Date: Mon, 4 Mar 1996 06:36:10 -0800 From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: Utah Coalition organizing for the long haul; report on weekend's activities in Utah; beware the following attempt to subscribe from Charlene Orchard comes the following: "The Utah Human Rights Coalition is an all-volunteer grassroots organization that has been working closely with students and concerned Utahns over the issues of forming gay/straight alliances and of working to stop legislation which would regulate the private actions of public school employees and volunteers. At this point, it is clear that the struggle we are facing is not going away soon. In fact, it appears that the next culture war is going to be fought here with radical right organizations around the country drawing a line in the sand in Utah. If we lose here, they will pursue the same strategy elsewhere, just as they have done with the ban on equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Utah was the first, and now there are similar efforts in at least 15 other states. We need financial help to keep our efforts moving forward. So, if you or someone you know can help with a financial contribution, please send checks made out to the Utah Human Rights Coalition and mail them to: Utah Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 521242 Salt Lake City, UT 84152-1242 801-484-5291 Thank you for considering this financial appeal. The Utah Human Rights Coalition is in the process of applying for 501(c)3 status. I understand that it will be retroactive. Thanks to everyone who has written letters to the Salt Lake City School Board and Utah legislators! And thanks to everyone who has sent letters of support to the students." Charlene Orchard Co-Chair, Utah Human Rights Coalition P.O. Box 521242 Salt Lake City, UT 84152-1242 801-484-5291 [p.s. The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project inquired of Charlene about the status of the student who was hit by a car while marching in protest of the Salt Lake Board's decision. Here's Charlene's answer: "The young woman who was hurt underwent serious surgergy. Her mother wanted her to stop protesting and her response was that this was too important not to speak out. An amazing person. My understanding is that she is going to be ok, both physically and emotionally."] ======================================= * From cdorchard@earthlink.net (Charlene Orchard): This is my (Charlene Orchard) account of what happened in Utah over the weekend: On Saturday, March 2, over two thousand concerned and outraged students, parents, and activists marched and rallied to against the Salt Lake City School Board's decision to ban all noncurricular clubs in order to stamp out nascent gay/straight alliances at its high schools. Kelli Peterson, a senior at East High who founded the school's Gay/Straight Alliance, led the protestors from the front of the Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City and up the hill to the state's Capitol. The Save Our School march and rally was one of the largest protests in the state's history and drew national media attention. With hundreds of students leading the way and chanting "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Bigotry Has Got To Go,' the march proceeded peacfully and swiftly up the hill. They carried signs reading everything from the general "Hate is Not a Family Value" to the specific "I'm a Grandmother, I'm Straight, and I'm Appalled." At the end of the march, however, were several individuals holding signs reading "We Love Satan" and "Legalize Homosexual Sodomy." No one knew who they were and one march monitor said that the smell of alcohol was clearly evident. They shouted out statements such as, "We want to sodomize your children." The fact that they remained at the end of the march further signalled that they were part of someone else's efforts. SOS march monitors put up a human barrier, and the small group headed away from the march. As marchers reached the top of the hill, it was exciting for those at the front to look down the hill and not see the end of the end. It brought tears to some, and exclamations such as "This is amazing," and "Can you believe this?' were frequently heard. Once assembled in front of the Capitol, the numbers and diversity became apparent: gay/straight, young/old, white/a few people of color, organizational leaders/neighbors, elected representatives/people too young to vote, religious leaders/avowed atheists, liberals/conservatives, and voters/people we need to register. There were about 20 speakers, some of whom were not selected beforehand, but who felt so compelled by the school board's action, that they just had to speak. Most who spoke were students. The first speaker, Emily Coker, said, "My story is a little different than most kids my age. I'm 16 years old and have been in four treatments for being confused about my sexuality. I've been living on my own for five months because I'm gay and living with prejudice in my family. I helped start the Gay/Straight Alliance at East High School. It helped me, and I think that this club and other clubs should be allowed for the safety and security of teenagers my age." Many adults in the audience expressed surprise at how articulate so many of the students were. Such as Rachel Bauchman, a senior at West High, who said, "Utah has the fastest growing economy in the Union. People visit here from all over the world. Will people visiting Utah leave here with a good impression knowing that school administrators endorse homophobia? Utah does not protect the rights of students who are being called 'fag' and other vicious names in the hallways by their peers. Will visitors have a good impression of a state whose administration hides their eyes and does nothing when students, just because of their sexual oreintation, receive death threats and get beaten up? I don't think so. These students have every right to be able to meet with their peers and discuss personal issues. They should not feel threatened. Imagine knowing that the elected officials of your own school board and state legislators won't protect your rights. When these so-called patriots say 'Liberty and Justice for All,' do they think that it only applies to heterosexuals? Apparently so. The Eagle Forum and certain members of the school board and the state legislature claim that the members of the Gay/Straight Alliance are merely perverts. It seems to me that the Eagle Forum and these people arethemselves perverts. Their family values include hatefulness, double-standards, and persecution. I find it amazing that officials in a state founded by people who came here to escape persecution take perverse pleasure in systematically persecuting minorities and children." Later, a woman who no one knew came up and said she just had to speak. From the crowd's reaction, Colleen Uhl's words obviously struck a chord. She read from a letter she had written, "My child is a homosexualand I am not alone in Utah. I am your next door neighbor. I shop in your stores. I may be your doctor, your teacher, your friend. My perspective is a little different than most. Unlike many of you (or some of you whose children are afraid to tell you) the gay/lesbian issue is not 'out there,' not 'those evil, perverted sinners." It is my child. My child whom I have watched struggle with his own sexual identity not knowing that was 'wrong' with him as dictated by our dominant religious culture. My child who has been tormented and persecuted as a youth for not being masculine enough coming home having been called 'fag, gay, and queer' since elementary school. Do you think I would choose a way of life that would lead to persecution by so many?' I have watched as he struggled with accepting who he is and reached the conclusion that he wasn't defective or needed to be different. . . .My son has changed my life. He is one of the most incredible people I know. . . .Because of the insensitive treatment we have received since learning of his homosexuality we have changed in ways that even if I could, I would not choose to go back. I am more open to listening to others who think differently than I do. . . .To sum it up--one of the national news services carried a cartoon showing a cave labeled Utah. A man in a suit was walking out of the cave, carrying a large club-like stick labeled 'intolerance.' The punch line: 'In Utah schools all clubs have been banned except this one--intolerance.'" In many of the speeches by students, their frustration with the extreme action of the Salt Lake City School Board was palpable. For example, Jacob Orosco, a student at East High, said, "To me taking clubs from us is like putting a gun in our hands and waiting for the trigger to be pulled. How many times do we have to walk out of our schools before we are heard. . . .In high school 'our community' clubs give us the feeling of belonging. . . .We need to take a stand and get our clubs back. " Andrew Hunt, a junior at West High, said, "The Salt Lake Board of Education thinks that we are weak and will go away. I say we are strong and are going to stay. . . .We must show them that this bigotry will be not be tolerated in the world and especially not in Salt Lake City, Utah." This issue has brought out the activist in people who had never been active. People such as Rose Dominguez, who said, "Many school clubs are being banished in order to prevent one club from existing. In essence, the message is that to be different is to be excluded and that segregation is acceptable! As a Latina, I am alarmed that elected officials are now legislating exclusion! We should all be alarmed and they should be ashamed!! Let's hold them accountable. . . .This is not the end, it's just the beginning--and we will prevail. And we will not go back!" Even after an hour of speech, the audience stayed for more. Mel Gundersen, the secretary of the Utah Human Rights Coalition and the former artistic director of the Lesbian and Gay Chorus of Salt Lake City, asked for those who had played significant roles in recent developments to come forward and sing with her a ballad she had just finished called "This is the Time." The ballad celebrates the courageous people who have come forward to say that it is time for Utah to change, and the audience cheered as the ballad was sung. To close the rally, one of Utah's most innovative songwriters, Mary Tebbs, performed some of her original songs. The question now is, where do we go from here? --Charlene Orchard, Co-Chair, Utah Human Rights Coalition, P.O. Box 521242, Salt Lake City, UT 84152-1242, 801-484-5291 ======================================= attention fellow listowners who are also subscribers to The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project list: a while back i received the below message. since the name of the person's "organization" was so objectionable, i immediately asked the person for more information about who he is, what his organization stands for, and how he heard about our list. to date (more than two weeks later) there's been no reply to my inquiry. i deduce that this person is putatively anti-queer and therefore write to alert all of you to watch out for this email address... check your lists to make sure he's not already managed to infiltrate. >Date: Wed, 21 Feb 96 12:45:18 -0800 >From: Richard Haskins >Organization: Fuck you Bastard >To: jessea@uclink2.Berkeley.EDU >Subject: (no subject) > >subscribe user msm5043@pbs6.milton.port.ac.uk *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ YOU MAY RE-POST. Jessea Greenman The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project* Oakland, CA CHECK THIS OUT FOR LOADS OF INFO: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ Please cc us (for our files) on correspondence you send or receive re our action alerts. *Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally.