Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 18:32:48 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 9/10/99 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. SIECUS launches sexuality educators of color network 2. NY: Legislator contact info for Dignity for All Student bill 3. Article on helping LGBT teens ======================================================================== FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lisa Hanock-Jasie, Director of Public Relations, 212 819-9770, ext. 325 SIECUS LAUNCHES NATIONAL NETWORK OF SEXUALITY EDUCATORS OF COLOR Sexuality Educators Reach Out to Underserved Communities NEW YORK (August 20, 1999) - Recognizing the particular need that sexuality educators of color have for support and networking, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) has launched The National Network of Sexuality Educators of Color ( The Network). Spearheaded by SIECUS, the groundbreaking coalition was established to provide a forum where the sexuality educators have access to resources, training opportunities, and networking. Membership in The Network will provide sexuality educators support for their work, networking opportunities, development of a new community, workshops and conference news and a chance to help our communities. There are also plans to hold regular online forums for The Network members throughout the year. "Many professionals of color who provide sexuality education for youth in these traditionally underserved communities do not necessarily consider themselves to be sexuality educators," says SIECUS Outreach Coordinator Felix Gardon. "More needs to be done to encourage the cultivation and nurturing of sexuality educators of color." Over three million adolescents are infected yearly with an STD. African-American and Hispanic youth aged 13 to 19 account for 65% of teenage AIDS cases and 70% of teenagers who are infected with HIV in the United States. Among males aged 15 to 19, 81% of African-Americans and 60% of Latinos have had sexual intercourse. Among females in the same age group, 59% percent of African-Americans and 45% of Latinos have had sexual intercourse. Sixty-five percent of male and 56.6% of female Native-Americans have had sexualty intercourse by the 12th grade. These realities - as well as the recent movements of government assistance from the federal to the state level, and the repeal of welfare programs - had direct repercussions on the provision of public health services to young people in communities of color. -- more -- SIECUS/The Network - Page 2 In addition, The Network members receive free access to an electronic list serve (e-mailing list) where members can keep in touch with each other and participate in an ongoing discussion about sexuality education issues, and a free subscription to SHOP Talk, SIECUS' bi-weekly fax and electronic bulletin. Written for health and education professionals, SHOP Talk publishes the latest information they need to reduce risk behaviors that results in HIV, STDs, and unintended pregnancy among young people. The Network members will also receive regular updates and new publications from SIECUS on emerging issues in sexuality education, and will have ongoing access to SIECUS' Mary S. Calderone Library, with over 5,000 volumes, 750 educational curricula, 200 periodicals and newsletters, and more than 10,000 records on sexuality issues. Sexuality educators interested in becoming a member of The National Network of Sexuality Educators of Color should contact Felix Gardon, SIECUS Outreach Coordinator. Telephone 212 819-9770, ext. 311. Fax 212 819-9776. E-mail: Fgardon@siecus.org # # # ================================================================================= To contact legislators regarding the proposed Dignity for All Students bill: Most state senators receive mail at: Legislative Office Bldg, Albany, NY 12247. (Some are at the Capital Building.) To reach your senator by telephone, call (518) 455-2800 (You can get your senator's exact address at this number, too.) To look up NY State Senators by constituent's zip code, go to URL: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sdl.html A list of all NY State Senators' offices is at URL: http://www.senate.state.ny.us/Docs/text/members.html SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: meets TUESDAYs, 1:00 ROOM 124C ================================================================================= NANDO MEDIA / SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE, August 24, 1999 http://www.nando.com/noframes/story/0,2107,85083-134424-937118-0,00.html ANTHONY R. D'AUGELLI: Help for gay teens In the fall of 1998, Adam Colton, a 17-year-old high school student in Novato, Calif., told people he was gay. Within a week he was beaten up by three teens as he was shopping. Then, in February, after he helped form a Gay Straight Alliance in his school, he was beaten again. This case echoes another similar situation in which gay Wisconsin teen [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ================================================================================ Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) These messages are archived by state on our information-loaded free web site: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/