Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 17:18:57 -0700 From: richter@eecs.berkeley.edu (Jean Richter) Subject: 9/15/97 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. African-American lesbian & gay teachers sought for magazine article 2. Thailand: LG ban at teacher training school lifted 3. PA: Civil rights conference to follow LGBT youth conference ======================================================================= SEARCH FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN GAY AND LESBIAN EDUCATORS FOR ARTICLE IN NATIONAL MAGAZINE REAL Magazine is the newest publication based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that explores the totality of the black gay and lesbian experience. Each issue covers the topics of the day, and provides practical and rich information on issues as diverse as health to financing a home or car. But more importantly, REAL Magazine entertains it readers about the life, times and crazy happenings of the black homosexual man and woman. REAL Magazine plans to do an article on gay and lesbian educators in January 1998. To the extent possible we are looking for someone with the following qualities: 1. African American 2. Someone outside the Washington, D.C. area. (America's heartland?) 3. An interesting story to tell, i.e., someone who was fired, harassed, designed a special youth program or other community involvement. The more dramatic the better. For more information contact Everett Hamilton at RealMag@aol.com, or call 703-642-9385. ======================================================================= Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 23:30:27 +0200 From: renner@cds.unina.it (Christopher E. Renner) Subject: Update on Thailand case This was sent to me from a member of Amnesty International Members for Lesbian and Gay Concerns. It is the update on the Thailand case which came across PERSON this week. Subject: Thailand Update Bangkok Post, September 11, 1997. College lifts its ban on gay entrants Regulations relaxed after NGO pressure Sirikul Bunnag: The Rajabhat Institute has lifted its ban on admission of homosexuals to its teacher training campuses, apparently under pressure from foreign bodies such as NGOs. But the institute has simultaneously proposed a new rule to keep out what it describes as "sexually abnormal" people, according to Sawat Udompot, deputy secretary-general of the Rajabhat Council. There are seven types of "sexual abnormalities", according to Wanlop Piyamanotham, director of the psychological consulting centre of Srinakharinwirote University's Prasanmit campus. Mr. Wanlop, a member of the council, said that among these were: copulating with inanimate objets; exposing oneself in public; depriving pleasure from sado-masochistic acts; and harassing others orally. He said the old ban had been imposed out of a misunderstanding of the nature of sexual deviance. "The institute misunderstood and used the wrong word. That's why it seems to violate human rights. The best way is to single out sexually abnormal people," he said. To screen out "sexually abnormal" people, applicants would be required to do a test, he said. He claimed the test had been prepared by the World Health Organisation and that it was designed to assess "personality and sexual normality". "In the test, applicants will read from pictures designed to judge whether they are normal or abnormal," he said. "Sexual deviants are not always sexually abnormal. Sexual abnormality is worse. They can't be good teachers - they're emotionally abnormal." Mr Wanlop said the test was not final. The results of an interview would also be taken into consideration. The proposed ban will be forwarded to the Rajabhat Council for consideration. If approved, it will take effect in the 1998 academic year. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Christopher E. Renner, AA, BA, RSA Dip, MEd EFL Instructor, University of Naples, Faculty of Pharmacy E-mail: renner@cds.unina.it Work Tel. +39-81-7486431 Work Fax. +39-81-7486403 Postal Address: c/o Cartoliberia Gulliver, Via Kennedy 38, I-84073 Sapri (SA) Italia HOME: Contrada Santa Domenica, Vibonati (SA) SERVAS Host Tel. +39-973-603889 --------------------------------------------------------------------- "The only time my education was interrupted was when I was in school." --George Bernard Shaw ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A DAY WITHOUT THE PENTAGON - OCTOBER 24, 1997 Are you willing to live a day without the Pentagon? Americans have waited long enough for the "guardians" of public trust to declare that war and violence are bankrupt solutions from an era of ignorance and fear, selfishness and despair. War -- and the preparation for war -- is a crime against humanity. There are no enemies. War is the enemy. The pentagon costs US taxpayers USD 1,700,000,000 per day. Imagine if they could use that money to improve their lives: * permanent housing for 136,000 homeless people * shelter and counselling for 56,000 battered women and their children * Pell grants for 1,000,000 college students * 200 new elementary schools for 125,000 students * WIC supplements to support all women and children who qualify * a year's sallary for 68,000 health car workers or 60,000 teachers Want to get involved? Contact: The War Resisters League, 339 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012. Tel. 212-228-0450. Fax: 212-228-6193. E-mail: wrl@igc.apc.org WWW sight: http://www.nonviolence.org/wrl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== From: plgtf@Op.Net Date: Sat, 13 Sep 1997 20:56:23 +0000 Following the October 3-5, 1997 conference on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered youth convened by Professor Tony DAugelli, the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Task Force is convening a statewide conference to discuss the core principles of and strategies to reach adoption of twin civil rights legislative proposals in Pennsylvania. Proposed bills will amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and the Fair Educational Opportunities Act to include the categories sexual orientation and gender identity. The conference will begin begin promptly at 1 pm [after the close of the LGBT conference], and will close at 6 pm Sunday, October 5 at the Penn State Conference Center. Preregistration is required by September 20, 1997. A small fee of $10 is requested [$5 if low income]. Additional contributions to support the Pennsylvania Civil Rights Initiative are welcomed. For further information, please contact Rita Addessa, Task Force executive director, at 1616 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-5310 and 215 772-2000 and fax 2004 and email plgtf@op.net. ====================================================================== 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/