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In this issue of GSA Network News, you'll find:
GSA Network Highlight
GSA Network Will Train Students in Morgan Hill After High-Profile Lawsuit
GSA Network Announcements
1. GSA Activist Camps this summer - SAVE THE DATE!
2. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
3. Central California GSA Network Youth Council Meeting (Fresno)
4. Workshop Organized Against Homophobia (WOAH!) Conference (Contra Costa)
5. Lavender Prom (Fresno)
6. Laramie Project and Discussion (Merced)
7. Local Grants from the California Safe Schools Coalition
Other Announcements
8. "Deuces Wild," your local queer youth cabaret, Sat. May 8th!! (Berkeley)
9. COLAGE Youth Email Discussion Community
10. LGBT Youth Prom (LA)
11. This Saturday at Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank (Los Angeles)
12. Workshop on Interracial Dating (San Francisco)
13. Q-Action Events (San Francisco)
14. The Other Side of the Closet-A Touring Play for Youth
15. CALL for Trans Artwork (San Francisco)
16. Documentary Film MOVE Saturday May 15 (Oakland)
17. AFL-CIO Organizing Institute
18. San Francisco Pride Alliance Scholarships
19. JOB: Program Director Position at HIFY
20. JOB: Youth Activities Coordinator - 16 hours/wk
21. NEWS: Sac City School Board Votes to Protect Gay Students
22. NEWS: State Superintendent Clarifies Gender Non-Discrimination Law
23. NEWS: Morgan Hill school tolerance trainers picked
+++++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK HIGHLIGHT +++++++++++++++
GSA Network Will Train Students in Morgan Hill After High-Profile Lawsuit
GSA Network is proud to announce that we have been selected to coordinate the mandatory student training program in Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD) that arose out of a high-profile lawsuit settled in January 2004. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of 6 former MHUSD students who were subjected to daily harassment and threats of physical violence and actual physical violence on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation and gender. Along with mandatory student training, the settlement agreement requires Morgan Hill to conduct mandatory training for district employees. Kanwarpal Dhaliwal, an independent consultant, was selected to conduct the staff and teacher trainings. The school district selected the GSA Network and Kanwarpal Dhaliwal as a team because of our shared track record providing trainings for Visalia Unified School District after they settled a similar lawsuit.
Starting with the 2004-2005 school year, GSA Network will train Morgan Hill student peer educators to conduct a mandatory peer-to-peer training session on preventing anti-LGBT harassment to all ninth grade students. Seventh graders will likewise attend a training session that focuses exclusively on the subject of preventing anti-LGBT harassment. For both grade levels, the student trainings will cover school policies prohibiting harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity and what students can do to prevent and report harassment. Student training on these issues will continue through the 2007-2008 school year.
For more information, see item #23 to read the article from the Pinnacle News
about the Morgan Hill Unified School District decision to hire GSA Network and
Kanwarpal Dhaliwal.
+++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS +++++++++++++
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1. GSA Activist Camps this summer - SAVE THE DATE!
The GSA Activist Camp is a youth-planned and youth-led 3-day event that features
intensive community building, skill-building, political education, and leadership
training for GSA members. All youth who will be involved in a high school or
middle school GSA next year are encouraged to apply. Stay tuned for applications!
Southern Cal GSA Activist Camp in Los Angeles
Friday, July 9 - Sunday, July 11
Northern Cal Activist Camp in Oakland
Wednesday, August 11 - Friday, Wednesday 13
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2. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
Got Pride?
Wanna show how fabulous your GSA is at San Francisco Pride?
Well then, register your GSA with the Pride Contingent. We will once again
be marching in the pride parade and we are asking people to come through, show
your love, make signs and do the pride thang right!
We will be sending out details about when and where to line up to march, so
stay tuned!
For more information, please call Sean Saifa Wall at 415.552.4229 or email
mailto:saifa@gsanetwork.org.
*********************************************
3. Central California GSA Network Youth Council Meeting (Fresno)
Central California GSA Network Youth Council Meeting Saturday, May 8th at 2pm
at the Fresno office. Everyone's invited. Let's pack the house!
Contact Diana for rides or more information 559 453-9040
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4. Workshop Organized Against Homophobia (WOAH!) Conference (Contra Costa)
What do you get when you mix a Free Conference, Free Food and Queer Youth and their ALLIES from all over the Contra Costa County and Bay?
You Get WOAH!
May 22, 2004 10AM-5PM
College Park High School
201 Viking Drive
Pleasant Hill, CA
There will be a ton of diverse workshops on homophobia, activism, How to start
a GSA, Coming Out, Racism, GLBTQ History, Art, Media and Gender Variance, just
to name a few!
GSA Network plans on presenting workshops at WOAH in 2004!
Pre-register by sending the following info to mailto:woah04@yahoo.com:
1. name
2. email or phone
3. is it ok to email/call you?
4. vegetarian?
5. any other considerations or needs we should know about?
Same-day registration will be accepted, although pre-registration is preferred.
Co-Sponsors: QYAT, GLSEN San Francisco-East Bay, Contra Costa AIDS Program, College Park High GSA, and the Rainbow Community Center
*********************************************
5. Lavender Prom (Fresno)
Lavender Prom will be held Saturday, May 15th from 7pm until 11pm at Diana's Dance Studio in Fresno's Tower District.
This event is open to youth 14-23 years old and is sponsored by the LGBT Youth
Alliance. $10 per ticket (No one turned away for lack of funds). Dancing, food,
contest for titles. The theme of the evening is "Hot Havana Nights."
Diana's Dance Studio is located at 726 N. Fulton Ave in the Tower Neighborhood
between Belmont and Olive.
For more information or tickets contact mailto:Frankie@gsanetwork.org
or Diana at the GSA Network office, mailto:diana@gsanetwork.org.
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6. Laramie Project and Discussion (Merced)
The Merced Playhouse presents the Laramie Project, which chronicles the effect of Matthew Shepard's death in this small Wyoming town. For the Wednesday, May 12th 7pm performance, students from Golden Valley High School and Merced High School will be admitted free with valid student ID. Following the performance there will be talk-back circles with various community leaders including Diana Bohn of GSA Network. "The Closet Project" an exhibit of the outer presentations and inner realities of LGBT youth will also be on display.
The Closet Project was created by GSA Network students in the central valley. For more information contact mailto:Diana@gsanetwork.org
*********************************************
7. Local Grants from the California Safe Schools Coalition
GSA Network is very pleased to report that the California Safe Schools Coalition
will be awarding grants up to $2500 to organizations, coalitions and individuals
who want to work in their local communities toward implementing California's
state law protecting LGBTQ students from discrimination and harassment in school.
Please see the information and application below.
The deadline is June 15. If you have questions, contact Bob Kim at the Respect
for All Project at mailto:bkim@womedia.org
or Molly O'Shaughnessy, Director of the California Safe Schools Coalition,
at mailto:molly@casafeschools.org.
*REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS*
California Safe Schools Coalition
Local Initiatives Grants
Statewide organization offers activist grants supporting school safety
For the first time ever, the California Safe Schools Coalition, a partnership of organizations and individuals dedicated to eliminating discrimination and harassment on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity in California schools, will offer small grants to local partners working to protect California students in K-12 schools. The goal of the Coalition is to support local initiatives to implement the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 (previously known as "AB 537"-hereafter "the Student Safety Act"), which added sexual orientation and gender (including gender identity) to the list of protected categories in the state Education Code.
This work has never been so clearly needed. California's most comprehensive survey of anti-LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) harassment recently revealed that every year more than 200,000 students are targets of harassment because they are, or are perceived to be, gay, lesbian, or bisexual. While most of us never needed a study to tell us this, the results of this report are opening the eyes of administrators up and down the state. This is why the Coalition is launching the state's first initiative to work with and provide financial support to local partners who are working at the ground level to make the Student Safety Act count in their area schools.
Interested groups, organizations, and individuals (you do not have to be a 501(c)(3) organization to apply; individuals, coalitions, chapters and networks are welcome) are strongly encouraged to submit a proposal (see page 3) to obtain one of up to eight local grants. Selected "partners" will receive funding up to $2,500 as well as ongoing support from the Coalition. Support may include: information on statewide or other regional efforts related to implementation of the Student Safety Act; assistance in assessing whether your local schools are doing all they can to protect LGBTQ students; suggestions for working effectively with local school districts and communities; group training; and/or one-on-one consultation.
Proposals should be submitted by a lead person who will work on implementation of the Student Safety Act, communicate with the Coalition, and manage the funds disbursed by the Coalition. The selection committee will be looking to fund projects in locations that, as a whole, reflect the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, political and geographical diversity in California.
In addition, preference will be given to proposals that meet some or all of
the following criteria:
1. Demonstrate a need for funding from the Coalition in order to support advocacy
efforts;
2. Show a pre-existing relationship with people in the local school community,
including teachers, administrators, Board members, students, and/or parents
and guardians;
3. Address the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the local school
community;
4. Reflect a commitment to fostering safety toward transgender, bisexual, gay,
lesbian and other students;
5. Describe one of the following: 1) the need for policies, programs, training
or curricula in the local partner's region based on specific incidents, a history
of discrimination or harassment, or other local factors OR 2) the need for assistance
in elevating or expanding existing efforts to implement the Student Safety Act
in the region; and
6. Articulate a realistic and achievable plan of action.
Application Process
Individuals or organizations interested in applying for local partner funding
should fill out the attached application and fax or email it to Bob Kim (Fax
#: 415-641-4632; Email: mailto:bkim@respectforall.org)
by June 15, 2004 or call him for assistance (415-641-4616) in completing the
application. Early submissions are encouraged.
The Coalition expects to notify applicants whether they have been selected
by July 15, 2004.
If you have questions, please call Bob Kim at 415-641-4616 or Molly O'Shaughnessy,
Director, California Safe Schools Coalition, at 415-626-1680. For more information
on the California Safe Schools Coalition, please visit http://www.casafeschools.org.
Application for local partner funding
In a separate, typed document, please provide the information requested below.
Follow the submission instructions on the preceding page. Submission deadline:
June 15, 2004.
1. Name of Individual/Group/Organization applying for grant.
2. Name, phone number, mailing address, and email address of primary contact
person for the Individual/Group/Organization.
3. Provide a brief synopsis about Individual/Group/Organization (including,
if applicable, description of mission, objectives, history, number of paid or
volunteer staff, funding sources, and recent activities).
4. Summarize the reason you are applying for funding and what you would hope
to achieve with it (including a description of a successful outcome).
5. Describe to what extent you meet the criteria listed on Page 2 of this application.
Please separately answer each of the criteria in numerical order as listed on
Page 2.
6. Provide a brief budget summary, including your existing budget, the amount
requested from the California Safe Schools Coalition (up to $2,500), and a short
description of how the Coalition funding would be spent.
7. Provide complete contact information of two (2) references who are familiar
with your work:Thank you! We will notify you of the status of this application
by July 15, 2004. In the meantime, if you are not a member of the Coalition
and would like to join, we welcome you to fill out a membership form at http://casafeschools.org/joinform.html.
++++++++++++++++ OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS ++++++++++++++++
GSA Network News is a publication of Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
Events, resources, and news items listed under "Other Announcements"
are not sponsored or written by GSA Network, and do not necessarily reflect
the views and opinions of GSA Network.
*********************************************
8. "Deuces Wild," your local queer youth cabaret, Sat. May 8th!! (Berkeley)
I'm excited to announce the two year anniversary of the Pacific Center's after-school
drop-in program, The Attic! We are celebrating next Saturday night, May 8th
with a wild and crazy 20's style gay gangster theme, called "Deuces Wild."
The celebration will bring together queer and trans youth and our allies of
all ages for a night of spoken word, drag, song/dance, and all out entertainment.
The show will begin at 8pm and will be held here at the Center!
Pass the invite along and mark your calendars! Get out, get dressed all 20's
style spiffy and join us for a night of craze as we celebrate and honor the
Bay's finest queer and trans youth of color activists and leaders and all their
hard work in keeping a small program like us running, even when the funding
was dry.
WHO: The Pacific Center's L.O.U.D. youth program, for LGBTQQI youth allies
ages 23 and under
WHAT: "Deuces Wild," 2-year anniversary spoken word & performance
event!
20's style gay gangster theme!!
WHEN: Saturday, May 8th, show begins at 8pm, games, food, music to follow to
midnight!
WHERE: The Pacific Center, 2712 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, CA (@ Derby, kitty-corner
to Andronico's), Bus lines 40, 40L, or BART to Downtown Berkeley or Ashby and
walk up
WHY: Because queer and trans youth will one day rule the earth.
This is a drug and alcohol free event and is open to folks of all ages!
Wanna perform for someone other than your bedroom mirror?? email us at mailto:youth@pacificcenter.org,
as we are in need of more performers!!
If you have questions, feel free to contact us 510-548-8283 ex.216.
There is no charge for this event, but we will be collecting donations for the
food!
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9. COLAGE Youth Email Discussion Community
Want to meet other youth who have lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender parents? Join the COLAGE Youth List- an online community for folks with LGBT parents. This is a place for you to talk about what you want with others who know what its like to have a queer family. COLAGE Youth is for folks ages 14-22 with one or more LGBT parent.
To join COLAGE Youth you should send an email to mailto:COLAGEYouth-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
For more information about the list see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/COLAGEYouth/
The COLAGE Youth list is a closed, moderated list. This is the place to connect
with others your age who also have LGBT parents, to discuss the challenges and
blessings of having an LGBT family, share questions and advice, and meet some
fabulous new people.
The list has a new moderator- Mary Schafer who is the adult daughter of a lesbian mom and a straight father. She formerly ran the COLAGE Boulder Chapter and nowlives in NYC where she goes to Columbia University Business School.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with COLAGE staff
at 415-861-5437 or mailto:colage@colage.org.
Thanks and we'll see you online!
Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Coordinator & Mary Schafer, COLAGE Youth
Listserv Moderator
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10. LGBT Youth Prom (LA)
LGBT Youth Prom, sponsored by Friends of Project 10, will be held on Friday,
May 21, 2004.
Youth, ages 14-23, are welcome. Prepay tickets are $25.
Tickets at the door are $35 (entry cannot be guaranteed). The prom will be
held from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal
City. Youth may preregister at <http://www.modelsofpride.org>
or they may request an order form from <mailto:project10@hotmail.com>
or by calling (626) 577-4553.
Cashiers checks and money orders only for prepay tickets. Cash only at the door.
Tickets include parking, meal, dancing, entertainment, and soft drinks.
*********************************************
11. This Saturday at Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank (Los Angeles)
This Saturday, May 15, 2004 -- from 2 to 5pm at Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank for Addressing LGBTQ issues in Schools
We will lead FUN theatre games and improvisations, and brainstorm ideas for
creative ways
to address LGBT issues in schools-through plays, assembly presentations, video
PSAs and perhaps even Pep Rally skits.
The Think Tank is open to all youth (14 and older), parents, educators, theatre artists, therapists, activists, thinkers and allies interested in creating &/or collaborating on performance pieces dealing with LGBTQ issues.
Bring in issues you're dealing with at your school!
Bring ideas or even drafts of scripts, poems or speeches!
Bring your sense of humor, your outrage, your passion!
Or just come as you are!Only 2 MORE Theatre Think Tank meetings this school
year:
Apr. 17 * May 15 * June 5
from 2-to-5pm at GLASS, 735 S. La Brea Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Join us whenever and as often as you can!
LOCATION & PARKING:
GLASS is located 1/2 block south of Wilshire Blvd.. Bring quarters to park in
the metered lot for Blockbusters on the N/W corner of Wilshire & La Brea,
entrance to parking lot is just west of La Brea on the north side of Wilshire.
Metered street parking and some residential parking are also available.)*Please
contact Natalya Brusilovsky at mailto:natalya2k@earthlink.net
or call (213) 252-8112 for more information and to RSVP as space is limited.
**Contact Norma Bowles at mailto:normabowles@earthlink.net or call (323) 953-9036 if you would like Fringe Benefits to go to your school or community center and work with a group there to develop an original play about LGBT or other discrimination issues.**
*********************************************
12. Workshop on Interracial Dating (San Francisco)
THE COLOR OF LOVE
--a workshop on interracial dating--
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, & questioning asians, pacific
islanders, & hapas 25 & under
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
6-8pm
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street (at Ellis), 4th Floor, SF.
Come to a workshop to discuss interracial dating and how it affects someone's
decisions on making healthier and safer choices. A meaningful conversation on
differences of culture/ethnic/race and the stereotypes associated around that.
Facilitated by Plunket Phommachanh.
Brought to you by AQU25A (Asians & Pacific Islanders, Queer & Questioning,
25 & Under, All Together).
For more information, please contact Sabrina Wu, AQU25A Program Coordinator,
at 415.292.3420 x315 or mailto:sabrina@apiwellness.org.
*********************************************
13. Q-Action Events (San Francisco)
"STUDY HABIT"
Thursday, May 13 @ 7:30pm
QnA Lounge - 539 Castro St.
School finals won't last forever. Will you be celebrating responsibly?
Break a bad habit tonight... drop-in to the QnA Lounge.
Q Action is for guys of all colors & flavors 25 & under who dig other
guys.
*Want the 411? http://www.qaction.org OR
415.865.0790 x304
----
"SOUL IN THE WOODS"
Friday, May 21 @ 7:00pm - Orientation
Saturday, May 22 @ 9:00am - Hiking
2128 15th Street
Orientation is mandatory for safety tips.
Saturday is an amazing day in the Presido. Get outdoors and share your experiences
with all kinds of boys! Rain or shine, we'll provide the gear to keep you safe,
warm and dry. Guys of color encouraged to attend.
*********************************************
14. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CLOSET - A Touring Play for Youth
Despite an anti-harassment law that took effect four years ago in California, harassment and bullying based on sexual orientation remain persistant and pervasive in California schools. More than 200,000 middle and high school students every year are targets of harassment based on actual or perceived sexual orientation.
The Other Side of the Closet by Ed Roy supports a safer school curriculum wherein students, teachers and parents can learn about diversity and acceptance in an innovative and engaging format. Set in and around a high school, the play tells the story of 5 teens who are grappling with issues of peer pressure, youth violence, homophobia, behavior norms and expectations, discrimination and identity.
Each performance is followed by a facilitated discussion session with the cast. Designed for 7th - 12th graders, The Other Side of the Closet is available to tour to your school or community from October 25th - December 17th 2004. The program is about 70 minutes in length and can be performed for little or no-cost for qualifying schools. A great activity for your GSA or other tolerance promoting organization to sponsor!
To accommodate busy school schedules, we are now taking reservations for the
Fall 2004. Contact the YouthAware Programs Director, Sara Staley at (415) 861-4914
or email <mailto:youthaware@nctcsf.org>
for more information, or to book a performance date.
You may also visit us on the web at http://www.nctcsf.org/YouthAware.html
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*********************************************
15. CALL for Trans Artwork (San Francisco)
FRESH MEAT IN THE GALLERY - trans/gender visual art
Fresh Meat is an acclaimed annual transgender & queer performance cabaret,
taking place at ODC Theater June 17-19 during this yearís National Queer
Arts Festival.
This year, we are expanding our scope to visual art! During the month of June, Fresh Meat is curating a trans/gender mixed media art exhibition, Fresh Meat in the Gallery. The exhibition runs June 6 - June 30 at ODC Gallery, and there will be a gala meet-the-artists reception after the Thursday June 17 performance of Fresh Meat 2004.
We invite genderqueer, transgender, intersex, third gender, gender-variant, and all gender outlaws to submit trans or gender-related works of visual art. As the showís curators, we are soliciting work that will contribute to a rich visual dialogue about gender, the body and society to parallel the dialogue happening on stage during the performance.
We need to see your work! Please submit:
1) Up to three images, in one of the following formats:
a. Slides, with your name on each slide and an arrow indicating the direction
the slide should be viewed, OR
b. A CD with high-resolution JPEGs (images scanned at at least 200 dpi), OR
c. Very clear photographs
2) A short (200 words or less) bio about yourself and your work
Deadline for submissions is Friday May 21, 2004. Early submissions are much
appreciated!!
MAIL SUBMISSIONS TO:
Billie Mandel, c/o TPL,
116 New Montgomery, 4th Floor,
San Francisco, CA 94105
NOTE: Please CALL FIRST if you would like to arrange for hand delivery of your
work.
Submissions will not be returned by mail unless they are accompanied by a self-addressed,
stamped envelope. You can also arrange to pick your photos/slides/CDs up after
weíve had a chance to look at them.
Weíre looking forward to seeing your work!
Questions? Want to volunteer?
Contact Billie Mandel
mailto:billiemandel@hotmail.com
(415) 871-7518
CURATORS: Michele Dryden, Shawna Virago, Emma Ramstad, Billie Mandel, Sean Dorsey
PRESENTED BY: FRESH MEAT PRODUCTIONS
*********************************************
16. Documentary Film MOVE Saturday May 15 (Oakland)
Oakland Box Theater and Cohort Media present a film screening of the documentary film MOVE on Saturday May 15, 5pm (doors 4:30pm)
Where: Oakland Box Theater 1928 Telegraph Avenue
Downtown Oakland, CA 94612
Wheelchair accessible http://www.oaklandbox.com
510-451-1932
Cost: Sliding Scale $5 to $10 Advance tickets suggested and available online
<http://www.liberationink.com/>
or call 650-568-4379
MOVE
http://www.movefilm.com
Directors: Benjamin Garry & Ryan McKenna
USA (2003) 53 min
Film Description:
This documentary covers the full controversial history of the radical black
movement, MOVE, in Philadelphia that was created by John Africa in the 1970's.
The story is told through interviews with actual MOVE members including Ramona
Africa, the MOVE 9 prisoners, and MOVE supporters and analyzed by its neighbors,
Philadelphia journalists and other outside opinions. Howard Zinn, author of
"The People's History of the United States" narrates this fascinating
and informative documentary.
Discussion to follow with film directors and MOVE members Ramona Africa and
Blizzard Africa from Philadelphia.
Telephone for media: (650) 568-4379
Event contact: Le Tim Ly: mailto:le@youthunited.net
Oakland Box contact: Laura DuBois: 510-206-2779
*********************************************
17. AFL-CIO Organizing Institute
Do you have a passion for social change? Would you like to help workers stand up for themselves and their families by demanding a living wage, health insurance, and dignity on the job? Do you want a job working for social justice?
Join us for a hands-on training conducted by LGBTQ organizers who work on the front lines in the fight for economic justice.
On June 4-6, in Oakland, CA, Pride At Work and the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute (OI) will co-conduct a training especially for LGBTQ workers and potential organizers. This training is the first step in the Organizing Institute's job training and placement program, which leads to full-time jobs in union organizing. It is the one training a year that is geared toward LGBTQ workers and potential organizers. Housing and food are provided.
After attending this training, selected OI trainees participate in a two-week orientation and a three-month apprenticeship on a union organizing campaign, where they learn union-building skills firsthand.
This field training is paid $450/week plus housing, transportation and health insurance. Graduates of our program have a 98% placement rate in jobs as union organizers.
Starting salary for organizers is between $28,000-$35,000 a year depending on the union and location. Participants must be able to travel, relocate and work long and irregular hours. Women, people of color and bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.
For more information or an application, please contact Julia Stewart at 213-387-1974
ext. 13 or mailto:jstewart@aflcio.org.
Applications are due May 26,2004.
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18. San Francisco Pride Alliance Scholarships
The San Francisco Police Officers' Pride Alliance is proud to announce the Officer Jon C. Cook Scholarship Fund. This scholarship was founded as a way to honor the memory of Officer Jon C. Cook. Officer Cook was the first gay officer to die in the line of duty in the City of San Francisco. His memory will forever be in our hearts and the hearts of all who knew him. The San Francisco Police Officers' Pride Alliance has helped to set up a scholarship fund in Officer Cook's memory. These annual scholarships will be given to selected candidates at the SFPO's Pride Alliance annual event in June of every year.
Applicants must be:
1. High School Seniors
2. GPA of 3.0 or higher
3. LGBT youth or
4. Child of LGBT Parents or
5. Child of a San Francisco Police Officer
Application must include:
1. Copy of High School Transcripts
2. Letter from teacher in senior year
Qualified candidates will be notified, and asked to submit a written essay in
a chosen topic. Winning candidates will be presented the scholarships at our
annual event. If you or any other qualified applicant is interested in applying
for this scholarship, please contact the San Francisco Police Officer's Pride
Alliance at mailto:info@sfpopridealliance.org.
*********************************************
19. JOB: Program Director Position at HIFY
Job posting for: Program Director
Reports to: Executive Director
Salary: $55,000
Start date: July
Application deadline: May 21
About HIFY
HIFY's mission is to improve the health and well-being of young people through
education, advocacy and leadership opportunities. We believe in providing complete,
accurate health information to young people and supporting them in making their
own decisions. Our work is grounded in harm reduction, positive sexuality, youth
development and anti-oppression principles.
Position Summary
The Program Director is primarily responsible for the implementation of HIFY's
mission. S/he oversees all program activities and operations, including curriculum
and materials development, planning, evaluation, budgeting and reporting.
Job Duties
* Facilitate long range program planning and goal-setting for HIFY's work in
youth health and development.
* Hire, supervise, support and review program managers
* Guide curriculum development
* Guide development, production and distribution of publications
* Develop and monitor program budgets
* Assist Development Director in grantwriting and reporting
* Keep informed of new research and emerging health needs related to HIFY's
mission, and facilitate incorporation of these into programs
* Work with independent evaluator to facilitate evaluation of HIFY programs
* Facilitate cross-department communication
* Oversee program participant outreach and recruitment
* Design staff development plan for program staff
* Oversee the development, coordination and delivery of trainings, publications,
peer education and other youth development programs
* Oversee the collection, analysis and production of data, reports and forms
as required by HIFY and by program funders
* Monitor compliance with grant agreements
* Represent HIFY at community and professional meetings, conferences and workshops,
making presentations where appropriate and sharing information with HIFY staff
from these meetings
* Oversee the daily operations of the workplace
* Oversee website
Qualifications
HIFY does not require specific degrees for its positions. Experience requirements
can be met through educational, professional or life experience.
Candidates Should:
* Feel comfortable with and excited about working with diverse groups of youth
and adults.
* Have specific experience working with communities of color
* Embrace HIFY's mission and the services we provide.
* Be able to work in a small, close-knit team environment.
* Have 3-5 years management experience with increasing responsibility
* Have curriculum / program development experience
* Have experience in materials / publications development and production
* Have significant experience in adolescent health and/or youth development
* Have direct experience working with youth
* Have strong writing and editing skills
How To Apply
Please send resume and cover letter to Sharon Dolan by May 21, 2004.
HIFY 235 Montgomery St., Suite 430, San Francisco, CA 94104. Fax: 415-274-1976
E-mail: mailto:dolan@hify.org
HIFY is an equal opportunity employer.
We encourage people of color and LGBTQIQ people to apply.
*********************************************
20. JOB: Youth Activities Coordinator-16 hours/wk
Youth Activities Coordinator
..4 FTE (16 hrs/wk)
The Pacific Center for Human Growth is the East Bay's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community center located in Berkeley. It is celebrating its 30th year of providing services to the community that include individual and couples counseling, peer support and activity groups, information referrals and resource library, HIV services and after-school youth programs.
The L.O.U.D. (Loving Ourselves and Uniting Diversity) Youth Program provides
a safe-space for LGBTQQI youth ages 25 and under to hang out, attend counseling
and support groups, socialize, participate in workshops, get resources, speak
in the schools, develop leadership skills and give back to the community.
The Youth Activities Coordinator is a new part-time position and will be responsible
for overseeing the after-school program for the Pacific Center's L.O.U.D. youth
program. The new position will be primarily responsible for creating a structured
after school program that includes workshops, social events, community outreach,
and building a resource library. This position will be supervised by the Youth
Program Director.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Work closely with Youth Program Director for program development, implementation,
and evaluation of all youth program services.
* Develop a structured after school program with facilitated "check-in"
support groups, mental health counseling (individual and group), mentoring,
homework and job assistance and social activities.
* Develop a structured outreach effort in targeted area schools and organizations
in order to link the LOUD program with more of the youth community in Berkeley
and Oakland, especially with the Gay/Straight Alliances- -GSAs. This will allow
more youth in need to access the LOUD program and create a smoother service
continuum between LOUD, the schools and youth based organizations.
This includes:
-establishing/maintaining the liaisons for outreach,
-creating and distributing flyers and ads,
-updating the LOUD web site,
-maintaining and distributing a calendar of events,
-keeping list-servs and data bases current,
-creating/maintaining after school program schedule of events,
-creating posters/flyers for LOUD glossary, values and description of its culture,
-creating resource library and update resource bulletin boards, computer data
base, including jobs, housing, internships, etc.
-organizing monthly educational workshops,
-recruiting/screening/supervising volunteers for homework assistance, job preparedness
assistance, mentoring, social events, etc.
-organizing social events, movie nights, retreats, etc.
-Collect youth participant data, program related data, manage youth information
surveys and develop reports to evaluate the LOUD programs.
-Work as a team member with other Center staff and volunteers.
Minimum Qualifications:
* High School degree or equivalent. College experience desirable.
* Two (2) years experience working with youth
* Knowledge or experience with the queer communities.
* Knowledge or experience with diverse racial, economic and cultural backgrounds.
* Knowledge or experience with outreach efforts.
* Knowledge or experience working with computers. [Desirable: knowledge or experience
with computer graphics, databases and Excel].
* Good organizational skills.
* Good ethics and values.
* Very responsible and energetic.
Salary and Benefits:
* Paid vacation is 32 hr/year.
* Paid Holidays are 13 but only be taken if the holiday occurs on the employee's
scheduled work day.
* Paid sick leave is 33.6 hrs/year
For more information, please contact Mateo Cruz at 510-548-8283 ex. 216 and
mailto:mateo@pacificcenter.org
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21. NEWS: Sac City School Board Votes to Protect Gay Students
Friday, April 30, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gerald O'Connor
GLSEN Greater Sacramento
(916) 733-2135 VM
mailto:sacglsen@yahoo.com
SACRAMENTO - In a first for area school districts and to the applause of those in the audience, the Sacramento City Unified School District on Thursday passed without opposition a resolution designed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students from discrimination and harassment. Resolution 2355, formally submitted by new Superintendent M. Magdalena Carrillo Mejia, states that the Board supports efforts to "provide schools that are safe places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, gender non-conforming, and straight allied youth and adults." The resolution further directs the Superintendent "to oversee the development of plans that comply with the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000" (otherwise known as AB 537), and urges the Superintendent and staff to form a task force to implement the resolution in line with recommendations made in the AB 537 Task Force Report ordered by former State Superintendent of Schools Delaine Eastin.
"This resolution is long overdue," noted board member Jay Schenirer. "We need to ensure that the protections mentioned in this resolution make their way not just to high school and middle school campuses, but to the elementary school level as well, where the name-calling and harassment are already present." Board member Roy Grimes noted in support that his work in the Elk Grove Unified School District included training on LGBT issues in the Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) program, and that this resolution echoes those worthy efforts. Board member Manny Hernandez also spoke in favor of the resolution, and Superintendent Mejia said that a group of parents, teachers, students and others have been meeting with the district over the past school year to address these issues and they will comprise the task force.
Board president Rob Fong, who is leaves the board Friday in preparation for his upcoming term on the Sacramento City Council, praised the work of district students, teachers, staff, as well as Donna Matthews of the Greater Sacramento chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), who crafted the language of the resolution. Fong encouraged his colleagues to treat the resolution as a first step in ensuring adequate protections for all students and staff.
McClatchy High School students Yvonne Neis and Katie Lonke spoke to the board
about the importance of the resolution in protecting LGBT students and providing
them and their straight allies with the kind of formal support that has been
lacking for so long. Diana Cowan of Assemblymember Darrell Steinberg's office,
who has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about LGBT harassment in schools,
thanked the board for making this important move in protecting all students,
regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
No one spoke in opposition.
"We are hopeful that this resolution can serve as a model for other districts in the area, and that the real work of training staff and students about how to stop harassment and discrimination can begin," said Gerald O'Connor of GLSEN Greater Sacramento. "School districts in this state are vulnerable to lawsuits based on harassment of LGBT students and staff if they fail to meet their obligations under the law. We have already seen, in cases stemming from AB 537, that districts offering no staff training or otherwise failing to demonstrate compliance with the law find themselves losing costly lawsuits or having to settle cases out of court. And liability insurance does not cover schools that fail to comply with the law. We want to work with schools to move beyond policy and help to craft training options that are effective. We congratulate the Sacramento City Unified School District for taking this momentous step toward the affirmation of diversity."
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22. NEWS: State Superintendent Clarifies Gender Non-Discrimination Law
This week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell sent a
letter and legal advisory to school districts and county offices of education
to make clear that all school districts and county offices of education are
equally responsible for upholding all state laws that protect students from
discrimination and harassment.
As some in the media have reported, members of the Westminster Elementary School
District Board of Trustees have attempted to portray their compliance with the
State's Uniform Complaint Procedure as evidence that Jack O'Connell accepted
the district's revised definition of gender. This is false. In fact, O'Connell
specifically rejected the district's attempt to substitute its own definition
of gender, noting that the Westminster School District has no authority to take
such action and that the district must enforce all the laws of the state that
protect all students from discrimination.
Please see the attached letter:
April 29, 2004
Dear County and District Superintendents:
Under California law, every child in this state deserves and is entitled to
unequivocal protection from discrimination.
Recent attempts by one local school board to circumvent California's anti-discrimination
laws have prompted me to provide all school districts with the attached legal
advisory that spells out the areas of law that protect students from discrimination
and harassment, generally, and specifically, in respect to gender and sexual
orientation.
As you may know from recent media reports, a majority of members on the Westminster
Elementary School District Board attempted to limit the rights of certain students
by refusing to enact a uniform complaint procedure required by state law that:
(1) protects students from harassment, and (2) gives them safeguards and a process
for resolving discrimination complaints. After I threatened to withhold state
funds from Westminster because of the district's lack of compliance, the district
did eventually comply.
However, when Westminster submitted its uniform complaint procedure documentation, it also provided an attachment in which the board attempted to substitute its own definition of gender, based on certain board members' own personal prejudices.
After a through legal review, I unequivocally rejected the district's attempt to circumvent protections from discrimination for all students. No local school district or county office of education has the authority to choose which laws to enforce or to adopt its own definitions of any protected class. Students in the Westminster Elementary School District have and will continue to have the same legal protection from discrimination and harassment that all other students in California enjoy.
I want to make clear that if any local educational agency attempts to adopt
a similar discriminatory policy or fails to resolve a complaint of alleged discrimination
on any basis, my office will respond with every legal means available to protect
the students we are all elected to serve.
Sincerely,
JACK O'CONNELL
JO:hm
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23. NEWS: Morgan Hill school tolerance trainers picked
School tolerance trainers picked
MHUSD moves forward with requirements of discrimination lawsuit By KACI ELDER
Pinnacle Staff Writer
If only money could buy a new attitude.
Now that the sexual-orientation discrimination lawsuit against Morgan Hill Unified School District has settled, a comprehensive tolerance-training program is being wheeled in stop the abuse in its tracks. "We need this training like crazy," said parent Nancy Smeresky, who believes the district has not rid itself of homophobia in the last decade, as some administrators have claimed.
She helped select two professional trainers, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network
and Kanwarpal Dhaliwal to overhaul attitudes through peer-to-peer education
and workshops over the next three years, as required by the settlement.
Both trainers helped Visalia Unified bring tolerance training into its system
after settling a similar lawsuit in 2002, and the San Francisco-based GSA Network
facilitates over 400 Gay-Straight Alliance high school clubs in California.
"Some kids haven't gotten on the bandwagon, and teachers and administrators
who don't understand this [harassment] is against the law in this state,"
said Live Oak's Gay-Straight Alliance advisor Bunny Keterman.
The landmark settlement-one of the few to include female plaintiffs-earmarked $100,000 toward training, which the district's insurance will cover, and on April 19, the board approved a one-year $37,000 contract with the trainers. Follow-up training, substitute teachers and unforeseen costs will likely drain the remaining allotment.
"Because of the numbers of people we're laying off, we have fewer people now than originally budgeted for," Superintendent Carolyn McKennon said, referring to another round of classified layoffs the board approved Monday night. "So we may have the resources to take [training] into the third year."
If the cache runs dry before the mandated training is complete, the anemic
General Fund will have to provide.
Years of attacks, threatening letters and teacher apathy led the six plaintiffs
in the "Flores case" to sue the district in 1998. They accused the
administration of not stopping the discrimination, which began as early as 1991,
and nearly six years after filing suit, they settled for $1.1 million.
Under the settlement's detailed training requirements, any adult who works with children is required to attend a three-hour workshop, which will include a panel of students sharing their experiences as the victims or witnesses to harassment, training on reporting, remedying and investigating alleged harassment, and guiding victims to community resources.
Administrator training lasts a half hour longer, and they will be the first
to be trained in June. Staff and students are to follow suit in late summer
or early fall. At least one administrator from each school has to receive follow-up
training each year through the end of 2006-07, and until then, sexual orientation
and gender identity harassment will be a regular agenda item at each staff meeting
and a minimum hour-long review will begin each semester.
Dhaliwal, an independent trainer, will head the initial training and the first
follow-ups, but when she leaves the system in 2007, it's in the administration's
hands.
As for students, training begins next year, when students in the 7th and 9th grades will receive a single 50-minute training by an older peer, who is in turn trained by the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. "As ninth graders coming into high school, they look up to the leaders in the school community, older peers and role models," said GSA Network Executive Director Carolyn Laub.
Although sexual-orientation discrimination settlements have mandated staff tolerance training in the past, the Visalia lawsuit was the first time student training was part of the settlement. The GSA Network has two years to get the cycle going at Live Oak and Ann Sobrato high schools, that is, to train enough student leaders who can then teach the younger students. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, teachers are responsible for integrating discrimination training into the curriculum.
At Britton and Murphy middle schools, GSA Network has only one year to implement
the 50-minute training program, and its future success will then depend on whether
newly trained teachers continue to teach tolerance.
The class of 2010 will be the first to get both trainings, and it won't be the
last, so long as the district takes a proactive role after GSA Network and Dhaliwal
conclude their contract at the end of the 2007-08 school year.
Superintendent McKennon promised to continue the training.
"Once you have a critical mass, it's your job to keep up as a matter of course," McKennon said.
For selection committee member and Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers President
Donna Foster, the appeal of the GSA Network-Dhaliwal team was their well-researched,
dynamic approach to changing Morgan Hill's culture.
"I went in a little concerned, looking at if from the perspective of, what
about the reluctant participant?" Foster remembered. "What about the
teacher who feels this is being imposed, and what about the parent who feels
this is being imposed on their child?"
The student trainings will be geared toward ending harassment and discrimination, a place to define acceptable and unacceptable words and where to go for help-not to ask sex-related questions or get counseling. "The curriculum focuses on issues of safety and harassment," Laub said. "It's not intended to be a conversation about sex and sexuality at all." The anti-harassment focus, and not the sexuality behind it, earned the support of people such as Foster, yet others see homophobia as a civil rights issue that needs to be faced, sex and all. "If someone …heard the 'N' word, there would be a big riot," Keterman said. "But kids are so free about the negative 'gay' word."
For Keterman, a history teacher, teaching her students and colleagues to take sexual-orientation harassment seriously is as vital as taking seriously slavery, disenfranchised women and other discrimination that was once condoned by the mainstream. She blamed the "religiously conservative community" of Morgan Hill for adding to the bias. "Because of the so-called biblical standard about homosexuality, for me, that's the last civil rights [violation] that needs to be attacked."
In this issue of GSA Network News, you'll find:
GSA Network Highlight
Breaking the Silence On A Daily Level
GSA Network Announcements
1. GSA Activist Camps this summer - SAVE THE DATE!
2. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
3. Workshop Organized Against Homophobia (WOAH!) Conference (Contra Costa)
4. Lavender Prom (Fresno)
5. Laramie Project and Discussion (Merced)
Other Announcements
6. Stockton GSA First Annual Picnic
7. Open Mic and Dance for LGBTQQ youth (San Francisco)
8. LGBT Youth Prom (LA)
9. This Saturday at Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank (Los Angeles)
10. Workshop on Interracial Dating (San Francisco)
11. Q-Action Events (San Francisco)
12. LGBTQ Youth Empowerment Conference (San Luis Obispo)
13. "It's All About Me" A FREE memoir writing workshop (San Francisco)
14. Trans-Unity Pride--June 4 (Los Angeles)
15. A Festival of Women's Art and Resilience (San Francisco)
16. GLSEN Scholarships
17. JOB: Muralist Needed for Youth Program (San Francisco)
18. NEWS: District moves on anti-harassment training
19. NEWS: Prom fears deter gay teens
20. NEWS: Gay Teachers Cautious: Sharing Marriage Joy is Not a Given
+++++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK HIGHLIGHT +++++++++++++++
Breaking the Silence On A Daily Level
The Day of Silence does not necessarily have to coincide with the National Day of Silence. Challenging oppression is not limited to just one day out of the year. Chris Lynbrook, co-president of the GSA at Lynbrook High School in San Jose discusses how GSAs can increase awareness in more ways than one.
"Our LGBT issues awareness week was awesome! To start it off, we had in-class presentations done in partners about the roots of homophobia and how it affects all students, LGBTQQ and straight. The workshop was developed by Juan Barajas, director of the OUTlet program at the Community Health Awareness Council in Mountain View. It also included the use of the "What Every Super-Rad Straight Ally Should Know" information sheet provided on the GSA Network website, and statistics provided by the California Safe Schools Coalition's "Safe Place to Learn" report. The workshop was met with mixed reactions from staff and students. Most teachers thought the workshop was useful and important for all students to learn about. There was only one class where a student had to leave because of their inappropriate opinions and statements about the presentations, but other than that the day went well for everyone. On Tuesday and Wednesday we put up informational posters about statistics collected in our own school survey.
The Wednesday before the Day of Silence we handed out the Silence Cards to all students in their fourth period classes. Some teachers requested that we move the Lynbrook Day of Silence to Thursday so that they too would be able to participate. On the Day of Silence (Thursday the 29th of April) we had posters in the shape of tombstones that read "SILENCED" in the place where RIP would normally be and had pictures of different people killed in homophobic hate crimes. The four people we chose to write tombstones for were Gwen Araujo, Barry Winchell, Brandon Teena, and Matthew Shepard. All of the tombstones included a picture, name, and the years of their lives as well as a short description of how and why they were killed. Another poster we made was a giant 20 foot long poster in front of the school reading DAY OF SILENCE in black/rainbow lettering.
There were many different reactions to the Day of Silence at our school. A
lot of people took being silent very seriously. Some teachers refused to hand
out the silence cards provided to their class because they felt that supporting
a protest that would interfere with class participation was not what they wanted
to do, while other teachers embraced the idea and didn't speak for the day.
In all we had about 10% of school wide participation.
In addition to having the GSA involved in awareness week we had Link Crew, an
outreach program to underclassmen, support us as did Agape, the Lynbrook Christian
Club. They held an informational meeting to clear up some of the negative views
expressed by the Christian church about homosexuality and told students that
Agape does not stand for hate, homophobia or intolerance.
Over all, the Day of Silence and the surrounding awareness week was a big success. It may not have completely eradicated homophobia and anti-gay slurs on campus, but it certainly opened the eyes and minds of students and teachers."
+++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS +++++++++++++
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1. GSA Activist Camps this summer - SAVE THE DATE!
The GSA Activist Camp is a youth-planned and youth-led 3-day event that features intensive community building, skill-building, political education, and leadership training for GSA members. All youth who will be involved in a high school or middle school GSA next year are encouraged to apply. Stay tuned for applications!
Southern Cal GSA Activist Camp in Los Angeles
Friday, July 9 - Sunday, July 11
Northern Cal Activist Camp in Oakland
Wednesday, August 11 - Friday, Wednesday 13
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2. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
Got Pride?
Wanna show how fabulous your GSA is at San Francisco Pride?
Well then, register your GSA with the Pride Contingent. We will once again
be marching in the pride parade and we are asking people to come through, show
your love, make signs and do the pride thang right!
Pride this year falls on June 27, which is not far away!
If your GSA will be marching at Pride, please contact Saifa with a) what high
school you are representing b)the number of people who will be in the group
For more information, please call Sean Saifa Wall at 415.552.4229 or email mailto:saifa@gsanetwork.org.
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3. Workshop Organized Against Homophobia (WOAH!) Conference (Contra Costa)
What do you get when you mix a Free Conference, Free Food and Queer Youth and their ALLIES from all over the Contra Costa County and Bay?
You Get WOAH!
May 22, 2004 10AM-5PM
College Park High School
201 Viking Drive
Pleasant Hill, CA
There will be a ton of diverse workshops on homophobia, activism, How to start
a GSA, Coming Out, Racism, GLBTQ History, Art, Media and Gender Variance, just
to name a few!
GSA Network plans on presenting workshops at WOAH in 2004!
Pre-register by sending the following info to mailto:woah04@yahoo.com:
1. name
2. email or phone
3. is it ok to email/call you?
4. vegetarian?
5. any other considerations or needs we should know about?
Same-day registration will be accepted, although pre-registration is preferred.
Co-Sponsors: QYAT, GLSEN San Francisco-East Bay, Contra Costa AIDS Program, College Park High GSA, and the Rainbow Community Center
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4. Lavender Prom (Fresno)
Lavender Prom will be held Saturday, May 15th from 7pm until 11pm at Diana's Dance Studio in Fresno's Tower District.
This event is open to youth 14-23 years old and is sponsored by the LGBT Youth
Alliance. $10 per ticket (No one turned away for lack of funds). Dancing, food,
contest for titles. The theme of the evening is "Hot Havana Nights."
Diana's Dance Studio is located at 726 N. Fulton Ave in the Tower Neighborhood
between Belmont and Olive.
For more information or tickets contact mailto:Frankie@gsanetwork.org or Diana at the GSA Network office, mailto:diana@gsanetwork.org.
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5. Laramie Project and Discussion (Merced)
The Merced Playhouse presents the Laramie Project, which chronicles the effect of Matthew Shepard's death in this small Wyoming town. For the Wednesday, May 12th 7pm performance, students from Golden Valley High School and Merced High School will be admitted free with valid student ID. Following the performance there will be talk-back circles with various community leaders including Diana Bohn of GSA Network. "The Closet Project" an exhibit of the outer presentations and inner realities of LGBT youth will also be on display.
The Closet Project was created by GSA Network students in the central valley. For more information contact mailto:Diana@gsanetwork.org
++++++++++++++++ OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS ++++++++++++++++
GSA Network News is a publication of Gay-Straight Alliance Network. Events,
resources, and news items listed under "Other Announcements" are not
sponsored or written by GSA Network, and do not necessarily reflect the views
and opinions of GSA Network.
*********************************************
6. Stockton GSA First Annual Picnic
The Stockton GSA Picnic will be at Victory Park located on Pershing Ave, before you get to University Of Pacifica. The cross street is Acacia. It starts at 12:00.
The Weber Institute and UOP will also be joining us. Everyone is welcome to come to the picnic. Presidents of clubs are also giving speeches.
Speeches start at 1pm
Food served at about 1 'til its gone.
All Presidents from the Stockton GSA Council will be there. All supporters are welcomed. It will help if everybody could bring something like sodas and chips, etc...
This picnic is being formed by students of high schools and they will not use money in their GSA Account. The purpose of the picnic is to unite every school possible to one Council or committee. The members of the Council or Committee can either be the presidents of their high school or a representative.
The Stockton Record and any other Newspaper is welcomed to come. The Stockton
Record will be there. Pictures will be taken. This picnic will also be a good
place for LGBT youth to meet other LGBT teens.
We are still trying to get other schools to participate. If schools are interested
in coming or for more information, please email mailto:LatnJoker@aol.com.
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7. Open Mic and Dance for LGBTQQ youth (San Francisco)
Proyecto Contra Sida Por Vida (PCPV) and the Love and Justice Project Presents
"UnMuted", an Open Mic and Dance for LGBTQQ youth and their allies.
Friday, May 21st
7pm-11pm
2973 16th St @Mission in San Francisco
Youth 25 and under welcomed
For more information, please contact: The Love and Justice Project @415.777.5500
**Clean and Sober Event**
BART: 16th St Station
MUNI: 14,22,49,33,53
This event is supported by the California Dept. of Health Services and SF Dept
of Public Health
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8. LGBT Youth Prom (LA)
LGBT Youth Prom, sponsored by Friends of Project 10, will be held on Friday,
May 21, 2004.
Youth, ages 14-23, are welcome. Prepay tickets are $25.
Tickets at the door are $35 (entry cannot be guaranteed). The prom will be
held from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal
City. Youth may preregister at <http://www.modelsofpride.org>
or they may request an order form from <mailto:project10@hotmail.com>
or by calling (626) 577-4553.
Cashiers checks and money orders only for prepay tickets. Cash only at the door.
Tickets include parking, meal, dancing, entertainment, and soft drinks.
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9. This Saturday at Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank (Los Angeles)
This Saturday, May 15, 2004 -- from 2 to 5pm at Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank for Addressing LGBTQ issues in Schools
We will lead FUN theatre games and improvisations, and brainstorm ideas for creative ways to address LGBT issues in schools-through plays, assembly presentations, video PSAs and perhaps even Pep Rally skits.
The Think Tank is open to all youth (14 and older), parents, educators, theatre artists, therapists, activists, thinkers and allies interested in creating &/or collaborating on performance pieces dealing with LGBTQ issues.
Bring in issues you're dealing with at your school!
Bring ideas or even drafts of scripts, poems or speeches!
Bring your sense of humor, your outrage, your passion!
Or just come as you are!Only 2 MORE Theatre Think Tank meetings this school
year:
Apr. 17 * May 15 * June 5
from 2-to-5pm at GLASS, 735 S. La Brea Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Join us whenever and as often as you can!
LOCATION & PARKING:
GLASS is located 1/2 block south of Wilshire Blvd.. Bring quarters to park in
the metered lot for Blockbusters on the N/W corner of Wilshire & La Brea,
entrance to parking lot is just west of La Brea on the north side of Wilshire.
Metered street parking and some residential parking are also available.)
*Please contact Natalya Brusilovsky at mailto:natalya2k@earthlink.net
or call (213) 252-8112 for more information and to RSVP as space is limited.
**Contact Norma Bowles at mailto:normabowles@earthlink.net
or call (323) 953-9036 if you would like Fringe Benefits to go to your school
or community center and work with a group there to develop an original play
about LGBT or other discrimination issues.**
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10. Workshop on Interracial Dating (San Francisco)
THE COLOR OF LOVE
--a workshop on interracial dating--
for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, & questioning asians, pacific
islanders, & hapas 25 & under
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
6-8pm
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street (at Ellis), 4th Floor, SF.
Come to a workshop to discuss interracial dating and how it affects someone's decisions on making healthier and safer choices. A meaningful conversation on differences of culture/ethnic/race and the stereotypes associated around that.
Facilitated by Plunket Phommachanh.
Brought to you by AQU25A (Asians & Pacific Islanders, Queer & Questioning,
25 & Under, All Together).
For more information, please contact Sabrina Wu, AQU25A Program Coordinator,
at 415.292.3420 x315 or mailto:sabrina@apiwellness.org.
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11. Q-Action Events (San Francisco)
"STUDY HABIT"
Thursday, May 13 @ 7:30pm
QnA Lounge - 539 Castro St.
School finals won't last forever. Will you be celebrating responsibly?
Break a bad habit tonight... drop-in to the QnA Lounge.
Q Action is for guys of all colors & flavors 25 & under who dig other
guys.
*Want the 411? http://www.qaction.org OR
415.865.0790 x304
----
"SOUL IN THE WOODS"
Friday, May 21 @ 7:00pm - Orientation
Saturday, May 22 @ 9:00am - Hiking
2128 15th Street
Orientation is mandatory for safety tips.
Saturday is an amazing day in the Presido. Get outdoors and share your experiences
with all kinds of boys! Rain or shine, we'll provide the gear to keep you safe,
warm and dry. Guys of color encouraged to attend.
*********************************************
12. LGBTQ Youth Empowerment Conference (San Luis Obispo)
First Annual LGBTQ Youth Empowerment Conference for 13-23 year old youth
Saturday, May 15th 10am-4pm at the Cal Poly University Union/Chumash Auditorium
Free Admission.
Lunch included.
Featuring George Loomis and presentations by youth panels. Presented by the
Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast.
For more information contact Conrad Mendoza at (805)543-4372
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13. "It's All About Me" A FREE memoir writing workshop (San Francisco)
"It's All About Me" A FREE memoir writing workshop for teens with Michelle Tea.
Michelle Tea, author of Valencia and the Chelsea Whistle, leads a workshop
on the pitfalls of memoir writing and offers insight into moving your journal
entries into publishable prose (without losing all your friends!).
Sundays May 16, 23, 30, and June 6 from 2-4 p.m. at the Main Library 100 Larkin
St. in the 3rd floor conference room.
Space is limited so please call 415-557-4426 to register.
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14. Trans-Unity Pride--June 4 (Los Angeles)
A Celebration of Pride for the Transgender Community
Trans-Unity Pride 2004 -Fifth Year Anniversary.
Goals and Objectives:
A. To enhance the knowledge of transgender youth issues in multiple contexts
(legal, medical, social) of youth service providers and their allies.
B. To increase collaboration and resource sharing by highlighting various issues
facing transgender youth and providing a space to network.
C. To raise awareness about the concerns of transgender youth through youth
speakers sharing their experiences.
D. To raise awareness about current research for appropriate intervention affecting
transgender youth.
E. To raise awareness of the violence (hate crimes, domestic violence, community
violence) experienced by transgender youth.
Westin LAX, 5400 W. Century Blvd., LA 90045
Registration fee $30, Parking $6
Call (323) 669-2390 for more information.
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15. A Festival of Women's Art and Resilience (San Francisco)
A Festival of Women's Art and Resilience
Maestrapeace Mural 10th Birthday Party/Community Street Fair
Part of the year-long celebration of the Women's Building 25th Anniversary
SUNDAY MAY 16TH, NOON - 5:00 PM
THE WOMEN'S BUILDING - 18TH & LAPIDGE ST. (between Valencia and Guerrero),
SAN FRANCISCO
For more information call 415-431-1180
Join us in celebrating the 10th birthday of the magnificent mural, Maestrapeace!
Performances by -
Conjunto Coyotes
Loco Bloco
Mirage belly dance troupe
Spirit Healer - Faye Caro, Dee Spencer, Carolyn Brandy
Diane Peterson
Mystic Family Circus Stilt Walkers
Diana Rosa
Gingha Brazil
Sparlha Swa
Barauna Capoeira
Plus delicious food, artist booths, community information, kid's activities
& mural making
Ceremony with the artists at 2 pm.
FREE! EVERYONE WELCOME!
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16. GLSEN Scholarships
GLSEN Scholarships
The purpose of the GLSEN Scholarship Program is to enable students who have
played leadership roles in addressing LGBT issues in their middle and high school
years with the support they need to continue their development as leaders through
higher education. Scholarships are awarded to those who have taken leadership
roles with student clubs commonly known as GSA's (Gay-Straight Alliances), GLSEN
chapters, or projects such as the Day of Silence. Please complete the application
to submit yourself as a candidate. http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/student/library/record/1653.html
The scholarship deadline is Saturday, May 15.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Ramírez
Student Organizing Director
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
121 W. 27th Street, Suite 804
New York, NY 10001
212-727-0135 x154
fax 212-727-0254
or visit the website:
http://www.glsen.org
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17. JOB: Muralist Needed for Youth Program (San Francisco)
The Richmond Village Beacon Center's Latino Club is seeking a muralist for our Summer Youth Internship project, Leadership con Arte. A group of 8 to 10 High School students will work with the muralist in creating a youth-led mural reflecting the students' unique experiences, cultures and histories. The Beacon is a youth development organization, and candidates must have experience working with a diverse population of youth.
* The project will occur Thursday afternoons from 1:00-6:00pm from June 22nd-
July 29th
* This project will be approximately 25-30 hours over 6 weeks
* This project will occur on-site at George Washington High School located in
the Richmond District, San Francisco
* Muralist will manage a small supply budget to cover the costs of materials
for the project
* Salary is $25/hour
You may contact Yaromil Fong-Olivares @ 415.750.8554 for more information or send your resume via email to mailto:yaromilf@aol.com or fax to 415.750.8572.
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18. NEWS: District moves on anti-harassment training
Morgan Hill Times
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
By Marilyn Dubil
The Morgan Hill School Board has taken the next step in the process of bringing anti-harassment training, specifically harassment over sexual orientation or perceived orientation, to the school district in selecting trainers for the training.
Trustees approved a recommendation by a district committee to hire Kanwarpal Dhaliwal and Carolyn Laub of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network. Assistant Superintendent Denise Tate in charge of human resources, said the contract needs to be signed, but it is likely that will happen.
To select trainers that would be acceptable to both the district and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which assisted the plaintiffs in the Flores et al vs MHUSD lawsuit alleging the district did not do enough to prevent harassment of several district students because of their alleged sexual orientation, the district convened a committee.
"Many board members recommended committee members," Tate said. "The committee included parents, representatives of the employee groups and board members ... The committee spent an entire day interviewing trainers."
To read more about this, please visit:
http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/newsview.asp?c=106535
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19. NEWS: Prom fears deter gay teens
By ELIZABETH JOHNSON
Modesto Bee
May 8, 2004
"Jim" wants to go to the prom for the same reasons most everyone does: It's tradition, romantic and he might regret it if he doesn't.
Besides being pressed to come up with money to pay for the big end-of-the-year bash, something else is holding back the Beyer High School junior. He's reluctant for his parents to meet his date: a new boyfriend, a student from Davis High.
Read the full article at:
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/8543808p-9394271c.html
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20. NEWS: Gay Teachers Cautious: Sharing Marriage Joy is Not a Given
May 7, 2004
GAY TEACHERS CAUTIOUS
Sharing marriage joy is not a given; some parents object
By Dana Hull
San Jose Mercury News
Teri Gruenwald wanted to share the big news that she got married with the people
she works with every day: her eighth-grade students. But what she had to tell
them was no simple story.
Gruenwald and her partner, Karen Cohn, who have two sons, were among the first same-sex couples to marry in San Francisco, and she worried her students at Cesar Chavez Middle School in Union City would react badly to the revelation that she was a lesbian. Instead she got smiles - and a flurry of questions. Said one student: "Yeah, but does your husband know?''
"She doesn't have a husband,'' another student shot back. "She has
a wife.'' As the national debate over same-sex marriage ricochets from California
to Massachusetts, students, teachers,administrators and parents are scrambling
to define how to discuss the issue on campus - and whether to incorporate the
subject into lesson plans.
To read more from this article, please visit:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/education/8611348.htm?ERIGHTS=-482265594227283042
In this issue of GSA Network News, you'll find:
GSA Network Highlight
"The Closet Project" Debuts In The Central Valley
GSA Network Announcements
1. Apply for GSA Activist Camp
2. Take GSA Network's Year End Evaluation
3. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
4. Workshop Organized Against Homophobia (WOAH!) Conference (Contra Costa)
5. Calling All Central Cali GSAers To Help Plan Our Presence At Fresno Pride!
Other Announcements
6. Sacramento Leadership Committee GSA Meeting
7. Stockton GSA First Annual Picnic
8. Open Mic and Dance for LGBTQQ youth (San Francisco)
9. LGBT Youth Prom (LA)
10. Youth Rally in support of Gay Marriage (Los Angeles)
11. Come to a Boba (Bubble Tea) making party! (San Francisco)
12. LUAU dance (Walnut Creek)
13. AFTER GLOW, a FREE Youth Hip Hop Dance (Mill Valley)
14. Q-Action Event (San Francisco)
15. Calling ALL API Youth (25 & under) Performers! (San Francisco)
16. FIRST EVER Latino GLBT needs assessment survey (Santa Cruz)
17. New Film, 'LATTER DAYS' to debut in Modesto
18. Exit Art Call For Proposals
19. Free Summer Activism & Education Program for High School Students!
20. NEWS: Brown vs. Board of Ed: Landmark segregation and gay nuptial cases
have similarities
21. NEWS: Gay marriage: a generation of support
22. NEWS: RACE AND MARRIAGE: The Power of May 17, 2004
23. NEWS: David Reimer Passes Away After Lifelong Struggle With Consequences
of John Money's Experiment
24. NEWS: The Queer Community Mourns the Loss of Gloria Anzaldua
25. NEWS: Teachers learn how to make schools safe for all students
+++++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK HIGHLIGHT +++++++++++++++
"The Closet Project" Debuts In The Central Valley
On April 21st, the Day of Silence, GSA members at Sunnyside High School in
Fresno didn't talk, but they gave their peers plenty to see! As a part of their
Day Of Silence observance, the Sunnyside GSA sponsored the first showing of
"The Closet Project"- a free-standing exhibit of the outer presentations
and inner realities of LGBT youth. The exhibit was created by members of the
Central California Youth Council and is available to travel to area schools.
"The Closet Project" is an educational tool that features artwork,
personal stories and photographs mounted on the inside and outside walls of
a closet-like structure that offer glimpses into the experiences of LGBT students
at school and at home.
Over 100 students at Sunnyside visited the exhibit and recorded their impressions. Valerisa Volz wrote "This project was so awesome! I learned a lot! I have to admit that I used to tease people who were not straight, but now I know that it doesn't matter who you like or who you love as long as you are happy.... and to everyone I hurt about their sexuality, I am sorry."
On May 12th The Closet Project traveled to Merced and was viewed by 200 Merced High School and Golden Valley High School students attending a performance of "The Laramie Project" at the Merced Playhouse. When one student was asked what he would do differently after viewing the project, he responded by saying "I wanna get more people to experience this exhibit."
If you would like to know more about "The Closet Project" contact mailto:diana@gsanetwork.org.
+++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS +++++++++++++
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1. Apply for GSA Activist Camp
The GSA Activist Camp is a youth-planned and youth-led 3-day event that features intensive community building, skill-building, political education, and leadership training for GSA members. All youth who will be involved in a high school or middle school GSA next year are encouraged to apply.
Apply Online!
http://www.gsanetwork.org/camp/index.html
Southern Cal GSA Activist Camp in Los Angeles
Friday, July 9 - Sunday, July 11
Northern Cal Activist Camp in Oakland
Wednesday, August 11 - Friday, Wednesday 13
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2. Take GSA Network's Year End Evaluation
Please take a few minutes to fill out GSA Network's Year End Evaluation. Your
comments are VERY important to us!
Access the evaluation online: http://www.gsanetwork.org/yearendeval/
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3. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
Got Pride?
Wanna show how fabulous your GSA is at San Francisco Pride?
Well then, register your GSA with the Pride Contingent. We will once again be
marching in the pride parade and we are asking people to come through, show
your love, make signs and do the pride thang right!
Pride this year falls on June 27, which is not far away!
If your GSA will be marching at Pride, please contact Saifa with a) what high school you are representing b)the number of people who will be in the group
For more information, please call Sean Saifa Wall at 415.552.4229 or email mailto:saifa@gsanetwork.org.
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4. Workshop Organized Against Homophobia (WOAH!) Conference (Contra Costa)
What do you get when you mix a Free Conference, Free Food and Queer Youth and their ALLIES from all over the Contra Costa County and Bay?
You Get WOAH!
May 22, 2004 10AM-5PM
College Park High School
201 Viking Drive
Pleasant Hill, CA
There will be a ton of diverse workshops on homophobia, activism, How to start
a GSA, Coming Out, Racism, GLBTQ History, Art, Media and Gender Variance, just
to name a few!
GSA Network plans on presenting workshops at WOAH in 2004!
Pre-register by sending the following info to mailto:woah04@yahoo.com:
1. name
2. email or phone
3. is it ok to email/call you?
4. vegetarian?
5. any other considerations or needs we should know about?
Same-day registration will be accepted, although pre-registration is preferred.
Co-Sponsors: QYAT, GLSEN San Francisco-East Bay, Contra Costa AIDS Program, College Park High GSA, and the Rainbow Community Center
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5. Calling All Central Cali GSAers To Help Plan Our Presence At Fresno Pride!
On Sunday, May 23rd all Central California activists are invited to a meeting to plan our presence at the Fresno Pride Parade on Saturday June 5th. Meet at the Fresno office at 3pm. We need your ideas! Contact Diana for rides. mailto:Diana@gsanetwork.org
++++++++++++++++ OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS ++++++++++++++++
GSA Network News is a publication of Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
Events, resources, and news items listed under "Other Announcements"
are not sponsored or written by GSA Network, and do not necessarily reflect
the views and opinions of GSA Network.
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6. Sacramento Leadership Committee GSA Meeting
Sacramento Leadership Committee - GSA Meeting is Saturday June 5!
Yes this is a follow up meeting to the dance.
Yes you should come if you attended the dance.
Yes we will be talking & planning about new upcoming events.
Yes you should come if you want to be part of SLC next year.
Yes bring a friend, munchies, and new ideas.
Bottom line: this is a super important meeting you don't want to miss!
Time: 12 to 2 p.m.
Place: Lambda Center 1927 L Street, Sacramento
Date: Saturday: June 5th
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7. Stockton GSA First Annual Picnic
The Stockton GSA Picnic will be at Victory Park located on Pershing Ave, before you get to University Of Pacifica. The cross street is Acacia. It starts at 12:00.
The Weber Institute and UOP will also be joining us. Everyone is welcome to
come to the picnic. Presidents of clubs are also giving speeches.
Saturday, May 22
Speeches start at 1pm
Food served at about 1 'til its gone.
All Presidents from the Stockton GSA Council will be there. All supporters are welcomed. It will help if everybody could bring something like sodas and chips, etc...
This picnic is being formed by students of high schools and they will not use money in their GSA Account. The purpose of the picnic is to unite every school possible to one Council or committee. The members of the Council or Committee can either be the presidents of their high school or a representative.
The Stockton Record and any other Newspaper is welcomed to come. The Stockton Record will be there. Pictures will be taken. This picnic will also be a good place for LGBT youth to meet other LGBT teens.
We are still trying to get other schools to participate. If schools are interested
in coming or for more information, please email mailto:LatnJoker@aol.com.
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8. Open Mic and Dance for LGBTQQ youth (San Francisco)
Proyecto Contra Sida Por Vida (PCPV) and the Love and Justice Project Presents
"UnMuted", an Open Mic and Dance for LGBTQQ youth and their allies.
Friday, May 21st
7pm-11pm
2973 16th St @Mission in San Francisco
Youth 25 and under welcomed
For more information, please contact: The Love and Justice Project @415.777.5500
**Clean and Sober Event**
BART: 16th St Station
MUNI: 14,22,49,33,53
This event is supported by the California Dept. of Health Services and SF Dept
of Public Health
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9. LGBT Youth Prom (LA)
LGBT Youth Prom, sponsored by Friends of Project 10, will be held on Friday,
May 21, 2004.
Youth, ages 14-23, are welcome. Prepay tickets are $25.
Tickets at the door are $35 (entry cannot be guaranteed). The prom will be held from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City. Youth may preregister at <http://www.modelsofpride.org> or they may request an order form from <mailto:project10@hotmail.com> or by calling (626) 577-4553.
Cashiers checks and money orders only for prepay tickets. Cash only at the
door.
Tickets include parking, meal, dancing, entertainment, and soft drinks.
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10. Youth Rally in support of Gay Marriage (Los Angeles)
Do you support Gay Marriage, then come show your love!
Students from the Windward School are organizing a youth rally in support of gay marriage.
The event will take place at the Federal Building in Westwood (corner of Wilshire and Veteran, just off the 405 at Wilshire) on Saturday, May 29 at 10 a.m.
EVERYONE is urged to attend, regardless of age or sexual orientation. Bring signs, bring flyers, bring friends and family, bring your voice, and let that voice be heard!
For further information, you can contact David Beckman at mailto:BckmnDv@aol.com or by phone at 310/854-3673.
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11. Come to a Boba (Bubble Tea) making party! (San Francisco)
AQU25A (Asians & Pacific Islanders, Queer & Questioning, 25 & Under, Altogether) invites you to taste many flavors of boba!!
Wednesday, May 26
6-8pm
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street, 4th Floor, SF.
This event is FREE for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, &
questioning asian & pacific islander youth 25 & under....and straight
allies too!!!
For more information, please contact Sabrina Wu, AQU25A Program Coordinator,
at 415.292.3420 x315 or mailto:sabrina@apiwellness.org.
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12. LUAU dance (Walnut Creek)
After the WOAH conference, put on your grass skirts, tacky shirts, and coconut
bras and hang-ten at the LUAU dance. Come for the dancing, the food, the fun...
and some surprises!
When: Saturday May, 22 2004 (Same day as WOAH)
Time: 7PM to 11PM
Where: The United Methodist Church of Walnut Creek
1543 Sunnyvale Ave.
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Price: Nadda, zero, zilch, FREE!!!!!
Contact: Ken at RCC (925) 692-0090 or Renee at CHD (925) 687-8844 x 304
This is a drug and alcohol free event. Containers will be confiscated at the
door.
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13. AFTER GLOW, a FREE Youth Hip Hop Dance (Mill Valley)
AFTER GLOW, a FREE Youth Hip Hop Dance
Sponsored by: REACH, the Youth Leadership Institute, and Wild 94.9
Friday May 28th, 9pm-Midnight
Mill Valley Rec Center
Please join us for an evening of fun! Wind down the school year with hundreds
of other youth from all over Marin County. This FREE dance features local hip
hop artists and music by Wild 94.9. There will be food, drinks, and tons of
prizes provided to all who attend at no cost! AFTER GLOW will take place at
the Mill Valley Rec Center located at 180 Camino Alto in Mill Valley.
This project was made possible by a grant from Youth Grants Board, a program
of the Youth Leadership Institute. The Youth Leadership Institute receives its
funding from the Marin Community Foundation.
If you have any questions contact CC at 415.457.2487.
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14. Q-Action Event (San Francisco)
"SOUL IN THE WOODS"
Friday, May 21 @ 7:00pm - Orientation
Saturday, May 22 @ 9:00am - Hiking
2128 15th Street
Orientation is mandatory for safety tips.
Saturday is an amazing day in the Presidio. Get outdoors and share your experiences
with all kinds of boys! Rain or shine, we'll provide the gear to keep you safe,
warm and dry. Guys of color encouraged to attend.
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15. Calling ALL API (25 & under) Performers! (San Francisco)
Wanna perform on the 5th annual Asian & Pacific Islander Stage at SF Pride?
Be part of the A&PI Stage's very first YOUTH PERFORMANCE, featuring youth
slam poets, spoken word artists, musical acts, dance groups, drag kings and
queens, and more!!
Take Pride in your talent! For the past four years, the Asian & Pacific
Islander Stage has been one of the most anticipated venues during SF Pride.
In the past it has featured top A&PI celebrities like CoCo Lee, Margaret
Cho, and Jocelyn Enriquez. Add your youth voice and creative expression to the
stage this year, and be a part of the fifth annual A&PI Stage grand entertainment,
empowerment and education to our greater A&PI communities.
We are currently accepting submissions of performing arts work.
Please mail or drop off typewritten spoken word or slam poetry pieces, video
and/or audio tapes of your musical, dance, drag, or other performing arts expression
to:
Sabrina Wu
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94109
For more information, please contact Sabrina Wu, AQU25A (Asians & Pacific
Islanders, Queer & Questioning, 25 & Under, All Together) Program Coordinator,
at 415.292.3420 x315 or <mailto:sabrina@apiwellness.org>.
Visit our website at <http://www.apiwellness.org>.
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16. FIRST EVER Latino GLBT needs assessment survey (Santa Cruz)
Triangle Speakers has completed the first ever GLBT Latino Survey of Santa
Cruz County and will be sharing the information obtained in the survey in a
public presentation on May 25th and 26th at two separate locations.
May 25 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM in Santa Cruz at Louden Nelson Community Center,
301 Center Street.
May 26 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at the YWCA in Watsonville, 340 E. Beach Street.
Learn what Latino GLBT people have identified as their issues and needs and
how we can better support them as service providers, family, friends and teachers.
Everyone is invited to attend and there is no admission cost.
There will be a presentation on the survey as well as a free brochure highlighting
important facts from the survey available at the forum in both English and Spanish.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session
Teachers, social service providers and friends and family of GLBT Latinos are
especially encouraged to attend in order to learn more about how we can support
and understand our Santa Cruz Latino GLBT community. Some of the important statistics
that will be detailed at the public forum include: 62% of all respondents have
been harassed, 40% were harassed in public spaces, 6% utilize schools for support
and 20% do not seek any form of support.
Please RSVP by Monday May 24, 2004.
RSVP or get more information by calling us at (831) 457-2934.
Triangle Speakers is a Santa Cruz County non-profit organization that is dedicated
to reducing homophobia in Santa Cruz County. You can learn more about Triangle
Speakers by visiting our website at http://www.trianglespeakers.org
Triangle Speakers
520 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 457-2934
mailto:triangle@trianglespeakers.org
http://www.trianglespeakers.org
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17. New Film, 'LATTER DAYS' to debut in Modesto
MODESTO, Calif. -- The Liberty Action Network and the Stanislaus Chapter of PFLAG are pleased to announce an exclusive Modesto premiere of the new romantic drama, "Latter Days," a film written and directed by C. Jay Cox, screenwriter of Sweet Home Alabama. The film will be shown one time only at Modesto's State Theatre on Saturday, June 5th at 6:00 pm. Proceeds benefit PFLAG - a support & advocacy group in Modesto. Visit our web site http://www.LibertyAction.com.
This award-winning movie is a romantic story and the resolution of faith and sexuality. Latter Days is about Christian, a handsome waiter at a L.A. restaurant who brags to his co-workers that he can seduce one of four Latter-Day Saints missionaries who have moved into his apartment complex. But he gets more than he bargained for when he puts the moves on Aaron. It is a charming, funny and moving tale that will leave you believing in the transformational power of love.
The film also offers a critique of Mormonism's stance on homosexuality, as viewers see Elder Aaron Davis, the missionary, struggle to come to terms with being gay, suffer rejection from his family, endure an excommunication trial and aversion therapy, and ultimately fail to reconcile his religion with his sexuality.
But the film also shows how faith can have a positive effect, as the gay party-boy character, Christian, embarks on his own search for deeper spiritual meaning after meeting Aaron.
After making its World Premiere at the highly competitive Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, it has won audience awards at every film festival it has played, including Philadelphia and OutFest, the Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
Featuring a stellar cast including Jacqueline Bisset, Mary Kay Place, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Manic, "3rd Rock from the Sun") , Erik Palladino ("Joan of Arcadia"), Rebekah Jordan (Liberty Heights), and Amber Benson ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," television series). The film also marks the theatrical feature film debuts of Wes Ramsey ("Guiding Light") as Christian and newcomer Steve Sandvoss as Aaron.
Tickets are $10 in advance and at the door. Get your tickets now! Shows have sold out in Los Angeles and Chicago. For more information visit our web site at http://www.libertyaction.com/ or by contacting PFLAG at mailto:Tickets@LibertyAction.com or mail - PO Box 4311, Modesto, CA 95352.
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18. Exit Art Call For Proposals
Exit Art Call For Proposals
Due June 15, 2004
THE PRESIDENCY is scheduled to open in September 2004
The office of the President of the United States is one of the most visible
positions in the world. The President symbolizes not only the characteristics
and abilities of the nation, but also the substantial power that influences
world and domestic affairs. The President governs our country, oversees our
government, impacts our lives, and shapes our future.
We are asking artists to put into a visual balance or a visual feeling their
concept of the presidency. The president is the body of the nation. Who is this
individual who every 4 or 8 years changes? How does that change the image the
country has of itself? How does it affect how other countries see us?
Who is your ideal president? Who runs the country? What is the structure of
the government? What is the role of the cabinet? How and by whom is the president
elected? What can we do to control that power? Is the presidency a symbol more
than the person, a portrait of the power of the country? This exhibition is
about knowing the rules of government, interpreting them and giving our opinions.
Proposals may be for work in any medium. Please submit a narrative (maximum
500 words) describing your project idea; a sketch of the proposed project; a
resume; and documentation of your previous work (10-20 slides or images on CD,
or a 3 to 5 minute VHS NTSC video or DVD). Please include a self addressed stamped
envelope for the return of your work. Exit Art is not responsible for returning
works submitted without a SASE.
Exit Art will notify you if your work has been selected.
Please do not call Exit Art to check on the status of your proposal.
Submit your proposal to:
Exit Art
THE PRESIDENCY
475 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10018
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19. Free Summer Activism & Education Program for High School Students!
Students & Educators! Attached is information & an application for a FREE one-week summer activism & education program for high school students, sponsored by the Friedman First Amendment Education Project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. Students will travel as a group around Northern California visiting various organizations. All travel, meals, and lodging are included. This year's topic is SEXism: A Youth Study of Gender, Power, & Privilege.
Applications are due MAY 21, 2004. You may print out, complete, & mail in the attached application OR apply online at http://acluweb.best.vwh.net/youth/trips_home.html Please feel free to forward to interested parties.
SEXism: A Youth Study of Gender, Power, & Privilege
August 8-15, 2004
A week-long summer field investigation for youth ages 14-18, sponsored by the
Howard A Friedman
First Amendment Education Project of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
of Northern California
The ACLU is looking for 25 high school age youth…
The Youth Activist Committee (YAC) of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
of Northern California is looking for 25 high school age youth to take on a
trip for seven days in August to explore issues of power, privilege, and gender
in-depth. The ACLU is a non-profit civil rights organization that has been around
since 1920, fighting to protect the rights of all people.
For more information about the Friedman Project, see http://www.aclunc.org/youth.
Are you passionate about social justice and protecting people's rights?
Then come along! The trip dates are August 8-15, 2004. This year, the trip's
focus will be "SEXism: a youth study of gender, power, and privilege"
and it is FREE for participating northern California high school youth ages
14 to 18.
We'll travel around Northern California and meet with experts from the following
areas: Sports; Business; the Media; the Arts, Publishing and Music industries;
Education; Health; Law, Politics & Government; Activism; Prisons; Reproductive
Rights & Restrictions; Sex Work; Sweatshops; Women's Studies and Gender
Studies, and more! (Areas subject to change, based on availability.) We will
also explore ways that gender roles and experiences are impacted by race, religion,
class, sexual orientation, national origin, age, ability, and other factors.
So you're interested…Now what?!?!?
All you have to do is request an application form, fill it out and send it back
to us postmarked by Friday, May 21, 2004. Throughout June, we will be inviting
applicants to meet with us at the ACLU office in San Francisco. You'll get a
chance to meet the program staff and learn more about the trip. We will contact
applicants with more details and to confirm attendance.
Come explore sexism in our laws and lives!!!!
For questions or to request an application, please call the Friedman Project
Director Eveline Chang at 415.621.2493, extension 337; or email mailto:echang@aclunc.org
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20. NEWS: Brown vs. Board of Ed: Landmark segregation and gay nuptial cases
have similarities
Monday, May 17, 2004
San Francisco Chronicle
BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION: 50 years later/1954 ruling seen as model of judicial
activism/Landmark segregation and gay nuptial cases have similarities
by Bob Egelko
Fifty years to the day after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed school segregation,
another court ruling will allow same-sex couples to marry in Massachusetts today.
There are many differences between Brown vs. Board of Education and Goodridge
vs. Department of Health Services - for one, gays and lesbians have not faced
the same historic level of discrimination as African Americans - but the two
cases have more in common than a date.
Both the nation's high court and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court used
their constitutional power to protect a politically weak minority from state
laws that the justices considered discriminatory, directing legal and societal
changes from the bench that would not have happened in a state legislature.
In the intervening decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has followed much the same
path in rulings that legalized abortion and interracial marriages, outlawed
organized school prayer, suspended the death penalty nationwide from 1972 to
1976 and required police to tell suspects of their right to remain silent and
consult a lawyer. Last year, the court overturned state laws against consensual
sodomy, a ruling that laid the groundwork for the Massachusetts decision on
same-sex marriage.
Read the full article at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/05/17/MNGMO6MJUK1.DTL
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21. NEWS: Gay marriage: a generation of support
MORE TOLERANT THAN THEIR ELDERS, TODAY'S YOUNG PEOPLE COULD LEAD TO CHANGE
San Jose Mercury News
May 19, 2004
by Tracey Kaplan
Kelly Bland is gung-ho about everything you'd expect a young Republican leader
to be gung-ho about -- almost. The 21-year-old head of the College Republicans
at California State University-Monterey Bay is anti-abortion. She's for the
president's tax cuts and for the war in Iraq. But when it comes to same-sex
marriages, which became legal this week in Massachusetts, Bland parts ways with
President Bush and her Republican parents.
``My family is definitely against gay marriage, but I have a lot of close friends
who are gay,'' Bland said. ``So I have to say I'm for gay marriage.''
The generation gap in Bland's family is not unique. Polls indicate that support for gay marriage is strongest among young people. They traditionally hold more liberal views than their elders, but experts say that on gay marriage, as with civil rights a generation before, the attitudes of young people may not shift as they age.
To read the full article, visit:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/people/family/8696835.htm
*********************************************
22. NEWS: RACE AND MARRIAGE: The Power of May 17, 2004
by Kate Kendell, National Center for Lesbian Rights
I'm writing this on the historic day of May 17, 2004. Today we mark the 50th
anniversary of one of the most important U.S. Supreme Court rulings in history
- Brown v. Board of Education - and today, for the first time ever a U.S. state
began issuing marriage licenses to lesbian and gay couples. These two events
share more in common than this date, but there are also stark differences between
the struggle to dismantle institutionalized segregation and racism and the fight
by lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered folks to secure the right
to legally marry. There are many lessons and much inspiration to glean from
past civil rights struggles. Those of us engaged in this present day effort
have been deeply moved by some of the profound parallels: a landmark court case,
the courage and integrity of common folks, the unprecendented attention and
sense of history. But we also understand that the icons and watershed moments
of past struggles should not be appropriated as our own or diminished by comparisons
that may not be accurate.
To read the full article, visit:
http://www.nclrights.org/releases/kk051704.htm
*********************************************
23. NEWS: David Reimer Passes Away After Lifelong Struggle With Consequences
of John Money's Experiment
David Peter Reimer, whose turbulent life story had been featured in the bestselling book "As Nature Made Him" by John Colapinto, passed away on Tuesday, May 4. He was 38 year old when he committed suicide. Reimer was the subject of John Money's notorious "John/Joan" experiment when he was surgically re-assigned female after a circumcision accident destroyed his penis.
To read more about David Reimer's life please visit: http://www.intersexinitiative.org/news/000112.htm
*********************************************
24. NEWS: The Queer Community Mourns the Loss of Gloria Anzaldua
Internationally recognized cultural theorist and creative writer, Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa, passed away on May 15 from diabetes-related complications. She was 61 years old. A versatile author, Anzaldúa published poetry, theoretical essays, short stories, autobiographical narratives, interviews, children's books, and multigenre anthologies.
As one of the first openly lesbian Chicana authors, Anzaldúa played a major role in redefining contemporary Chicano/a and lesbian/queer identities. And as editor or co-editor of three multicultural anthologies, Anzaldúa has also played a vital role in developing an inclusionary feminist movement. Anzaldúa is best known for Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza(1987), a hybrid collection of poetry and prose which was named one of the 100 Best Books of the Century by both Hungry Mind Review and Utne Reader.
Anzaldúa's published works also include This Bridge Called My Back:
Writings by Radical Women of Color (1981), a ground-breaking collection of essays
and poems widely recognized by scholars as the premiere multicultural feminist
text; Making Face, Making Soul/Haciendo Caras:Creative and Critical Perspectives
by Feminists-of-Color (1990), a multigenre collection used in many university
classrooms; two bilingual children's books--Friends from the Other Side/Amigos
del otro lado (1993) and Prietita and the Ghost Woman/ Prietita y la Llorona
(1995);Interviews/Entrevistas (2000), a memoir-like collection of interviews;
and this bridge we call home: radical visions for transformation (2002), a co-edited
collection of essays, poetry, and artwork that examines thecurrent status of
feminist/womanist theorizing. Anzaldúa has won numerous awards, including
the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, the Lamda Lesbian Small
Book Press Award, an NEA Fiction Award, the Lesbian Rights Award, the Sappho
Award of Distinction, an NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Fiction Award,
and the American Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
Anzaldúa was born in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas in 1942,the
eldest child of Urbano and AmaliaAnzaldúa. She received her B.A. from
Pan American University, her M.A. from University of Texas, Austin, and was
completing her doctorate at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is
survived by her mother, Amalia, her sister, Hilda, and two brothers:Urbano Anzaldúa,
Jr. and Oscar Anzaldúa; five nieces, three nephews, eighteen grandnieces
and grandnephews, a multitude of aunts and uncles, and many close friends.
A public memorial will be planned at a later date.
*********************************************
25. NEWS: Conference participants learn how to make schools safe for all students
California Educator
May 2004
What's it like to be a gay teenager on a typical school campus in California?
To find out, teachers attending the CTA (California Teachers Association) Equity
and Human Rights Conference in Anaheim recently were asked to write down the
name of their best friend, their favorite place to hang out, their closest family
member, their favorite possession, and their dream for the future, each on a
separate slip of paper. Then watch what happens to them if your sexual orientation
is anything other than the norm, said Eric Heins, co-leader of a workshop on
"Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth: Breaking the Silence."
"At your locker, your best friend confronts a rumor that you're gay. You
tell him it's true, but ask him not to say anything. He tells everyone,"
said Heins. "Crumple up the piece of paper with your best friend's name
on it and throw it away"...
The Breaking the Silence workshop was one of many held at CTA's Human Rights
Conference, which was attended by more than 600 members. Other workshops covered
such subjects as increasing self-esteem, addressing women's issues, closing
the achievement gap, preventing bullying and sexual harassment, incorporating
religion in the classroom, promoting diversity, reducing racism and averting
attacks on public education.
Even though a law enacted four years ago prohibits discrimination and harassment
on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in California public schools,
7.5 percent of students continue to report problems, according to a recent study
by the California Safe Schools Coalition. The percentage translates into more
than 200,000 middle and high school students being harassed every year...
To read the full article, visit:
http://www.cta.org/CaliforniaEducator/v8i8/Action_3.htm
In this issue of GSA Network News, you'll find:
GSA Network Highlight
Creating Strategies that work in your GSA
GSA Network Announcements
1. Apply for GSA Activist Camp
2. Take GSA Network's Year End Evaluation
3. Central California GSA Network to Represent at Fresno Gay Pride
4. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
Other Announcements
5. Oxford Style Debate on Gay Marriage (Fresno)
6. Sacramento Leadership Committee GSA Meeting
7. Come to a Boba (Bubble Tea) making party! (San Francisco)
8. AFTER GLOW, a FREE Youth Hip Hop Dance (Mill Valley)
9. Calling ALL API Youth (25 & under) Performers! (San Francisco)
10. Youth Rally in support of Gay Marriage (Los Angeles)
11. Free "Speech-Making for Rallies" workshop with nationally-renowned
activist & voice teacher! June 6 (Los Angeles)
12. Last Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank (Los Angeles)
13. Home Street Home: A Benefit for the Coalition on Homelessness (San Francisco)
14. Invitation to 5th grade play tackling homophobia! (Los Angeles)
15. BRICK Awards to Recognize Community Work of Young People
16. How would you give out $60,000 to improve your community?
17. Education Job at Richmond Art Center (Richmond, CA)
18. NEWS: Guidelines scarce for confronting anti-gay bullying
19. NEWS: Gay students wage battle to be heard
20. NEWS: Council OKs Gay Pride Day in Los Altos
**For those people that have Yahoo! AOL and Hotmail, remember to check your
Bulk Mail and Trash Folders to make sure that GSA Network News is not automatically
recycled
+++++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK HIGHLIGHT +++++++++++++++
Creating Strategies that work in your GSA
By Kurt Dearie
For the past two years I have been the teacher advisor to the Gay Straight Alliance
Club at Carlsbad High School. Club members have been confronted with a number
of challenges and developed a variety of strategies to overcome them. What follows
are brief descriptions of these challenges and the strategies that were used
to confront them. It is my hope that these might serve other GSA clubs in their
efforts to advance the cause of LBGT students.
1. Getting the club approved by the school board proved difficult and was originally
voted down by the school board.
I spoke with the superintendent and explained that the board could not discriminate
against this club and we would take whatever legal remedies available to ensure
the students' rights were protected.
Club members and supportive teachers attended the following board meeting,
took seats in the front and stood while the club president explained both the
need for and the goals of the club. This personalized the issue, making it more
difficult for the board to vote against it.
2. The club was denied permission to create an exhibit for the Transgender Day of Remembrance to educate students and staff regarding the issues faced by transgender students.
Three club members and two teacher advisors met with the principal and presented documentation showing that other groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving and MECHA had been allowed to create exhibits on campus and it would be discriminatory to deny the GSA club's request.
3. On a number of occasions a teacher has attempted to force his negative opinions regarding LBGT issues on students. He also attempted to stifle students' freedom of speech by sending them out of class for participating in the Day of Silence.
On each occasion students documented the teacher's actions and presented the
evidence to the principal. When the students were ejected from class, students
and parents made formal complaints that then required an investigation. At the
same time phone calls to the superintendent were made by a number of organizations
on behalf of the students. The teacher was reprimanded and warned against continuing
this behavior.
4. As with many schools, a great deal of harassment, name calling, and targeting of both students and staff with hateful graffiti often takes place.
A multi strategy approach has been used including announcing GSA meetings on
the campus TV station so that students and staff simply get used to the fact
the LGBT students exist and inviting a sympathetic school board member to attend
a GSA meeting and presenting her with copies of the California Safe Schools
Coalition report, Safe Place to Learn to share with other board members. Club
members also wrote letters to the principal detailing the difficulties they
face each day. These letters were helpful in convincing the principal and the
WASC accreditation committee that tolerance on campus was an issue that needed
to be addressed.
5. It is difficult for club leaders to always have a meaningful activity planned for each meeting and ensures consistent attendance.
The club has enlisted the support of a number of patrons who provide $1600 dollars per year to purchase pizza once a week at each lunch meeting. This has been enormously successful as a way to provide a non-threatening environment for straight and LGBT students to socialize and build support. Building support has proved especially useful so that when an event such as the Day of Silence is planned large numbers of students have participated.
In summary, the most important lessons we have learned are:
- Document everything: approach every incident as if you were building a legal
case.
- Enlist the help of a strong advocate and don't be afraid to confront authority.
- Look for ways to promote your cause such as posters, student bulletins, letters
to staff, school newspaper, etc.
- Focus on issues of safety and equity.
- Use the support and advice of organizations such as the GSA Network.
+++++++++++++ GSA NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENTS +++++++++++++
*********************************************
1. Apply for GSA Activist Camp
The GSA Activist Camp is a youth-planned and youth-led 3-day event that features intensive community building, skill-building, political education, and leadership training for GSA members. All youth who will be involved in a high school or middle school GSA next year are encouraged to apply.
Apply Online!
http://www.gsanetwork.org/camp/index.html
Southern Cal GSA Activist Camp in Santa Monica
Friday, July 9 - Sunday, July 11
Northern Cal Activist Camp in Oakland
Wednesday, August 11 - Friday, Wednesday 13
*********************************************
2. Take GSA Network's Year End Evaluation
Please take a few minutes to fill out GSA Network's Year End Evaluation. Your
comments are VERY important to us!
Access the evaluation online: http://www.gsanetwork.org/yearendeval/
*********************************************
3. Central California GSA Network to Represent at Fresno Gay Pride
GSA Network will be marching and staffing a booth at Fresno's Pride Parade on Saturday, June 5th. Make plans to march with us! Congratulations to Clovis Unified activists who have been chosen as Grand Marshals for this year's parade.
For more information, please contact Diana at 559.453.9040 or email mailto:diana@gsanetwork.org.
*********************************************
4. GSA Network Contingent at Pride (San Francisco)
Wanna show how fabulous your GSA is at the San Francisco Pride March?
Ready to have fun??
Well then, register your GSA with the GSA Network/LYRIC Pride Contingent!!
We will once again be marching in the pride parade with LYRIC and we are asking
people to come through, show your love, make signs and do the pride thang right!
Pride this year falls on Sunday, June 27, which is not far away!
If your GSA will be marching at Pride, please contact Saifa with a) what high
school you are representing b)the number of people who will be in the group
For more information, please call Sean Saifa Wall at 415.552.4229 or email mailto:saifa@gsanetwork.org.
++++++++++++++++ OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS ++++++++++++++++
GSA Network News is a publication of Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
Events, resources, and news items listed under "Other Announcements"
are not sponsored or written by GSA Network, and do not necessarily reflect
the views and opinions of GSA Network.
*********************************************
5. Oxford Style Debate on Gay Marriage (Fresno)
Here's your chance to be seen and heard on the topic of gay marriage!!!!
This Wednesday, May 26th central California GSAers are encouraged to show up
en masse (alot of us) to represent for EVERYONE'S right to marry whom they choose.
Peace Fresno is sponsoring the Great Oxford Debate on Gay Marriage.
This is a free event that will be held at the new Woodward Park Library at
944 E. Perrin in Fresno at 7pm.
To get to the Woodward Park Regional Library take the Friant Road exit off 41.
North on Friant to Champlain. Right on Champlain to Perrin. Right on Perrin
and there it is at 944 E. Perrin
*********************************************
6. Sacramento Leadership Committee GSA Meeting
Sacramento Leadership Committee - GSA Meeting is Saturday June 5!
Yes this is a follow up meeting to the dance.
Yes you should come if you attended the dance.
Yes we will be talking & planning about new upcoming events.
Yes you should come if you want to be part of SLC next year.
Yes bring a friend, munchies, and new ideas.
Bottom line: this is a super important meeting you don't want to miss!
Time: 12 to 2 p.m.
Place: Lambda Center 1927 L Street, Sacramento
Date: Saturday: June 5th
*********************************************
7. Come to a Boba (Bubble Tea) making party! (San Francisco)
AQU25A (Asians & Pacific Islanders, Queer & Questioning, 25 & Under,
Altogether) invites you to taste many flavors of boba!!
Wednesday, May 26
6-8pm
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street, 4th Floor, SF.
This event is FREE for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, & questioning asian & pacific islander youth 25 & under....and straight allies too!!!
For more information, please contact Sabrina Wu, AQU25A Program Coordinator,
at 415.292.3420 x315 or mailto:sabrina@apiwellness.org.
back to top
*********************************************
8. AFTER GLOW, a FREE Youth Hip Hop Dance (Mill Valley)
AFTER GLOW, a FREE Youth Hip Hop Dance
Sponsored by: REACH, the Youth Leadership Institute, and Wild 94.9
Friday May 28th, 9pm-Midnight
Mill Valley Rec Center
Please join us for an evening of fun! Wind down the school year with hundreds of other youth from all over Marin County. This FREE dance features local hip hop artists and music by Wild 94.9. There will be food, drinks, and tons of prizes provided to all who attend at no cost! AFTER GLOW will take place at the Mill Valley Rec Center located at 180 Camino Alto in Mill Valley.
This project was made possible by a grant from Youth Grants Board, a program
of the Youth Leadership Institute. The Youth Leadership Institute receives its
funding from the Marin Community Foundation.
If you have any questions contact CC at 415.457.2487.
*********************************************
9. Calling ALL API (25 & under) Performers! (San Francisco)
Wanna perform on the 5th annual Asian & Pacific Islander Stage at SF Pride?
Be part of the A&PI Stage's very first YOUTH PERFORMANCE, featuring youth
slam poets, spoken word artists, musical acts, dance groups, drag kings and
queens, and more!!
Take Pride in your talent! For the past four years, the Asian & Pacific
Islander Stage has been one of the most anticipated venues during SF Pride.
In the past it has featured top A&PI celebrities like CoCo Lee, Margaret
Cho, and Jocelyn Enriquez. Add your youth voice and creative expression to the
stage this year, and be a part of the fifth annual A&PI Stage grand entertainment,
empowerment and education to our greater A&PI communities.
We are currently accepting submissions of performing arts work. Please mail
or drop off typewritten spoken word or slam poetry pieces, video and/or audio
tapes of your musical, dance, drag, or other performing arts expression to:
Sabrina Wu
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
730 Polk Street, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94109
For more information, please contact Sabrina Wu, AQU25A (Asians & Pacific
Islanders, Queer & Questioning, 25 & Under, All Together) Program Coordinator,
at 415.292.3420 x315 or <mailto:sabrina@apiwellness.org>.
Visit our website at <http://www.apiwellness.org>.
*********************************************
10. Youth Rally in support of Gay Marriage (Los Angeles)
Do you support Gay Marriage, then come show your love!
Students from the Windward School are organizing a youth rally in support of
gay
marriage.
The event will take place at the Federal Building in Westwood (corner of Wilshire
and Veteran,
just off the 405 at Wilshire) on Saturday, May 29 at 10 a.m.
EVERYONE is urged to attend, regardless of age or sexual orientation. Bring signs, bring flyers, bring friends and family, bring your voice, and let that voice be heard!
For further information, you can contact David Beckman at mailto:BckmnDv@aol.com or by phone at 310/854-3673.
*********************************************
11. Free "Speech-Making for Rallies" workshop with nationally-renowned
activist & voice teacher! June 6 (Los Angeles)
Activists Speak!
Speech-Making for Rallies led by nationally-renowned activist Robin Tyler AND
Freeing the Activist Voice led by Linklater teacher Brent Blair
2 FREE WORKSHOPS
Sunday, June 6, 2004
in the Massman Theatre at USC
10:30am-to-1:30pm AND 3:00pm-to-6:00pm
You are welcome to come and bring family, friends and colleagues of all ages!!
Please R.S.V.P. to mailto:normabowles@earthlink.net
This day of workshops is hosted by Fringe Benefits, Center for Theatre of the
Oppressed and Applied Theatre Arts, Los Angeles, and the Paolo Freire Institute,
and is part of the Creative Tools for Critical Times Theatre and Pedagogy of
the Oppressed Conference
*Directions & Parking Information at the end of this e-mail.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:
Speech-Making for Rallies led by nationally-renowned activist Robin Tyler
10:30am to 1:30pm, Sunday June 6
Do you ever watch rallies, and get bored by speaker after speaker either saying
the same thing, yelling into the mike, or carrying on too long? Would you like
to be a great public speaker? Whether you are speaking in front of a dozen people
in a classroom, or a million people at a March on Washington, you can learn
to be a great speaker! This class will teach you messaging, humor, and how you
can follow anyone in any rally, and be heard and remembered.
Robin Tyler is one of the leading activists, speakers and Special Event Producers
for the Lesbian/Gay, AIDS and Women's movements. She has addressed major rallies
all over the world, including several Marches on Washington. Robin will share
the secrets about content, presentation and projection. Because Robin has been
both a comic and a producer of major events, she will talk about the use of
time, and humor.
The class is free, and open to everyone who wants to participate as a major
- non-boring activist-speaker. Please bring paper and pen to write short speech…very
short…because you can sway people in a matter of minutes.
At the beginning of class, there will be a 20-minute tape of Robin emceeing
the Gay Games.
(10 minutes of humor, 10 minutes of speaking in front of 25 thousand people.)
followed by
Freeing the Activist Voice lead by theatre activist and educator Brent Blair
3:00pm to 6:00pm, also Sunday, June 6
Inspired by Kristin Linklater's Freeing the Natural Voice, this three-hour exploration
of the instrument of the activist offers all participants the opportunity to
embody the words they have written and find a free and full expression guaranteed
to send the message home and persuade all who hear. Release trapped passions
and generate a critical clarity in your public voice. Workshop ends with a celebration
of individual passions in the form of public speeches in the great outdoors!ABOUT
THE PRESENTERS:
Robin Tyler
Robin Tyler Canadian born Robin Tyler is the CEO of Robin Tyler Productions,
Inc, and Robin Tyler International Tours for women- http://www.robintylertours.com.
She is also one of the leading activists, speakers and Special Event Producers
for the Lesbian/Gay, Aids, and Women's movement, distinguishing herself at such
events as the Main Stage Producer of the 1979,(line producer) 1987, (sole producer)
and 1993 Marches on Washington (co-producer) for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Producer
of the Women's Philharmonic at the Kennedy Center, and Producer/Executive Director
of the Ist. International Gay Comedy Festival in Sydney, Australia. In addition
to 25 major outdoor women's music and comedy festivals, she produced the Stonewall
Democratic Federation Convention in Palm Springs. Robin was also the first "out"
gay or lesbian comic in the 1970's, both on television and records. Robin was
the cofounder and National Rally Coordinator for stopdrlaura.com. She is the
ED of the Equality Campaign, and the National Co-Chair of DontAmend.com, the
organization fighting to stop the US Constitutional Amendment against same sex
marriage. DontAmned.com also includes DearMary.com. She has also been the first
North American speaker to address major rallies in England, Canada, France,
Mexico and Russia calling for an end to violence and discrimination against
lesbians and gays. Robin is featured in Paul Cain's book, Leading the Parade,
"Conversations with America's Most Influential Lesbians and Gay Men."
Brent Blair
Brent Blair is a full time faculty member at USC's School of Theatre where he
is also the founding coordinator of Applied Theatre Arts. Blair has developed
curricula and programs using theatre in therapy, education, social change and
for youth since arriving from Boston nearly 8 years ago. A recent recipient
of the 2002 USC Good Neighbor Volunteer Award, Blair spends community time as
a volunteer in Central Juvenile Hall working with incarcerated teens using Shakespeare
to free locked-up voices, and he recently completed "The Romeo Project"
with eight boys and girls from the hall, their families, and professional volunteers
from USC's student body and the theatre community. Blair is also a Marriage
and Family Therapist serving an internship at CCS/Amanecer using theatre arts
and therapy with three groups of youth from 6 to 18 years of age in an arts
program called Cityscape developed by Bob Brodhead, formerly of the high school
theatre arts organization, Colors United. Blair is co-founder and chairperson
of the Center for Theatre of the Oppressed and Applied Theatre Arts in Los Angeles
and will be hosting internationally renowned Augusto Boal for his second annual
Los Angeles visit in April. Blair teamed up with Amde Hamilton, founder of the
Watts Prophets, to serve as artistic consultant for the newly established Hip
Hop Poetry Choir, exploring new horizons of poetry performance. Blair is completing
course work on his PhD in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.
******LOGISTICS*******
Directions to Massman Theatre, USC Campus:
In the Drama Center (DRC) on USC's University Park Campus (UPC). http://www.usc.edu
has maps and directions as well if you like.
Take the 110 to Exposition, turn West (right if southbound on the 110) until
you get to Vermont, and turn North (right) on Vermont to 36th Street. Park at
metered parking (free on Sunday). Walk through the pedestrian gate across the
street from the Post Office, proceed straight ahead on the little path, the
tennis stadium will be on your left and construction will be on your right.
The Massman Theatre is in the Drama Center (DRC), which is a small one story
white brick building on your left, after you've passed the tennis stadium.
USC is located in the heart of south Metropolitan Los Angeles, south of the
10 and west of the 110 freeways.
Parking at USC: $6
Entrance to USC for on-campus parking:
Jefferson Boulevard Entrance at McClintock Avenue (#5) Open 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. Various surface lots and Jefferson Boulevard East Parking Plaza
Off campus:
Usually free on Sundays!
Parking is available on Figueroa, Vermont, Exposition and Jefferson
On Vermont, south of Jefferson, near Taco Bell, at 36th Street, there's an entrance
to campus that's very near the PED building where we'll be!
Public Transportation to USC:
DASH Route C (line starts at 7th Street Metro Center station): Runs every 15-30
minutes from 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. Mon-Sat. Drops and picks up on Figueroa
Street. Cost: 25 cents. For more information about DASH routes, call 1-800-COMMUTE.
Metro Bus and Metro Rail: Bus service is provided from Union Station to the
University Park Campus on bus lines 444, 445 and 446. Bus line 71 provides transportation
between Union Station and the Health Sciences Campus.
For information about these and other routes and schedules, call 1-800-COMMUTE.
Single zone fare: $1.25.
Tram Services: Union Station: The shuttle picks up passengers outside of the
main lobby, adjacent to the taxi and tram pick-up area at Union Station, and
in front of the JEP House located on 34th Street at Trousdale on the University
Park Campus. Operates Mon-Fri, morning trams run from Union Station to UPC,
afternoon trams run from UPC to Union Station.
NOTE: Tram services are provided at no charge to USC students, faculty, staff and guests. For further information regarding tram route locations and schedules, call Transportation Services at (213) 740-3575.
**Please note:We are just at the beginning of our learning curve vis how to
make our workshops accessible to people with disabilities. If you have any questions
about this, please ask us when you RSVP. **
You are also welcome to e-mail Brent Blair at mailto:bblair@usc.edu
should you need assistance. His cell phone is (323) 356-2552. Campus security
can be reached at (213) 740-6000.
*********************************************
12. Last Fringe Benefits' Theatre Think Tank (Los Angeles)
Please join us!
Saturday, June 5, 2004 -- from 2 to 5pm at Fringe Benefits'
Theatre Think Tank for Addressing LGBTQ issues in Schools
We will lead FUN theatre games and improvisations, and brainstorm ideas for
creative ways to address LGBT issues in schools -through plays, assembly presentations,
video PSAs and perhaps even Pep Rally skits.
The Think Tank is open to all youth (14 and older), parents, educators, theatre artists, therapists, activists, thinkers and allies interested in creating &/or collaborating on performance pieces dealing with LGBTQ issues.
Bring in issues you're dealing with at your school!
Bring ideas or even drafts of scripts, poems or speeches!
Bring your sense of humor, your outrage, your passion!
Or just come as you are!
This is our LAST Theatre Think Tank meetings this school year!
Next year, 2004/2005, we will be offering 5 of our Theatre Think Tank workshops
to GSAs, Project 10's and/or any youth groups who want to bring us to your campus
to collaboratively develop an original play for your school!
Please contact us ASAP if you would like to be one of these 5 groups!
LOCATION & PARKING:
Saturday, June 5, 2-to-5pm at GLASS, 735 S. La Brea Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
GLASS is located 1/2 block south of Wilshire Blvd.. Bring quarters to park in
the metered lot for Blockbusters on the N/W corner of Wilshire & La Brea,
entrance to parking lot is just west of La Brea on the north side of Wilshire.
Metered street parking and some residential parking are also available.)
*Please contact Natalya Brusilovsky at <mailto:natalya2k@earthlink.net> or call (213) 252-8112 for more information and to RSVP as space is limited.
**Contact Norma Bowles at mailto:normabowles@earthlink.net
or call (323) 953-9036 if you would like Fringe Benefits to go to your school
or community center and work with a group there to develop an original play
about LGBT or other discrimination issues.**Fringe Benefits is a groundbreaking
theatre company with a 12-year track record of collaborating with youth to fight
discrimination. Two published anthologies of our plays, Friendly Fire and Cootie
Shots, and the award-winning documentary film about our work, Surviving Friendly
Fire, narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, have all received critical acclaim, support
from educators & parents and RAVE REVIEWS from youth!
*********************************************
13. Home Street Home: A Benefit for the Coalition on Homelessness (San Francisco)
Wednesday, June 2, 2004 @ 8:00 pm
The Brava Theater
2781 24th Street (at York) in the Mission
$1-5 suggested donation. No one turned away for lack of funds.
An evening of documentary short films, visual arts, and performances addressing
homelessness and celebrating street culture.
Performances by
Colored Ink
Scarletto
Shout Troupe
Street Art Slide Show by Josh Macphee
Films:
Homeless Home Movies (Sarolata Jane Kump / Iggy Scam):
Learn how to cook a chicken in a coffee pot! (Come early and see this movie
in the lobby.)
Ritmos Dos Meninos (Spencer Wilkinson)
Street kids in Bahia, Brazil struggle to find family and art through Carnival.
Street Poets (Dreamyard / L.A.)
Los Angeles youth tell powerful poetic stories of redemption after Juvenile
Hall.
Worth Saving (Gretchen Hildebran / Leah Wolchok )
Participants in San Francisco's DOPE project learn to rescue each other from
overdose.
Fenced Out (Paper Tiger TV/New Neutral Zone/Fierce)
Queer and homeless youth from NYC's Christopher Street Pier fight to save their
public space from city developers.
Homeless in the Heart (Brian McArthur / Conscious Youth)
Young filmmaker journeys through streets of San Francisco to get perspective
on homelessness from everyday people.
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14. Invitation to 5th grade play tackling homophobia! (Los Angeles)
Ramon Richardson's 5th grade students at Bunche Elementary
have written their own original play addressing anti-gay bias and discrimination
among their peers.
It's powerful, fun and smart!
On Friday, June 4 at 1pm at their school in Compton, the students will present
their original play -"What Is 'Gay'? Don't Jump to Conclusions!"-for
Bunche Elementary 3rd, 4th and 5th graders and their parents and teachers.
The project was initiated as a collaboration between Fringe Benefits, Bunche
Elementary School and Princeton Class of '84 (my graduating year). Monica Egbuono
(also class of '84) coordinated the project; Fringe Benefits Teaching Artist,
Mimi Savage (class of '82) and I led the play development workshop back in March;
and Mr. Richardson and his students have been editing, polishing and rehearsing
the play ever since. A panel comprising several PFLAG parents and LGBT youth
and adults will follow the play.
If you would like to attend this one-time-only show, please RSVP both to me
and to Bunche Elementary Principal Mikara Solomon, mailto:mikarasolomon@aol.com
and mailto:normabowles@earthlink.net
The school location is:
Bunche Elementary School
16223 Haskins Lane
Carson, CA 90746
310.936.2176
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15. BRICK Awards to Recognize Community Work of Young People
BRICK Awards to Recognize Community Work of Young People
Deadline: November 1, 2004
A program of Do Something ( http://dosomething.org/
), the BRICK Awards were created to recognize and financially support outstanding
young people, to create a network of young community leaders across the United
States, and to inspire other young people to become active in their communities.
The program honors and funds the efforts of dynamic leaders age 18 and under who have devised and implemented innovative solutions to problems in their local communities in the areas of community building, health, and the environment. Each BRICK winner receives a $5,000 higher education scholarship, a $5,000 grant for continued community work, pro bono services, and other support and recognition.
Applicants must be 18 years old or younger on April 14, 2005, to be eligible.
For more information and to download an application form, visit the Do Something
Web site.
RFP Link: http://dosomething.org/brick-awards.htm
For additional RFPs in Philanthropy and Volunteerism,
visit: http://fdncenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_philanthropy.jhtml
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16. How would you give out $60,000 to improve your community?
How about $3,000 for a radio show for queer youth in San Francisco?
Or...$2500 to create a safe space for young people to have late night events
with music, spoken word and dancing...
Or...$5000 to a program that provides employment training and jobs to youth
in a community where there are few work opportunities...
If you want to be part of a group of young people who support powerful projects like these, then join the 04-05 Youth Initiated Projects Review Board.
For more information or to obtain an application, please call the Youth Leadership
Institute at 415.836.9160 or email Cole Church at mailto:cchurch@yli.org
to ask for a YIP Review Board Application.
Applications due June 15, 2004.
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17. Education Job at Richmond Art Center (Richmond, CA)
POSITION: Education & Community Programs Director
HOURS: 40 hours per week (Tuesday - Saturday)
SALARY: $37,000, DOE, including benefits
DEADLINE: May 28, 2004 - open until filled
Richmond Art Center, a nationally recognized non-profit, community-based art center with extensive exhibition, education and community programs, is seeking an Education & Community Programs Director. Under supervision of the Executive Director, this full-time, exempt position is responsible for overall planning, implementation, and direction of the education and community outreach programs. Responsibilities include coordinating and managing artist-residency programs placing artists in local schools and community organizations; developing and overseeing a varied schedule of education programs such as quarterly on-site classes for adults and children in six studios, public festivals, and a hands-on tour program; cultivating and maintaining relationships with community organizations interested in arts programs, and developing and implementing new project initiatives (including public art projects) aimed at building community participation; implementing related education components in conjunction with the Exhibitions Department; hiring and supervising Education Department staff, instructors, resident artists and volunteers; overseeing planning and promotion of quarterly class schedules; grant writing, reporting and documentation; developing and administering yearly education program budget and instructor payroll; working closely with Executive Director, Exhibitions Director, Administrative Director and Marketing Coordinator; and providing assistance with regard to Board/Executive Director initiatives.
Founded in 1936, the Richmond Art Center is the oldest, private non-profit community art center in the Bay Area and one of the most exciting and innovative visual arts organizations in California. Its 25,000 square foot facility, located in Richmond's Civic Center Plaza, houses 6,000 square feet of gallery space and six well-equipped studios arranged around a sculpture courtyard. Programs include the On-Site Art Education program, offering classes and workshops in Ceramics, Painting, Drawing, Textiles, Silkscreen and Jewelry for adults and children; exhibitions which emphasize the work of emerging to mid-career Bay Area artists; lectures and special events; and outreach programs that brings art activities to members of the diverse Richmond-area community. RAC is a non-profit organization, managed by a board of directors and a nine-person staff. http://www.therichmondartcenter.org.
QUALIFICATIONS: MA or other advanced degree in Art Education, Art, Art History, or Museum Studies desirable. 2-3 years art education administrative experience, or combination of related experience required. Familiarity with Bay Area art education and funding community preferred. Detail-oriented individual with strong verbal and written communication skills who is able to work in a team-oriented environment. Experience with Mac platform environment, MS Word, Excel required. Experience with FileMakerPro and Quark desirable. Bilingual Spanish-English preferred.
TO APPLY: Send cover letter with resume and three references to:
Education Director Position
Richmond Art Center
2540 Barrett Avenue
email: mailto:admin@therichmondartcenter.org
FAX: 510/ 620-6771
Richmond, CA 94804
No calls please.
Richmond Art Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Residents of West Contra Costa County and people of color strongly encouraged
to apply.
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18. NEWS: Guidelines scarce for confronting anti-gay bullying
Guidelines scarce for confronting anti-gay bullying
Critics say lawmakers must do more to protect bullied students
Southern Voice
By CHRISTOPHER SEELY
Friday, May 21, 2004
Shortly after gay student Jarred Gamwell, 17, made a highly publicized run
for student body president at his Wilson County, N.C., high school last month,
he was attacked by a fellow student who made derogatory comments about his sexual
orientation.
"The boy was like, 'If gay guys know everything then how come they stick
it in the wrong hole,'" Gamwell said.
The boy then shoved Gamwell against a wall at Hunt High School and walked away,
Gamwell said.
To read the full article, visit:
http://www.sovo.com/2004/5-21/news/national/bully.cfm
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19. NEWS: Gay students wage battle to be heard
Gay students wage battle to be heard
Friday, May 14, 2004
http://www.Advocate.com
By John Caldwell
Administrators at Hillcrest High School in Salt Lake City said they were not
being antigay when they asked a group of students to remove T-shirts that had
the slogan "Queers Kick Ash" on them. The shirts, which were part
of an antismoking campaign targeted at gay and lesbian youths, were potentially
disruptive to the school environment because of the words "kick ash,"
they said, and per the district's dress code they were not allowed.
But the students, several of whom were suspended on May 6 and 7 for refusing
to remove the shirts, had a different story. They claimed assistant principal
David Breen told them he disapproved of the word "queer" and that
he threatened to close down the school's gay-straight alliance club if they
didn't comply.
And they say they've got a tape recording to prove it.
To read more about the article, please visit: http://www.advocate.com/html/stories/915/915_kickash.asp
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20. NEWS: Council OKs Gay Pride Day in Los Altos
Posted on Wed, May. 26, 2004
Council OKs Gay Pride Day in Los Altos
By Julie Patel
Mercury News
Two weeks after the Los Altos City Council rejected a proclamation to declare June 7 Gay Pride Day, instead declaring it the less-divisive Tolerance Day, a group of gay-rights activists persuaded council members to change their minds.
About 10 activists, students and political representatives decried the decision during Tuesday night's council meeting.
They didn't have to wait long for results. At the top of the meeting, Councilman
King Lear made an unusual request to add an emergency item to the agenda. The
council later voted 4-1 to declare June 7 Gay Pride Day as well.
Lear suggested that ``we keep the Tolerance Day proclamation for those of us
who are straight and add Pride Day for those who are gay, so that they can take
pride.''
Members of the Los Altos High School Gay Straight Alliance had originally requested
the Pride Day proclamation for their annual picnic. Alison Tarbell, president
of the group, on Tuesday asked the council to designate one day to acknowledge
pride in the gay community. ``We are merely tolerated the other 364 days of
the year,'' she said.
Only Councilman Ron Packard voted against the move. ``It's too divisive of a
role for the city to step into,'' he said.