Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 16:29:32 -0800 From: Jean Richter Subject: 3/17/99 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. Australia: Program being set up to help rural gay youth 2. AK: Book with gay characters OK'd for school library use in Anchorage 3. NJ: Student alleges anti-gay discrimination at high school 4. URL for TESOL (teachers of English to speakers of other languages) LGB caucus =================================================================================== AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMPANY, 26 February, 1999 Network aimed to assist homosexuals in rural areas A national network is being set up to help young gay and lesbian people in rural areas. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is setting up the network with the Australian Youth Foundation. The project has arisen from the commission's "Bush Talks" report, which was released today after a 12-month consultation with the rural community. The Human Rights Commissioner, Chris Sidoti, says key young people will be found for the network in each state and territory. "What we want to do is break down the isolation that young gay men and lesbians face in the country [and] put them in contact with each other," Mr Sidoti said. "[We want to] make them feel like they are being supported. "They have terrible problems with isolation, with self-esteem with bullying and harassment in their schools and their towns and to give them the support of other people who are in the same situation is the first step. "The second step is to put that network in close contact with community service organisations," Mr Sidoti said. =================================================================================== From Michael Haase (michaelh@servcom.com) The Anchorage School Board voted 6-0 last night to keep the book, "Athletic Shorts," on middle and high school library shelves. (One of the seven members was absent) The book will, however, be pulled off shelves in elementary school libraries. Last week a parent complained to the Board's Controversial Issues Review committee about the books handling of homosexuality. The parent objected to the portrayal of gay characters in childrens fiction. (In the books first short story, an unpopular high school boy named Angus has gay parents, who both have partners) The controversial Issues Review committee sends a recommendation to the School Board after holding its own hearing, and the board has the final say. Although the issues often become contentious, the Anchorage School Board has in recent years been very friendly toward gay concerns. A Gay/Straight Alliance got the green light from the board in 1997, the same year that the high school curriculum was slightly adjusted to be less demeaning of homosexuality. =================================================================================== Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 04:16:22 -0500 From: George DeCarlo Subject: More trouble in NJ public school districts Subject: *QL*: Sexual Orientation Discrimination at Edison NJ High School Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 10:40:06 PST From: "William Courson" To: capraro@edisonnj.org, jankowski@edisonnj.org, polkowitz@edisonnj.org CC: mayorspadoro@edisonnj.org, cifelli@edisonnj.org, rainone@edisonnj.org, andrew@edisonnj.org, edvideogod@edisonnj.org, eric@edisonnj.org, chris@edisonnj.org, tv@edisonnj.org, barnes@edisonnj.org, tomaro@edisonnj.org, stephens@edisonnj.org, stephen@edisonnj.org, kapitan@edisonnj.org, ricigliano@edisonnj.org, kruczak@edisonnj.org, massaro@edisonnj.org, dudashb@edisonnj.org, phantom.hawk@orn.com, webmaster@edisonnj.org, glsen@glsen.org, nlgsf@igc.org, nlgsf@igc.apc.org THE MAGNUS HIRSCHFELD CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Crosswicks House 551 Valley Road, Suite 169 Upper Montclair, New Jersey 07043-1832 Telephone: 201-237-3406 Facsimile: 973-746-3147; 973-744-2513 E-Mail: Crosswix@hotmail.com WWW: http://www.angelfire.com/nj/hirschfeldcentre/index.html February 26, 1999 Mr. Bruce A. Polkowitz, Board President Mr. Joseph J. Jankowski, Esq. Board Counsel Dr. Vincent Capraro, Acting Superintendent of Schools Township of Edison Board of Education 100 Municipal Boulevard Edison, New Jersey 08817 RE: John P. Stevens High School - Reported Discrimination Against Student On Basis of Sexual Orientation Dear Mr. Polkowitz, Mr. Jankowski and Dr. Capraro: The Magnus Hirschfeld Center for Human Rights is a non-profit, non-governmental organization engaged in the promotion of the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms internationally, and advocacy on behalf of persons and communities whose civil and human rights have been abrogated. Most particularly, the Center concerns itself with issues peretinent to the human and civil rights of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons. It has been brought to our attention that there may have occurred (or presently be occurring) a situation wherein a student in attendance at John P. Stevens High School, a public secondary school located in Edison, New Jersey, has been subject to a denial of her rights on the basis of sexual orientation. Appended below for your reading please find the correspondence received by us this morning from that individual (which correspondence has been edited so as to protect the identity of its sender). As you are doubtless aware, a number of professional educational organizations have endorsed the right of gay, lesbian and bisexual students to full access to and equal participation in the benefits of all events and accomodations offered by the educational institutions in which they find themselves. These include the National Education Association, the New Jersey Education Association, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the amercian Guidance Association and the National Association of Student Personnel Service Administrators. As you are further undoubtedly aware, New Jersey's Law Against Discrimination was amended nearly a decade ago in such a fashion as to prohibit the denial of public accomodations (inter alia) to persons on the basis of their sexual orientation or affectional preference. Allow me to quote in extenso: "(New Jersey Statutes) "10:5-4: "4. All persons shall have the opportunity to obtain employment, and "to obtain all the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and "privileges of any place of public accommodation, publicly assisted "housing accommodation, and other real property without discrimination "because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, "marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, familial status, "or sex, subject only to conditions and limitations applicable alike "to all persons. This opportunity is recognized as and declared to "be a civil right." "10:1-5: "l. A place of public accommodation" shall include, but not be "limited to ... any auditorium, meeting place, or hall; any public "library; any kindergarten, primary and secondary school, trade or "business school, high school, academy, college and university, or any "educational institution under the supervision of the State Board of "Education, or the Commissioner of Education of the State of New "Jersey ... nothing herein contained shall be construed to include or "to apply to any ... educational facility operated or maintained by a "bona fide religious or sectarian institution..." and lastly, "10:5-5(hh-kk): "'Affectional or sexual orientation' means male or female "heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality by inclination, "practice, identity or expression, having a history thereof or being "perceived, presumed or identified by others as having such an "orientation. "'Heterosexuality' means affectional, emotional or physical "attraction or behavior which is primarily directed towards persons of "the other gender. "'Homosexuality' means affectional, emotional or physical "attraction or behavior which is primarily directed towards persons of "the same gender. "'Bisexuality' means affectional, emotional or physical attraction or "behavior which is directed towards persons of either gender. If the pattern of facts is as related by the writer of the appended correspondence, there appears little room for doubt but that the actions of the person(s) responsible for her being prohibited from attending the instant or any school function with a companion of her choice of either gender is clearly in violation of the foregoing. Prefatory to the Center's recommendation that remedial action be initiated for the purpose of ensuring that the student's rights remain intact, I would be very grateful for your providing myself and the Hirschfeld Center with a statement of the Board of Education's and school administration's views on this matter. The favor of your promptest possible reply will be gratefully appreciated. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation. Very truly yours, William A. Courson William A. Courson, FLLA Executive Director THE HIRSCHFELD CENTER cc: The Hon. George A. Spadaro, Mayor, Township of Edison The Hon. Peter J. Barnes III, President, Township Council The Hon. Charles Tomaro, Vice President, Township Council The Hon. Councillor William Stephen The Hon. Councillor Joan Kapitan The Hon. Councillor Anthony Ricigliano The Hon. Councillor William Kruczuk The Hon. Councillor Anthony Massaro Mr. Robert Dudash, Executive Assistant to the Mayor Mr. Arthur Cifelli, Township Chief of Staff Mr. Louis N. Rainone, Township Law Director Mr. Stanley Olachwaszcz, Steven High School Alumni Association Mr. Robert S. Ranta, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Ms. Beverly Harris, Edison School District Affirmative Action Officer Mr. John DiMuzio, Edison School District Director of Health & Physical Education Mr. Micahel Iannucci, Edison School District Director of Special Services BINET NJ: The Bisexual Network of New Jersey Jewish Family Services of Northern Middlesex County Task Force on Gay & Lesbian Concerns NJ Lesbian & Gay Havurah of Temple Emanu-El of Edison New Jersey Lesbian & Gay Law Association New Jersey Education Association Association Lesbian, Bisexual & Gay Caucus New Jersey Lesbian & Gay Coalition NOW-NJ Lesbian Rights Taskforce PFLAG: Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays of Northern New Jersey The Personal Liberty Fund of New Jersey Gay, Lesbian & Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN) Gay & Lesbian Educational Alliance GALY-NJ: Gay & Lesbian Youth of New Jersey ===== ===== ===== APPENDIX ===== ===== ===== >From (IDENTITY EDITED) Tue Feb 23 13:59:54 1999 (EST) To: Crosswix@Hotmail.com Subject: My rights at school: please, help. Dear Sir or Madam: Hello, my name is (IDENTITY DELETED)and I am sixteen years old. I live in Edison, New Jersey and I have been attending public schools in the Edison District ever since I entered kindergarten. Right now I attend John P. Stevens High School and am in the tenth grade. I am writing to you because I am faced with an offensive problem to myself as well to others. I am an openly bisexual female, and have been in a relationship with another female, a senior, also attending John P. Stevens High School. To our benefit, the school administration has been very helpful in taking disciplinary action to those students who have harassed us orally and sexually throughout the schooldays. My Significant Other and I have become very discreet with our relationship, but still, immature and closed-minded students continue to harass us. In the past years at John P. Stevens, same-sex couples have tried to attend our school prom, whether they have been a sexual couple or not. Last year, two best friends wanted to go to the prom together, and our school would not let them. I am outraged that the Board of Education will not let same sex couples spend one of the most important days of High School together, and yet they stand up to gays being harassed. My Significant Other and I would like to spend Prom Night together, regardless of what anyone else has to say about it. A teacher at my school has informed me that it is against Civil Rights for the school to do this, so I plan on standing up to the Edison Board of Education, my own school administration, or anyone else that I have to. It would be greatly appreciated if you could send me literature on my rights as a bisexual minor. Does my school have the right to say that two students of the same sex cannot attend the prom together? Who do I need to talk to first? I found your website online, and I really need help in changing this. I'm not going to let my high school years, as well as other students', be shorted by some "miseducated" assembly of persons representing the Edison Board of Education. I am looking forward to standing up for what I truly believe in. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, (IDENTITY EDITED) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ============================================================================= Web page for TESOL (teachers of English to speakers of other languages) LGB caucus: http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Chelsea/1310/glbcaucus.html ============================================================================= 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/