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May 4, 2005

Teachers' Lounge This Friday! |
The monthly GLSEN Phoenix Teachers' Lounge is this Friday (May 6th), please stop by any time between 5 and 7pm to visit and discuss various topics of interest. Afterwords enjoy the various art galleries and entertainment of central phoenix's First Friday's Art Walk. Teachers' lounge is the first friday of every month at Fair Trade Cafe on the NW corner of Central and Roosevelt.

Need Directions?

Teachers' Lounge is an informal monthly event bringing together teachers and faculty to discuss various issues and topics of interest. One or more GLSEN volunteers will be available to help answer any questions you may have.

GLSEN FRU Training Continues |
Saturday, May 28th from 9-3 p.m. First Responders Unit (FRU) Training II. This is the second in a series of 3 training sessions to train trainers.

FRU strives to support teachers, counselors and school administrators in addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning school climate issues which affect their students in K-12 schools.

We're always looking for qualified volunteers to become members of the First Responders Unit.

For more information on FRU please contact:

Laurie Provost
FRU Program Coordinator
counselorsupport@glsenphoenix.org
(602) 462-1441

GSA End of the Year Picnic |
An end of the year picnic will be held on May 14th for youth to socialize and meet members of other GSAs. This event is Open to all High School GLBTQ support groups or GSA's in the Valley. (If your school does not have a group or club you are still welcome.)

For more information please contact info@glsenphoenix.org or (602) 705-9780

Go See: "subUrbia, you should be angry" |
An Eric Bogosian play called "subUrbia, you should be angry" which runs every Sunday and Monday at 8 pm from May 15th to June 6 at Zoes Kitchen, 521 West McDowell in Phoenix.

It is described as a play "set against the backdrop of the fractured American Dream, this play depicts the bitter rage and frustration of alienated youth desperately searching for a meaning to their lives. Lost and adrift, their anger turns to violence as they thrash out against the futility of values that they can't understand and refuse to accept.

We make no apologies for this script. The mature content is powerful and is intended to inform and educate. We recommend some caution for the younger viewer."

Tickets at $10 for adults, $5 for students. Reservations are recommended and can be made at 480-390-3616. For more information you can look at the website or email reservations@youshouldbeangry.com

MCC Board Member "It's a shame that they're here." |
On May 3rd 2005 the Mesa Community College Legend reported:

District Governing Board member Jerry Walker took offense to their presence.

The Prism club, which is MCC's gay-straight student alliance, was flying a rainbow flag during the celebration in the school courtyard.

Walker was in a conversation with Nate Yazzie, who is an employee in the American Indian Center, when he noticed the flag.

According to an incident report that Yazzie e-mailed to his supervisors, Walker asked if the flag belonged to the 'local gay group.'

When Yazzie told him that it did, said Walker, 'It's a shame that they're here.'

Yazzie responded by saying that he was gay, to which Walker replied by saying, 'It's a shame that you are,' before he walked away.

Full Story

GLSEN's 2005 National School Climate Survery Is Here! |
GLSEN National needs your assistance getting the word out about the 2005 National School Climate Survey, GLSEN's fourth national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth about their experiences in school. The National School Climate Survey is a crucial tool documenting the problem of anti-LGBT bias in K-12 schools across the nation. It is also a chance for LGBT youth to speak out about their experiences and to inform education policymakers and the public about what is really going on in their schools.

Additional information and the online survey are available!

LGBT youth who were attending high school or middle school during the current school year (2004-2005) and are at least 13 years old are eligible to participate.

Please help us by posting information about the 2005 National School Climate Survey on your Chapter website, sending announcements to Chapter members and others who may be interested, or by spreading the word in other ways. If you have any questions, please contact GLSEN's Research Associate, Liz Diaz, at ediaz@glsen.org or GLSEN's Research Director, Joe Kosciw, at jkosciw@glsen.org. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Be Part of GLSEN'S LGBT Families & Schools Research Project! |
GLSEN - in collaboration with COLAGE (Children Of Gays And Lesbians Everywhere) and the Family Pride Coalition - needs LGBT parents of school-age children and children of LGBT parents to participate in surveys about their experiences with schools. The information gathered from this survey will help GLSEN to lobby and advocate for the rights of all students and their families to be treated with respect in their schools.

If you are interested in participating in this very valuable research project and are either:

- an LGBT parent with at least one school-age child currently attending school (K through 12th grade) OR

- a student in middle school or high school (13 years of age or older) who has an LGBT parent or parents

Please click here for for more information and to complete an online survey!

If you would prefer a paper copy of the survey or have further questions, please feel free to contact Elizabeth Diaz, Research Associate, at ediaz@glsen.org or (212) 727-0135 ext. 8051.

APPLES Summer Program |
The goal of the Academic Program Promoting Leadership, Enrichment and Service (APPLES) is to ensure that first-time first year currenttly admitted ASU students make a successful transition to the University. APPLES is a summer student success program that empowercs students with the tools to be successful in and outside of the classroom targeting populations like: American Indian, Native American, African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Chicano/o, Hispanic, Latina/o, Biracial, Miltiracial, Intersex, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Ally, Women...

APPLES participants receive a 3-credit tuition scholarship covering the cost of "UNI 100" a student success course. This is a non-residential five-week program that takes place at Arizona State University, Tempe Campus, in Tempe, Arizona. The program runs from 8am-1pm Monday through Friday from July 5th to August 5th, 2005.

More Information / Applications Deadline for applications is May 9th, 2005.

Parents fo Real Life Real Talk |
Parents for Real Life Real Talk is currently looking for students, parents and teachers who are concerned about their school's sexual education programs. Parents for Real Life Real talk aims to improve Arizona school sexual education programs by working with parents and school boards to provide students with comprehensive and factual information. Their group is designed to have a low impact on busy parents/individuals and can be contacted via Erin Manning at emanning@ppcna.org or (602) 263-4220.

You can also visit their website!

AHRF 14th Annual Awards Dinner |
"The annual AHRF awards dinner is the largest event honoring the accomplishments of individuals and organizations whose dedication and commitment have helped advance the civil rights of all LGBT persons living in the State of Arizona."

Saturday, June 18th, 2005
Arizona Biltmore Resort
5-7pm: Cocktails and Silent Auction Reception
7-10pm: Dinner and Awards Ceremony
10-11:30pm: After Dinner Dancing
$185 Individual tickets

Guest Speaker:
Governor Janet Napolitano

info@ahrf.org
(602) 650-0900
http://www.ahrf.org

Purchase Tickets Online!

ACLU Announces Winners of 2005 Youth Activist Scholarship |
"The American Civil Liberties Union announced the winners of its Youth Activist Scholarship for 2005. Ten high school seniors from around the country were selected to receive $4,000 each to honor their outstanding work to protect civil liberties, especially the rights of young people."

One of the winners included Jared Gamwell who "sought representation from the ACLU after posters promoting his campaign for student body president were torn down by officials at Hunt High School in Wilson, North Carolina because his campaign slogans referenced the fact that he was openly gay."

Related Links:
Complete ACLU Press Release
Teen Promotes Own Homosexuality in School Election

Bullying Among Grade-School Youth a Daily Occurrence |

UCLA Study Finds that Half of Sixth Graders Bullied Within Five-Day-Period

WASHINGTON (April 28, 2005) The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) cites a new UCLA study which shows that bullying among sixth graders is a daily occurrence. The study reports that within a five-day-period, almost half of the sixth graders in two different Los Angeles based public schools say they were bullied by other students.

"This is yet another reinforcement that bullying starts early and must be dealt with early. This type of harassment is often aimed at boys and girls who don't measure up to the 'ideal' standards of masculinity or femininity and this needs to be addressed," said GenderPAC's Youth Program Coordinator, Lindsay Bond.

"Bullying is a problem that large numbers of kids confront on a daily basis at school; it's not just an issue for the few unfortunate ones," Jaana Juvonen, UCLA professor of psychology and co-author of the study, told UCLA News.

The study also examined students that were witness to bullying and reports that while students who are bullied have an increase in feelings of humiliation and anger, those that bear witness have reported increased anxiety and a dislike of school. The study also offers solutions to combat school bullying including policies that target all forms of harassment as wrong and advising parents to talk with their children about bullying and to look for changes in their child's behavior.

"If we are to ever stop teen and adult bullying and harassment, we have to begin early," said Bond. "In order to stop this violent school-yard act, the help of all, including teachers, parents, and professionals is needed and wanted."