Hello GSA organizers and allies,
With the recent passage of a non-discrimination law that will protect
students in CA schools from discrimination on the basis of actual or
perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, and with the growth of GSAs
every week, it seems that we are in the midst of a real cultural shift
around LGBTQ issues in our society. What is incredibly exciting to me is
that, as in past movements for civil rights in this country, youth are once
again at the forefront of this movement for social change and justice. It
was young people's stories of harassment and discrimination that moved CA
legislators and the governor to sign historic civil rights legislation this
Fall. It is young people's vision for safer schools that inspires so many to
start GSAs. And it is young people who are leading the Bay Area GSA Network
to help build a larger youth movement against homophobia in the Bay Area. I
am honored to be a part of it all.
So much has happened for the Bay Area GSA Network since our newsletter last
spring. A few of our successes:
* we launched our website: www.gsanetwork.org
* we marched with the Youth Contingent in SF's Pride Parade
* we sponsored a track on GSAs at the "Young, Loud, and Proud" Conference
* we moved into our first office space at 965 Mission St, Suite 218 in SF
* we've already helped 4 new GSAs get started this year
And we've got big plans for this year:
* training on how to implement the new
non-discrimination law in your school
* GSA Leadership Trainings in every region
of the Bay Area
* a handbook for student organizers of GSAs
* the OHMY Conference on February 12, '00
* GSA youth arts/music benefit show
* increased support services to individual
GSAs
In the weeks to come, please contact the office and let us know how we can
help you.
Peace,
Carolyn
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING FOR SCHOOL SAFETY A SUCCESS!!!
Governor Signs Historic Non-Discrimination Legislation
In a move of historic proportions, Governor Gray Davis signed into law AB
537, the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000, on
Saturday, October 2, 1999. The new law will protect students in California's
public schools, colleges and universities from harassment and discrimination
on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.
Students are already protected from discrimination on the bases of sex,
ethnic group identification, race, national origin, religion, and mental or
physical disability.
"This bill sends a message to all our school administrators that they must
take steps to stop this kind of harassment," says Assemblymember Sheila
Kuehl, sponsor of AB 537. "California will not tolerate this type of
harassment and discrimination against her young people anymore."
California joins Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Connecticut in prohibiting
discrimination against students on the basis of sexual orientation. The new
law becomes operative January 1, 2000 and will provide students who have
been the victims of anti-gay harassment and discrimination access to the
same administrative remedies currently available to students who have been
discriminated against on the other prohibited basis in the Education Code.
Introducing... New GSAs around the Bay Area:
Please join us for a
Reception and Celebration
for Bay Area High School GSAs
Silicon Graphics (SGI), in collaboration with GLSEN, the Pride
Collaborative, and the Bay Area Gay-Straight Alliance Network, cordially
invite you to honor our young people who are creating safe school campuses
for all students.
Thursday, October 28, 1999 5:30 - 8 p.m.
What: Reception & Program (including youth speakers and a raffle) -- Other
Silicon Valley companies will be bringing free giveaways!
Where:
Silicon Graphics ATC Campus
Presentation Center Building 40
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Who: All youth and adults who care about making schools safer for all
students. All GSA members and advisors are encouraged to attend to represent
their school's GSA.
Cost: Free to attend.
RSVP to Anna-Maria Antonicelli,
(650) 933-4129 or anmarie@corp.sgi.com
Directions:
- From Hwy 101 North OR South
- Take Shoreline Exit, Turn Left
- Turn left at Amphitheatre Pkwy
- Turn left into the Silicon Graphics
(SGI) parking lot
- Buidling 40 is the first building on
your right
And the Survey Sez...
Surveys are a great way to learn more about students' or teachers' attitudes
about homophobia and LGBTQ issues at your school. Woodside High School is
planning to give out their survey to students, compile the results, and then
present the results in student-led workshops to other students. Miramonte
High School created their survey to gather information about students'
attitudes that they will present to all the teachers in an upcoming staff
development day. Surveys make it real because they're based on real people's
opinions at your own school. They are also a good way to advertise for your
club meetings and get people interested!
Feel free to use some of the survey questions here -- or create your own
based on your own school's climate!
Miramonte H.S.:
Grade: 9 10 11 12
Gender: M F
Do you consider yourself to be open-minded? Yes No
Do you believe that all people deserve to be treated with respect? Yes No
Would you be mad if you heard someone use a racial slur? Yes No
Would you be mad if you heard an anti-gay comment? Yes No
About how many times a day do you hear phrases like, "That's so gay!"
None 1-4 5-9 10 or more
Do such comments bother you? Yes No
Can you understand why someone might be bothered by such comments? Yes No
How often do you ask people not to use such phrases?
Always Sometimes Rarely Never
Do you use such comments yourself? Yes No
Do you have a friend or family member who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
transgender? Yes No
Do your friends influence the way you treat gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
transgender people? Yes No
What are your feelings on
homosexuality?
Thank you for your time and
honesty.
Woodside H.S.:
Grade: 9 10 11 12
Gender: M F
Are you aware of Woodside's Open Mind Club? Y N
If so, how did you hear about it?
How often do you hear homophobic slurs at WHS? (Circle one.) Daily Weekly
Monthly Never
How often do you hear teachers make homophobic remarks at WHS? (Circle one.)
Daily Weekly Monthly Never
How often do you hear teachers or other staff intervene when homophobic
comments are made? Often Occasionally Seldom Never
Do you feel that people who are perceived as gay are picked on at WHS? Y N
Sometimes
Do you find it hard to speak out when people are picked on for any reason? Y
N Sometimes
Would you like to learn more about standing up for people who are
discriminated against for race, religion, ethnicity, and sexual preference?
Y N
Do you believe you are an open-minded person when it comes to the subject of
sexual preferences? Y N Sometimes
Do you have any friends, or know of anyone, who identifies as lesbian, gay,
bi-sexual, transgender, or questioning? Y N
Would you like to learn more about how to be supportive to people who are
questioning their sexuality? Y N
Do you believe Woodside High School should have at least a day or week of
diversity awareness when WHS students would get the opportunity to share
their diversity? Y N
Optional: Identify Your Sexual Orientation __ Gay/Lesbian
__ Bisexual __ Transgender
__ Straight/Heterosexual
__ Questioning
If you answered yes to several of the questions above, or if the questions
themselves interest you, the WHS Open Mind Club may be a place for you to
learn more about fighting homophobia, helping people who are questioning
their sexuality, and increasing diversity awareness among all groups on
campus.
If you have any personal questions please feel free to talk with Maureen
Campbell or Sharon Yoerg in room F-3 It is safe and confidential.
Please write any comments on the back. Thank you.
GSA RESOURCES
New Online Forum for GSA Discussions:
Using Yahoo! Clubs you can now join in discussion on Message Boards and Chat
Rooms. You can post pictures of yourself, your group and the things you've
done. You can also share links to your great websites and pages! It's all
free and easy to use; simply create a Yahoo Screen Name (if you don't have
one already) and Join!
To become a member of this club, just go to the Web address below:
http://edit.clubs.yahoo.com
You need to go to the address above to join the club,
but you can take a look at the club by going to:
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/glsensstudentpride
Project Idea:
LOVE MAKES A FAMILY touring photo-text exhibit (and book)--Bring this moving
and powerful exhibit to your school to celebrate gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered people and their families. By offering models of family life,
the exhibit provides a way of making the invisible visible and educating
your school community about the diversity among the glbt community. "Love
Makes a Family" can be a great focus for school curriculum and for other
events such as panels led by glbt parents in your school. Also your group
can donate a copy of the LOVE MAKES A FAMILY book ($20) to your school
library as part of our national campaign to get it into every school and
public library.
For more information, visit our Family Diversity Project's website at
http://www.lovemakesafamily.org or email us at famphoto@aol.com
Trans Youth Resources:
Trans Youth Groups:
Changeling, Wednesdays 7-9:00pm @ LYRIC (123 Collingwood St., S.F.)
For more info visit http://www.transfamily.org
Gender Garden, Mondays 6:30-8pm @ the Pacific Center (2712 Telegraph Ave,
Berkeley) For more info visit pacificcenter@gay.net or call 510.548.8283
Transfamily Youth Email List: To join, send an intro paragraph to
kateygr@aol.com
Trans youth web ring: http://www.youthresource.com/queeryouth/transyouth.htm
A collection of linked sites created by trans youth.
Trans Bay: http://www.transbay.org
--Info on local trans groups and links to other local organizations.
Chat list: for children under 25 of transgender parents. To subscribe, send
message "subscribe labyrinth" to majordomo@queer.org.au
The Short Shop, 49 Kearny St, San Francisco 415-296-9744. Offers "fashion
clothing for the shorter man" as well as men's shoes in sizes 5-7.
The Foxy Lady Boutique, 2544 Mission Street, SF 415-285-4980. Offers stuff
for the drag queen in all of us.
COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere): Resources, includ-
ing groups and email lists, for trans youth of LGBT parents.
Contact
COLAGE, 415-861-5437, colage@colage.org
Funding Opportunity:
Apply for funds from Youth Initiated Projects (YIP): Applications are now
available for San Francisco youth groups who are looking for funds to turn
their positive ideas into action. Last year YIP gave out $100,000 to fifty
youth projects. For an application, call Melissa at 397-2256. Also, if you
want YIP to come talk to your group about what YIP is or how to apply, call
Jared at the same number. Due November 16.
Activism Spotlight
How the Personal and Political Interact
by Alex Kawano, GSA founder at Gunn H.S.
It all changed on that day, the day that I had never thought would take
place. All the time I believed to be alone and different from everyone else.
I always felt isolated, never really fitting in with my peers, because I
felt that I had to lie all the time about my sexual orientation. I wasn't
proud of myself for who I was or even what I was. I was raised like everyone
else in a normal healthy family seeing that being different wasn't right.
I lived through disbelief and fell into depression for a long period of
time. It affected my social life, schoolwork, diet, and interaction with my
family and everyone else. All the grief brought me back to the same place
where I started. I inevitably gave up the fight against my true self and
accepted the truth of my self-identity.
After almost a year of frustrating failed attempts to come out to my mom, I
gained the courage from within to come out to her on that picture perfect
bright and sunny Saturday morning of September 20, 1997. At first she was
surprised when I said, "I am attracted to guysS" but the most unexpected
thing happened when she asked me if I was comfortable with myself and all
that mattered was that I was happy. I really felt the sincerity of my mom
when she showed that she loved me for who I was. It was a very emotional
time for me because I was prepared for the worst, yet the outcome was so
wonderful. I was anticipating getting kicked out of my house by my mother,
just the same way hundreds of teenagers do when they come out to their
parents, as I seen and heard many times on TV.
One thing that took place, which wasn't part of my plan for that day, was my
mother outed myself to my dad the very same day. We never really had a close
relationship and this only made it seem more awkward and less connected. I
did, however, notice some immediate changes in our relationship. He stopped
asking me if I had a girlfriend and telling me I should ask someone out.
Although it was an uncomfortable time period, I was still relieved that he
didn't oppose me or restrict me from anything for being myself. Still, it
was weird that I didn't hear any recognition from my dad about the way he
felt about me.
Even with the absence of what my dad felt about me, my mother's acceptance
was enough for me to be happy. My life really changed since I came out to my
mom (and dad indirectly), and I gradually returned to my normal living
conditions. I started talking and spending time with my friends again, put
lots of effort into my schoolwork, and developed a good relationship with my
mother.
After I had overcome the great struggles of my depression, I realized that I
wasn't the only one and the reason why I wasn't aware of that was because of
the intolerence of society. I wanted to change that so that gave me the will
to create a GSA at my high school. Personally I do not consider myself to be
an activist, I am just someone that wants his rights and equality that I
feel aren't given to myself and others equally as they should be.
I started going to a gay youth support group for high school students in my
local area that meets once a week. There, I made new friends and
participated with their activities as I still continue to do so today. I was
at the level of comfort to even march in the Gay Pride Parade in 1998.
Then later that year the tragic slaying of Matthew Shepard occurred in
Wyoming. The story flared across the country by media. I first heard about
the tragedy one night when my dad came to my room and told me to turn on the
news. I saw that he broke his silence and showed me indirectly, just as I
had came out to him indirectly, that he was concerned of my well being.
Since then our relationship has risen to a new level of understanding. I
really value the acceptance and support from my parents.
Now I have a boyfriend who I have been with for over 16 months, and it's the
greatest feeling to be able to express the joy and love that I share with
him, with the acceptance of my parents. Yes I am gay.
This poem was written by the new Youth Council of the Bay Area GSA Network:
Our Reality
Flesh on the playground,
Sand and limbs
From junglegyms.
Red chalk boards;
Faggot.
No amount of equality
Can reverse the lack of respect
For us and our perceived kind
When social outcasts appear.
I may be quiet
But don't always depend on what
you see,
If you mess with me,
Offensive slurs,
I'll come back and regulate with
words.
Your words are full of hatred,
It makes me glad we're not related
Because if we were
Your ignorance
Would not be my tolerance.
A place of acceptance,
Pink hair,
All criticism is constructive
Inexistence of deragatory terms.
A place where dreams come true
And everyone has the chance to hope.
Hope can lead to change
You own hope no matter who you are, or
what you identify as
Pandora's last gift is hope
Hope exsists everywhere for everyone.
The Youth Council recently took a retreat in Saratoga. Youth Council members Matt Wolf, Kaiya Wertheim and Maria Alvarado being lazy!
Get Political!
Issues to pay attention to:
The Knight Initiative -->
The Knight initiative says..."Only marriage between a man and a woman is
valid or recognized in California."
Pete Knight (the dude behind the initiative) and his buddies know that
same-sex civil marriage is already not legal in California -- or in any
other state -- but that won't stop 'em from scapegoating lgbt folk.
To get involved with organizing against the Knight Initiative, contact:
www.NoOnKnight.org: main website for the campaign to defeat the
Knight Initiative
www.fairandequal.com: website for Student Alliance for
Fairness and Equality, a statewide California organization dedi-
cated to empowering, energizing, and educating students while
working to defeat the homophobic Knight Initiative
Juvenile Justice Initiative -->
Anti-youth Juvenile Justice Bill proposed by
former Gov. Pete Wilson
What would the Juvenile "INjustice" Initiative do?
* Put youth in the adult system
* Try youth as young as 14 as adults
* Threaten private and civil liberties
* Allow the government to "wiretap" you if they suspect you are a gangbanger
* Remove sealing of juvenile court records
* Tighten punishment for youth offenders
* Expand the three strikes law to put youth in jail for longer period of
time
* Expand death penalty
* Tighten all the rules on probation
* Put no money for prevention programs, only prison.
To join youth organizing against this initiative, contact:
Critical Resistance @ 415.449.8149
Third Eye Movement @ 415.951.4844
Stand up! Get involved! Do something! Organize!
calendar of events:
First OHMY Steering Committee Meeting
Sat., Nov. 6 noon
LYRIC - 127 Collingwood Street, S.F.
Call Sarah at LYRIC (415/703-6150) or
Carolyn at the Bay Area GSA Network (415/442-4726)
NGTLF Creating Change Conference
Wed. - Sun. Nov. 10-14
Oakland
see ad in this issue of Outright
CUAV/LYRIC Youth Speakers Bureau Training (for LGBTQQ youth 24 and under)
Sat. & Sun., Feb. 5 & 6, 10am-6pm
LYRIC
Call Connie Champagne @ 415/777-5500 x303
OHMY Conference
Sat., Feb. 12
Everett Middle School, S.F.
Call Sarah or Carolyn (see above)
Thank You to our Funders:
Agape Foundation
Chicago Resource Center
echoing green Foundation
Horizons Foundation
San Francisco Foundation
Wish List:
* scanner (Mac compatible)
* computer
consultant
* storage cabinet
* bookshelves
To make a donation, make a check out to
"The Tides Center/Bay Area GSA Network" and send to:
965 Mission St. Suite 218, San Francisco, CA, 94103
Youth Council members forming a human knot
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