21Feb/120

February Handout

If you didn't get a copy of the handout about gender neutral pronouns at the February chapter meeting, you can click on the image below:

Although not specifically LGBTQ, the author's introduction in What Color Is Your Parachute? gives an example of mainstream usage of the pronoun "they" as a singular. You can read a related article here and a thorough reading list here about the historical singular use of the pronouns they/them.

Tagged as: gender, gender identity, monthly handout No Comments

21Feb/120

Value Our Families

By FRANK BRUNI

Published: February 20, 2012

In the intensifying debate over same-sex marriage, what I sometimes find hardest to understand is why so many opponents don’t see gay people’s longing to be wedded as the fundamentally conservative, lavishly complimentary desire it is. It says marriage is worth aspiring to and fighting for. Flatters it. Gives it reinvigorated cachet, extra currency, a sorely needed infusion of fresh energy.

If those seem like odd phrases to attach to what is sometimes called holy matrimony, well, consider the unholy state the institution is in. Around the time last week that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was vetoing a same-sex marriage bill that the Legislature had passed, The Times published a front-page story by Jason DeParle and Sabrina Tavernise reporting that the country had reached an ignoble milestone: more than half of births to American women under 30 happen outside marriage. I doubt that a significant fraction of those babies’ parents are gay men or lesbians forbidden to wed. No doubt the huge majority are straight people who haven’t bothered to.

Those who do bother don’t make such an impressive go of it. Although there’s dispute over the divorce rate in this country, most authorities estimate that between 40 and 50 percent of first marriages won’t last. And practice doesn’t make perfect: the divorce rate apparently rises for second and third unions, like Newt Gingrich’s with Callista, a supposedly pious Roman Catholic woman whose devotion didn’t dissuade her from sleeping with him while he was married to his second wife.

The religiousness of this country’s social conservatives is a selective, capricious, hypocritical thing. Some Catholics who cite church teaching to explain their opposition to same-sex marriage have broods much smaller than they likely would if they let nature have its way. They’re using artificial birth control, which, as we’ve recently been reminded, the church officially rejects, a stance that illuminates just how ludicrous some orthodoxies are.

It’s funny (but, then again, not): in the past, homosexuals were denounced as sexual libertines who brazenly flouted society’s norms. Now many of us are pleading to be yoked to those norms, only to be told by many Americans, including many political leaders, that that’s not O.K. either. The only possible takeaway is that we’re meant to be outliers forevermore, unworthy of the experiences and affirmations accorded others.

Christie’s veto — considered alongside the fervent support for marriage equality that Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor, and Martin O’Malley, the Maryland governor, have shown — provides telling clues about how the issue will shake out politically in coming years.

A Republican with designs on national office has to assume that even in 2016, a gay-friendly record would be a burden in the primaries, which tug moderates far to the right. If Christie fantasizes about a future presidency — or an imminent vice presidency — opposition to marriage equality is probably the safer bet.

But has he risked his chances at a second term in New Jersey, which is more liberal than the nation? Cory Booker, the Newark mayor, who is frequently mentioned as a possible Democratic challenger to Christie next year, explicitly reaffirmed his support for same-sex marriage last week.

I don’t discount the possibility that a measure of conviction informs politicians’ actions. But there’s usually calculation in the mix. Cuomo and O’Malley are rising Democratic stars whose advocacy for same-sex marriage suggests confidence that more Americans are moving in that direction. In polls, large majorities between the ages of 18 and 34 support marriage equality, and when I talk to parents of teenagers, many tell me their children simply don’t understand discrimination against homosexuals. And their children aren’t permissive across the board: many oppose abortion. They’ve grown up with more evocative sonograms than once existed.

By this week’s end, O’Malley may be signing a marriage-equality law in Maryland. The State of Washington just adopted its own. Although either could be overturned by referenda later this year, the legislative momentum is undeniable, and O’Malley’s words of support point an interesting way forward.

He has framed same-sex marriage in part as an attempt to take proper care of children in households headed by two men or two women by making sure their parents have the same legal protections and responsibilities — the same spurs to stability, however flawed — that heterosexual parents do. And that exact logic was cited by a previously reluctant Republican in the Maryland House who voted in favor of the state’s same-sex marriage bill last week.

Both politicians were talking about family values, two words that have often been invoked in the argument against same-sex marriage. It’s time to turn the phrase around. What gay and lesbian couples are asking is to be recognized as families. And they’re just idealistic enough to hope that everyone realizes how much value there is in that.

I invite you to visit my blog, follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/frankbruni and join me on Facebook.

A version of this op-ed appeared in print on February 21, 2012, on pageA25 of the New York edition with the headline: Value Our Families.

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7Feb/120

Prop. 8: Gay-marriage ban unconstitutional, court rules

February 7, 2012 | 9:57 am

A federal appeals court Tuesday struck down California's ban on same-sex marriage, clearing the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage as early as next year.

The 2-1 decision by a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that limited marriage to one man and one woman, violated the U.S. Constitution. The architects of Prop. 8 have vowed to appeal.

The ruling was narrow and likely to be limited to California.

PHOTOS: Prop. 8 ruled unconstitutional

“Proposition 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California,” the court said.

The ruling upheld a decision by retired Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who struck down the ballot measure in 2010 after holding an unprecedented trial on the nature of sexual orientation and the history of marriage.

In a separate decision, the appeals court refused to invalidate Walker’s ruling on the grounds that he should have disclosed he was in a long term same-sex relationship. Walker, a Republican appointee who is openly gay, said after his ruling that he had been in a relationship with another man for 10 years. He has never said whether he and partner wished to marry.

FULL COVERAGE: Prop. 8

ProtectMarriage, the backers of Proposition 8, can appeal Tuesday's decision to a larger panel of the 9th Circuit or go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court is expected to be divided on the issue, and many legal scholars believe Justice Anthony Kennedy will be the deciding vote.

Gays and lesbians were entitled to marry in California for six months after the California Supreme Court struck down a state ban in May 2008. The state high court later upheld Proposition 8 as a valid amendment of the California Constitution.

While the Proposition 8 case was still pending in state court, two same-sex couples sued in federal court to challenge the ban on federal constitutional grounds.

Same-sex marriage won't resume immediately

Ruling to have limited effect outside California

-- Maura Dolan in San Francisco

Photo: Opponents of Prop. 8 demonstrate outside of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday in San Francisco. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Email: newstips@latimes.com

Twitter: @lanow

Facebook: Los Angeles Times Local News

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/gay-marriage-prop-8s-ban-ruled-unconstitutional.html

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25Jan/120

Barbara Boxer and the National GSA Day in support of the Student Non-Discrimination Act

Prohibit sexual-identity discrimination at schools.

Boxer signed Student Non-Discrimination Act
Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2011:
Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates.
Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination.
Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act.
Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them.
Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail.
Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
Source: HR.998&S.555 11-S0555 on Mar 10, 2011

Tagged as: GSA, legislation No Comments

24Jan/120

GLAAD Blog on Anti-LGBT Slurs

Study Shows Anti-LGBT Slurs Still Used for Harm

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - 2:19pm by Danny Heffernan, GLAAD's Advertising & Campaigns Fellow

Celebrities, both LGBT-identified and not, have been rightly called out for using slurs or terms that perpetuate dangerous stereotypes about LGBT people. And while some have defended this usage, claiming that words such as “F*g” or “tra**y” do not spur hate and harm, a new study is proving otherwise.

Playgrounds and Prejudice is the latest study conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), to uncover the effect of slurs on youth. The study reveals that 45 percent of teachers and 49 percent of students in elementary schools hear the term ‘gay’ used in a negative way by other students, making it one of the most commonly heard examples of biased language. Additionally, 26 percent of students and teachers report hearing students use outright homophobic slurs. Name calling overall is rampant, with 75 percent of students saying that at their school, students are called names, made fun of, or bullied with regularity. It is hard to deny the likely outcome of such language use when gender non-conforming students are more than twice as likely as other students to indicate not wanting to go to school because they are afraid for their safety, and are called names and bullied more often as well (56 percent versus 33 percent).

Aiden Aizumi, a college student and transgender advocate who is involved with several projects to help support LGBT youth, shared his thoughts on using anti-LGBT slurs, saying, “Physically maybe those words don’t hurt, but emotionally and psychologically those words have the ability to cut real deep. As a college student, when I hear anti-LGBT slurs being used in school, it makes it very hard for me to want to be there. I think about the high school students I work with and how they have to deal with being called all these slurs as they walk through the halls at school, and how these words impact them. None of them are positive. We are not walking away feeling great, but little and less than everybody around us. So yes, my arm does not break when someone calls me an anti-LGBT slur, but nobody sees the scars that I carry on the inside from the words that have been thrown at me.”

As both Aiden and the study by GLSEN highlight, words do matter. Whether or not individuals believe the meaning of these words has changed, it is clear that many people, especially young people, are still experiencing their hurtful effects. GLAAD urges everyone to stand up for those affected by anti-LGBT slurs and show that biased language and hate speech will not be tolerated.

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22Jan/120

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry

Gay marriage draws support from U.S. mayors led by Villaraigosa

By Stephen Ceasar

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

January 20, 2012, 2:57 p.m.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was among a group of 80 mayors in Washington on Friday who pledged their support for gay marriage and announced an initiative aimed at expanding marriage rights for same-sex couples.

The initiative, called Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, was announced during a press conference held at the U.S. Conference of Mayors' winter meeting. Villaraigosa will co-chair the group.

The mayors have pledged to push their cities to pass laws allowing same-sex marriage and urge Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Critics say it unfairly denies federal benefits to same-sex married couples and allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted in other states.

"If we truly believe in family values, we should value all families," Villaraigosa said. "Denying gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry weakens society by hurting our communities, neighbors and families."

The group, among others, includes Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, who is openly gay. The group is an offshoot of Freedom to Marry, a national organization that pushes for same-sex marriage rights.

Also among the mayors in the group is Republican MayorJerry Sanders of San Diego, who in 2007 relented on his previous opposition to same-sex marriage, saying that he could not accept that his daughter was less worthy of marriage because she is a lesbian. "Allowing loving and committed couples to join in marriage has benefits not just for couples and their families -- but also for society," Sanders said.

Villaraigosa has long been a supporter of same-sex marriage rights and stringent opponent of Proposition 8, the 2008 California measure that banned gay marriage. In 2008, he presided over the marriage of a same-sex couple, uniting a Hollywood producer and his five-year companion in a short ceremony at City Hall.

http://www.latimes.com/la-mew-mayors-gay-marriage-support,0,1960669.story

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22Jan/120

Gender Identity Open in the hands of a very loving family

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/couple-finally-reveals-childs-gender-five-years-birth-180300388.html

What will be very interesting is to hear from Sasha in a few years when the child looks back at the first five years of life.

Tagged as: children, gender identity No Comments

21Jan/120

National GSA Day Activities

Wednesday, January 25th, is the first annual National Gay-Straight
Alliance Day -- and we've teamed up with Senator Al Franken of Minnesota to
show off GSA activism! All we ask: call your Senators on National GSA Day
and ask them to co-sponsor or support the Student Non-Discrimination Act!

The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) is a much-needed bill that will
give LGBT students the federal right to be free from discrimination,
harassment and bullying based on a student's actual or perceived sexual
orientation or gender identity. On National GSA Day, Senator Franken will
host a public call devoted to the work GSA activists can do to get this
important bill passed. Email emily_riff@franken.senate.gov if
you'd like to be a part of the call.

The country needs SNDA to become law, and for that to happen, your Senators
need to hear from you. GSA Network will send our letter of support for SNDA
next week -- will you join us on Wednesday by calling on your Senator to
support SNDA?

More info on the Day: http://www.gsaday.org/
More info on Al Franken’s work on the bill: http://franken.senate.gov/?p=news&id=1383

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18Jan/120

A look at Elementary Schools, Bullying & Homophobia

GLSEN Releases Groundbreaking Study of Bias, Bullying and Homophobia in Grades K-6

MEDIA CONTACT
Andy Marra
Public Relations Manager
646-388-6575
amarra@glsen.org

Jan 18, 2012

"Playgrounds and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States" First National Study to Look at Homophobia, Gender Nonconformity in Elementary Schools

Gender Nonconforming Students at Particular Risk for Bullying, Many Teachers Unprepared to Address Issues of Gender Expression, LGBT Families

On February 1, join GLSEN for an in-depth look at the study findings from Playgrounds and Prejudice. Participants will also learn more about GLSEN's elementary school toolkit, Ready Set, Respect! Register for this webinar here: http://glsen.us/elementarywebinar

NEW YORK - Jan. 18, 2012 - The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) today released a new report on school climate, biased remarks and bullying, Playgrounds and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States. The report, based on national surveys of 1,065 elementary school students in 3rd to 6th grade and 1,099 elementary school teachers of K-6th grade, examines students' and teachers' experiences with biased remarks and bullying, and their attitudes about gender expression and family diversity. The surveys were conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of GLSEN during November and December 2010.

Playgrounds and Prejudice

"School climate and victimization can affect students' educational outcomes and personal development at every grade level," said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard. "Playgrounds and Prejudice offers invaluable insights into biased remarks and bullying in America's elementary schools. The report also shows the need for elementary schools to do more to address issues of homophobia, gender expression and family diversity."GLSEN today also released Ready, Set, Respect! GLSEN's Elementary School Toolkit, an instructional resource developed to help educators address issues raised in Playgrounds and Prejudice, particularly teachers' willingness to address but lack of understanding of biased language, LGBT-inclusive family diversity and gender nonconformity.

"Over the past few years, there has been an increase in research on bullying in schools, including elementary schools," said GLSEN Senior Director of Research & Strategic Initiatives Dr. Joseph Kosciw. "However, our report is one of the few that examines bias-based bullying at the elementary school level and the first to examine incidence of homophobic remarks and the negative experiences of children who do not conform to societal standards in their gender expression from a national vantage point."

"Playgrounds and Prejudice articulates a desire among elementary educators to create optimal learning environments for all students, but there is a larger need to provide educational tools and resources that enhance their understanding of gender nonconforming students and families with LGBT parents," said Byard. "Providing this kind of support to teachers and school staff serving our nation's youngest students will build a lasting foundation of learning and development for all elementary school students."

Key Findings on Biased Language, Name-Calling and Bullying

The most common forms of biased language in elementary schools, heard regularly (i.e., sometimes, often or all the time) by both students and teachers, are the use of the word "gay" in a negative way, such as "that's so gay," (students: 45%, teachers: 49%) and comments like "spaz" or "retard" (51% of students, 45% of teachers). Many also report regularly hearing students make homophobic remarks, such as "fag" or "lesbo" (students: 26%, teachers: 26%) and negative comments about race/ethnicity (students: 26%, teachers: 21%).
Three-fourths of students (75%) report that students at their school are called names, made fun of or bullied with at least some regularity. Most commonly this is because of students' looks or body size (67%), followed by not being good at sports (37%), how well they do at schoolwork (26%), not conforming to traditional gender norms/roles (23%) or because other people think they're gay (21%).

Key Findings on Gender Non-Conforming Students

Nearly 1 in 10 of elementary students in 3rd to 6th grade (8%) indicate that they do not always conform to traditional gender norms/roles - either they are boys who others sometimes think, act or look like a girl, or they are girls who others sometimes think, act or look like a boy.
Gender nonconforming students are less likely than other students to feel very safe at school (42% vs 61%), and are more likely than others to indicate they sometimes do not want to go to school because they feel unsafe or afraid there (35% vs 15%). Gender nonconforming students are also more likely than others to be called names, made fun of or bullied at least sometimes at school (56% vs 33%).
Less than half of teachers believe that a gender nonconforming student would feel comfortable at their school (male student who acts or looks traditionally feminine: 44%, female student who acts or looks traditionally masculine: 49%)
Only a third (34%) of teachers report having personally engaged in efforts to create a safe and supportive classroom environment for gender nonconforming students.

Key Findings on Family Diversity

Seven in ten students (72%) say they have been taught that there are many different kinds of families. However, less than 2 in 10 (18%) have learned about families with gay or lesbian parents (families that have two dads or two moms).
While an overwhelming majority of elementary school teachers say that they include representations of different families when the topic of families comes up in their classrooms (89%), less than a quarter of teachers report any representation of lesbian, gay or bisexual parents (21%) or transgender parents (8%).
Only a quarter (24%) of teachers report having personally engaged in efforts to create a safe and supportive classroom environment for families with LGBT parents.

Key Findings on Teacher Preparedness

A majority of elementary school teachers believe they are obligated to ensure a safe learning environment for gender nonconforming students (83%) and students with LGBT parents (70%). Eight in 10 teachers would feel comfortable addressing name-calling, bullying or harassment of students because a student is perceived to be gay, lesbian or bisexual (81%) or is gender nonconforming (81%).
Less than half of teachers (48%) indicate that they feel comfortable responding to questions from their students about gay, lesbian or bisexual people. There was a lower level of comfort found among teachers (41%) responding to questions from their students about transgender people.
A majority of teachers (85%) have received professional development on diversity or multicultural issues, but less than half of teachers have ever received specific professional development on gender issues (37%) or on families with LGBT parents (23%).

Methodology
Findings in Playgrounds and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United Statescame from online surveys conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of GLSEN among 1,065 U.S. elementary school students in 3rd to 6th grade and 1,099 U.S. elementary school teachers of Kindergarten to 6th grade. The national sample was drawn primarily from the Harris Poll Online (HPOL) opt-in panel and supplemented with sample from trusted partner panels. All respondents were invited to participate through password protected emails. Interviews for students averaged 15 minutes in length and were conducted between November 3 and November 29, 2010. Interviews for teachers averaged 20 minutes in length and were conducted between November 11 and December 7, 2010. The data were weighted to key demographic variables to align with the national population of the respective groups. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. In addition, an online strategy session was conducted on June 14, 2010 among a group of 20 elementary school teachers of grades ranging from Kindergarten to 6th grade to inform the development of the survey. Key informants (e.g., elementary school teachers, administrators, students, and teacher educators) reviewed the student and teacher surveys to assess for comprehension and face validity. A full methodology is available upon request by contacting GLSEN Public Relations Manager Andy Marra at amarra@glsen.org.

About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN's research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs and educator training initiatives, visitwww.glsen.org.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American and European offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us - and our clients - stay ahead of what's next. For more information, please visitwww.harrisinteractive.com.

http://www.glsen.org/playgroundsandprejudice.html

Filed under: GLBT Issues, School Issues, Trans Issues No Comments

15Jan/120

From GLAAD – Girl Scout Cookies, Here I Come!

PROPOSED COOKIE BOYCOTT OVER GIRL SCOUTS' TRANSGENDER-INCLUSIVE POLICY

Friday, January 13, 2012 - 3:26pm by Elana Stone, GLAAD's Media Field Strategist

In October of 2011, 7-year-old Bobby Montoya, a transgender girl, asked to join the Girl Scouts of Colorado. After initially being rejected, Bobby was welcomed by the chapter who issued a statement saying, “Girl Scouts is an inclusive organization and we accept all girls in Kindergarten through 12th grade as members. If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.”

In response to the Girl Scout’s inclusive policy, a California teen posted a YouTube video which uses anti-transgender arguments to call for a boycott of the Girl Scouts’ famous cookies. The Girls Scouts are standing by their policy to include transgender girls as Scouts, and in astatement to the Washington Post, the organization said it “prided itself on being an inclusive organization serving girls from all walks of life.”

The Girl Scout’s welcoming policy is supported by the American Psychological Association, which has clear guidelines for parents and educators of transgender and gender non-conforming young people. The APA states that “[I]t is not helpful to force the child to act in a more gender-conforming way.”

When Bobby Montoya’s story first broke, GLAAD responded to problematic news coverage that was far less welcoming of Bobby than either the Girl Scouts or the APA. In fact, the incident inspired public debate about the age at which a person could know they are transgender and how adults should respond in similar situations. The APA says that people may identify as transgender at different ages and affirms what many trans people already know, which is that from a very young age they knew exactly who they were. But that didn’t stop so-called “experts” (like Dr. Alduan Tartt who claimed to CNN’s Don Lemon that it was “damaging” for Bobby’s mom to allow her to express herself) from making unfounded and potentially damaging claims about transgender youth.

Sherry Sybesma, the chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast, where the teenager featured in the boycott video is a member, has expressed doubts about the effectiveness of a cookie boycott saying, “It’s a little like boycotting coffee to get congress to rescind a woman’s right to vote.” She also commented on the overwhelming amount of feedback they’ve received saying, “Most of the responses I have seen have been from people who believe in tolerance and believe in inclusiveness and want Girl Scouting to stand for inclusiveness and tolerance."

In fact, Adam Martin of the Atlantic Wire is reporting that the anti-transgender nature of this boycott may serve to boost Girl Scout cookie sales, as fair-minded individuals are now taking to social networks to call on people to show their support for transgender people by uppingtheir annual cookie purchases and supporting their local Girl Scout Chapter.

GLAAD applauds the Girl Scouts for continuing to speak out in support of inclusive and welcoming policies for all girls. It is important that the media not cause further harm by repeating earlier mistakes of misrepresenting transgender children in ongoing coverage. Instead of giving a platform to the claims of hate groups or so-called “experts,” GLAAD calls on the media to address transgender children and issues of gender identity responsibly by calling on real experts or individuals and families who can share their own experiences.

http://www.glaad.org/blog/proposed-cookie-boycott-over-girl-scouts-transgender-inclusive-policy

Pasadena PFLAG