Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 17:52:03 -0800 From: Jean Richter Subject: 3/15/2000 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. CA: Survey for teens on racism and homophobia; Reminder of GLSEN conference in Pasadena 2. Stop voucher amendments to Senate education bill 3. LA: More on the struggle to start gay-straight alliance ======================================================================== Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2000 08:22:11 -0800 From: Juebirdy@aol.com Subject: FYI: A Question on homophobia and racism for middle and high school kids. This article was printed last week in the Contra Costa Times. Teens: Let us know what you think about homophobia and racism (Contra Costa Times Staff) "What do you think? In Texas, a man was brutally murdered because he was black. In a Colorado, a man was killed for being gay. And the FBI says hate crimes are on the rise, even as overall violent crime is dropping. Will the next generation be the one to stop the hate? We want to know that you think. TimeOut is seeking thoughts from young people who live or attend high school in the East Bay. Are homophobia and racism issues in your high school? Which do you see as a bigger problem? Fax your answers to 925/943-8362, or mail them to: Tolerance Issues, c/o TimeOut, Post Office Box 8099 Walnut Creek, CA 94596-8099 If you're an e-mail enthusiast, zap your note to lip@cctimes.com. Remember - - we need your name, age and high school, as well as a phone number where we can reach you." ================================================================================= Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2000 13:35:05 -0700 From: garanovich@polytechnic.org (Graciela Aranovich) Subject: Fighting Homophobia in Schools Saturday, March 25, 2000, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., GLSEN LA’s fourth annual conference, titled "CREATING SAFE SCHOOLS FOR THE DIGNITY OF ALL". GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is a national organization dedicated to fighting homophobia in schools. For teachers, administrators, counselors, school nurses (and parents) of students in grades Pre-K through 12. The conference is geared for both Public and Private schools. Workshops, networking. At Polytechnic School, 1030 East California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106. Phone (626) 792-2147, ext. 178. E-mail to Graciela Aranovich Thank you! ===================================================================== From: webmaster@pfaw.org Subject: ALERT: U.S. Senate Gets Second Chance To Help America's Public Schools Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 12:06:04 -0500 (EST) ====================================================================== ACTIVIST NETWORK -- People For the American Way Alert Date: March 6, 2000 -- Circulate Until: March 20, 2000 U.S. Senate Gets Second Chance To Help America's Public Schools ______________________________________________________________________ IN THIS ALERT (1) U.S. Senate Gets Second Chance To Help America's Public Schools (2) Contact Your Senators Today! (3) Sign Our School Construction Petition (4) About Us / Subscription Information (5) Please Support Our Efforts ______________________________________________________________________ (1) U.S. SENATE GETS SECOND CHANCE TO HELP AMERICA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS Last week, the United States Senate voted to weaken our public schools by passing S. 1134, which would give federal tax subsidies to families that send their children to private and religious schools. In doing so, the Senate rejected measures that would have invested in school construction, class size reduction, and violence prevention. However, the Senate now has a second chance to help America's schools. The United States Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is in the process of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Federal Government's primary means of supporting public education. ESEA includes such programs as Title 1, the Federal Government's largest aid initiative targeted at low-income students. As currently written, the new ESEA bill includes a provision known as "Straight-As" that would cut many items that have helped to improve educational opportunities for students that need the most help. Even worse, Senator Gregg has proposed "portability" amendments that would further harm public schools by diverting to private and religious schools resources currently targeted to our neediest schools and students. PFAW expects that Democratic Committee members will offer corrective amendments that would strike the "Straight-As" provision and add much-needed school construction and class size reduction programs. Please contact your Senators and urge them to vote against voucher and voucher-like provisions such as "Straight-As" and "portability" and to vote for school construction and class size reduction programs. ______________________________________________________________________ (2) CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY! The Senate Health, Education, Labor And Pensions Committee has begun the process of reauthorizing the Elementary and Seconday Education Act, but the whole Senate will vote soon. If either of your Senators is a member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, please contact that Senator immediately and urge him or her to vote against voucher and voucher-like provisions such as "Straight-As" and to vote for provisions such as school construction and class size reduction programs. If your Senators are not members of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor And Pensions, please urge your Senators to contact committee members regarding the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. * Committee members are designated by an asterick. [if you live in California:] YOUR SENIOR SENATOR: Dianne Feinstein Capitol Hill Phone (202) 224-3841 Capitol Hill Fax (202) 228-3954 YOUR JUNIOR SENATOR: Barbara Boxer Capitol Hill Phone (202) 224-3553 Capitol Hill Fax (202) 228-1338 For more information on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Education Savings Accounts, or school construction initiatives, please visit our web site at www.pfaw.org or call your Field Coordinator at 800/326-7329. FEEDBACK: Feedback is important in planning future alerts! Please tell us how your call to Sen. Feinstein went: http://www.pfaw.org/f/?membid=casr&issue=ESA-ESEA Please tell us how your call to Sen. Boxer went: http://www.pfaw.org/f/?membid=cajr&issue=ESA-ESEA THANK YOU FOR TAKING ACTION! ______________________________________________________________________ (3) SIGN OUR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PETITION People For the American Way has launched a petition campaign to encourage Congress to pass a well-funded school construction program. It's time to make a national commitment to strengthening our public schools and providing every child with access to a modern school and adequate facilities. Our nation's schools need fixing. A recent GAO report estimated that one third of our nation's public schools are in need of extensive repair. How can our children be expected to learn if their schools are falling apart around them? You can take a stand in support of educational opportunities for all children by signing PFAW's school construction petition. Copies are available on the web at: http://www.pfaw.org/issues/education/schoolconstruction/ Or by contacting a Field Coordinator at: 1-800-326-PFAW No child should be forced to prepare for the 21st century in a school that doesn't meet 20th century standards. _____________________________________________________________________ (4) ABOUT PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY / SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION People For the American Way organizes and mobilizes Americans to fight for fairness, justice, civil rights and the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. PFAW monitors the Religious Right at the local, state and national levels, lobbies for progressive legislation, and helps build communities of activists. To join our email Activist Network, please go to: http://www.pfaw.org/activist/ To remove yourself from the Activist Network, please go to: http://www.pfaw.org/activist/unsubscribe.shtml ** Please type in your address as it appears in the 'TO' field ** You can also reply to this message, INCLUDING THE FULL TEXT OF THIS MESSAGE, to webmaster@pfaw.org with the subject "unadopt" ______________________________________________________________________ (5) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS -- JOIN PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY People For the American Way depends on the support of individuals like you. Join us today and know that you are helping to keep alive the true American spirit: tolerance, free speech, protection for minorities, equal opportunity, and freedom for all religious faiths without government intrusion. To become a member of People For the American Way, please call 1-800-326-7329 or go to: https://secure.pfaw.org/join/ Donations to People For the American Way are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions or as business expenses under IRC Sec. 162(e). ====================================================================== People For the American Way 2000 M Street, NW | Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20036 http://www.pfaw.org | pfaw@pfaw.org 1-800-326-PFAW | 202/467-4999 ______________________________________________________________________ endalert national.000307.esaesea.ca09 ============================================================================== From: SARATOGANY@aol.com Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 03:50:30 EST Subject: Fwd: Fw: Baton Rouge GSA okayed!!!! IT WAS NOT THAT EASY!!!! To: SARATOGANY@aol.com, bdm3g@gateway.net Msg fwd by: The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020 Email to: saratogany@aol.com "The Actual or Perceived GLBT Student Protection Project" ======================================================== In a message dated 03/04/2000 9:23:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, vgbme@earthlink.net writes: << Subj: Fw: Baton Rouge GSA okayed!!!! IT WAS NOT THAT EASY!!!! Date: 03/04/2000 9:23:58 AM Eastern Standard Time From: vgbme@earthlink.net (vg bucu) To: glsenmetro@egroups.com (listnymetro) below is an email from the mother of marty pfieffer who is co-chair of glsen baton rouge louisiana and he has succeeded in getting a GSA at his school. marty I met a year ago at the LTI, his mom at California for the LTI refresher courses...what marty has not been telling us are his travails and what he went thru to get this done. My prayers and support to marty and his mom...... hugz&luvz, vg Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 10:08 PM Subject: Baton Rouge GSA okayed!!!! HALLELUJAH! I suspect that Marty already dropped y'all a note about the GSA - but I am going to drop one, too! Today Marty's principal announced that she was allowing the GSA to form at McKinley. Not a moment too soon! Also, three other schools have been given a green light to form GSA's (and one is also a primarily Black school like McKinley where Marty attends). Some members of the Black community have been VERY verbal about a GSA at McKinley being an INSULT to the school, that a Black school does not need or want a GSA. Marty and some of the club members have been meeting off school campus to get things rolling. This has been an interesting, exciting, and frightening trip with highs and LOWS. I am so thankful for the faux School Board exercise that we did in Orange County. I really believe that without that experience I would have spent the evening in the bathroom hysterical and hyperventilating during the 2 meetings once the religious WRONG got up to the mike, and especially after the School Board member Jay DuVall went off on God, the Bible and homosexuals. It was difficult listening to the opposition and 3 or 4 of the Board members that rattled on about Jesus, and "What Would Jesus Do?" and they decided that Jesus would NOT abide the sinner. (I thought that there was a division of Church and State - but I must be mistaken.) The worst was the 2nd meeting when the School Board failed to pass the EAA Policy by ONE vote. ONE VOTE. I want to thank Brenda for calling us the next morning offering support. It was a BAD morning at Hard Rock. She was very understanding and offered hope. Needless to say, both Marty and I were DEVASTATED and we were DROWNING in grief (and tears). Brenda - you were a big help. Thank you. For those that don't know, the School Board didn't pass ANY motion concerning the GSA that night. (There were 3 motions before the Board: 1) End all extra circular clubs to prevent formation of the GSA, 2) EAA Policy, 3) Table the whole thing and consult with the lawyers some more.) Friday evening Gary Matthews, the Superintendent, released a memo putting the EAA Policy into effect on the following Monday so that the Parish ("county" in every other State in the USA), would be in compliance with the EAA. So, for the last two weeks Marty has been tweaking the GSA constitution and by-laws per Principal Warren's request. Two weeks ago there was a "demonstration" at Marty's school against the GSA. Marty's English teacher locked him in the classroom and kept him away from the windows. The seventy or so kids ran up and down the halls banging on lockers and doors, chanting and also demanding that the gay kids better come out in the hall NOW. That same week a rock was thrown at his head and missed. Yesterday a piece of banana was thrown at his head. Please keep Marty in your prayers and thoughts. Send some SAFETY vibes his way! Thirty-two kids (I believe that is the correct number), were suspended for NOT RETURNING TO CLASS after the "demonstration" (Marty refers to it as riot). The students were all Black and that didn't sit well with the Black community. Enter a group of about 5 Black preachers who jumped on the band wagon against the GSA and homosexuality, quoting the Bible, etc. You know how it goes.... GLSEN could never get an appointment to meet with Gary Matthews but they got one without a moment's hesitation. The preachers showed up at the last School Board meeting and were not placed on the Board agenda by the Board. I heard on the radio tonight that they plan on being at the Board meeting again next week. They had a sound bite and they didn't say anything nice. Last year's Spanish teacher agreed to monitor the GSA without hesitation. Marty was turned down by several teachers. Marty needs a respite so I hope that all the hoopla dies down. I know that attending school is very stressful for him and he doesn't feel safe. Frankly, I don't know how he does it. Marty told me that his grades are slipping. I told him today that he just needs to pass (his Dad would KILL me if he heard me say that). After the "demonstration" Marty's Dad took him to school the following Monday morning and met with the principal to discuss Marty's safety. Who would have thunk it? (I was in N.C. at my Mother's after she had surgery.) Marty and I were on a radio show on Wednesday night at Casino Rouge. It went really well except for one "little" hitch. A drunk from the audience got on the air and voiced his feelings about his tax dollars being spent for gay clubs, and he didn't want his kids going to schools with.... You know the story... During the commercial he talked to Marty. No problem. His DRUNK, DRUNK friend came up to get his friend "the hell out of here" and proceeded to call the radio host, Marty and myself each a "piece of shit." I thought he was going to hit Marty, but he didn't. Security removed both of them from the casino. I almost didn't ask for Security to escort us to our car because I knew Marty would complain that I was paranoid. Well - I DID ask. Yep. They were waiting for us at the edge of the parking lot. Two grown men, in their mid-thirties, probably weighing about 230 pounds each were waiting for a 17 year old kid and his 47 year old, disabled mother. Isn't that PATHETIC? As difficult as parts of this struggle has been, I constantly reminded myself that Anthony Colin has lived through worse, for a longer period of time with grace and courage. I have so much of a better understanding now of what he has had to tolerate. Bless him in his continued struggle. Aren't these kids AMAZING???? I want to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, positive energy, concern and support. It really helped to know that youse guys were there with us in spirit. Thank you for being there for Marty, and thank you for being there for me. Didn't mean to be so long-winded. Anybody ready to go back to Disney Land? Thankful, thankful, thankful, Molly Pfeiffer ================================================================================ 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/