Thursday’s Watercooler: Oprah goes primetime and Lady Gaga stands up for gay teens
Today, gay kids continue to make waves across the country. I’m hoping it’s a trend, that Constance has inspired a national uprising amongst gay teens. It’s about time someone challenged the strangle hold administrators have over high school students. In today’s story [1], a Nashville teen, Cole Goforth, wore a “Lady Gay Gay” t-shirt and was told to go home and change because the shirt caused “disruptions” at school. Cole refused and Lady Gaga tweeted her support for his assertion of first amendment rights. It’s a good legal fight and I hope Cole takes it all the way. And props to Gaga for lending her support!
[2]
In other serious but less sexy news, Obama and Medvedev (Russian President) have signed [3] a small, but significant nuclear disarmament treaty. It’s not going to eliminate the incredibly large nuclear program in the U.S. or that of Russia, but even some sort of deal is progress. Nuclear disarmament has been getting knocked around recently (think North Korea) and it’s heartening to see any movement towards the reduction of these weapons in the world.
[4]
While Obama works on serious issues regarding nuclear war, the Republican party falters in a sex scandal. I know it’s not new news today, but this interview between Jon Stewart and disgraced “Steele” is too hilarious. Lesbian bondage…. who knew you would see the Republicans get into that?
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart [5]
Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Michael Steele Plays the Race Card [6]
www.thedailyshow.com [7]
Daily Show Full Episodes [8]
Political Humor [9]
Health Care Reform [10]
While I am more likely to watch Stewart than Oprah, I do catch her at the gym every once in a while and I am excited that her new show will happen [11]at a more reasonable hour. And it will include international travel and celebrities! What more could we ask for? This is definitely better than the episode I saw an ad for about straight couples who no longer have sex. I would much rather watch Oprah and Brad Pitt go to Egypt. Wouldn’t you?
[12]
In a final piece of shocking news, a Wisconsin district attorney is arguing [13]that sex ed teachers who teach teenagers about condom use and contraception when they know or ought to know those teenagers are having sex with other underage individuals could be criminally charged. It’s a complete perversion of the law and a scare tactic obviously aimed at removing proper sex ed from classrooms. What is most troubling is that this DA is in a position of power when it comes to criminal sanctions in the state and he is so obviously highly conservative. Should we really have ideologues like this in offices that hold power over the population’s very basic freedoms?
[1] http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1635666/20100408/lady_gaga.jhtml
[2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-lady-gaga-top.jpg
[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/obama-prague-russia-nuclear-arms-deal-medvedev_n_529726.html
[4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-obama-russia-insert.jpg
[5] http://www.thedailyshow.com
[6] http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-7-2010/michael-steele-plays-the-race-card
[7] http://www.thedailyshow.com/
[8] http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes
[9] http://www.indecisionforever.com
[10] http://www.thedailyshow.com/videos/tag/health
[11] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/oprahs-next-chapter-oprah_n_529861.html
[12] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/blog-oprah-top.jpg
[13] http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/wis-da-threatens-arrest-for-local-sex-ed-teachers/19430578
Gay dad, kids receive Social Security benefits
(Washington) The Social Security Administration has reversed a decision to deny benefits to the children of a disabled gay father following a three year battle waged on behalf of the family by Lambda Legal.
“This is long awaited relief for Gary Day and his children, who just want to be respected …
ACLU Sues Nassau County Schools to Enforce Right of Gay Straight Alliance to Meet at Yulee High School and Yulee Middle School
The SBNC superintendent said in a letter denying access to the GSA that groups with names referencing a specific sexual orientation would not be recognized and that even if the group changed its name to one not communicating a gay-specific mission, approval was uncertain.
“We just want the club so that straight and gay kids can get together to talk about harassment and discrimination against gay kids in an open environment. The school is discriminating against us and that’s exactly the kind of thing we want to talk about and prevent,” said Hannah Page, ACLU plaintiff and student at Yulee High School. “Other clubs and groups are allowed to meet on campus and we have that right too.”Bullying of LGBT students in Nassau County Schools is a serious problem. Plaintiffs Hannah Page and Jacob Brock, who are gay, report that students have threatened to beat them up based on their sexual orientation, and both are routinely called derogatory names at school.
GSAs are student organizations made up of straight and gay students who wish to advocate for an end to bullying, harassment, and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (“LGBT”) students. There are over 4,000 GSAs in the U.S., according to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
The federal Equal Access Act requires schools to grant access and official recognition to a GSA (and most other student groups) if the school allows any extracurricular groups to meet on campus. SBNC denied the Yulee GSA access and official recognition even though other student organizations, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, meet regularly at YHS and YMS.
“We are taking a stand today because gay students are entitled to a safe and secure education. Gay and lesbian students deserve schools that heed the rule of law,” said Robert Rosenwald, Director of the ACLU of Florida’s LGBT Advocacy Project. “These students are trying to bring a message of equality and openness, and the lesson they are being taught is that
Yulee High School administrators believe discrimination against LGBT students is an acceptable policy. Discrimination and harassment by students will never end as long as schools discriminate themselves.”
The ACLU filed the suit alleging violations of the First Amendment and the Federal Equal Access Act, and seeks a preliminary injunction to force school officials to allow the GSA to meet at Yulee High School while the litigation makes its way to trial.
The ACLU of Florida recently won a similar federal case when school officials in Okeechobee, Florida refused to allow a GSA to meet at Okeechobee High School. The judge ruled that schools must provide for the well-being of gay students and cannot discriminate against the GSA. The Okeechobee County School Board paid $326,000.00 in attorneys’ fees for refusing to follow the law in that case. You can read more about the Okeechobee case at: http://www.aclufl.org/news_events/?action=viewRelease&emailAlertID=3654
The lawsuit was filed today in the Jacksonville Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Robert Rosenwald, director of the ACLU of Florida’s LGBT Advocacy Project, is lead counsel for the ACLU’s case, Gay-Straight Alliance of Yulee High School v. School Board of Nassau County. LGBT Advocacy Project staff attorney Shelbi Day, ACLU of Florida legal director Randall Marshall, and associate legal director Maria Kayanan will also represent the plaintiffs.
A copy of the Complaint can be viewed at: http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/YuleeComplaint.pdf
A copy of the motion for preliminary injunction can be viewed at: http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/YuleePI.pdf
Students can learn more about their rights by downloading a free copy of the ACLU of Florida’s Student Rights Handbook at: www.aclufl.org.
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/aclu-sues-nas…
ACLU Sues Nassau County Schools to Enforce Right of Gay Straight Alliance to Meet at Yulee High School and Yulee Middle School
The SBNC superintendent said in a letter denying access to the GSA that groups with names referencing a specific sexual orientation would not be recognized and that even if the group changed its name to one not communicating a gay-specific mission, approval was uncertain.
“We just want the club so that straight and gay kids can get together to talk about harassment and discrimination against gay kids in an open environment. The school is discriminating against us and that’s exactly the kind of thing we want to talk about and prevent,” said Hannah Page, ACLU plaintiff and student at Yulee High School. “Other clubs and groups are allowed to meet on campus and we have that right too.”Bullying of LGBT students in Nassau County Schools is a serious problem. Plaintiffs Hannah Page and Jacob Brock, who are gay, report that students have threatened to beat them up based on their sexual orientation, and both are routinely called derogatory names at school.
GSAs are student organizations made up of straight and gay students who wish to advocate for an end to bullying, harassment, and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (“LGBT”) students. There are over 4,000 GSAs in the U.S., according to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
The federal Equal Access Act requires schools to grant access and official recognition to a GSA (and most other student groups) if the school allows any extracurricular groups to meet on campus. SBNC denied the Yulee GSA access and official recognition even though other student organizations, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, meet regularly at YHS and YMS.
“We are taking a stand today because gay students are entitled to a safe and secure education. Gay and lesbian students deserve schools that heed the rule of law,” said Robert Rosenwald, Director of the ACLU of Florida’s LGBT Advocacy Project. “These students are trying to bring a message of equality and openness, and the lesson they are being taught is that
Yulee High School administrators believe discrimination against LGBT students is an acceptable policy. Discrimination and harassment by students will never end as long as schools discriminate themselves.”
The ACLU filed the suit alleging violations of the First Amendment and the Federal Equal Access Act, and seeks a preliminary injunction to force school officials to allow the GSA to meet at Yulee High School while the litigation makes its way to trial.
The ACLU of Florida recently won a similar federal case when school officials in Okeechobee, Florida refused to allow a GSA to meet at Okeechobee High School. The judge ruled that schools must provide for the well-being of gay students and cannot discriminate against the GSA. The Okeechobee County School Board paid $326,000.00 in attorneys’ fees for refusing to follow the law in that case. You can read more about the Okeechobee case at: http://www.aclufl.org/news_events/?action=viewRelease&emailAlertID=3654
The lawsuit was filed today in the Jacksonville Division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Robert Rosenwald, director of the ACLU of Florida’s LGBT Advocacy Project, is lead counsel for the ACLU’s case, Gay-Straight Alliance of Yulee High School v. School Board of Nassau County. LGBT Advocacy Project staff attorney Shelbi Day, ACLU of Florida legal director Randall Marshall, and associate legal director Maria Kayanan will also represent the plaintiffs.
A copy of the Complaint can be viewed at: http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/YuleeComplaint.pdf
A copy of the motion for preliminary injunction can be viewed at: http://www.aclufl.org/pdfs/YuleePI.pdf
Students can learn more about their rights by downloading a free copy of the ACLU of Florida’s Student Rights Handbook at: www.aclufl.org.
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/02/aclu-sues-nas…
Homessless Gay Kids Need Your Help
While the struggle for gay rights typically focuses on civil unions and marriage, homeless gay youth is a clear and frightening epidemic. There are 1.6 million homeless kids in America, with 40% of those LGBT, a massively disproportionate figure. Thousands of these kids live in New York City and many receive vital services from the Ali Forney Center.
The Ali Forney Center, founded in 2002, is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth and currently services over 2,000 kids.
What impresses me most about AFC is that they don’t just provide their kids with a place to sleep, they provide them with a second chance. Carl Siciliano, the Executive Director, explains, “By offering these kids warm and loving homes, and giving them the support and guidance to get back to school and into jobs, we constantly reinforce the fact that they are worthy of being loved and being accepted.”
Being accepted is an important part of any kid’s life, but especially LGBT ones. Statistics show that a quarter of all kids who come out are rejected by their families. This gives our community a responsibility to help these kids transition into adulthood and the AFC takes the responsibility seriously.
See Homessless Gay Kids Need Your Help
Huffington Post, NY
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/01/homessless-ga…
Rejection affects gay kids’ health
Rejection affects gay kids’ health
