Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 06:23:29 -0800 From: jessea@uclink2.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: National Education Association ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 14:04:51 -0400 Subject: National Education Association A quick note to inform you of a very important resolution of the 2.2 million member National Education Association. In July 1994, the 8,000+ delegates to NEA's Representative Assembly (RA) passed Resolution B-8--"Sexual Orientation Education." This July 6, 1995, the RA adopted amendment "d" to that 1994 resolution, an amendment which supports the concept of a Lesbian and Gay History Month. B-8 Sexual Orientation Education (Passed in July 1994; amendment "d" passed on July 6, 1995.) The National Education Association recognizes the importance of raising the awareness and increasing the sensitivity of staff, students, parents, and the community to sexual orientation in our society. The Association therefore supports the development of posititve plans that lead to effective ongoing training programs for education employees for the purpose of identifying and eliminating sexual orientation stereotyping in the educational setting. Such programs should attend to but not be limited to-- a. Accurate portrayal of the roles and contributions of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people throughout history, with acknowledgment of their sexual orientation. b. The acceptance of diverse sexual orientation and the awareness of sexual stereotyping whenever sexuality and/or tolerance of diversity is taught. c. Elimination of sexual orientation name-calling and jokes in the classroom. d. Support for the celebration of a Lesbian and Gay History Month as a means of acknowledging the contributions of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals throughout history. The NEA can be reached at 1201 16h St NW, Washington DC 20036-3290. The phone number for its Division of Human and Civil Rights is 202-833-4000. (they don't have email that I know of). Also, ask them whether their new version of their excellent 4- pg. document formerly called "Teaching and Counseling Gay & Lesbian Students" is ready yet, and have them send you a copy. Also ask them whether they are distributing their outstanding (but not released back then for public distribution) 1991 publication called "Affording Equal Opportunity to Gay and Lesbian Students Through Teaching and Counseling- A Training Handbook for Educators." If so, GET a COPY!! *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CROSS POST WITH ATTRIBUTION Jessea Greenman Co-Founder, Project 21; ph/fax: 510-601-8883 586 62nd St. Oakland, CA 94609-1245 Project 21 is *always* looking for more volunteer organizers. If you are interested, please contact Jessea as shown above.