Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 11:17:58 -0800 From: Jean Richter Subject: 11/17/98 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news (resend) 1. TX: Cheerleader assaulted because of perceived sexual orientation 2. Beware of scholarship scams 3. NJ: Teacher testifies before task force on youth violence [apologies if some of you get this twice - a strange computer glitch happened when I tried to send this yesterday...] ========================================================================= Inserted below are e-mails from a newspaper editor. A male cheer leader at a local high school was assaulted last week because he was perceived to be queer. I'm trying to build a local support group for this young man. We need some advice, national contacts for this youth and his family, and direction as to legal action to redress this wrong. There is not yet a news story, but there could be one that gives this young man justice, opens the floodgates of complaints in local school districts and helps us to organize teachers to protect queer students through legal action. We have few real resources here in Laredo other than Laredo Queer Space, a cyber community. Nevertheless, a few of us are going to hold a Thanksgiving Eve (November 25) SYMPOSIUM. The topic of the potluck symposium will be something like "The Queer Community Protects its Young." We have some gay resources for the symposium from GLSEN, thanks to Deidre Cuffee-Gray and the State of Massachusets - booklets and video - thanks to EdLeMay. Perhaps we will have a transcript of a hearing in October. We anticipate that the young man who was assaulted will participate and tell the symposium will his story. Comment? Direction? Cooperation? Does anybody have an e-address for ACLU in Texas? Jaime Lopez ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Re: "War Against Paranoia" Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 19:11:39 -0600 From: estel < A newseditor To: JLSE Yes Jaime, you may post my message [ Laredo Queer Space and Virtual Laredo e-mail lists ] and maybe we will get response. The boy who was assaulted is at XX High School and he is willing to come forward with his story and we may use his name, so we're very encouraged. Estel >Dear Estel, > >I'd like to post your response, below. >estel wrote: > >> By the way, I've just assigned reporter John XXX to do a story on >> intolerance at school, mostly violence against people (namely boys) because >> they are either suspected of being gay or because they don't measure uf to >> other boys' expectations (?). Last week, a boy was assaulted at school >> because he is a cheerleader and perceived to be gay. You can call John at. >> I'll get back to you, but keep writing. I read all your messages. >> Regards, Estel SIGNATURE: .....Jaime Lopez..... SUPPORT THE CYBER-QUEER COMMUNITY IN LAREDO: 1.) Join LAREDO QUEER SPACE E-MAIL FORUM: http://www.netscorp.com/~jaimel/page13.html 2.) Communicate with Laredo Queer Space Web Site LaredoQueerSpace@listbot.com http://www.netscorp.net/~jaimel (956)791-1869 5-10 3.) Enjoy Gay Culture - Hadrian House, Publishers ANTINOUS E-PRESS "Th Ganymede Equation A Retrospective, 1971-98" http://www.netscorp.net/~hadrian 4.) Join or support Women's Group. % Laredo Queer Space (956)791-1869 5-10 LaredoQueerSpace@listbot.com 5.) Support GLSEN LAREDO BOARD OF DIRECTORS % Laredo Queer Space (956)791-1869 5-10 LaredoQueerSpace@listbot.com 6.) Join or support SILVER FOXES (956)791-1869 5-10 LaredoQueerSpace@listbot.com 7.) Join or support BISEXUAL/GAY MACHO SUPPORT GROUP (956)791-1869 LaredoQueerSpace@listbot.com 8.) STAY ANONYMOUS/ GET ACTIVE ONLINE!!! STRAIGHT DOMINATED WEB SITES: (Heterosexist) CITY OF LAREDO: http://www.cityoflaredo.com/ (Don't ask about Queer information because you will get no service for your TAX DOLLARS. "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!!!") LIBRARY: http://www.laredolibrary.org/index.html (computers for the public) "Should Queers live or die?" (Let's keep a balanced point of view!) (rev.) 11:32 AM 11/7/98 ============================================================================== Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 15:07:17 -0700 From: Jessea NR Greenman Subject: A caution re: Scholarships >From a local newspaper comes this word: "Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the Web site finaid.org estimates that there are 150 dishonest scholarship schemes per year. His Web site offers a range of possible sources for aid and alerts consumers to fraud." and, from a colleague who is a financial aid professional at UC Berkeley comes the following: "this guy is not just good, he is great. Mark has THE best website for financial aid (www.finaid.org) and it is an excellent source for all aid issues, not just scholarship scams." O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ O+O+ Jessea NR Greenman, "Talk does not cook rice." Chinese proverb. ============================================================================== Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 22:27:17 -0800 From: Alex Damien To: School List Subject: NJ Task Force on Violence The following was the text of the testimony I gave before the Task Force on Adolescent Violence. I was accompanied by a Gay friend. There were no other Gays or Lesbians in attendance speaking for the community or as witnesses to the proceedings. **************************** "Tuesday, October 27, 1998 Assembly Task Force on Adolescent Violence Hearing 10:00 AM Committee Room 11, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ Chair: Asm. DiGaetano, Paul The Task Force took testimony from representatives of the educational community and learned about the experiences of school administrators and teachers in dealing with youth violence, including use of weapons and threatening behavior by students. The Task Force received information concerning existing or proposed programs within schools designed to prevent and curb youth violence and promote safe school environments." **************************** Hello and good afternoon to the Committee members. Thank you for letting me speak to the Committee on my experiences with violence in the public school system and how the system does not properly deal with situations and does not prevent such actions from occurring. My name is George DeCarlo and I live in Berkeley Heights in Union County. I worked as a substitute teacher at Watchung Hills Regional High School District located in Warren in Somerset County from 1992 through 1994. I am a Gay man who also happens to be a legal second class citizen of the State of New Jersey. As a Gay man I do not enjoy all the rights and privileges of citizenship and residency in the State of New Jersey. Of those rights and privileges I am at liberty to pursue and exercise with other Gays and Lesbians, we are not free from discrimination, bigotry and violence. All Gays and Lesbians share this circumstance, homophobia, in all aspects of our society and within each of our communities. I have come here to share with you a particularly sensitive and important area in which this is most notable. New Jersey's public school system does not demonstrate equality for its Gay and Lesbian administrators, staff, teachers, and the reason for its existence, its students. Gay and Lesbian students are ignored by the public school system as far as positive reinforcement that supports and enhances their self-esteem. And how is positive self-esteem accomplished? Students need people such as myself who were teachers and substitute teachers treated in a verbally violent and discriminatory manner to tell their story and act as role models. I was the recipient of verbal violence from students regarding my sexual orientation. Then the school, Watchung Hills Regional High School District, in Warren in Somerset County, compounded this negative behavior in the form of discriminatory action and reprisal as determined by a Finding of Probable Cause from the Division on Civil Rights under New Jersey's Department of Law and Public Safety. This situation originated after my reporting of the verbally discriminatory remarks and gesture. Additionally, verbal violence was directed at me by a student calling me a "fucking faggot" and a "fag." These actions show a total lack of prevention by the public school system. Adolescents are not taught that; Being Gay or Lesbian is Not a Choice; Gay People Are Mentally Healthy; Being Gay or Lesbian is Natural; Being Gay or Lesbian is Not a "Lifestyle" (as I was told by a school administrator and Board Member), It's a Life; Gay Men and Lesbians Constitute Families; and, Some of the Most Talented People Are or Were Gay or Lesbian. Prevention comes in many forms. For instance, the nondiscrimination statement had not been updated since the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination was amended in 1992 to include affectional or sexual orientation. Without this update what is the community to think? At the very least, the school system will be viewed as defying the law. So it is not surprising that such defiance manifests itself inciting students and administrators to discriminate and violate another person. What else does this tell students on how to treat each other and those outside of their group? A process of profiling develops leading to prejudice and xenophobia. Of course, these attitudes are not only fostered at school. Family and religious organizations teach youth to love but with conditions. These conditions are not founded on science but on taboos based on ignorance and hate. But, it is up to the public school system along with the New Jersey Department of Education to teach correct etiquette in the greater society. Punishment on a case-by-case basis is insufficient. Public schools may consider organizing committees of students, teachers and parents to arbitrate acts of prejudice, bigotry and discriminatory behavior on the part of students in order to stop the violence. The New Jersey Department of Education does not have powers of enforcement unless specifically granted such authority by the Legislature. Therefore, the Department of Education may only advise, consult and observe. In my case, a suggestion was made that due to my youthful looks, I should consider teaching in elementary school. The issue of discriminatory and reprisal actions were pushed aside and ignored. My youthful looks are now the object to be discriminated against. I suppose those teaching master and doctoral level studies need to look ancient in order to communicate with their students. States of sexual orientation whether they be Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual generates odd, irrational, pitiful and disappointing action even from state officials. The need to bury and obfuscate the problem becomes a paramount objective. I cannot but wonder if public school administrators know about violence and put it aside. Are the parents prohibiting the enforcement of the Law Against Discrimination via school boards? These two propositions need investigation. I am not the only person that has faced such actions. Many in the public school system will not come forward due to the fear of reprisal. Of those that have bravely come forward are Eileen Argenbright, a music and arts teacher. Students from the Upper Saddle River middle school formed a hate group in opposition to her being a Lesbian. Administrators did not want to deal with the violence and the students were known to have demonstrated such behavior in the past. Also in north Jersey is Robert MacDonald, formerly a student at Jefferson High School in Newton in Sussex County. He suffered violent actions from fellow students. The reason for the violence was that he is a Gay male. Finally, some Facts About Gay Youth: * 80% of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual youth report verbal abuse (1) * 44% of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual youth report threats of attack (1) * 17% of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual youth have been assaulted (1) * 66.7% of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual youth were threatened/injured with a weapon at school in the past year (2) * 20.1% of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual youth skipped school in the past month because of feeling unsafe on route to or at school (2) * 62.3% of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual youth were in a physical fight in the past year (2) These statistics are from Pennsylvania State University and the Massachusetts Youth Risk Survey conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NOTES: (1) AR D'Augelli, HDFS, Pennsylvania State, University Park, PA 16802. (2) Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 1995. Conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I thank the Task Force on Adolescent Violence for allowing me to speak and ask that all necessary efforts be made to stop anti-Gay and Lesbian violence in all its forms within New Jersey's public school districts. Remember, only a handful of the 612 school districts include affectional or sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies. George DeCarlo *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* GEORGE DECARLO Anti-Discrimination site http://www.netcom.com/~alexdn/ YOUR comments and suggestions are necessary. alexdn@ix.netcom.com Thank you. Yes, the public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius. The Critic As Artist, Oscar Wilde -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- =============================================================================== Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) CHECK OUT OUR INFO-LOADED WEB PAGE AT: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/