Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 17:39:12 -0400 From: Tom Myers Subject: Press release WE ARE FAMILY PRESS RELEASE On Thursday, June 24, We Are Family is sponsoring a half-day conference entitled "Diversity and the Silent Minority: Creating a Positive School Climate for Gay and Lesbian Youth." The conference will be held at Synagogue Emanu-El, 5 Windsor Drive from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Registration begins at 8:00 AM. The cost is $10. Students and others on limited incomes are free. The objective of the conference is to begin a dialog in South Carolina on making our schools positive places for gay and lesbian youths. Under South Carolina law (The Comprehensive Health Education Act of 1988) school teachers, staff and guidance counselors are forbidden to respond to questions or concerns about homosexuality on anything other than disease prevention. The system works to keep these youths isolated. There are no South Carolina statistics, but nationally: Average high school students hear anti-gay epithets 25 times a day; 97% of the time, teachers hearing these epithets fail to respond. Lesbian and gay youth are three times more likely than their non-gay peers (1) to drop out of school and (2) to develop a substance abuse problem. 18% of all Lesbian and gay students are physically injured to the point where professional medical services are required. The conference program will include four workshops: (1) School Safety and Sexual Harassment Issues, (2) For Teachers Only: Encouraging Respect for Gay and Lesbian Students, (3) Community Support Sources for Gay and Lesbian Students, and (4) Students Talk Back: Life at School for Gay and Lesbian Students. The principal speaker will be Kevin Jennings, Executive Director of The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network ("GLSEN). Founded in 1990, GLSEN led the fight that made Massachusetts the first state to ban anti-gay discrimination in its public schools in 1993. GLSEN's mission is to strive to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected, regardless of sexual orientation. It has a national network of eighty-five local chapters. GLSEN provides teachers with resources to ensure a safe and affirming learning environment for all and to bring positive change to every school in every community. We Are Family is a South Carolina non-profit organization. Our mission is to encourage straight and gay members of our community to value one another through education. We focus our energies on gay and lesbian youth because they have very little support in our state. In Charleston, WAF sponsors SafeSpace a twice-weekly support group for gay, lesbian and questioning youth. Visit our website at www.waf.org. Contact Tom Myers, Executive Director, or Warren Gress, Program Director, at 843-937-0000 with questions. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Children will persevere against all odds if they know someone values them. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tom Myers voice 843-937-0000 We Are Family fax 843-937-0020 POB 30734 email tmyers@waf.org Charleston SC 29417 web http://www.waf.org