Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 17:12:43 -0800 From: Jean Richter Subject: 3/31/99 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. NY: Education equity efforts at governor's safe schools conference 2. National Day of Silence coming up soon 3. LGBT web site has education issues coverage ======================================================================== From: SARATOGANY@aol.com Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 09:19:39 EST Subject: CSS-NYS Raises GLBT Awareness at NYS Gov.'s Conference Msg from: The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020 (Email: saratogany@aol.com) CSS-NYS Raises GLBT Awareness at NYS Gov.'s Conference on School Violence Prevention by John Myers Director of Operations and Programs CSS-NYS made a great showing at the NYS Governor's Conference on School Violence Prevention. We had about 10 handouts of all kinds related to GLBT school violence issues. It was encouraging to see many attendees take our handouts. I was able to get to the microphone at the townhall meeting and ask Commissioner of Education Richard Mills why NYS does not include same sex questions in the CDC/NYS Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which is allowed by CDC. I stated that MA and VT have done this and as a result they are able extrapolated stats about GLBT attempted suicides, skipping school and threats and injuries ect. Commissioner Mills said he did not know about the other states doing this and would like to see the MA and VT data.. (Note: He was Ed Comimissioner in VT went they added same sex question to their VT/CDC YRBS). Commissioner Mills came to edge of stage and gave me his businees card. I hope to meet with him or his representative in the near future. As I walked back from the front of the stage, many thanked me for speaking on this issue. There were about 1000 registered at the conference. CSS-NYS had the best information table location at the Information Fair, at the entrance of the convention hall. We had a TV and played the MA video " The MA Safe Schools Program", produced by the MA Department of Education and the MA Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. The video is dedicated to GLBT youth issues in school. CSS-NYS was able via our email list to get advocates into some of the workshops and raise the issue. A group of HS students from the GSA at Niskayuna HS attended the Youth (only) Forum. A few who appeared to be school policy makers expressed an interest to be on the CSS mailing list. They were told to send an email to the address on the handouts and our business card. Representative of NYS Office of Mental Health, the Youth Policy Institute, NYS Coalition Against Sexual Assault, NY State Police (safe school training program instructor), all provided their business cards for future contact. We were the only organization there to raise the GLBT student subject. GLSEN Capital Region chapter and Lambda Family Circle (Albany area) joined with CSS in staffing the information table and speaking to attendees. We are hoping to receive feedback from GLBT youth advocate attendees. ================================================================================ Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 09:13:21 -0600 From: JLSE To: "listeros@onelist.com" Subject: Day of Silence FWD BY Laredo Queer Space Subject: Day of Silence only a month away! Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 21:49:10 -0500 (EST) From: Jason Hungerford - Youth Guardian Services To: Multiple recipients of list Youth Guardian Services, the parent organization of the YOUTH and SCHOOLS Lists, is a sponsor of the Day of Silence Project, providing free webspace for the organizers of the event. For more information, or to get involved in this annual event, contact one of the Co-Chairs listed in the below press release, or visit their website at http://www.youth-guard.org/dayofsilence =================================== FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 7, 1999 On The Eve of Audible Silence The list of participating high school and universities grows every week. Organizers from hundreds of schools across the country are working fervently to confirm speakers, information tables, and support spaces to carry out the Day of Silence on April 7, 1999. Youth organizing the Day of Silence will create a visible, "audible" silence to protest the oppression forced upon lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Instead of speaking, participants will wear stickers and pass out cards calling for an end to the silence of LGBT people. Organizers will also offer educational tools and dialogue devoted to ending the silence by organizing post-event forums and breaks. Participation in the event has grown exponentially from a single campus in 1996 into an international effort in 1999. Every school will carry out the Day of Silence in a unique way. At the University of Iowa, organizers have scheduled a shout-out in downtown Iowa City, where students will shout, bang pans, ring bells, and do whatever they can to make noise for an entire minute. The shout out will be followed by an open-mic session where people will be express to talk about their thoughts and experiences. According to Kit Murray, President of the University of Iowa Feminist Union, activities such as these will "give people the opportunity to continue to fight homophobia in their everyday lives and to have the resources available for people to educate themselves and others." In Tulsa, OK, the events surrounding and supporting the Day of Silence span not a single day, but a week. High school organizers in the area are organizing around the theme "unity through diversity," holding panels on queers of color and biphobia. Tulsa organizer Emily Sisemore, a junior in high school and national high school coordinator of the Project, also plans to hold follow-up sessions to seriously address rifts in the LGBT community. Sisemore hopes the session will discuss "what can be done within our community to increase awareness and break down prejudice." The Day of Silence has garnered the endorsements of national organizations such as Advocates for Youth, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Youth Guardian Services, And Justice for All, COLAGE, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Mel White, Founder of Soulforce, Inc., Student Environmental Action Coalition, and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitian Community Churches. Local organizations endorsing and participating include Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth, the Bay Area Gay Straight Alliance Network, Queer and Active, and the SAFETeen Project. If you or your school are interested in participating or learning more about the Project, please contact Jessie Gilliam, Co-Chair, at jmg8r@virginia.edu or Chloe Palenchar, Co-Chair, at cpalenchar@hotmail.com. Also, please refer to our homepage at http://www.youth-guard.org/dayofsilence for information on organizing the Project and a complete list of participating schools. -- Jason Hungerford Executive Director, Youth Guardian Services jason@youth-guard.org http://www.youth-guard.org/ "You found out to love me You have to climb some fences" Your clicks raise money for YGS! Join now for FREE!! http://www.igive.com/ygs -- SIGNATURE: SUPPORT THE QUEER CYBER-COMMUNITY OF LAREDO: http://www.netscorp.net/~jaimel 1.) Join LAREDO QUEER SPACE E-MAIL FORUM: http://www.netscorp.com/~jaimel/page13.html 2.) Communicate with Laredo Queer Space Web Site jaimel@netscorp.net http://www.netscorp.net/~jaimel (956)791-1869 5-10 PM - ONLY! 3.) Enjoy Gay Culture - Hadrian House, Publishers ANTINOUS E-PRESS "Th Ganymede Equation A Retrospective, 1971-98" http://www.netscorp.net/~hadrian 4.) USE AN ANONYMOUS HANDLE / GET ACTIVE ONLINE!!! (rev.) 11:41 AM 2/19/99 ================================================================= From: LiHamptons@aol.com Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 15:58:42 EST ************ THE REVISED LGBT WEBSITE - PURPOSE IS TO NETWORK WITH PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY & WITH OTHER LGBT GROUPS IF WE ALL DO NOT STICK TOGETHER AND HELP EACH OTHER, WE WILL NOT OVER COME THE NARROW MINDS OF SOCIETY http://hometown.aol.com/lihamptons/index.html NEW FORMAT This site has been in operation since December 13, 1998. While that is a substantial amount of visitors by anyone’s standards, I was not satisfied as to the current content of the site. Since its inception, there were some changes of content. With each new change, the number of visitors increased. With the new visitors, came various thoughts of change to make the site even more appealing and more beneficial. The last idea before the new format was to have the site as a compilation of news worthy items that could be found in one place, which was here. As time went on, the realization came to me that there were so many lists out on the net that provided this sort of information, that what I was attempting was a duplication of efforts. The efforts, being to help the LGBT community. At the present, I am keeping various segments of the site as they were, but took out the majority of the news items. My intent also is to make this a site where people can find items of interest that pertain to them. I think going in the above direction would help the community. I would appreciate any of your ideas and comments as to what you think should be added or deleted for this site. I am extremely happy to have Sandy Rapp want to post her column on my site. Sandy Rapp is an activist and singer. Please stop by and read her column. I am also happy to have lesbigay songwriter Zonna, want to send information to the site on her concerts. Let us all support the LGBT Community by buying Sandy’s music, reading her column and passing on her words of wisdom and attending Zonna’s concerts and telling your friends about them and this site. If you like my site, please tell your friends and me of course, if you don’t please tell me why you don’t and what you feel would help. This letter is going to be sent around mainly to OUR community along with some letters to people outside our community. If you receive a duplicate, please excuse me as I am presently going by the member directory and names that others have forwarded to me. IF ANYONE THINKS THOSE OUTSIDE OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT BE SENT MAIL, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. MY FIRST AND FOREMOST PRIORITY IS TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, THAT SOME OF THE “STRAIGHT” COMMUNITY COULD HELP US BY NETWORKING IN OUR FAVOR. If you wish to be added to my mailing list to be made aware of new areas of information, please E-mail me. If you do not wish to be added to my mailing list to be made aware of new areas of information, please E-mail me stating that you do not want to be notified. If your friends want to be added, please have them Email me. Thank you. Xena, your Webmistress PS. I would appreciate it if you would send me information on your group or ogranization that could be placed on my site. AND PLEASE ADD ME TO YOUR MAILING LIST. AND IF YOU HAVE A WEBSITE, PLEASE WRITE ME ABOUT EXCHANGING LINKS. Remember this is a site for all of us..... If you like it tell your friends and me of course, if you don’t please tell me why you don’t and what you feel would help. Thank you. Xena, your Webmistress ================================================================================= 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/