Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 17:33:15 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 4/18/2000 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. Youth United announces web site 2. WA: Opinion column on schools issues and "It's Elementary" 3. England: Lesbian ex-teacher vows to continue discrimination suit 4. NE: Letter from student on nondisrimination policy controversy 5. KS: Lawrence school board to amend nondiscrimination policy ================================================================================ From: "Youth United" Subject: YouthUnited Launches Website: http://www.rainbowvoice.com/youthunited/ Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 19:08:28 GMT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ------------------------------------------------------ Contact: Josh Meyer / Josh Siegel 202.872.1860 ------------------------------------------------------ NATIONAL YOUTH RALLY ANNOUNCES WEBSITE PARTNERSHIP WASHINGTON, Apr 4, 2000 - YouthUnited, a national youth rally planned for April 29, 2000, announced the launch of their website today. The new website, located at www.Rainbowvoice.com/youthunited, highlights the activities planned for the weekend of the Millennium March. The student organizers of YouthUnited, working in cooperation with Atlanta-based Internet-service provider Rainbowvoice.com, designed the website to allow youth from all over the country to learn more about the rally and ways in which they can become involved. "The sponsorship of the YouthUnited website not only represents Rainbowvoice's dedication to the gay and lesbian community, but also demonstrates their commitment to youth and the role we play in the future of the movement", said Josh Siegel, co-organizer of YouthUnited." Charles Honeycutt, President of Rainbowvoice.com, added, "It is our hope that the YouthUnited website will help increase visibility of youth representation in the weekend's activities, as well as promote inclusion and education about queer youth issues." Rainbowvoice.com connects lesbians, gays, bisexuals, the transgendered, and their family and friends, together in one global, online community. They celebrate their success by giving back to community, and donating 5% of every user subscription to select national and local nonprofit organizations. YouthUnited is a coalition of youth activists, based in the greater Washington DC metropolitan area. Our mission is to empower youth to affect change within our society. The YouthUnited rally is scheduled to take place Saturday, April 29th at 3pm in Washington DC's Dupont Circle. For more information about YouthUnited or the rally, please e-mail YouthUnited2000@hotmail.com. -30- ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ==================================================================================== Vancouver Columbian, April 6, 2000 P. O. Box 180, Vancouver, WA, 98666 (Fax 360-699-6033 ) (E-MAIL: editors@columbian.com ) Teach kids to show respect for all people ELIZABETH HOVDE, Columbian editorial writer I don't want the Vancouver School District eighth-grader I met briefly on Saturday to be afraid of going to school. And yet that's what he says he is: scared. "I don't know if someone's gonna throw me in the corner and put me in an uncomfortable position," said the teen, who preferred his name not be used. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] * Elizabeth Hovde's column of personal opinion appears on the Other Opinions page each Thursday. Her e-mail address: elizabeth.hovde@columbian.com. ================================================================================ Portsmouth News, April 8, 2000 The News Centre Hilsea, Portsmouth, England PO2 9SX (E-MAIL: letters@thenews.co.uk ) ( http://www.thenews.co.uk/ ) Lesbian ex-teacher to fight on A lesbian former teacher who claimed pupils harassed her from her job because of her sexuality today vowed to continue her bitter legal battle. Shirley Pearce lost an appeal against a defeat at an industrial tribunal in a long-running dispute over her spell at Mayfield School in North End. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] Miss Pearce now works part-time for mental health charity Mind in Portsmouth as a co-ordinator for its befriending scheme. ================================================================================ Omaha World-Herald, April 9, 2000 World Herald Square, Omaha, NE, 68102 (Fax 402-345-4547 ) (E-MAIL: pulse@owh.com ) ( http://www.omaha.com/OWH ) Letter: Protect Homosexuals I am a junior at Millard North High School, and I am adamant about inserting a clause in the Millard handbook to protect homosexual students' rights. I have repeatedly heard from the people on the opposing side that the disparaging language clause in the handbook already protects gay students, but they simply do not understand the severity of bigotry toward gay students at school. Earlier in the 20th century, we had race riots and a Holocaust because people were openly hateful toward Jews and blacks. When schools all over the country are concerned about student safety, I just assumed that we had learned from the past that a homosexual holocaust need not occur. I also have heard from the administration that schools need to take care of the problems at a personal level. But not every student who has been harassed so much and so severely has the courage to go to the administration and report the harasser. As a student, I know that the personal-level idea is not efficient. It's a little disturbing that this should even be an issue to argue over. Students should not have to fight to protect themselves in school. That's the school board's job. ­ Allison Balcetis, Omaha ================================================================================= Lawrence Journal World, April 9, 2000 Box 888, Lawrence, KS, 66044-0888 (Fax 785-843-4512 ) (E-Mail letters@ljworld.com ) Board to add orientation clause to manual A preliminary version of the Lawrence school board's new policy manual will be available for public inspection Monday at district headquarters. By Tim Carpenter, Journal-World Writer The Lawrence school board agreed Saturday to add "sexual orientation" to nondiscrimination sections of the district's new policy manual. "It does provide a sense of security, a sense of right," said board member Leni Salkind. [Deleted article. filemanager@qrd.org] * Tim Carpenter's phone message number is 832-7155. His e-mail address is tcarpenter@ljworld.com. ================================================================================ 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/