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January 25, 2005

Bridges Project |
Volunteer training January 29, 2005, 9-1pm
Links community college and university GSAs with high school GSAs via structured activities and resource sharing to bridge the gap between high school and college. Last call to community college and university students involved in LGBTQ organizations – volunteer orientation and training this Saturday, January 29, 2005, 9-1pm. Please contact info@glsenphoenix.org for more information.

GLSEN Phoenix Collaboration with 1N10 & PFLAG-Phoenix |
GLSEN Phoenix is proud to announce a series of collaborations with 1N10 and PFLAG-Phoenix, including:

  • OUTFAR - 2/5 @12:00 LGBTQ youth film session.
  • Phoenix PRIDE – Youth Zone - 25th anniversary celebration. Sat April 2nd
  • JAVA advertisement - 12 consecutive monthly ads
  • Distribution of LGBTQ youth resource bookmarks
  • United Way grant application

No Name Calling Week |
http://www.nonamecallingweek.org
January 24-28, 2005
Annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

Here is a snapshot of the TELEVISION coverage. Just Monday morning, there were 154 local morning show mentions or discussions of No Name-Calling Week -- with the vast majority of these stories also mentioning GLSEN. These are just morning shows and does NOT include the standard 5:00 and 11:00 local evening news programs. The estimated audience reach for these morning television hits is just over 6.1 million folks nationwide. It will take us a couple weeks to add up reach for t.v., radio and print, but expect that number to be well over 25 million... And the calls just keep on coming...

Folks also have seen the overwhelming ONLINE and PRINT media coverage for No Name-Calling Week (and you can add USA Today and NY Times to the pile). Here is the coverage in the Arizona Republic, as published in the Education section, January 24, 2005.

'No Name-Calling' initiative spreads in middle schools

By David Crary
AP National Writer
Jan. 24, 2005 06:10 PM

NEW YORK - Using a young readers' novel called "The Misfits" as its centerpiece, middle schools nationwide will participate in a "No Name-Calling Week" initiative starting Monday. The program, now in its second year, has the backing of groups from the Girl Scouts to Amnesty International but has also drawn complaints that it overemphasizes harassment of gay youths.

The initiative was developed by the New York-based Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, which seeks to ensure that schools safely accommodate students of all sexual orientations. GLSEN worked with James Howe, the openly gay author of "The Misfits" and many other popular children's books.

"Gay students aren't the only kids targeted - this isn't about special rights for them," Howe said. "But the fact is that 'faggot' is probably the most common insult at schools."

"The Misfits" deals with four much-taunted middle schoolers - one of them gay - who run for the student council on a platform advocating an end to nasty name-calling.

GLSEN is unsure how many schools will participate in this week's event, but says 5,100 educators from 36 states have registered, up from 4,000 last year. Participation in a related writing-music-art contest rose from 100 students last year to 1,600 this year; the winning poem was written by Sue Anna Yeh, a 13-year-old from Sugar Land, Texas.

"No Name-calling Week" takes aim at insults of all kinds - whether based on a child's appearance, background or behavior. But a handful of conservative critics have zeroed in on the references to harassment based on sexual orientation.

"I hope schools will realize it's less an exercise in tolerance than a platform for liberal groups to promote their pan-sexual agenda," said Robert Knight, director of Concerned Women for America's Culture and Family Institute.

"Schools should be steering kids away from identifying as gay," Knight said. "You can teach civility to kids and tell them every child is valued without conveying the message that failure to accept homosexuality as normal is a sign of bigotry."

In Iowa, complaints by scores of parents about the gay themes in "The Misfits" prompted the Pleasant Valley School Board to rule that teachers could no longer read it aloud to elementary school classes, although it could remain in school libraries.

In Colorado, lawmakers last year rejected a proposal to declare a statewide "No-Name Calling Week" in conjunction with the inaugural GLSEN-backed event. House Majority Leader Keith King said he was concerned about fostering a "victim's mentality" and argued that children should be taught to ignore taunts.

In contrast, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm issued a proclamation recognizing the event, and more than 40 national organizations have enlisted as partners, including the Girl Scouts, the national associations of elementary and secondary school principals, and the National Education Association.

"People who would criticize this, regardless of who came out with it, are people with bad hearts," said Jerald Newberry, who directs the NEA's health information network.

"This is as vanilla as you get in terms of creating safe environments in schools," Newberry said. "To criticize this program would, almost without exception, be a political attack, not an attack on its content."

James Garbarino, a Cornell University professor who has studied school bullying, said harassment based on sexual orientation "ought to be No. 1 on the list" as educators combat name-calling. Such taunting has led to violence and suicides, he said.

Whether programs like "No Name-Calling Week" work depends on whether staff and students heed the lessons yearlong, not just during special events, Garbarino said. "When it's done in a mechanical, mindless way, when it's just for show, kids see the hypocrisy of it," he said.

GLSEN executive director Kevin Jennings agreed that schools should do more than hold a one-week event; he hopes to evaluate systematically whether the initiative indeed reduces name-calling. "Every week should be 'No Name-Calling Week', but having one week at least raises the visibility of the issue," he said.

One of GLSEN's most persistent critics is Warren Throckmorton, director of counseling at Grove City College, a Christian school outside Pittsburgh. His skeptical comments about "No Name-Calling Week" have been widely circulated this month on conservative Web sites.

"There's no question middle school can be a difficult place - I'm not advocating that any group gets mistreated," Throckmorton said in a telephone interview.

"But it will definitely make traditionally oriented teachers and parents and kids feel very uncomfortable, if they happen to object to homosexuality on moral grounds," he said of GLSEN's program. "If you disagree, you're hateful, you're bigoted, you're a homophobe. They're using name-calling to combat name-calling."

Another critic is Brenda High of Pasco, Wash., an anti-bullying activist since her 13-year-old son committed suicide in 1998 following harassment at school.

"The use of 'The Misfits' as a basis for this teaching puts the emphasis on the subgroup of the harassment victim instead of on the perpetrator of harassment - the bully," she said.

But Howe said critics of "No Name-Calling Week" seem reluctant to acknowledge the scope of anti-gay harassment in schools.

"Homosexuality is not a moral issue - it's a fact, and kids who are gay, or maybe just different, need to be allowed to grow up in a safe environment just like everybody else," he said.

ASU LGBTQ Outreach & Advocacy Coordinator |
A warm welcome to Jessica Pettitt, newly hired by the ASU Multicultural Student Center to provide outreach and advocacy for LGBTQ community. Jessica is already making connections between the ASU campus and the greater Phoenix community – and she wants to learn more! Contact her at: jessica.pettitt@asu.edu

First Responders Unit |
A warm welcome as well to Laurie Provost who now serves as team leader for FRU, which in collaboration with EMPACT-SPC, provides K-12 school counselors with information and resources to help them 1) integrate LGBTQ perspectives into existing counseling practices & crisis management tools; and 2) sensitize and empower school staff to affirmatively support LGBTQ students. We recently mailed invitations to 400 high school counselors – spread the word of this great resource!

GLSEN Phoenix Workshops |
GLSEN Phoenix can provide your school or organization trainings on a variety of topics, including LGBTQ 101; asking and answering the tough questions; the effects of bullying & strategies to address anti-LGBTQ bullying; how to be an ally; transgender 101; assessing the climate at your school; etc… Get on the GLSEN Phoenix training calendar – or learn to conduct these trainings.

The following trainings have been completed or scheduled:

January 5, 2005 Real Life, Real Talk peer educators
January 13, 2005 Phoenix Public Library-Teen Center coordinators
January 24, 2005 Cave Creek Unified School District school counselors (rescheduled due to school crisis)
February 19, 2005 Ottawa University, pre-service teachers
March 11, 2005 Arizona School Counselors Association Annual Conference

GLSEN Phoenix LGBTQ Youth Resources Bookmark |
What can we say? Thanks to Amanda Ishmael for leading this initiative, which brings information and resources to the community. With volunteer help and assistance from local organizations such as 1N10, PFLAG-Phoenix, Planned Parenthood, Arizona Human Rights Foundation, we have now printed and distributed nearly 10,000 bookmarks!! We are about to print another 5000!! And we are poised to partner with Phoenix Public Libraries to produce a library-specific bookmark.

To obtain one or multiple copies to distribute in your community (café, school, workplace, organization, bookstore, etc…) just contact info@glsenphoenix.org

GSAs |
Student inquiries from three schools to learn more about forming a Gay/Straight Alliance student club. GLSEN Phoenix can provide your GSA with resources and connect your GSA with others across the greater Phoenix area.

Teachers’ Lounge First Fridays 5-7pm @ Fair Trade Café |
Thanks to Zil for facilitating our first monthly Teachers’ Lounge where LGBTQ school staff and their straight ally colleagues and friends can talk about school climate issues, share resources and network.

Next Lounge: Friday, February 4, 2005, 5-7pm at Fair Trade Café in Central Phoenix, located at NW Corner Central and Roosevelt. Bring a friend/colleague and a resource you’d like to share!

2005 East Valley Regional Unity Walk & Diversity Festival |
Sponsored by the cities of Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Gila River Indian Community, Guadalupe, Mesa, Queen Creek, Tempe, Arizona State University and the APS Black Heritage Committee.

The UnityWalk commemorates the history and ideals of the American Civil Rights Movement. It will culminate at Tempe Beach Park. A Festival celebrating diversity and harmony immediately follows.
Unity Walk Participant Assembly Location Participants will assemble at Tempe Papago Park, Curry Rd. and College Ave. (2 miles)

Date: Saturday, February 5, 2005
Time: 11:00 a.m.
(Report to starting location by 10:30 a.m.) Shuttle buses will be available to return walkers to assembly locations.

Contact:
City of Scottsdale
Velicia McMilln, Ed.D.
(480) 312-7252

Diversity Festival immediately following 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., featuring: live music (jazz, salsa, R&B, gospel, caribbean, and more!), children’s village, interactive kids’ zone, inflatable carnival attractions, youth artist market, games, prizes, professional sports giveaways, face painting, clowns, balloon artists, Diversity Street, international vendor, food booths, and cultural performances (dance, spoken word, international drum) Also including food court, artist market, vendor marketplace, and health & safety workshops. Sponsored by The APS Black Heritage Committee

Wingspan/AHRF is Hiring A Political Organizer |
Wingspan/AHRF (Arizona Human Rights Fund) is hiring a political organizer to develop grassroots support to protect and advance LGBT civil rights in Southern Arizona. The political organizer is a new, part-time (20 hours per week), non-exempt Wingspan/AHRF position. The political organizer must be available to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
Click here for the application and more information!

New Book on Transgender |

(GLSEN Phoenix has not yet evaluated the following advertised book)

Help your child understand transgender Carly: She’s Still My Daddy is a skillfully crafted 20 page booklet for children of all types of transgender persons. It is appropriate for elementary school children either to read themselves or have parents read to them. It is a story from a child’s point of view about his father’s transition from Carl to Carly. The story also introduces the reader to other trans persons – female to male, intersex, crossdressers, and those who live in the middle. Playmates’, grandparents’, and the child’s mother’s reactions are represented. Built into the story are benchmarks of Carly’s full transition. Harder words are capitalized for emphasis; most children will get a good sense of the meaning from the text. Illustrations on every page are simple and appropriate. The story is realistic and positive. Prices are: $3 one copy, $2 each for 1 – 9 additional copies, including shipping in the US. Order by check or money order from:
Mary Boenke
180 Bailey Blvd
Hardy, VA 24101

OR

Dave Parker
1903 Kildare Woods Drive
Greensboro, NC 27407

Contact MaryBoenke@aol.com for volume discounts or shipping outside the U.S.

Conservatives Pick Soft Target: A Cartoon Sponge |


Conservatives Pick Soft Target: A Cartoon Sponge

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 - On the heels of electoral victories barring same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.

"Does anybody here know SpongeBob?" Dr. James C. Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, asked the guests Tuesday night at a black-tie dinner for members of Congress and political allies to celebrate the election results.

SpongeBob needed no introduction. In addition to his popularity among children, who watch his cartoon show, he has become a well-known camp figure among adult gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick Patrick and likes to watch the imaginary television show "The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy."

Now, Dr. Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside children's television colleagues like Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others. The makers of the video, he said, planned to mail it to thousands of elementary schools to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity."

The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit "We Are Family," said Mr. Dobson's objection stemmed from a misunderstanding. Mr. Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the Sept. 11 attacks to create a music video to teach children about multiculturalism. The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's web site.

Mr. Rodgers suggested that Dr. Dobson and the American Family Association, the conservative Christian group that first sounded the alarm, might have been confused because of an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called "We Are Family," which supports gay youth.

"The fact that some people may be upset with each other peoples' lifestyles, that is O.K.," Mr. Rodgers said. "We are just talking about respect."

Mark Barondess, the foundation's lawyer, said the critics "need medication."

On Wednesday however, Paul Batura, assistant to Mr. Dobson at Focus on the Family, said the group stood by its accusation.
"We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," he said. "It is a classic bait and switch."

Leadership Roundtable Denounces Homophobic Statements of Eugene Rivers |

Religious Leadership Roundtable Denounces Homophobic Statements of Eugene Rivers

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Religious Leadership Roundtable says 'The language of civil rights is open to all who seek equality'

On January 12, 2005, the Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, Michigan) reported on a speech given by Reverend Eugene Rivers of Boston stating that the gay rights movement had co-opted the language of the civil rights movement for its own benefit. The following is a response from the National Religious Leadership Roundtable of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force:

"On January 12, the Reverend Eugene Rivers made several ill-informed and offensive statements about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, particularly about the struggle for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Reverend Rivers called the gay rights movement's use of the language of civil rights, 'an exercise in marketing and merchandising,' and suggested gay advocates were 'playing the race card' to gain societal sympathy. It is unfortunate that Reverend Rivers has aligned himself with leaders of the religious right who attempt to pit people of color against gay people. These individuals argue, incorrectly, that laws protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are 'special rights' that threaten the civil rights of other minorities.

As Reverend Rivers' colleagues, we condemn his abuse of power as a faith leader. As religious leaders, our sacred texts and traditions call us to make connections among all people who experience discrimination, and to expand the community of love to seek greater justice.

Oppressed people have always learned from the struggles of other oppressed people. Dr. King responded to racism in America based on the efforts of Gandhi to resist colonialism, and the experiences of nonviolent resistance of Quakers like his openly-gay friend and collaborator, Bayard Rustin. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people do not equate their oppression to that of people of color. But to suggest that gay people have no access to civil rights language in their fight for equality is patently absurd.

Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Director of Equal Partners in Faith says, "We are disappointed in Reverend Rivers' crusade of deliberate misinformation and outright malevolence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, a community which is comprised of all colors, races, and ethnic groups. Mr. Rivers knows this and he pretends that it is not true."

Furthermore, Rivers' statement, 'Same-sex couples wanting to marry are white lesbians who seek the accouterments of family life,' reflects his misunderstanding about the makeup of his community. According to a report published by the National Black Justice Coalition and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, based on the 2000 Census, black same-sex households make up 14% of the same-sex households in the United States, greater than the 13% of the general population that is African-American. Black lesbian couple households are almost as likely as Black married opposite-sex couple households to include a child of one or both of the adults (69%). Nearly half of Black male same-sex couple households (46%) include a child of one or both of the partners. As Bishop John Selders, Presider of The Inter-Denominational Conference of Liberation Congregations and Ministries observes, laws discriminating against same-sex couples cut across racial lines: "There are significant numbers of people of color, African Americans in particular, who are equally discriminated against because of unjust laws." Bishop Selders adds, "I'm disappointed again by the shameful rhetoric espoused by brothers and sisters of color regarding same gender loving marriage."

As people of faith, we call on Reverend Rivers and other faith leaders to support the families of same-sex couples that are living in their congregations and communities. We ask them to lift up as examples of selfless love same-sex couples of all races who have dedicated themselves to each other and their children, despite, in many cases, receiving no legal benefits or protections for their commitment. And we call on all people of faith to join together to resist the attempts of the enemies of equality to divide along lines of race, class, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity."

First convened in 1998, the National Religious Leadership Roundtable of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is an interfaith collaboration of more than forty denominations and faith-related organizations. The Roundtable seeks to reframe the public religious dialogue on issues involving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community by amplifying the voices of LGBT-affirming people of faith, countering religious voices of bigotry and intolerance, and working to advance full equality for all.