Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 17:23:30 -0800 From: Jean Richter Subject: 2/25/2000 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. Lots of useful links for LGBT youth and schools issues 2. UK: Strong public support for education compromise 3. GA: Decatur school board approves nondiscrimination policy 4. CA: Schools chief refutes pro-Proposition 22 ads =============================================================== From: SARATOGANY@aol.com Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 20:47:42 EST Subject: Website List (2/15/00) To: SARATOGANY@aol.com, bdm3g@gateway.net Msg from: The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020 Email to: saratogany@aol.com "The Actual or Perceived GLBT Student Protection Project" CSS-NYS Note: The below list of websites will help in your educational and advocacy for GLBT youth and school/student issues. If you find any not working let me know. Also, if you know of others that we should review let us know the Net address. John Myers ========================================================= Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, GLSEN http://www.glsen.org Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, LLDEF http://www.lambdalegal.org The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project Home Page Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ Safe Schools Coalition of Washington (excellent resources with training manual) http://www.safeschools-wa.org/ Safe Schools WA 1999 - Trainers' Manual - index http://www.safeschools-wa.org/ss5train_index.html Parents and Friends of Lesian and Gays, PFLAG http://www.pflag.org PFLAG and TGS Talk (great resources and info) http://www.critpath.org/pflag-talk/ National School Board Association's article 11/99 "I don't feel safe here anymore" (EXCELLENT, use for handout) Http://www.asbj.com/199911/1199coverstory.html Sexual Orientation: Science, Education, and Policy http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/default.html Recovery From Bible Abuse (not anti Christian) http://www.truluck.com/ Robbie Kirkland NEW "Remember Me!" (teen suicide owing to homophobia) http://www.lgcsc.org/robkirkland/index.htm Gabi Clayton's Webpage (Mother of Bill Clayton, teen suicide owing to homphobia) http://members.tripod.com/claytoly/ Bill's (Clayton's) Story Bill Clayton, teen suicide owing to homphobia http://members.tripod.com/~claytoly/Bills_Story Youth Suicide Problems: Gay/Bisexual Male Focus + More! http://www.virtualcity.com/youthsuicide/index1.htm National School Board Association's Safe Resources http://www.nsba.org/na/saferesources.htm National Gay Lesbian Task Force. NGLTF http://www.ngltf.org/ E-Directory of Lesbigay Scholars http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/lbg_edir.html Association for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Issues in Counseling http://www.aglbic.org/ GLSEN STUDENT PRIDE http://www.glsen.org/pages/sections/involved/studentpride/ Transgendered Network International http://www.tgni.com/ God loves Gays http://www.godlovesgays.com/ God Hates Fags (sick but we should know thy enemy) http://www.godhatesfags.com Scouting For All (Scout fighting for BSA end of discrimination(s) http://www.scoutingforall.org/ Youth Resources http://www.youthresource.com/ OASIS Magazine (glbt youth online magazine) http://www.oasismag.com XY Magazine (GLBT youth magazine) http://www.xymag.com/ YOUTH.ORG http://www.youth.org/ Empire State Pride Agenda, ESPA http://www.prideagenda.org/ PlanetOut http://www.planetout.com/pno/ Critical Path AIDS Project http://www.critpath.org/ ADVOCATE online http://www.advocate.com Queer Resources Directory, QRD http://www.qrd.org/ People for the American Way, PFAW http://www.pfaw.org/ American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU http://www.pfaw.org/ American Center for Law and Justice, ACLJ (Pat Robertson's anti gay legal enitity) http://www.aclj.org/ Human Rights Campaign, HRC (national GLBT lobby) http://www.hrcusa.org/ Unity Through Diversity http://www.geocities.com/unity_through_diversity_1999/ ===================================================================== The Guardian, February 15, 2000 119 Farringdon Rd., London EC1 3ER England (Fax: +44/171/837-2114 ) (E-Mail: letters@guardian.co.uk ) ( http://www.guardian.co.uk ) Public backing for schools sex education compromise Education Unlimited Alan Travis, Home Affairs Editor There is overwhelming public backing for the idea that teachers should promote marriage as part of sex education classes in schools, according to the latest Guardian/ICM opinion poll published today. But there is also strong public support that schools should at the same time teach children that it is wrong to be abusive towards gay and lesbian people. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] ================================================================================ From: Steve Epstein Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 23:46:42 -0500 GAY GROUPS PRAISE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY Atlanta, GA (February 11, 2000) - "State history has been made by the Board of the Decatur City Schools. For the first time, the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and employees will be held at the same level as other groups in the district," said Steve Epstein co-chair of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network's (GLSEN) Atlanta chapter. GLSEN Atlanta is offering several resources, including training, and library and curricular materials, to assist the district in implementing the new policy. GLSEN Atlanta, as well as many other LGBT advocacy groups are voicing their approval of the new policy set forth at the February 8th meeting of the Decatur City School Board. The unanimous decision made by the board to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the district's non-discrimination policy brought cheers and applauds from the crowd in attendance. The non-discrimination policy, which will help to ensure an equal education for LGBT students, will also protect faculty members from the same discrimination. Policy G-AAA was incepted in 1975 and has undergone two amendments. The policy now states that the "City of Decatur Schools shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or handicap." "For the first time in Georgia history, a school board has said loud and clear: LGBT students and educators have the same right to safe schools as all others in the school district. I expect that school boards throughout the state will follow Decatur City School's courageous lead by making similar changes to their districts' policies," stated Harry Knox Executive Director for the Georgia Equality Project, a statewide lobbying group for the LGBT community. Linda Ellis, Executive Director for YouthPride a local LGBT youth support group added. "This is an enormous step in the struggle to make youth feel safe in school, we would like to see every school district take these same steps to assure that our youth feel safe and supported in obtaining an education." The change in the policy comes only one week after the Decatur High School Gay Straight Alliance, SPECTRA, feared a potential shut down when being faced with opposition from a local parent group. "The Black Parents for Excellence were sparking discussions with school officials about disbanding the kids group," said Karen Austin, a mother of one of the students in the group. "We are so pleased that after a week of discussion, the parent group has not only come full circle, but actually spoke at the board meeting in support of protecting LGBT students." The president of SPECTRA, Sarah Austin said, "This policy is so important to me and my friends. Now we can attend school knowing that we have the support of our administration." Judy Colbs, President of the local chapter of PFLAG (Parents Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays) applauds the district stating, "We are extreme proud of Decatur City Schools. They have, with the stroke of a pen, made school safer for all of their youth. We are also very pleased to see parents getting involved in making schools a safe place for LGBT youth." According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the dropout rate for LGBT students is nearly three times that of their heterosexual peers. "That makes this an epidemic attacking LGBT youth all over the country," said Seth Persily Executive Director for Project: Freedom, a national LGBT advocacy and awareness organization, supporting youth that have been forced to leave school because of their sexual orientation. Persily added, "It is a sad state of affairs when you have an entire generation of youth that have not received an equal or safe education. We know that the addition of this policy is the first step in assuring that this problem will not be a continuing trend." The groups credit most of the success to Ralph Bowden, who coordinated and lobbied for the change in policy. They all feel as if the new policy will bring greater avenues for protection of all youth. Also, the addition of sexual orientation, and gender identity to the policy assures that LGBT students will have the opportunity to obtain an education in a safe environment. To obtain more information on any of the above organizations, and their individual missions and efforts to bring safety into schools both locally and nationally, or to schedule interviews please contact the Project: Freedom Communications Office by calling 404-874-1056. Or call the following contact numbers: GLSEN Atlanta: 404-872-4320 Georgia Equality Project: 404-872-3600 YouthPride: 404-223-6780 PFLAG Atlanta: 404-875-9440 Or Contact: Derek Henkle Director of Communications Project: Freedom 404-874-1056 ==================================================== Associated Press, February 16, 2000 Prop. 22 opponents premiere family-oriented ads By BOB EGELKO, Associated Press Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ­ Opponents of Proposition 22 made a pitch for the family-values vote Wednesday, unveiling television ads that showed parents playing with children while narrators warned of discrimination but disavowed gay marriage. "It's just more government interference if you ask me," said the male speaker in one ad, which showed a woman and two children behind him in the kitchen. "Prop. 22 isn't as simple as it looks," said the female narrator of the other ad, which alternated wholesome family scenes with flashes of anti-gay picketers and violence. [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/