[join.glstn] Provided by: GLSTN 122 West 26th Street, Suite 1100 New York, NY 10001 USA Tel: (212) 727-0135 Email: glstn@glstn.org Web: http://www.glstn.org/respect/ GLSTN BROCHURE AND MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION WHAT IS GLSTN'S MISSION? GLSTN's goal is to create an environment at school in which every member of the school community is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation. We believe that such an atmosphere engenders a positive sense of self, which is the basis of educational achievement and personal growth. Since homophobia and heterosexism undermine a healthy school climate, we work to educate teachers, students and the public at large about the damaging effects these forces have on youth and adults alike. We recognize that forces such as racism and sexism have similarly adverse impacts on communities, and we support schools in seeking to redress all such inequities. GLSTN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community. We welcome as members any individual, regardless of sexual orientation or occupation, who is committed to seeing this philosophy realized in K-12 schools. GLSTN receives over 70% of our funding from people like you. Please show your support for our mission by joining GLSTN today. You can do so by printing out the membership form and returning it to GLSTN by regular mail, by fax or by electronic mail: WHAT DOES GLSTN DO? To fulfill our mission, GLSTN is committed to the following activities: 1) addressing homophobia and heterosexism in schools by facilitating communication among educators of all sexual orientations. 2) promoting dialogue with and among schools on the needs of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth and their families. 3) developing and distributing trainings, curricula and other materials in printed form and online which provide schools with strategies to guarantee equality for their students, to create a safe environment, to provide support and training for their faculty, and to value diversity with regard to sexual identity. 4) helping schools understand how communities which value diversity are healthier ones for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and that students are then freer to realize their human potential in such an environment. 5) educating the general public on the necessity for addressing sexual identity in the educational system as a means of creating better schools. 6) creating support for gay, lesbian and bisexual students and teachers currently in schools. 7) advocating change in the society at large with regard to homophobia and heterosexism, working to influence local, state, and national leaders. GLSTN's specific activities include regional conferences focused on creating change in schools, on-site workshops for individual schools and conferences, curriculum and training module development, quarterly newsletters and advocacy on behalf of youth and families. WHAT IS GLSTN'S HISTORY? GLSTN was founded by teachers in the Boston area in 1990, and was instrumental in the work that led to Massachusetts becoming the first state in the nation to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in its public schools, being honored for this work with a proclamation by Massachusetts Governor William Weld in 1993. In response to increasing national interest in GLSTN's work, the group decided to incorporate, hire staff, and begin to develop the first national network of local chapters working to end homophobia in our schools, in 1994. Since that time, more than twenty local chapters have been founded across the United States. By the end of the 1994-1995 school year, GLSTN's work had expanded to include helping to establish October as National Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual History Month, assisting local groups to introduce legislation to protect the rights of gay students in states including California and Connecticut, and sponsoring programming on the local level in more than 20 states. WHAT HAS GLSTN ACCOMPLISHED? GLSTN's work has been highly successful. GLSTN developed the "Gay-Straight Alliance" student support program, and helped established such groups in schools in more than a dozen states. GLSTN was instrumental in the fight that made Massachusetts the first state to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation against public schools students in December, 1993. In 1994 GLSTN was chosen to develop the faculty training component of the Massachusetts Department of Education's "Safe Schools for Gay and Lesbian Youth" program, the first state-wide effort to provide comprehensive training to school staffs on the needs of gay and lesbian youth. GLSTN helped establish Gay and Lesbian History Month, persuading Massachusetts Governor William Weld and Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker to issue proclamations on behalf of this inaugural event in October, 1994 and hosting the nation's largest conference on the subject as well. In local chapters across the nation, GLSTN members have won partner benefits for members, created more inclusive curriculum, delivered hundreds of trainings for school staffs, and carried out a myriad of activities to make our schools better places for all to work and learn. "I feel indebted to GLSTN as the organization which shape my professional life. GLSTN gave me the courage to come out and the results have been entirely positive for myself and my school. Most important for me is the feeling of freedom and openness I now have, not feeling like I need to hide from my students. Without the support of GLSTN, the strength to come out might have eluded me altogether." --Vicky Greenbaum, Music Teacher, Northfield, Massachusetts "Whether you're a gay or straight teacher, you should support GLSTN if you care about your students. GLSTN helped me to understand, as a "straight ally", why I needed to care about this issue and to take action." --Tom Stege, Science Teacher and Academic Dean, Austin, Texas "As a new teacher, GLSTN has been invaluable. GLSTN gave me the opportunity to work with other committed educators who face many of the same issues I face in my school. The support I have received has reaffirmed my belief in the strength of numbers and the importance of taking action." --Torey Wilson, History Teacher, Oak Park, Illinois ......................................................................... YES, I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT GLSTN'S WORK! ENCLOSED IS MY TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO BECOME A: ____GLSTN Member ($35 for standard membership, $15 for student or limited income membership) ____GLSTN Supporter ($50) ____GLSTN Patron ($100) ____GLSTN Sponsor ($250) ____GLSTN Benefactor ($500) ____GLSTN Angel ($1000) METHOD OF PAYMENT: ____ Check enclosed (payable to "GLSTN") in the amount of USD$ __________ ____ Money order enclosed in the amount of USD$ __________ ____ Visa ____ Mastercard ____ American Express ____ Discover Name of Issuing Bank ___________________ Name as Appears on Card _______________________________________ Card # __________________________________ Exp. Date ___/___/___ Signature _____________________________________________________ Name:___________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________ City/State/Zip:_________________________________________ Phone (include area code):______________________________ Email Address:__________________________________________ I am: ___an educator ___a community member ___a student ___a parent ___other___________________________ PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM TO: GLSTN, 122 West 26th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY 10001 USA CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS MAY BE RETURNED BY FAX TO: (212) 727-0254 OR BY E-MAIL TO: GLSTN@AOL.COM .................................................................... THE GLSTN HONORARY BOARD Kate Clinton, comedienne and former high school teacher Robb Forman Dew, author Martin Duberman, historian, founder, Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies Louise Erdrich, author Bill T. Jones, dancer, choreographer, author Greg Louganis, Olympic Gold medalist Brian McNaught, author Ruth Messinger, Manhattan Borough President David Mixner, author and political activist Martina Navratilova, athlete and author Robert B. Parker, author Susan Sarandon, actress Andrew Sullivan, editor of The New Republic Carolyn and Laurence Tribe, civil rights activist/Harvard Law professor Virginia Uribe, founder, Project 10 Urvashi Vaid, former Executive Director, NGLTF, and author GLSTN CHAPTERS (as of 8/21/96) Albequerque Atlanta Austin Boston Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Colorado Connecticut Des Moines Detroit Houston Hudson Valley-Westchester Los Angeles Madison/South-Central Wisconsin Maine Miami Minneapolis New Hampshire New York City Omaha Philadelphia Oregon Raleigh-Durham Rhode Island Saint Louis Salt Lake City San Diego San Joaquin San Mateo Santa Fe Tampa Traverse City Vermont Washington State Washington, D.C. "GLSTN helps empower teachers to affect change within themselves, and this translates into being more effective in the classroom. In short, it makes us all better teachers." --Duff Coburn, Middle School Teacher, Chapel Hill, North Carolina "The GLSTN Conference taught me more than any conference I've attended in ten years of teaching. Every single session was outstanding. As a straight person with many gay friends, I had thought about issues of homophobia before, but GLSTN helped me think about them in completely new ways. I now recommend these conferences to everyone I know." --Kate Higgins, History Teacher, Hightstown, New Jersey "One day I went to my teacher and asked him a question about something I had read about gay youth. Because I was so distraught, I began to cry. He then took time out of his class to help me. From that time on, he has been there to talk about whatever I am feeling. With this teacher, my life, which is normally fairly stressful, has been a little happier and easier to deal with." --Lesbian senior writing about a GLSTN member When I heard that the young teacher, who would later be my coach, history teacher and advisor, was gay, I was shocked. "No, he can't be," I thought. "He's a nice guy." It is sometimes hard for me to believe how much I have grown and changed since then ...I am proud of how much I have learned from him and changed because of his influence. --Heterosexual senior's college application essay about a GLSTN member I have realized what a difference I could be making in kids' lives. Instead of repeating the past, we as gay teachers can help the kids we care about, both gay and straight. The workshop made me think of the pain I went through as a kid. No one should feel that way. I know now that I can make a difference, that I can help. I thank you for helping me see that. --Lesbian elementary teacher, evaluating a GLSTN workshop .................................................................. This document is one of the many practical resources available online from GLSTN's web site at http://www.glstn.org/respect/. The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN) is the largest organization of parents, educators, students and other concerned citizens working to end homophobia in K-12 schools and to ensure that all students are valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation. To fulfill its mission and to raise awareness of these issues, GLSTN produces audio, visual and text-based educational materials, provides training, produces community programming and conferences, and organizes a growing national network of over 40 regional chapters. Membership in GLSTN is open to anyone -- regardless of their occupation or sexual orientation -- who is committed to seeing that the current generation is the last to suffer from homophobia. More than 70% of our budget is funded by individual donations and we need your support to continue to make resources such as this available. GLSTN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and all donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. GLSTN 122 West 26th Street, Suite 1100 New York, NY 10001 USA Tel: (212) 727-0135 Email: glstn@glstn.org Web: http://www.glstn.org/respect/ (c) 1994-1996, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN) .................................................................. Copyright is held by the original author(s) of this document. You may redistribute this document for educational purposes provided that you do not change the material and all notices remain intact.