Grandmother Parisha will be on conference call this evening at 9 pm EST to discuss recent developments regarding the earth changes prophesied for this time with particular attention to 2012.

Listen in at

646-519-5860, pin no. 2930

Please mute your phone once you are “in” out of courtesy for all the participants.

More information:

www.parishaonline.com

©2009 Deborah Adler. All rights reserved

This is NOT a paid announcement:

For a limited time, the Pink Sofa lesbian chat site is offering 12 months free membership to their American sisters!

You can find MsQueer there as “Greatdoe.”

This is  a great chat site, well-secured, that operates on a premise of helping lesbians to connect. Don’t look for sexually explicit posts here because they’re not allowed. But you can message, flirt (by sending “smiles”) and participate in live chat rooms with lesbians from all over the world.

To find out more, click on the link below:

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved.

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Visit this site to take action.

We can make a few bullies pay for the deaths of so many.

http://openletterstokrxq.wordpress.com/

Families of Gender Non-Conforming Children Ask For Your Help

Visit this site to take action. We can make a few bullies pay for the deaths of so many.

http://openletterstokrxq.wordpress.com/

Families of Gender Non-Conforming Children Ask For Your Help

Many newspapers have reported on the recent program on KRXQ in Sacremento which concerned transgender and gender-non-conforming children. An excerpt from the Huffington Post article by Michael Rowe summarizes the statements of the radio disk jockeys, Rob Williams and Arnie State.

Even by the flexible moral, ethical, and professional standards of American talk radio, the May 28th segment of KRXQ 98.5 FM Sacramento’s Rob, Arnie, & Dawn in the Morning radio talk show makes for a sickening half-hour of ugliness and cruelty. For once, the focus was not LGBT adults, but minors. The hosts, Rob Williams and Arnie States, devoted the segment in question to a vicious diatribe against transgender children, some as young as five, focusing in particular on the case of one Omaha family raising a gender dysphoric child, and their decision to support her transition from male to female.

Williams and States took turns referring to gender dysphoric children as “idiots” and “freaks,” who were just out “for attention” and had “a mental disorder that just needs to somehow be gotten out of them,” either by verbal abuse on the part of the parents, or even shock therapy.

“Allowing transgenders to exist, pretty soon it becomes normal to fall in love with the animals,” they said.

As parents with gender non-conforming and transgender kids, we have come a long way in our understanding of this issue. Supportive parents come from all walks of life, all parts of the country, all religious traditions, all social classes. Some of us identify as conservatives, some liberal; some are hetero / gender normative themselves, some are not. Our kids come from traditional families and non-traditional families. Our kids most often (but not always) have gender normative siblings (or are only children).

Only we really know who these kids are, and who they have to be. We brought them into the world. Now we’re trying to make the world a safer place for them. None of the choices we make in raising our kids are made lightly. We know the dangers our kids face. But we also know the world is changing. And we have to be a part of that change.

“I have every right to call you a freak and judge you on that.” One of these men said. We ask that before anyone’s judgement is final, they listen to us, to the families, to the children, to the experts. Autistic kids were once thought of as freaks. As were Disabled kids. Cleft lip kids. Mixed race kids. Hyperactive kids. These kids are understood and appreciated. Someday soon, so will our kids.

Read our stories before you share any opinion based on incomplete knowledge, or on your own parenting experiences with gender normative children. These kids are different. They’re not freaks or idiots. They can change hearts and minds. They are brave, and strong, but  they cannot survive without support and understanding. They lead lives worth living, worth defending.

We love our kids. We will not let them be humiliated, denigrated, harassed or bullied without a fight.

If you’re with us, do something. Contact a sponsor on the naughty list or the nice list. Praise the nice; spank the naughty. Contact the FCC or KRXQ. Support TYFA. You can help save a kid’s life.

Thank you Paul for posting this comment originally at http://msqueer.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/annual-holiday-gala-fundraiser-for-the-trevor-project/#comments

MsQueer

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved.

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Please note: Due to unfortunate circumstances, I will temporarily be able to make fewer posts that previously managed. For those of you who have followed this blog, I appreciate your support.  I especially want to thank all The L Word fans who keep coming back for more news!!!

I am currently looking for a donation of a laptop that could help keep MsQueer.com going. (Sorry, I am not tax-deductable). If you, or someone you know might be able to assist with this please contact me through the email link at the bottom of the blog page.

I has been my goal all along to provide news as well as newsworthy commentary and a rich resource online for LGBT persons and allies.  If you would like to help to see this accomplished click here.

Thanks and I will be here as often as possible! MsQueer

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved.

Never mind that the countdown to Laurel Holloman’s May 23rd 2009 birthday started on the (now defunct) Our Chart TeeLu Threads the day after 2008’s event (with some incredible artwork and photos that defy you to keep certain parts of the anatomy – which will remain un-named here – – dry)…Devoted fans of The L Word actress are ramping up again to do another fundraising drive to help  Ms. Holloman’s favored charity, Doctors Without Borders. (see prior post: http://msqueer.wordpress.com/2008/11/24/the-birthday-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/)

In a remarkable show of what can be accomplished by online social networking, message board and chat communities, fans of Laurel Holloman have already raised $22,000 for the humanitarian Doctors Without Borders.

This year, to encourage all who contribute whatever amount,  manager of the official LaurelHollomanOnline.com, Angela K. has posted this announcement:

“the site is donating a number of signed photographs including: 1 photograph of Laurel with Jennifer Beals signed by both; 1 photograph of Laurel with Rachel Shelley signed by both; 1 signed photograph of Laurel; 1 signed photograph of Rachel Shelley; 1 L Word CD signed by Kate Moennig. Everybody who donates during April, May and June, however big or small the donation, will be entered into a draw for the above prizes. Please give to this very worthwhile charity, and wish Laurel a happy birthday.”

Organizers are requesting that supportive fans help to spread the word on message boards and relevant websites. Secured donation can be made at:

www.firstgiving.com/laurelhollomanonline. 

More information at www.laurelhollomanonline.com; and http://laurelsbirthday.wordpress.com/, where you can leave a personal message and Birthday Greetings to Laurel.

TeeLu Fans Unite!!! Spread the word, spread some good work!

MsQueer

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved.

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A second elementary school youth hanged himself last week after enduring anti-gay harassment and bullying at his school in Atlanta, Georgia. As in the case of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, Jaheem Herrera did not identify himself as “Gay.” But his classmates did.

I know I’ve used the phrase “epidemic proportions” here before, but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!

These comments are from GLSEN on YouTube along with some videos shown below:

“Almost 90% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students report being verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation. LGBT teens experience homophobic remarks and harassment throughout the school day, creating an atmosphere where they feel disrespected, unwanted and unsafe. Homophobic remarks such as thats so gay are the most commonly heard; these slurs are often unintentional and a common part of teens vernacular. Most do not recognize the consequences, but the casual use of this language often carries over into more overt harassment.

“This campaign aims to raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBT bias and behavior in Americas schools. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce and prevent the use of homophobic language in an effort to create a more positive environment for LGBT teens. The campaign also aims to reach adults, including school personnel and parents; their support of this message is crucial to the success of efforts to change behavior.”

I’ve got my own plan as to how to counter-act this rising trend in our country’s public and private schools:

Find as many news sites and blogs that are covering this and related stories. TAKE TIME TO MAKE A COMMENT if available. Make sure you check the ability to receive email notification of responses.

Don’t just render an opinion – no matter how passionate it might be – offer web addresses of organizations working to educate and combat this insanity.

The more dialog we initiate, the more we will come together with others who share our concern. THIS IS NOT A GAY ISSUE. This is a SAFE SCHOOLS issue!  It affects all of us. OUR CHILDREN MUST HAVE A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here’s additional news coverage of this repeat tragedy:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2009/04/21/boy_suicide_bullying_decatur.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

http://current.com/items/89987540_anti-gay-bullying-blamed-for-another-pre-teen-suicide.htm

Some websites that you can refer others to (include these in your comments and/or emails to others, please:

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, www.glsen.org

Think B 4 You Speak, www.thinkB4youspeak.com

The Trevor Project, www.thetrevorproject.org

Here’s three great PSA’s from GLSEN and the AdCouncil about “That’s So Gay”  (include the url’s in your comments) – [NOTE: Videos propety of GLSEN. No Copyright infringement intended]

url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWS0GVOQPs0

url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C277qAKpUaQ

url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEpBYKOs3ys

DON’T STOP THERE….Contact your local School Board to find out if they have an anti-bullying policy in place.

Write an editorial in your local paper…AND SEND IT!

 Here’s a statement issued by The Trevor Projects Exec Director, Charles Robbins:

“Everyone at The Trevor Project is deeply saddened to learn about the death of Jaheem Herrera last week in DeKalb County, Georgia. Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with his family and friends during this difficult time.

“Tragically, Jaheem is now the second young person to complete suicide as the result of anti-gay bullying at school in just over two weeks. Although Jaheem did not identify as gay, anti-gay slander was the epithet of choice by his classmates and peers. Defamatory language continues to erode the self-esteem of sexual orientation and gender identity, and its consequences can be fatal as this incident so clearly demonstrates. It is time for both bullying and suicide to be addressed as the public health crises that they are. We are working closely with our colleagues at GLSEN and other national organizations to bring increased visibility and focus to this critical issue.

“The Trevor Project remains committed to supporting public policy and government initiatives that will address suicide prevention programs in every classroom across America. We will also advocate for programs that teach young people to respect one another and learn about the impact of their words and behaviors in the hope of preventing another tragic loss of life. 

“To learn more about suicide prevention, warning signs and resources, please visit The Trevor Project’s Suicide Resources (http://thetrevorproject.org/info.aspx)”

Don’t just shake your head and say, “what a waste.”  MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!! 

 NOTE: Videos are sole property of GLSEN and The Ad Council.  The Trevor Project Press Release is sole property of The Trevor Project. GLSEN videos descriptions sole preperty of GLSEN and YouTube. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved.

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Watch Laurel Holloman’s awesome and sassy acceptance speech at the 2009 Bravo-TV A-List Awards Ceremony.

The Awards Ceremony, which was filmed on Sunday April 5th at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, marked the second year Bravo chose to celebrate “the best in food, fashion, beauty, design and pop culture. The awards honor those who have made an unforgettable mark in the arts and showcase some of the leading creative minds in today’s society.”  (taken from: http://www.bravotv.com/bravo-a-list-awards/about)

Winners were determined by online voters.

The L Word’s Laurel Holloman and Jennifer Beals took the prize for

“SEXIEST TV MOMENT…
Presented to the couple that made our windows steamy and our TVS fog up.”

with the infamous TiBette “Elevator Scene” from Season 5. (Incidentally, they beat out 4 other nominees, all hetero couples!) 

MsQ

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved. (NOTE: Video is property of Bravo-TV. No copyright infringement intended)

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The 2010 L Word Down Under Convention will be held at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre located in Sydney, Australia.

Actresses confirming their intention to attend thus far are Laurel Holloman, Leisha Hailey and Rachel Shelley.

Comedienne Poppy Champlin will host.

For more details, view the full press release here. (link)

UPDATE: 6-21-09

Marlee Matlin joins the cast members planning to attend.

Tickets on sale NOW!

For more details, view full Marlee Matlin press release here. (link)

For more details, view full Tickets on Sale press release here. (link)

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved. (NOTE: Content of The L Word Down Under Press Release is sole property of United L Events Inc. No copyright infringement intended.)

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April 17th, 2009 is this year’s official “Day of Silence” – the 13th such annual commemoration.

THIS IS AN ACTION DAY. Supporters are asked to observe a 24-hour period of silence and carry cards with them explaining to others why they are choosing not to speak on this day. The template for this card,as well as Activist Handbook, web badges, buttons and other helpful information can be obtained in English and Spanish versions at www.dayofsilence.org.

Here is what the cards say:

“Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name-calling and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the fi rst step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today.” 

Another suggestion has been to wear red on that day, especially for those who may not be able to observe the silence at their jobs. Videos are also being requested to be posted on YouTube. Please see my response video below.

This is a critical issue facing this country. The statistics regarding LGBTQ youth facing bullying and physical harm at school are staggering. THIS IS NOT JUST AN LGBTQ ISSUE! We are talking about our public (and private) schools. We are talking about basic Human Rights.

Tell your friends, family and co-workers. More information can also be obtained at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, www.glsen.org.

Talk to as many people as you can about this so that we can find solutions that will lead to SAFE SCHOOLS FOR ALL YOUTH.

On April 17th, STOP talking…and carry a card that educates people around you as to your choice.

NOTE: This video was produced by Deb Adler, author of MsQueer. I DO own the rights to this vid (woo-hoo!)

PLEASE GO TO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9cSelrTJk8 and leave comments and ratings. Thanks!

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved. [NOTE: content of Day of Silence card belongs to www.dayof silence.org. No copyright infringement intended.]

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[UPDATE: see also "Another 11-year old Commits Suicide over Bullying" post http://msqueer.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/another-11-year-old-commits-suicide-over-bullying/]

Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year old boy attending the New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, Massachusetts, committed suicide Monday because of ongoing taunting and bullying endured from his classmates. This boy did not identify himself as Gay, but was taunted by others nevertheless. School officials allegedly refused to do anything after repeated appeals from the boy’s mother.

This insanity has to stop. America has settled on a “safe” prejudice, that of being anti-gay. “That’s so Gay” is a common insult heard as frequently from adults in a bar or at the workplace as it is from children in school. That hundreds of children every day face ridicule, verbal and in many cases physical assault from their peers in what has come to epidemic proportions reveals a cancer that is eating away at the decency of our society. So long as we believe that there is a “safe prejudice” – NO ONE IS SAFE!

April 17th, which would have been Carl’s 12th birthday, is the 13th annual Day of Silence. On this day students across the country will observe a day of silence to emphasize the critical problem of bullying of LGBTQ youth and others in our country’s schools. Cards explaining their observation of silence are available from LGBT organizations locally. For those who cannot take part in the day-long act of silence, you are being asked to wear red to show your support. For more information go to: www.dayofsilence.org.

Here is the complete press release from GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network):

“As was the case with Carl, you do not have to identify as gay to be attacked with anti-LGBT language,” Byard said. “From their earliest years on the school playground, students learn to use anti-LGBT language as the ultimate weapon to degrade their peers. In many cases, schools and teachers either ignore the behavior or don’t know how to intervene.”

Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT youth (86.2%) reported being verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, nearly half (44.1%) reported being physically harassed and about a quarter (22.1%) reported being physically assaulted, according to GLSEN’s 2007 National School Climate Survey (http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2340.html ) of more than 6,000 LGBT students.

In most cases, the harassment is unreported. Nearly two-thirds of LGBT students (60.8%) who experience harassment or assault never reported the incident to the school. The most common reason given was that they didn’t believe anything would be done to address the situation. Of those who did report the incident, nearly a third (31.1%) said the school staff did nothing in response. While LGBT youth face extreme victimization, bullying in general is also a widespread problem. More than a third of middle and high school students (37%) said that bullying, name-calling or harassment is a somewhat or very serious problem at their school, according to From Teasing to Torment. Bullying is even more severe in middle school. Two-thirds of middle school students (65%) reported being assaulted or harassed in the previous year and only 41% said they felt very safe at school.

Carl’s suicide comes about a year after eighth-grader Lawrence King was shot and killed by a fellow student in a California classroom, allegedly because he was gay.

GLSEN recommends four simple approaches (http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2263.html) schools can take to begin addressing bullying now.

Said Walker in the Springfield Republican: “If anything can come of this, it’s that another child doesn’t have to suffer like this and there can be some justice for some other child. I don’t want any other parent to go through this.”

About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, 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, visit www.glsen.org.

A resolution was introduced into the House of Representatives April 2nd. GLSEN press release provides details:

NEW YORK – Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and 33 cosponsors introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (H.Con.Res. 92) to recognize and support GLSEN’s 13th annual National Day of Silence on April 17.

“GLSEN would like to express our gratitude to Representatives Eliot Engel, Tammy Baldwin and the 33 cosponsors who are adding their voice to the hundreds of thousands of students who will take a vow of silence on April 17,” GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said. “A week after GLSEN’s lobby day in Washington, D.C., we are already seeing the impact young people can have on our democracy.”

Students will take some form of a vow of silence on April 17 to bring attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Students from more than 7,500 middle and high schools participated in 2008.

“Sadly, violence and discrimination against LGBT youth is all-too-common in American schools,” said Rep. Engel, who along with Rep. Baldwin introduced a similar resolution last year. “It is a national disgrace that students feel threatened in school simply because of their sexual orientation. As a former public school teacher, I am proud to introduce this resolution. Americans need to know that thousands of children each day go to school deprived of a happy adolescence because of the insensitivity and cruelty shown by some fellow students, teachers, staff and parents.”

Added Rep. Baldwin: “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students continue to face pervasive harassment and victimization in schools. As students use their silence to demand safe schools, we in Congress must use our voices to support them.”

Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT youth (86.2%) reported being verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, nearly half (44.1%) reported being physically harassed and about a quarter (22.1%) reported being physically assaulted, according to GLSEN’s 2007 National School Climate Survey of more than 6,000 LGBT students.

Additionally 60.8% of LGBT students said they felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and nearly a third (32.7%) said they had missed a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe.

“It is tragic to have any child suffer and what makes this worse is that it is completely preventable,” Bullying and harassment of LGBT students stems from ignorance and can only be repaired with education. By helping other students, teachers, staff and parents understand the plight of LGBT students, we can help these students live a happier childhood and enable them to earn their education free from fear,” Rep. Engel said.

Charles Robbins, Executive Director of The Trevor Project, the nation’s only 24-7 Helpline for LGBTQ Youth issued this statement online and to email subscribers (of which I am one):

April 9, 2009 

In light of the tragic suicide of 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover in Springfield, Massachusetts, which was prompted by anti-gay bullying in his school, The Trevor Project has released the following statement from Charles Robbins, executive director and CEO: 

“We are saddened to learn that another valuable young life was lost this week as the result of a school environment that was not safe, accepting and inclusive of all students. We extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the family and friends of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover during this difficult time. This unfortunate incident serves as further testimony to the necessity for all schools to mandate suicide prevention education programs in order to help young people understand the harmful and potentially life-shattering effects of bullying, discrimination and harassment. The Trevor Project remains at the forefront of providing lifesaving guidance and vital resources to parents and educators, including our Lifeguard School Workshop Program and Trevor Survival Kit – both of which help educators constructively facilitate discussions with students about issues surrounding suicide, gender identity, sexual orientation and the impacts of language and behavior.” 

To learn more about suicide prevention, warning signs and resources, please visit The Trevor Project’s Suicide Resources Web page. 

To make a contribution to The Trevor Project in support of its lifesaving youth suicide prevention programs, please click here. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/donation.aspx

A young You-Tuber, KrisFrom1992,  posted this video and called for others to post video responses in support and solidarity. His plea is simple and impactful. I salute his courage in speaking out.

Another passionate plea came last year, following the murder of 15-year old Lawrence King from talk-show host Larry King.

DON’T LET THIS DAY GO BY UNMARKED.

FIND SOME WAY TO SUPPORT “DAY OF SILENCE 2009″

-MsQueer

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved. (NOTE: Content of GLSEN press releases remain the sole property of GLSEN and content of Trevor Project’s press releases remain the sole property of The Trevor Project. No copyright infringement intended.)

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