GLSTNAlert simply send an email to GLSTNAlert@aol.com with the words "Subscribe GLSTNAlert" in the subject line (no quotes and note the lack of space in GLSTNAlert). Also: please write your name in the message portion of your email. ======================================================== ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 6 Jun 97 07:53:59 -0700 x-sender: chris@mail.cyberspaces.com From: "Channel Q" Sender: Channel Q News Desk Oasis (http://www.oasismag.com/), the world's only monthly webzine for queer and questioning youth is marking gay pride month with our biggest issue ever. Our cover story features Pansy Division, the queer punk band that is releasing a new album in August. Although many people think of Pansy Division as a gimmicky, over-sexed band, this album will mark the end of that view of the band. With their new luscious drummer and lead guitarist, Pansy bassist Chris Freeman said the band is ready to move to the next level, to become the Fag Fab Four with three-part harmonies and more profound songs. In our Profile in Courage, Craig Jessup, 15, of Larkspur, Calif., has ended his horror of being the class fag by speaking out about his experiences in front of his school. He is also the publisher of the angst-free "Queen Zine." And a record 37 columnists have written about their lives this month in Oasis' Feature Columns section. The magazine has recently expanded to include writers from many different corners of the globe, and the expansion already seems to be continuing with the July issue currently in production. To celebrate Gay Pride Month, Oasis is providing teens with a way to celebrate on their own or with groups of friends. Portable Pride provides reviews of various board games, videos, records and books which can help queer and questioning youth feel better about themselves, even if they are unable to attend a gay pride event. With extensive new, poetry and fiction, Oasis is once again the place for queer youth to go to feel better about themselves online. Oasis Queer Youth Webzine... because it's a desert out there. =================================================================== Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK OUT OUR INFO-LOADED WEB PAGE AT: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/