Date: Thu, 01 Jul 1999 17:06:22 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 7/1/99 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news [UC Berkeley had a big network snafu today - hope this makes it out in a fairly timely manner...] 1. TX: KLRN to air "It's Elementary" at 10:00 p.m. on July 2nd 2. NY: Text of proposed "Dignity for All Students" law ==================================================================== Date: Thu, 01 Jul 1999 09:35:43 -0500 From: JLSE To: "listeros@onelist.com" Subject: IT'S ELEMENTARY ON KLRN Queers, Families, and Friends within the KLRN/cable area: "IT'S ELEMENTARY" will run on KLRN-PBS on FRIDAY, JULY 2nd at 10 p.m. After some soul searching, and braying by far right fanatics and some input from Laredo Family Queer Space and other San Antonio and Laredo citizens and organizations, KLRN decided to run the piece. The program will open at 10 p.m. with some probably anti-gay rebuttal beforehand. "IT'S ELEMENTARY" will begin at 10:30 p.m.. Please alert your friends in communities which receive KLRN so they may watch, and/or record the program. It deals with what school children (and teachers) should know about queers so they can respect the humanity of queer school children. [As a school teacher, myself, I can only say that this fim is long overdue in Texas classrooms.] The tape is aimed primarily at adults, however the film is in use now by about 3,000 schools. It is also used in about 500 Education departments in colleges to sensitize teacher trainees. The film was directed by Debra Chasnoff, who co-produced it with Helen Cohen. _____________________________________________________________________________ Proactively, I think the community needs to seek to have some kind of input into the policies of PBS KLRN concerning gay issues. One gay-related program every six months? hardly provides fair or meaningful coverage. PBS needs to be monitored, and gay issues need to stand on their own, not as a soap box on which far right fundamentalists can preach. _____________________________________________________________________________ "Our silence will not save us" - Audre Lourde ________________________________________________ "LAREDO FAMILY QUEER SPACE:" THE QUEER CYBER-COMMUNITY OF LAREDO: http://www.netscorp.net/~jaimel 1.) LAREDO QUEER SPACE E-MAIL FORUM: http://www.netscorp.com/~jaimel/page13.html 2.) Laredo Queer Family Space Office listeros@onelist.com http://www.netscorp.net/~jaimel (956)791-1869 5-10 PM - ONLY! 3.) Gay Culture - Hadrian House, Publishers ANTINOUS E-PRESS "Th Ganymede Equation A Retrospective, 1971-98" ancient and modern graphics http://www.netscorp.net/~hadrian 4.) USE AN ANONYMOUS HANDLE, AND SPEAK OUT ON LINE. ================================================================================ From: SARATOGANY@aol.com Date: Mon, 7 Jun 1999 14:46:01 EDT Subject: Text of NYS's Proposed "Dignity for All Students Act" rec'd and fwd by: The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020 Msg from: Senator Thomas Duane's office ============================================================ 5775 1999-2000 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E June 4, 1999 ___________ Introduced by Sens. DUANE, BRESLIN, DOLLINGER, MONTGOMERY, OPPENHEIMER, SAMPSON, SANTIAGO, SMITH, STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "dignity for all students act" THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new article 2 to 2 read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 2 4 DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT 5 SECTION 10. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. 6 11. SHORT TITLE. 7 12. DEFINITIONS. 8 13. DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED. 9 14. POLICIES AND GUIDELINES. 10 S 10. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY FINDS AND DECLARES 11 THAT IT IS THE POLICY OF THE STATE TO AFFORD ALL PERSONS IN PUBLIC 12 SCHOOLS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR REAL OR PERCEIVED GENDER, SEX, SEXUAL 13 ORIENTATION, ETHNIC GROUP IDENTIFICATION, RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELI- 14 GION, OR MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITY, EQUAL RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES 15 IN THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE STATE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTI- 16 CLE IS TO PROHIBIT ACTS WHICH ARE CONTRARY TO THAT POLICY AND TO PROVIDE 17 REMEDIES THEREFOR. 18 S 11. SHORT TITLE. THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED AS THE 19 "DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT". 20 S 12. DEFINITIONS. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE TERM "SEXUAL 21 ORIENTATION" SHALL MEAN ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED HETEROSEXUALITY, HOMOSEXUAL- 22 ITY OR BISEXUALITY. 23 S 13. DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED. NO PERSON SHALL BE SUBJECTED TO 24 DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF REAL OR PERCEIVED GENDER, SEX, SEXUAL 25 ORIENTATION, ETHNIC GROUP IDENTIFICATION, RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELI- EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets { } is old law to be omitted. LBD10016-03-9 PAGE-2 1 GION, COLOR, OR MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITY IN ANY PROGRAM OR ACTIVITY 2 CONDUCTED BY AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT RECEIVES, OR BENEFITS FROM, 3 STATE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IF SUCH PERSON WITH OR WITHOUT REASONABLE 4 ACCOMMODATION, CAN PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF SUCH PROGRAM OR 5 ACTIVITY. 6 S 14. POLICIES AND GUIDELINES. THE COMMISSIONER IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED 7 AND DIRECTED TO IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING POLICIES AND GUIDELINES, 8 PROVIDED THAT SUCH POLICIES AND GUIDELINES SHALL NOT RESULT IN A STATE 9 MANDATE OR AN INCREASE IN COSTS TO A LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT: 10 A. ADOPT POLICIES DIRECTED TOWARD CREATING A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT IN 11 KINDERGARTEN AND GRADES ONE TO TWELVE, INCLUSIVE, THAT IS FREE FROM 12 DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES AND ACTS OF HATE VIOLENCE. 13 B. REVISE, AS NEEDED, STATE CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE HUMAN 14 RELATIONS EDUCATION, WITH THE AIM OF FOSTERING AN APPRECIATION OF PEOPLE 15 OF DIFFERENT REAL OR PERCEIVED GENDER, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ETHNIC 16 GROUP IDENTIFICATION, RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION OR MENTAL OR PHYS- 17 ICAL DISABILITY. 18 C. ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR USE IN TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING 19 PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE AN APPRECIATION OF DIVERSITY AND TO DISCOURAGE THE 20 DEVELOPMENT OF DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES THAT PREVENT 21 PUPILS FROM ACHIEVING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. 22 D. ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR USE IN TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR TRAINING 23 PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO ENABLE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO PREVENT AND 24 RESPOND TO ACTS OF HATE VIOLENCE OCCURRING ON THEIR SCHOOL CAMPUSES. 25 E. ESTABLISH GUIDELINES DESIGNED TO RAISE THE AWARENESS AND SENSITIV- 26 ITY OF TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND SCHOOL EMPLOYEES TO POTENTIALLY 27 PREJUDICIAL AND DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR AND TO ENCOURAGE THE PARTIC- 28 IPATION OF THESE GROUPS IN THESE PROGRAMS. 29 F. DEVELOP GUIDELINES RELATING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATORY 30 INSTRUCTIONAL AND COUNSELING METHODS. 31 G. PROMULGATE ANY RULES OR REGULATIONS APPROPRIATE TO INCLUDE PROCE- 32 DURES FOR PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO ACTS OF HATE VIOLENCE. 33 H. PREPARE GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL 34 PROGRAMS AND INSTRUCTIONAL CURRICULA THAT PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING, AWARE- 35 NESS, AND APPRECIATION OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF PEOPLE WITH DIVERSE BACK- 36 GROUNDS AND OF HARMONIOUS RELATIONS IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY. SUCH GUIDE- 37 LINES SHALL INCLUDE METHODS OF EVALUATING SUCH PROGRAMS AND CURRICULA 38 AND SUGGESTED PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THE COORDINATION OF THE PROGRAMS AND 39 CURRICULA WITH APPROPRIATE LOCAL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS. 40 I. PROVIDE GRANTS, FROM FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE, TO SCHOOL 41 DISTRICTS TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND CURRICULA CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDE- 42 LINES SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION. 43 J. TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, PROVIDE ADVICE AND DIRECT SERVICES, 44 CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION, TO SCHOOL 45 DISTRICTS THAT IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS AND CURRICULA. 46 K. PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE STAFF MEMBER AT EVERY SCHOOL TO BE THOROUGHLY 47 TRAINED TO HANDLE HUMAN RELATIONS EDUCATION IN THE AREAS OF REAL OR 48 PERCEIVED GENDER, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ETHNIC GROUP IDENTIFICATION, 49 RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION OR MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITY. THE 50 COMMISSIONER IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED AND DIRECTED TO IMPLEMENT SUCH TRAIN- 51 ING GUIDELINES PROVIDED THAT SUCH TRAINING GUIDELINES SHALL NOT RESULT 52 IN A STATE MANDATE OR AN INCREASE IN COSTS TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 53 S 2. This act shall take effect September 1, 2000, except that any 54 rules or regulations necessary for the timely implementation of this act 55 on its effective date shall be promulgated on or before such date. ============================================================================== Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) These messages are archived by state on our information-loaded free web site: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/