Subject: BACK TO SCHOOL CAMPAIGN EXCEEDS GOAL IN FIRST WEEK
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1996 07:51:28 -0400

GLSTN News

For Immediate Release

BACK TO SCHOOL CAMPAIGN EXCEEDS GOAL IN FIRST WEEK

OVER 5,000 LETTERS SENT TO EDUCATION LEADERS NATIONWIDE DEMANDING ACTION
TO END ANTI-GAY BIAS IN SCHOOLS

(Sept. 5, 1996) New York, NY -- The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Teachers
Network (GLSTN) announced today that it had exceeded the goals of its
Annual "Back-to-School" Campaign during the Campaign's first week.  "We
hoped to send a total of 5,000 letters to school leaders asking them to
take action to end homophobia in schools during the month of September,"
said Kevin Jennings, GLSTN's Executive Director, "and we went over the
top before the Campaign even formally began on September 2!"

The massive outpouring of letters is the result of organizing done over
the summer by GLSTN's local chapters, who have been doing community
outreach to generate support from both gay and straight people concerned
about anti-gay bias in our schools.  Leading the way has been GLSTN
Chicago, which has gathered over 2,000 letters and postcards to date.
"Whenever we've started collecting letters, people have lined up to take
part," said Betty Lark-Ross, GLSTN Chicago's Co-Chair.  "There are
thousands of people who believe that we need to do something about
homophobia in our schools, and the Campaign has finally given them a way
to take action on that belief."  Other chapters who have gathered
hundreds of letters include Cleveland, Colorado, and Detroit.

"We're delighted with the community support we've received this year,"
said Jennings, who noted that this is only the Campaign's second year.
"But we still have a long way to go.  There are approximately five
million gay and lesbian kids in K-12 schools in the U.S., and almost half
of them will be harassed because of their sexual orientation at some
point in their school careers.  In the face of that kind of abuse, 5,000
letters is just the start of the work we need to do to make our schools
safe."

                                -30-

With over forty chapters, and a membership of over three thousand
teachers, parents, and concerned citizens, GLSTN is the largest national
organization working to insure that schools are places where all people
are respected and valued, regardless of sexual orientation.  Its
Back-to-School Campaign is one of many programs it sponsors to raise
awareness among teachers, students, and the community at large about the
damaging impact anti-gay bias has on students and the learning process.
For a Campaign press kit, or other information, please contact Deidre
Cuffee-Gray at 212-727-0135.

GLSTN
122 West 26th St., Ste. 1100
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212.727.0135
Fax: 212.727.0254
Email: [email-masked]
Web: http://www.glstn.org/respect/

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GLSTNAlert is a GLSTN news bulletin service of the The Gay, Lesbian, and
Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN).

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1996 18:14:26 -0400
Subject: Back to School Campaign Update (9.6.96)

THE GLSTN BACK-TO-SCHOOL CAMPAIGN
CAMPAIGN UPDATE #1
WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6

GLSTN
122 West 26th St., Ste. 1100
New York, NY 10001
Tel: 212.727.0135
Fax: 212.727.0254
Email: [email-masked]
Web: http://www.glstn.org/respect/

Note:  The Back-to-School Campaign is a national letter-writing and
advocacy campaign in which GLSTN urges lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults
and their friends to contact their former schools and school officials to
demand action to end anti-gay bias in education.  Staged each September,
it is in its second year.  Weekly updates will be made available
throughout the month of September.

CAMPAIGN EXCEEDS GOALS IN FIRST WEEK
Over 5,000 Letters Demanding Action to End-Gay Bias in Schools Already
Collected

In the first week of its Second Annual Back-to-School Campaign, GLSTN has
exceeded the goals of it set while planning for the Campaign during
summer months.  "We hoped to send a total of 5,000 letters to school
leaders asking them to take action to end homophobia in schools during
the month of September," said Kevin Jennings, GLSTN's Executive Director,
"and we went over the top before the Campaign even formally began on
September 2!"

The massive outpouring of letters is the result of organizing done over
the summer by GLSTN's local chapters, who have been doing community
outreach to generate support from both gay and straight people concerned
about anti-gay bias in our schools.  Leading the way has been
GLSTN/Chicago, which has gathered over 2,000 letters and postcards to
date.  "Whenever we've started collecting letters, people have lined up
to take part," said Betty Lark-Ross, GLSTN/Chicago's Co-Chair.  "There
are thousands of people who believe that we need to do something about
homophobia in our schools, and the Campaign has finally given them a way
to take action on that belief."  Other chapters who have gathered
hundreds of letters include Cleveland, Colorado, and Detroit.

"We're delighted with the community support we've received this year,"
said Jennings, who noted that this is only the Campaign's second year.
"But we still have a long way to go.  There are approximately five
million gay and lesbian kids in K-12 schools in the U.S., and almost half
of them will be harassed because of their sexual orientation at some
point in their school careers.  In the face of that kind of abuse, 5,000
letters is just the start of the work we need to do to make our schools
safe."

GINGRICH WOWS THEM IN CHICAGO

Over one hundred people turned out for GLSTN/Chicago's Back-to-School
Campaign kick-off on August 26.  Lesbian activist (and famous sister)
Candace Gingrich spoke to the audience in support of the Campaign.  Not
that Chicago seems to need much support: with over 2,000 letters in hand,
GLSTN/Chicago is off and running with its Campaign.  Hundreds of letters
were collected by the chapter at the Human Rights Campaign "Outvote"
Convention in August, where the GLSTN table set up by Chicago members was
mobbed by a steady stream of enthusiastic Campaign participants.
"Everywhere we've gone, people just want to sign up," say
Betty-Lark-Ross, Chicago Co-Chair.

WISCONSIN STARTS OFF IN STYLE

GLSTN South-Central Wisconsin kicked their Back-to-School Campaign off
ins style with a September 4th reception featuring a keynote by GLSTN
Executive Director Kevin Jennings.  Over 100 people gathered in Madison's
First Unitarian Church to hear Jennings, and stayed for over two hour in
90 degree-plus heat.  "The enthusiasm was incredible," said Jennings,
"and I'd move to Madison any time!"

GLSTN South-Central Wisconsin, one of GLSTN's youngest chapters,
nevertheless has made some of the most ambitious plans for the Campaign,
scheduling a second event with Campaign spokesperson Jamie Nabozny and
lesbian State Representative Tammy Baldwin on Sept. 28.

GLSTN/ST. LOUIS STARTS THE CAMPAIGN WITH PRIDE

GLSTN/St. Louis took advantage of their late-August Pride parade to
canvass the hometown crowd for support for their Campaign.  Utilizing the
new "I'm Part of the Back-to-School Campaign" stickers, chapter members
collected hundreds of letters from Pride marchers.

WHAT SOME CHAPTERS DID WITH THEIR SUMMER VACATIONS...

GLSTN/Detroit set up a bank of Macintosh computers s at their Pride event
in June, collecting  hundreds of personalized letters from  passers-by to
school officials in communities in greater Detroit.

GLSTN/Cleveland and GLSTN/Colorado worked the crowds at their Pride
Marches, collecting hundreds of letters to their respective Sate
Superintendents of Schools demanding action to end homophobia when school
resumed in the fall.

NEW PUBLICATIONS CATALOGUE OFFER RESOURCES TO SCHOOLS

GLSTN has released first Publications Catalogue, offering over 50
resources to teachers, administrators, students, parents, and others who
are interested in creating change in their community's schools.  "We've
tried to provide a 'how-to' kit for just about anything you'd want to
do," said Kevin Jennings.  Development of the catalogue was motivated by
a desire to provide schools with concrete support should they be moved to
act as a result of the Campaign.  "We figured that, if we were going to
ask people to take action, we'd better be ready with something that would
tell them what to do if they said 'Yes'!" said Jennings.

Catalogues were mailed in late August to all four thousand GLSTN members,
and are available by calling the GLSTN office at 212-727-0135 or
e-mailing [email-masked].

                                            ##

With over forty chapters, and a membership of over three thousand
teachers, parents, and concerned citizens, GLSTN is the largest national
organization working to insure that schools are places where all people
are respected and valued, regardless of sexual orientation.   For more
info visit our web site at http://www.glstn.org/respect or call us at
212-727-0135.

========================================================

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 [email-masked]
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 [email-masked]
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.

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