Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 06:58:28 -0800 From: jessea@uclink2.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: UHRC ACTION ALERT: Salt Lake City School Board Bans Clubs [This message is from Charlene Orchard of UHRC. Seems as though there's still hope, so let's keep on inputting to the Salt Lake school officials AND newspapers!] Even though we lost big time last night, the word from people inside the Salt Lake City School District Board is that the game is NOT OVER. We can still make a difference and convince them that they need to reverse their decision. We need to to do two things: 1. Thank the people who voted in favor of the students. Encourage them to reconsider their vote. They are: Mary Jo Rasmussen Roger Thompson Ila Rose Fife 2. Talk to the "fence sitters." This should have been a 5-2 vote in favor of the students. Ask them if they are aware of the damage that this will do to our youth and their future. Encourage them to reconsider. They are: Diane Barlow Karen Derrick The number for the Salt Lake City School Board is: 578-8599 In addition, the superintendent, Darline Robles, spoke out very strongly in favor of the students who want the gay/straight alliances. You might also want to call and thank her for her support at the same number. The inside story is that we can change this. Please help make this happen. Thanks! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FEBRUARY 21, 1996 For more information: Charlene Orchard Co-chair, Utah Human Rights Coalition 801-484-5291 Salt Lake City School Board Bans Clubs SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH--February 21, 1996--The Salt Lake City School Board dealt a severe blow to students last night by voting 4-3 to ban all noncurricular clubs from district schools in order to block gay and lesbian students from forming clubs. The Utah Human Rights Coalition is launching a campaign to identify sanctuaries for lesbian, gay and straight youth to meet and calls on all religious leaders to join with the South Valley Universalist Society in declaring their houses of worship hate free zones. In a packed public hearing at Hawthorne Elementary school, more than 100 speakers addressed the board during a two hour period. Most spoke in favor of allowing the clubs, including high school students and school district employee associations. The ban will begin with the next school year and will effect clubs such as young men and women's associations, ethnic clubs, volunteer councils, Kiwanis clubs, human-rights groups, hiking, skiing, rugby, soccer, chess, and environmental clubs. "The board demonstrated a real lack of courage in bowing to pressure from extremists," said Charlene Orchard, co-chair of the Utah Human Rights Coalition (UHRC). "For many young people, the organizational and leadership skills developed in clubs spills over into their academic work. In addition, we all know from our personal experiences that when we get excited about something like chess or human rights, the motivation to learn and do well in other areas such as school increases. The school board's actions are so dismissive and disrespectful of students that we need to organize to get the school board to reverse its decision" "We're extremely concerned for the safety of the students who have spoken out in favor of the Gay/Straight Alliances," said Hank Hannah, the other co-chair of UHRC. "Who is going to protect these kids from the backlash that we all know is going to occur?" The Utah Human Rights Coalition is an independent, nonprofit organization formed to give voice to the commitment of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people and their allies to progressive social, economic, and political change in order to improve the quality of life for all people and future generations in Utah. --end-- Utah newspapers: Salt Lake Tribune,Box 867,Salt Lake City,UT,84110 -(Fax 801-521-9418, print run 111,994) (E-MAIL: the.editors@sltrib.com) The Deseret News,Box 1257,Salt Lake City,UT,84110 -(Fax 801-237-2121, email= , print run 64,671) The Herald Journal,Box 487,Logan,UT,84321 -(Fax 801-753-6642, print run 14,081) Standard-Examiner,Box 951,Ogden,UT,84402 -(Fax 801-625-4508, priint run 55,335) The Daily Herald,Box 717,Provo,UT,84604 -(Fax 801-373-5489, print run 30,027) Spectrum,275 E. St. George Blvd,Saint George,UT,84770 -(Fax 801-673-9737, print run 15,095) The Daily Utah Chronicle,240 Union Building,University of Utah,Salt Lake City,UT,84112 ] *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ YOU MAY RE-POST. Jessea Greenman The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project*; ph/fax: 510-601-8883, 586 62nd St. Oakland, CA 94609-1245 CHECK THIS OUT FOR LOADS OF INFO: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project is *always* looking for volunteer organizers. Please cc us (for our files) on correspondence you send or receive re our action alerts. *Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally.