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eNewsletter 3 | | |
|  | 1. From the Editor: Celebrate!
Sacramento's LGBT Prom: the 3rd Annual GSA Dance May 6
With success (see below) comes a time to party! Saturday is almost here... the 3rd Annual GSA Dance, the area's only truly welcoming prom for students of all orientations--straight, gay, bi, queer, questioning, or those who don't wish to be categorized. High school students (18 and under) come from across the greater Sacramento area and unite and dance the night away. Come enjoy dancing, prizes, fun, and food in school-friendly attire. Saturday, May 6 from 7 to 11 pm at Hiram Johnson High School, 65th Street and 14th Avenue. This year's theme is "Funky Formal"... so creative fashion is a must! (Inappropriate attire will not be allowed, however. Hey... this is an event at a high school!)
General admission tickets are $5 at the door. The GSA with the most guests receives a portion of the profits. Need more information? Contact Lance or Yvonne at sacregionalgsa@hotmail.com.
Sac City Schools recognize student initiatives: Day of Silence
Congratulations to everyone who appeared, spoke, emailed in favor of what came to be known as the Day of Silence Resolution of the Board of Education of the Sacramento City Unified School District. The board voted 5-1 in favor of students rights and LGBT protection. Thanks to members Jerry Houseman, Manny Fernandez, Miguel Navarrette, Roy Grimes, Karen Young, and student member Mandy Carrillo (board member Rick Jennings was a no-show, and Dawn McCoy appeared to have bowed to the pressure from the religious community and voted "no"). Special thanks to Associate Superintendent Joan Polster for her work in sheparding the resolution through, and to district counsel Jerry Behrens for his spot-on legal presentation. Over the course of two board meetings, five board members of Respect Sacramento spoke in favor of the resolution.
Sacramento's LGBT community and those who support equal treatment and an end to harassment spoke eloquently and succinctly about the need for such a supportive resolution. "This is not about religion," said Tina Reynolds, owner of Uptown Studios, adding that her own children were harassed at school because she is a lesbian. "This is about having fair, safe schools that our children can attend."
Of course, one didn't have to look far to see the need for the resolution. They were all around us. Most of those opposed to the resolution were members of area Slavic churches--particularly Ukrainian and Russian. I'm betting that very few of them actually bothered to read the revised resolution--it was so watered down that it could apply to any constitutionally protected student initiated activity, not just the Day of Silence. That's a good thing, of course, but the power of the original resolution was somewhat diluted.
Had the opponents not been so blinded by homophobia and religious intolerance and ignorance, they might have realized that the resolution stood to protect THEIR rights as well.
The scene outside the Serna Center was again turned into a zoo by the anti-gay religious zealots. And the shouting crowd was not above violence or vandalism. One couple who attended had a large solid object thrown at and shatter their rear window; another had a bottle thrown at their car.
The Day of Silence
Notes from correspondents around the area:
Sac City School Board member Jerry Houseman reports: "After seeing this morning's Sacramento Bee, I am proud of what we did. Our schools were tolerant and without incident. I was at McClatchy High School and no problems occurred."
Ellie Campbell-Brown at John F. Kennedy High School reports: "About 30-40 students came out before school to talk about why the day was important for them and why they were participating. They gave out cards explaining why they were not speaking, and duct tape for their mouths if they were interested. Students distributed cards to friends who didn't make it to the opening ceremonies; it appeared that about 50-60 students participated in all. There were no reports of any protests."
Kristina Goodnight at Rosemont High reports: "Over 300 students and staff members asked us for rainbow ribbons, and wore them yesterday, even though they were not able to stay silent. It generated a lot of good discussion, both inside and outside the classroom from what I heard from my colleagues. The only form of protest we had was the absence of students of Russian/Slavic descent who stayed home. But other than that, it was an excellent, peaceful, consciousness-raising day."
Respect Sacramento board member Lance Chih, a senior at Folsom High School, reports that expressions for and against the Day of Silence peacefully co-existed. Many students wore rainbow arm bands and Day of Silence shirts, while a few students wore T-shirts stating homosexuality is a sin. But since they weren't violent or vulgar, Lance wasn't bothered.
"If they're stating their own belief that homosexuality is wrong, that's not promoting hate or violence against us. If I want to promote my civil rights, I can't tell another group of students that they can't do it."
At River City High School, about a dozen students who have just restarted the GSA participated in the Day of Silence. There were a few reports of mild threats and intimidation from fellow students, but the administration stood firm in refusing to allow blatantly disruptive anti-gay T-shirts on campus.
Sac City Schools LGBT Task Force
Reminder that the next task force meeting is Wednesday, May 3rd from 3:45-5:00 pm at C. K. McClatchy High School, 3066 Freeport Boulevard, Sacramento, 95818. The school's main phone number is (916) 264-4400. Check in at Main Office for meeting room location.2. Our next meeting: Wed. May 10
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, May 10 at 6:30 pm. Our regular meeting time and place is the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm at the Lambda Community Center, 1927 L Street in midtown Sacramento.
On our agenda: Day of Silence and GSA Dance evaluations, AIDS Memorial Grove trip (see below) Pride parade/festival. Are you a student at a local secondary school who would like to help plan events?A teacher or parent with a concern? Come on by or drop us a line. Our events are developed by and with local GSA members for their peers in the community. We hope to see you there! 3. AIDS Memorial Grove trip to San Francisco: you're invited!
Respect Sacramento will once again sponsor an early summer trip to the AIDS Memorial Grove (AMG) in San Francisco. This year we are renting a bus and inviting area students, parents, teachers, and friends to join us on Saturday, June 17. The bus leaves from the Lambda Community Center at 7 am and we will return sometime in the late afternoon. At the AMG, we will work in the morning with other individuals and groups to help maintain the beauty of the grove. This is a chance to get out, get to work, and contribute to the upkeep of one of the most beautiful memorials in the country. Volunteers donate their time and physical labor to the AMG and then share friendship and community over lunch with all who worked during the morning. This event is one of the most important and moving on our calendar. Last year, we also made a stop into The Castro district for a visit.
If you are interested in going with us, please reserve a spot on the bus by contacting us at admin@respectsacramento or 733-2135 (voicemail). Respect Sacramento pays for the day, but you might want to bring along a little spending money just in case.
4. Scholarships
Sac County LGBT Caucus Scholarship
The Sacramento County Employees Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Caucus plans to award one scholarship this year: minimum $500, maximum $1,000.
The Scholarhip Awarding Ceremony will be on Thursday, May 18th, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at 6:30 p.m.
We are seeking a worthy recipient. The criteria is the following:
1. member of the LGBT community, or a is the child of a member of the LGBT leather community
2. Graduating Senior from high school;
3. Resident of Sacramento County;
4. Accepted to a 2 or 4 year institution of higher learning for the Fall 2006 semester
For more information please contact (e-mail only, DO NOT telephone):
George Raya
Co-chair, LGBT Caucus
rayag@saccounty.net
Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program
The Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program is committed to advancing progressive social change by helping to sustain long-time activists of color. The program honors those who have devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for racial, social, economic and environmental justice. Each year, ten Fellows receive an award of $15,000 to take sabbaticals of three months or more for reflection and renewal. The sabbaticals may be used to explore new interests, travel, relax, visit with other activists, or do whatever the Fellows think is necessary to prepare for their future work. The application deadline is December 1, annually. For more information visit www.alstonbannerman.org
5. Three big events in the Bay Area May 20 for LGBT youth
Want to attend the Unchained Conference, Young Women's Health Fair, and Unchained Dance? Interested in leading a workshop, providing a resource table, or performing?
If so, then check out the event website at http://www.lyric.org/Unchained06/registration.html and sign-up today!
Saturday, May 20th: 1 day! 3 big events for LGBTQQ youth!
2nd annual Unchained Conference,
11th annual Young Women's Health Fair
The Unchained Dance
Join over 400 youth for a day of workshops, food, performances, and an opportunity to connect with community organizations from around the Bay Area!
The Unchained Conference and Young Women's Heath Fair, two of LYRIC's most popular events, are together at last! The conference is a chance for queer youth and their allies of all backgrounds to connect with their peers, learn from one another, and have some fun. The fair is an event for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer women to attend workshops, get resources, etc.
WHO: LGBTQQ youth (24 & under) and their allies (including teachers/adult allies!)
WHAT: New workshops, new performers, and a chance to connect with other youth!
WHEN: Saturday, May 20th, 10a.m. 6p.m.
WHERE: Everett Middle School, 450 Church St. (@ 17th St.), San Francisco, CA
The Unchained Dance
it's back! At a new location, at a new time, and with new DJs. Come to the conference and fair, but make sure you stay for the dance!
WHO: LGBTQQ youth (24 & under)
WHAT: A bangin' after-party with guest DJs and door prizes!
WHEN: Saturday, May 20th, 8p.m. 12a.m . (midnight)
WHERE: EVRC, 100 Collingwood St. (@ 18th St.), San Francisco, CA (Castro District)
Wanna lead a workshop, provide a resource table, become an event volunteer, or perform? If so, go to http://www.lyric.org/Unchained06.html and submit your workshop, tabling, volunteer, or performance proposal online!
Questions? Contact Denny David at 415.703.6150 x28 or denny@lyric.org and find out how you can get involved with these upcoming events.
LYRIC is thrilled to bring you the 2nd annual Unchained Conference and the 11th annual Young Women's Health Fair , co-sponsored by GLSEN San Francisco-East Bay, Spectrum, and Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center.
The Unchained Conference is a hot opportunity for queer youth and their allies of all backgrounds to connect with their peers in an inclusive and safe space, to build relationships with other youth, and to gain skills/tools to effect positive change in oneself and one's community. This conference seeks to prioritize youth of color by developing content that reflects the experiences of their communities.
The Young Women's Health Fair, now in its 11th year, is a progressive opportunity for LBTQQ young women to come together to talk and learn about topics that are not discussed in mainstream health education. 6. Announcements
From GSA Network:
The GSA Network has moved!
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA OFFICE
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 800
San Francisco, CA 94103
phone 415-552-4229 / fax 415-552-4729
CENTRAL VALLEY OFFICE
928 N. Van Ness Ave.
Fresno, CA 93728
phone 559-268-2780 / fax 559-268-2786
GSA Network is Hiring! - Operations Director
Operations Director: GSA Network is looking for a full-time Operations Director to work in our San Francisco office. The Operations Director is responsible for fiscal and administrative management, technology and information systems, operations, and some fund development projects for GSA Network. In 2006, GSA Network will be leaving its fiscal sponsor, The Tides Center, and establishing its own 501c3 status. The Operations Director will lead GSA Network through this transition and will help set up new financial, human resources, and administrative systems for our organization as an independent 501c3. A demonstrated passion for LGBTQ youth leadership and empowerment, an understanding of youth culture, and commitment to social change is required for all positions at GSA Network.
To get more information on the job description and how to apply, visit http://www.gsanetwork.org/about/index.html#jobs.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
GSA Network, a project of the Tides Center, is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from youth, people of color, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, and people with disabilities.
What Happens to the GSA After the President Graduates?
As the school year winds down and seniors make plans for their life after high school, many GSA clubs will be experiencing the graduation of many of their members, and in some cases the graduation of the club's officers (President, Vice-President, etc). This can have a huge impact on the club. The club can be left with a lack of leadership. The club can lose members. The club can lose direction. Some clubs have gone from being very active on their campus to finding themselves starting over again once the seniors graduated. That can be a frustrating process for GSA members and for the advisor. A lot of GSAs don't think about their seniors graduating, they just deal with the consequences after the fact. Some clubs, however, take proactive steps to plan what they will do and how they will make a smooth transition after their seniors graduate.
Allan, a junior at Bonita High School, went through this experience with his GSA: "My freshman year my GSA had this same problem. What we ended up doing was having officer elections a bit earlier than usual. Then the new officers that were elected helped in the planning process for the Day of Silence. After the DOS we put together a fundraiser, but the new officers had to do it on our own and just get help/advice from the senior officers. This way if we had any questions we could ask them, but at the same time we gained leadership experience and knowledge so that we could be good officers for the following year."
Jocelyn, a freshman at Mira Costa High School, suggested mentoring as an idea of how to make the transition easier. "Try to get the younger people in your GSA involved. Maybe take a couple that you know really like the GSA and want to carry it on and try to get them to run for a position for next year." Larissa, a Scripps Ranch senior, is repeating what was done for her by her GSAs previous officers. "For my GSA I am giving sophomores and juniors information on GSA Network's Activist Camp and on the GLSEN board, so hopefully they can get further involved. I am also leaving behind copies of everything I used this year and sending a file of all GSA documents on the computer to several juniors and sophomores. This was all done for me last year."
Other suggestions included making sure that one of the officers is a sophomore or junior so they will be there the following year; making a point of giving younger members leadership roles in planning activities like Day of Silence or Pride Events; making sure that freshman and sophomores know about the club so that they will want to participate and you will always have younger members to move into leadership positions; and having seniors hold a training for GSA members to prepare them to take over the club the following school year.
Allan's club also put things in place to make it easier for the next group of officers to take over. "My GSA kept a giant red notebook with old minutes in it, as well as a scrapbook of all the old events it had put together, along with magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and flyers. This proved to be helpful the following year when we were trying to figure out where to start from. All the resources also made it easy for us to get in contact with local LGBT organizations." In addition, seniors like Larissa, and Hugo of Garfield High School, plan on keeping in touch with their GSAs after they graduate to help them through the transition process. "I plan on staying in contact with the Scripps Ranch GSA," Larissa explained, "and making myself available for questions by phone, email, or instant messaging when I'm off at college." Whatever your club decides to do, taking some time now to think about what will happen after the seniors graduate will make the transition a whole lot easier and will help your GSA club continue to grow stronger and stronger over time.
Odette's Rainbow Lair
What the heck... I received a nice little email from Joyce Waite, who sheepishly explained that she wasn't exactly sure how to go about it, but she wanted to promote her Sacramento home-based rainbow pride business and at the same time assure everyone that she respects people's privacy. She gave us her eBay business URL and asked that we pass it along if we thought it was appropriate. I think so. Here ya go: http://stores.ebay.com/Odettes-Rainbow-Lair. Good luck, Joyce. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | CA Senate committee to hear bill Wednesday to include gay contributions in textbooks
Apr. 30, SACRAMENTO (San Jose Mercury News) State Sen. Sheila Kuehl says a key aspect of history is missing from school textbooks - the contributions that homosexuals have made to California and the nation.
Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, has introduced a bill that would fill that void by requiring textbooks and other social science materials to discuss contributions that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people have made to the state and nation's economy, politics and society.
The bill also would prohibit textbooks from criticizing people because of their sexual orientation. Current law sets that standard for discussions of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender and disabilities.
It's scheduled to be considered Wednesday by the Senate Education Committee.
Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia, has a rival bill that would ban schools from promoting socialism, humanism or homosexuality. It also is up Wednesday, in the Assembly Education Committee.
Discussions of gays and lesbians are almost nonexistent in current textbooks, supporters of Kuehl's legislation say.
That leads "to the conclusion that they're worthless, that they never contributed anything, when the truth is there are quite a few people who were gay and did contribute," Kuehl said. "I think it helps both straight and gay students appreciate that talent is really scattered through our diverse population."
Benjamin Lopez, a lobbyist for the Traditional Values Coalition, an Anaheim-based group that views homosexuality as an abomination, doesn't dispute the fact that gays have been discriminated against and have made contributions to American society.
But he contends Kuehl's bill amounts to "social engineering and social indoctrination."
"You're talking about elevating a practice, a lifestyle, and putting it on par with the struggles of blacks, women and (other) minorities," he said. "As a minority myself, that's tremendously offensive."
Mountjoy said schools should be focusing on improving reading, writing and math scores, not doing "diversity training."
But Kuehl said that if schools are "silent about the diversity of talented people who were important in California, the impression is that only white, straight men did anything important. That leaves virtually everyone else in school believing their talents may not be sufficient."
The bill would require schools to implement its requirements as they normally replace textbooks and other instructional materials.
Anti-gay t-shirt ban upheld
Apr. 20, SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A suburban San Diego teenager who was barred from wearing a T-shirt with anti-gay rhetoric to class lost a bid to have his high school's dress code suspended Thursday after a federal appeals court ruled the school could restrict what students wear to prevent disruptions.
The ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals addressed only the narrow issue of whether the dress code should be unenforced pending the outcome of the student's lawsuit.
A majority of judges said, however, that Tyler Chase Harper was unlikely to prevail on claims that the Poway Unified School District violated his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion for keeping him out of class when he wore a shirt with the message "homosexuality is shameful."
Tyler Chase Harper sued the Poway Unified School District in San Diego federal court after the principal at Poway High School refused to let the student attend class wearing a T-shirt scrawled with the message "homosexuality is shameful."
Harper was a sophomore at Poway High in 2004 when he wore the T-shirt the day after a group called the Gay-Straight Alliance held a "Day of Silence" to protest intolerance of gays and lesbians. The year before, the campus was disrupted by protests and conflicts between students over the Day of Silence.
After Harper refused to take off the T-shirt, Poway High School's principal kept Harper out of class and assigned him to do homework in a conference room for the rest of the day. He was not suspended from school.
On Thursday, the three-judge appeals court panel said "the school is permitted to prohibit Harper's conduct...if it can demonstrate that the restriction was necessary to prevent either the violation of the rights of other students or substantial disruption of school activities."
The opinion, written by Judge Stephen Reinhardt and joined by Judge Sydney Thomas for a 2-1 ruling, didn't decide the merits of the student's lawsuit, which will be heard in federal court in San Diego.
Judge Alex Kozinski wrote a blistering dissent, arguing that the high school had in effect authorized a heated debate over sexual orientation when it allowed the "Day of Silence."
"Harper's T-shirt was not an out-of-the-blue affront to fellow students who were minding their own business," Kozinski wrote. "Rather, Harper wore his T-shirt in response to the Day of Silence, a political activity that was sponsored or at the very least tolerated by school authorities."
Jack Sleeth, a school district attorney, said that the 9th Circuit ruling supports the district's prohibition against T-shirts with messages that are offensive to some.
"When it violates the rights of other, then it can be prohibited," Sleeth said. "It is that simple of an issue."
Robert Tyler, an attorney for Harper, said he may wait until the main case is decided before determining if further appeals are necessary.
"Mr. Harper's speech was censored," Tyler said. "There wasn't any disruption, but there was concern that it was politically incorrect."Nationwide survey shows student gay bashing unabated
Apr. 26, WASHINGTON DC (365gay.com) As students across the country button their lips marking the 10th annual National Day of Silence to draw awareness to homophobia in classrooms a new study shows that gay-bashing remains a major problem in the nation's schools.
Three-quarters of students surveyed across America said that over the past year they heard derogatory remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" frequently or often at school, and nearly nine out of ten reported hearing "that's so gay" or "you're so gay" - meaning stupid or worthless - frequently or often.
Over a third of students said they experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and more than a quarter on the basis of their gender expression.
Nearly one-in-five students reported they had been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and over a tenth because of their gender expression.
The National School Climate Survey was released in Washington by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
The study also showed that bullying has had a negative impact on learning.
LGBT students were five times more likely to report having skipped school in the last month because of safety concerns than the general population of students.
Students who experience more frequent physical harassment were more likely to report they did not plan to go to college, the study found.
Overall, LGBT students were twice as likely as the general population of students to report they were not planning to pursue any post-secondary education.
In addition, the average GPA for LGBT students who were frequently physically harassed was half a grade lower than that of LGBT students experiencing less harassment.
"The 2005 National School Climate Survey reveals that anti-LGBT bullying and harassment remain commonplace in America's schools," said GLSEN Founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings.
"On the positive side, it also makes clear that inclusive policies, supportive school staff and student clubs, like Gay-Straight Alliances, all relate to reduced harassment and higher achieving students."
The presence of supportive staff contributed to a range of positive indicators including greater sense of safety, fewer reports of missing days of school, and a higher incidence of planning to attend college the study found.
Students in schools with a GSA said they were less likely to feel unsafe, less likely to miss school, and more likely to feel like they belonged at their school than students in schools with no such clubs.
Jennings said that having a comprehensive policy was related to a lower incidence of hearing homophobic remarks and to lower rates of verbal harassment.
Students at schools with inclusive policies also reported higher rates of intervention by school staff when homophobic remarks were made.
Only nine states and the District of Columbia have comprehensive anti-bullying laws that specifically address bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and only three of these laws mention gender identity. Nine other states have "generic" anti-bullying laws that do not specifically define "bullying" or enumerate categories of protected classes such as sexual orientation or gender identity. The remaining 32 states have no laws at all.
The NSCS found that both states with "generic" anti-bullying laws and states with no law at all had equally high rates of verbal harassment. States with inclusive policies that specifically enumerate categories including sexual orientation and gender identity, however, have significantly lower rates of verbal harassment.
Silent for 10 years
Apr. 25 (The Advocate) By Jessie Liberatore. For 10 years, high school students across the nation have been taking part in the Day of Silence. They hold their tongues to raise awareness about the struggles faced by gays and lesbians, and they learn a little something about their fellow students.
As I began planning for the 2006 National Day of Silence, I did so with caution. This year in my school we took every measure possible to ensure students would be comfortable and safe during their participation. Despite our caution, we also planned out quiet protest with great enthusiasm. As a student leader for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, which founded the Day of Silence, I was excited about the activities that I was a part of organizing, both in my school and beyond. It turns out that excitement is contagious. More.... | | | That's enough for now. Did I leave anything out? Please drop me a line. Do you have an announcement or item that you'd like to include in our newsletter? Would you like to write an opinion piece about something in the LGBT education area? Tell us about what's going on in your GSA! Send complaints, comments, or submissions to admin@respectsacramento.org and I will be happy to place it in our newletter, which is composed and sent out in the first week of the month. Make this your newsletter by contributing to it!
See you on Wednesday, May 10 at 6:30 at the Lambda Center.
Jerry O'Connor
Respect Sacramento Board Member
Respect Sacramento
PO Box 191678
Sacramento CA 95819
(916) 733-2135
info@respectsacramento.org
www.respectsacramento.org
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| | Quote Unquote
There should be no youngster in the district who fears going to a school site because he is whatever he is.
- Sacramento City Unified School District board member Miguel Navarrette, on voting in favor of a district resolution in favor of student initiatives in support of safe schools.
Perhaps at some point in history there was a constitutional amendment proposed that was sillier than this one, but I don't know of one.
- Former Republican US Senator and Episcopal priest John Danforth, on the conservative push to ban same-sex marriage through a federal constitutional amendment. | |
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