Wealth is not the enemy. We NEED LGBTQ Leaders with Financial Literacy March 4, 2013

This FREE call is for you if you’re on a spiritual journey and you want to:

• Experience unlimited abundance – but as you keep trying, and failing, to do so, your confidence continues to plummet
• Rediscover your inner passion – and ignite it so you can tirelessly pursue the life you truly want and deserve (because right now, you feel like you’re just wandering – or spinning your wheels)
• Develop your personal power so you can define and achieve exactly what you want in life, so you can move forward with purpose and passion
• Feel empowered and powerful – rather than listless and hopeless – as you transcend your current levels of prosperity and spiritual fulfillment

FREE Training Call on Tuesday, March 5th at 1pm Arizona MT or 6pm Arizona MT.

http://demystifyingwealth.com/free-webinar

 

Sometimes, no matter how hard you work, achieving the wealth and abundance you SO want and deserve can be difficult – not to mention frustrating.

With all the dire news circulating about today’s economy, wealth and abundance may seem like far off dreams. And if you’ve taken that news to heart, any attempts you’ve made to attract wealth probably haven’t worked, have they?

As a result, your confidence has dissolved. And you know that’s not good for attracting abundance.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way.

With the right tools and skills – and confidence – you can FINALLY attract the wealth you really want.

I’m Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha, and I’m dedicated to ending world poverty. As an educator – I taught Quantum Physics for 50 years before it became popular – I am a business coach and mentor. I’ve taught thousands of entrepreneurs how to utilize business technology. I’m globally acknowledged as Peacekeeper and Wisdom Path Teacher, and I’ve spent years teaching pathways to human development, health, wealth and happiness.

I specialize in attracting wealth and abundance, and that’s exactly what I’m going to share during this complimentary training call, “3 Secrets to Attracting Unlimited Wealth.”

Join me and learn:

• What “wealth” really is, and how to get it going
• The future of politics and economics, and what you can do about it
• How to overcome low self-confidence and increase your self-esteem when it comes to attracting wealth
• Proven skills you can hone, starting NOW, to begin attracting the wealth and abundance you deserve
• And more.

If you’ve ever joined me for a class or talk, you know I always provide information you can use immediately to improve the quality of your life. I hope you’ll join me!

FREE Training Call on Tuesday, March 5th at 1pm Arizona MT or 6pm Arizona MT.

http://demystifyingwealth.com/free-webinar

 

Pa’Ris’Ha has taught Quantum Physics for fifty years, long before it became accepted and popular. She educates about how the brain functions and how to reprogram our thinking through scientifically proven neurophysiologic principles. She is a powerful business Coach and Mentor and she has taught thousands business technology, and has established hundreds of successful companies who today enjoy health, wealth and happiness. She is a master in organization and flow, time effectiveness and higher profit levels. She says, “Organization is Realization”™ She is dedicated and serves to end world poverty.

Ka’lu Rinpoche of Tibet, and Rinpoche T’Sering Wang’di of Bhutan have declared Pa’Ris’Ha a reincarnation of Buddha TARA. A Spiritual Archeologist she has Cherokee Native American and European ancestry. She is known as an Elder and traditionally addressed as “Grandmother” a term of endearment and recognition of valor’s earned. She is globally acknowledged as Peacekeeper, and Wisdom Path Teacher. She is fun, caring, and delightful, you will be filled with insight and information that you have wanted for a very long time.

Pa’Ris’Ha has been a guest speaker on numerous global TV and Radio appearances and has introduced pathways in Human Development, Health, Wealth and Happiness for over fifty years. She founded humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering of all sentient Beings.

“To be in the presence of Grandmother Pa’Ris’Ha is to be in the face of universal love and the power of that. She speaks with the impact of thunder and lightening, the elements responds to her as an authority, her power is genuine love in its purest form. All of nature responds to her love, as she often speaks of herself as a child of the forest. And she openly shows her love of humanity. Truly a Bodhisattva.” Ka’Lu Tibetan Rinpoche.

Student Voice of Mental Health for College Students Award January 20, 2009

Recently, in response to one of my posts about teen suicide and lgbtq teen suicides in this country and resources to help, I received a comment from someone who asked me to publicize a video competition that is coming to a conclusion soon, as well as the organization sponsoring it, The Jed Foundation.

Here are excerpts from the poster’s comments: “I’m writing from The Jed Foundation….We are presenting The Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award for college students who have had mental health issues like the one’s you write about on your site and wanted for you to help spread the word.

“The award is for a video on their experiences with mental health issues and how they are working to raise awareness and encourage their peers on the issue. The award includes a $2,000 scholarship, a trip to NYC to our annual gala in June 2009, recognition through our site and events and possibly appearing on MTVU. The info is on our site (link below).

We are interested… in having folks write about the importance of doing work like this and show casing, if you will, this award we are presenting.

More information at http://jedfoundation.org/programs/student-voice-of-mental-health-award

NOTE: The Deadline for submitting a video to this project is FEBRUARY 13th!  You can download an application from their site address shown here.  Questions can be directed to studentaward@jedfoundation.org.

From their website, I share with you their Mission, as it appears on their About Us page:

Mission 

The Jed Foundation works nationally to reduce the rate of suicide and the prevalence of emotional distress among college and university students. To achieve this end, the organization collaborates with the public and leaders in higher education, mental health, and research to produce and advance initiatives that:

• Decrease the stigma surrounding emotional disorders and increase help-seeking in the college student population  
• Increase understanding of the warning signs of suicide and the symptoms of emotional disorders among college students 
• Build awareness of the prevalence of suicide and emotional disorders among college students 
• Strengthen campus mental health services, policies, and programs

You can also find the Jed Foundation, among other places on the net at http://www.youtube.com/thejedfoundation

There, you will find a number of videos on “You Are Not Alone – Fight the Stigma” which feature student sharings as well as educational information from professionals dealing with the issues of student mental health.

I have contacted the Jed Foundation and suggested they network with The Trevor Project, since I did not see any specific references to the LGBTQ population. I hope they follow suit.

Here’s one of  their videos:

[NOTE: ALL RIGHTS TO THIS VIDEO BELONG TO THE JED FOUNDATION.]

The Jed Foundation also has a “Half Of Us” Campaign underway that asks students, “How Are You A Friend?” More information about this can be found at http://jedfoundation.org/about/jed-news/how-are-you-a-friend. -MsQueer.

©2009 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved. [NOTE: All language from the Jed Foundation website is the property of The Jed Foundation. No copyright infringement intended.]

Stumble It!

Urgent Call To Action to Stop Vilsack Appointment December 24, 2008

President-elect Barrack Obama stands poised to appoint Tom Vilsack to the position of Secretary of Agriculture despite the man’s reputation for being a high-tech, anti-organic proponent in favor of genetic engineering of seeds and cloning of animals, among other practices. He is also considered a “Monsanto boy.”  (See the Organic Consumers Association page “Millions Against Monsanto” http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm)

For a detailed article see post at http://debadler.wordpress.com/2008/12/24/urgent-call-to-action-to-stop-vilsack-appointment/

To sign the petition asking President-elect Obama to reconsider his decision, go to:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/t/8516/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1783

This is an urgent matter. Please take time to educate yourself and to TAKE ACTION!!!!

-MsQueer

©2008 MsQueer.com. All rights reserved.

World Suicide Prevention Day and The Trevor Project September 10, 2008

Today, September 10, 2008, has been proclaimed “Trevor Project Day” in the state of New York, to coincide with “World Suicide Prevention Day” and “National Suicide Prevention Week.”  I share this email which I receive from The Trevor Project. (If you wish to receive updates on their programs, you can request that at www.thetrevorproject.org). -MsQueer

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE EMAIL: trevor-day-announcement

Here’s a copy of the accompanying press release (reformatted to please the blog editor!):

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Jacque Wing / The Trevor Project

310-271-8845, ext. 226

Jacqueline.Wing@TheTrevorProject.org

 

MEDIA ALERT

 

SEPT. 10 PROCLAIMED “THE TREVOR PROJECT DAY” IN NEW YORK

The Trevor Project Day to coincide with National Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day

 

WHAT:

 

New York Gov. David Paterson will proclaim Sept. 10, 2008 as The Trevor Project Day in the state of New York. The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. The Trevor Project Day strategically occurs during National Suicide Prevention Week, sponsored by the American Association of Suicidology. The day coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day, sponsored by the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

 

In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Week, World Suicide Prevention Day and The Trevor Project Day, The Trevor Project will launch and participate in a variety of initiatives to build awareness regarding suicide, specifically among LGBTQ youth. These include:

 

• Maximizing exposure of The Trevor Project’s “I’m Glad I Failed” social marketing campaign, which targets LGBTQ youth who contemplate suicide as a result of homophobia: http://www.TheTrevorProject.org/ImGladIFailed.

 

• Launch of The Trevor Project School Workshop Program, which will use a structured curriculum in schools to address topics around sexuality, gender identity, the impacts of language and behavior, and what it means for young people to feel different.

 

• Launch of an all-new “fan page” on Facebook.com promoting The Trevor Project, its mission and its services to members nationwide.

 

• Volunteer counselors from The Trevor Helpline as well as staff members from The Trevor Project will participate in the Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Sat., Sept. 13 in Santa Monica, Calif., to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

WHEN:

 

National Suicide Prevention Week: Sept. 7 through 13, 2008

The Trevor Project Day: Sept. 10, 2008

World Suicide Prevention Day: Sept. 10, 2008

 

WHY:            

           

Suicide is one of the top three causes of death among young people (15 to 24-year-olds). Only accidents and homicides occur more frequently as causes of death among young people.

 

LGBTQ youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.

 

LGBTQ youth who come from a rejecting family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.

 

# # #

 

 

Del Martin – A Pioneer in Lesbian Rights Dies at 87 August 29, 2008

Del Martin died Wednesday.

Del Martin, life partner of Phyllis Lyon for 55 years, co-wrote the book Lesbian/Woman in 1972. For me, at age 22, this book was the proverbial life preserver tossed to me in turbulent seas. Although I knew I was a Lesbian much earlier in my life, being comfortable with that fact was another story.

When I found Lesbian/Woman and began reading it, I laughed, I cried, but most importantly, I gained a new perspective of myself as a Lesbian: I was OKAY! I was not an abomination, nor crazy, nor perverted. I simply loved women.

I devoured that book from cover to cover. I can still see that bright purple paperback cover, dog-eared from repeated use, that I wrapped in a brown grocery bag cover to hide from my parents. Years later, I managed to acquire a special 25th anniversary hardbound edition. It’s something I treasure.

Del Martin’s “outness” gave me courage. She inspired me with compassion and intellect. By the example of her own very public relationship with her Lesbian partner, Phyllis Lyon, she inspired us all to know that we did indeed deserve all the happiness, fulfillment, and rewards of a healthy relationship, just like anybody else!

She got to marry her beloved two months ago courtesy of California’s new Law approving gay marriage.

As a pillar of Lesbian activism, she will be sorely missed. My heart goes out to Phyllis and all of Del’s close friends and family.

We celebrate her accomplishments in her time with us. We celebrate the freedoms we enjoy today because of staunch Lesbian and Gay Rights advocates such as herself.

In Loving Memory, -MsQueer

©2008 MsQueer.com and Deborah Adler. All rights reserved.

NEWS AND TRIBUTES FOLLOW:

 

Lesbian rights pioneer Del Martin dies at 87

Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, August 28, 2008

(08-27) 14:57 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — Lesbian rights pioneer Del Martin, whose trailblazing activism spanned more than five decades, most recently in the battle for same-sex marriage, died Wednesday, just two months after she made history again by wedding her longtime partner in San Francisco City Hall.

Ms. Martin, an author and organizer, died at UCSF Hospice after a long period of declining health. She was 87 and was admitted to the hospital nearly two weeks ago with a broken arm.

Ms. Martin’s crusading began in 1955, during an era in America known more for social conformity than for rebellion, when she co-founded a lesbian social-turned-political organization, Daughters of Bilitis, named after a 19th century book of lesbian love poetry.

This year, on June 16, she and her partner of 55 years, Phyllis Lyon, were legally wed. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom officiated. Theirs was among the first same-sex nuptials in California.

“Her last act of activism was her most personal – marrying the love of her life,” said Kate Kendell, a longtime friend of the couple and executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

“Ever since I met Del 55 years ago, I could never imagine a day would come when she wouldn’t be by my side,” Lyon, 83, said in a statement. “I am so lucky to have known her, loved her and been her partner in all things.

“I also never imagined there would be a day that we would actually be able to get married,” Lyon said. “I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed.”

‘We’re not getting younger’

Ms. Martin had been in failing health for some time, weakened to the point where she was pushed in a wheelchair to her wedding ceremony. In an interview in her hillside Noe Valley home just days before she took her marriage vows in the mayor’s office, Ms. Martin described as fortunate the timing of the California Supreme Court decision that gave gays and lesbians the right to marry.

“We’re not getting younger,” she said.

Ms. Martin and Lyon were plaintiffs in the lawsuit that got the state ban on same-sex marriage lifted. They were married at 5:07 p.m, just minutes after the ruling took effect.

Four years ago, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom allowed marriage licenses to be issued to gay and lesbian couples in San Francisco in defiance of state law, Ms. Martin and Lyon were the first of about 4,000 same-sex couples to wed and made news internationally. Those marriages were later nullified by the state’s high court but paved the way for the successful legal challenge.

“We would never have marriage equality in California if it weren’t for Del and Phyllis,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco Democrat. “They fought and triumphed in many battles, beginning when they first bought a home together in San Francisco in 1955.”

Pelosi called the death of Ms. Martin “a great loss for me personally and for our entire community.”

Newsom, who said Ms. Martin “laid the groundwork for all those who want a life of dignity,” ordered the flags at City Hall and the rainbow gay-pride flag at Market and Castro streets to be flown at half-staff until sunset today.

Ms. Martin’s activist reach extended into the feminist movement when she became the first open lesbian to serve on the board of directors of the National Organization for Women, and she helped spearhead a successful campaign to get the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its roster of mental illnesses.

In 1995, Sen. Dianne Feinstein named her as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging, where she and Lyon, a delegate appointed by Pelosi, focused attention on the needs of aging gays and lesbians.

Feinstein said Wednesday, “Del and Phyllis were a loving couple, cherished by an entire community. They inspired so many, young and old.”

Ms. Martin, whose given name was Dorothy but who went by Del, was born in San Francisco in 1921. Her first marriage, at age 19, was brief but produced a daughter, Kendra Mon, who lives in Petaluma. She also is survived by two grandchildren.

Together for almost 60 years

She and Lyon met in Seattle in 1950 while both were working as journalists for a trade publication. Their friendship turned into a romance two years later. In 1953, on Valentine’s Day, the couple moved into a Castro district flat in San Francisco.

After helping found the Daughters of Bilitis, they started a newsletter, called the Ladder, which grew into a magazine focused on lesbian politics and culture.

In the first issue, Ms. Martin set the tone for how she would lead the rest of her life when she wrote: “Nothing was ever accomplished by hiding in a dark corner. Why not discard the hermitage for the heritage that awaits any red-blooded American woman who dares to claim it?”

Cleve Jones took that message to heart when he met the couple in 1972. He was a student at Arizona State University, and the duo went to speak to a gay liberation organization.

“For a kid just out of high school, listening to them was a life-altering experience,” said Jones, who later moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a student intern in the City Hall office of gay Supervisor Harvey Milk and founded the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. “They were so confident, so unapologetic, so radical.”

And, added Kendell, from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, “so fearless. In every social movement, political movement, there’s someone who transcends their time. For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Del Martin was one of those people.”

Friends and family plan to hold a public tribute to Ms. Martin in the near future. Details have not been set.

Del Martin

— 1921 – Born on May 5 in San Francisco

— 1950 – Met the love of her life, Phyllis Lyon

— 1955 – Co-founded groundbreaking lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis

— 1960 – Took over as editor of the Ladder, a monthly lesbian magazine

— 1964 – Helped found the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, formed to overturn laws that criminalized homosexual behavior

— 1972 – Co-wrote with Lyon the book “Lesbian/Woman”

— 1972 – Co-founded with Lyon the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, the first gay political club in the United States

— 1976 – Published the book “Battered Wives,” which focused on domestic violence

— 1976 – Appointed chairwoman of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women

— 1995 – Served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging

— 2004 – Wed Lyon in the first of about 4,000 same-sex weddings sanctioned by San Francisco but later ruled invalid by the California Supreme Court

— 2008 – On June 16, married Lyon again, this time with the blessing of the state Supreme Court, which found the state ban on same-sex marriage illegal

E-mail Rachel Gordon at rgordon@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A – 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/28/MNGI12JDIS.DTL

NOW Mourns Passing of Longtime NOW and Lesbian Rights Activist Del Martin

Statement of NOW President Kim Gandy

August 27, 2008

 

Along with NOW activists everywhere, I am terribly saddened at the passing of longtime NOW and lesbian rights activist Del Martin. We extend our love and condolences to Del’s wife, Phyllis Lyon, who was her partner in life and in activism for more than half a century.

Del was truly an inspiration to me and to countless others who fight every day for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender rights. Marriage equality was a passion for Del and Phyllis, and they were married not once but twice in California — most recently this June, when they became the first couple to wed after same-sex marriage became legal in the state.

Del authored the groundbreaking book Battered Wives, among many impressive accomplishments during her 87 years. Together with Phyllis, Del founded the first national lesbian rights organization, the Daughters of Bilitis, in 1955 and wrote another pivotal book, Lesbian/Woman.

At NOW’s Lesbian Rights Summit in 1999, I was honored to present Del and Phyllis with Woman of Courage Awards. They stood before a standing-room-only crowd and noted how far we’ve come as a movement; Del emphasized the need “to unite as never before and face the grip that the extreme right wing holds over our country.”

We owe a great deal to Del. She was a true pioneer who never tired, never gave up on her mission to secure full equality for each of us. Del’s work will continue to touch the lives of future generations, and her spirit will live on in the work of NOW and our allies.

NOW encourages women’s rights and LGBT advocates to submit tributes to Del Martin on our website.

 

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force mourns death of
pioneering community hero Del Martin

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force mourns the death of Del Martin, 87, who died today in San Francisco, Calif. Martin married Phyllis Lyon, her partner of 55 years, on June 16, 2008. In 1955, the couple joined six other lesbians in founding the Daughters of Bilitis in San Francisco, the first lesbian rights organization in the nation. In 1997 and 2004, the Task Force honored Martin and Lyon for their decades of community service.

Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
“The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has suffered a devastating loss today with the passing of Del Martin, who was one of our movement’s most courageous and extraordinary figures. We extend our deepest sympathies to Del’s family and, especially, to her life partner and, most recently, legally wedded spouse, Phyllis Lyon.
 
“Del Martin, with Phyllis Lyon always at her side in a remarkable relationship that spanned more than five decades, dreamed a world in which sexual orientation and gender identity and expression would be accorded full dignity and respect. They spoke the unspeakable, wrote the unthinkable, and lived their lives as few before them ever had: open and proud lesbians in 1950s America.

“Del and Phyllis were inspiration in action, living openly and proudly as a loving couple long before many others felt safe to stand with them. Their love for each other gave them strength and sustained them; that same love, courage and grace have left an indelible mark on our movement, and in each of our hearts.

“Del and Phyllis have personally been an inspiration to me since I came out when I was 16 years old. In my office, a picture of the two of them looks over me as I work to carry on their work and their vision for living our lives in truth. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will honor Del’s life by using our uncompromising voice and fighting for justice and equality — a voice made louder and stronger by her 87 years of life. Thank you, Del, for showing so many of us the way.”
More about Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon

Founding the Daughters of Bilitis in 1955, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon launched the world’s first organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbians. When they published The Ladder in 1956, the first magazine by, for and about lesbians, the couple created the means for lesbians to know themselves and each other and to break out of the stultifying isolation that marked many lesbian lives, inviting thousands of women to join a nascent but growing lesbian community.
 
Throughout their decades of activism, Martin and Lyon made the vital connections among communities and movements, engaging in social justice advocacy projects that included anti-war, civil rights, anti-poverty, HIV/AIDS, and women’s health and empowerment. In 1964, they participated in the Council on Religion and the Homosexual, the first organizing in this country to forge a wider space and a welcoming place for LGBT people in faith communities. 
 
In 1972, the couple published their groundbreaking book, Lesbian/Woman, named by Publisher’s Weekly in 1992 as one of the 20 most influential women’s books of the past 20 years. Lesbian/Woman spoke to a new and hungry generation of women, eager to answer their clarion call to sexual liberation and freedom. Martin was an early leader in the battered women’s movement, again breaking new ground with the publication of Battered Wives in 1976, a book that inspired grassroots organizing to end domestic violence and the establishment of shelters for battered women. 
 
Lyon-Martin Health Services, founded in 1979 in San Francisco and named in honor of Martin and Lyon, is the only free-standing community clinic in California with a specific emphasis on lesbian/bisexual women and transgender health care, delivering quality health care services regardless of ability to pay.
 
In 1995, they were appointed to the White House Conference on Aging; they continued to advocate on behalf of older lesbians through Old Lesbians Organizing for Change.
 
The valuable lives and good works of Martin and Lyon are the subject of the 2003 award-winning documentary, No Secrets Anymore: The Times of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, by filmmaker Joan E. Biren.
 
Martin and Lyon made history again, becoming the first same-sex couple to be married in the state of California on June 16, 2008.
 
In 1997, at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s 10th annual Creating Change Conference in San Diego, Calif., Martin and Lyon received the Community Service Award for their organizing work and political involvement. At the 2004 conference in St. Louis, Mo., they were honored with the Creating Change Award, which read, “You spoke the unspeakable, you wrote the unthinkable. You lived openly and proudly as a loving couple long before a movement would stand with you.”

The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.
© 2008 National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. 1325 Massachusetts Ave NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Phone 202.393.5177. Fax 202.393.2241. TTY 202.393.2284. theTaskForce@theTaskForce.org.

www.gayteens.org August 19, 2008

HERE IS ANOTHER RESOURCE WEBSITE FOR LGBT TEENS AND YOUTH. It is a comprehensive site that includes news from countries around the globe. It is a site written by and for young people. This is a great source of information, answers to common questions and is a wealth of resources 

taken directly from the home page: 🙂

From the editor

Welcome to the oldest, largest and established online LGBT International youth site. To interact with our community web site you will need to register. It’s free to join GTR all you need is a valid email address so that we can process your registration. With 11 years of service an incredable achievement when you think of it. That is dedication for you. As the founder I know the work is never complete and many of my aims and objectives have yet to be completed. The main purpose of the site is for young people to get involved and if they can put something back. This can be very simple from submitting local gay news or information that local members may benefit. Remember this is a global site. What is most important is that we publish information that will be helpful at a local, National or International level. The system in place can provide local information through our topics and Categories very easily and quick. Therefore gather some local information on your nearest gay youth group or even start a GTR streetmeet where local members meet up in a mass group one Saturday afternoon. The forums are a great way to start.

 

Gay Homeless Youth, An OurChart Special Report featuring Katherine Moennig August 14, 2008

In 2006 the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, together with  the National Coalition for the Homeless, issued a report on “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth: An Epidemic of Homelessness.”

The Executive Summary of this report stated the following: 

“The U.S Dept of Health and Human Services estimates that the number of homeless and runaway youth ranges from 57,000 to 1.6 million per year. Our analysis of the available research suggests that between 20 percent and 40 percent of all homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Given that between 3 percent and 5 percent of the U.S. population identifies as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, it is clear that LGBT youth experience homelessness at a disproportionate rate.”   (http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/HomelessYouth.pdf)

-MsQueer   

The following series of videos is a special original series on www.ourchart.com entitled 

“My Address: A Look at Gay Youth Homelessness”

featuring actress Katherine Moennig, who portrays Shane in the popular ShowTime series The L Word.

Part 1

Part 2

 

 

Part 3

 

Part 4

 

Part 5

APPROVING OUT-OF-STATE GAY MARRIAGE MAY BOOST STATES’ TREASURIES August 11, 2008

Below are a series of articles covering the recent bill passed in Massachusetts to recognize out-of-state gay marriages. -MsQueer 

http://www.ourchart.com/content/its-not-just-california-anymore It’s Not Just California Anymore

July 31, 2008 – 12:01pm – Grace Moon (reprinted by permission)

Today at noon, the Governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, signed a bill allowing out-of-state gay couples to marry there. This overturns a 1913 law that blocked marriages to couples whose home state did not recognize their unions. Democratic Gov. Patrick has an 18year-old gay daughter.

Both California and Massachusetts expect an economic stimulus from out-of-state gay couples getting married in their states. Massachusetts projects $111 million while California expects $692 million.

After the dismal 1.9% economic growth from the Bush Administration stimulus package, guess who has the potential to stimulate the economy? The times they are a changin’.

 

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/31/america/NA-US-Gay-Marriage.php

US state’s new law allows more same-sex marriage

The Associated Press

Published: July 31, 2008

BOSTON: Massachusetts on Thursday began allowing any gay couple to get married there as the governor signed a bill repealing a 1913 law that had blocked most weddings for out-of-state same-sex couples.

The old law barred couples from marrying in Massachusetts if their union would not be legal in their own states.

Gov. Deval Patrick said the repeal shows that “equal means equal” in Massachusetts, which in 2003 became the first U.S. state to rule gay couples had a right to marry. California recently legalized gay marriage, without a residency requirement.

“In five years now … the sky has not fallen, the earth has not opened to swallow us all up, and more to the point, thousands and thousands of good people — contributing members of our society — are able to make free decisions about their personal future, and we ought to seek to affirm that every chance we can,” Patrick said.

Supporters of repealing the measure said the old law had the taint of racism because it was passed 95 years ago as states tried to prevent interracial marriages. The exact reasons the Legislature approved it remain unclear.

Opponents said it prevented Massachusetts from interfering with the decisions of other states — the overwhelming majority of which specifically bar same-sex marriage.

Out-of-state gay couples can marry as soon as Thursday because lawmakers included a provision to make the repeal effective immediately.

“We’re being recognized as a married couple,” said Joy Spring, of Middletown, New York, who planned to marry her partner of seven years, Carla Barbano, in Provincetown on Friday.

“It’s extremely important. If something happened to one of us she’d always be taken care of,” said Spring, who joined Barbano in a civil union in 2006 in New York.

The couple is from one of the few states that will recognize their impending union: New York Gov. David Paterson said earlier this year that state law requires recognition of legal marriages performed elsewhere.

A state study estimates that more than 30,000 out-of-state gay couples — most of them from New York — will wed in Massachusetts over the next three years. That would boost the state’s economy by $111 million and create 330 jobs, the study estimated.

The California Supreme Court ruled this year that same-sex marriage is legal, and Rhode Island law is quiet on the subject. Other states specifically forbid it, though a few allow same-sex civil unions.

Opponents of same-sex marriage have said repealing the 1913 law would sow confusion and lawsuits in states that have chosen — by public vote in many cases — to bar the practice.

Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, has said lawmakers’ “arrogance and folly” in repealing the law “are doing terrible harm to marriage laws across the country.”

AP reporter Nancy Kelsey contributed to this report.

 

 http://www.365gay.com/news/out-of-state-gay-couples-now-can-wed-in-mass/

 

Out-Of-State Gay Couples Now Can Wed In Mass.

By 365gay Newscenter Staff
07.31.2008 1:00pm EDT

(Boston, Mass.) Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation Thursday allowing out-of-state same-sex couples to marry in the Bay State. 

“The law could draw thousands of couples to Massachusetts.” 

The bill, repealing a 1913 law that said marriage licenses could not be issued to couples whose weddings would not be recognized in their home states, cleared its final hurdle earlier this week in the legislature.

Patrick signed the legislation at a noon ceremony at the State House.

The old law was originally passed when interracial marriage was legal in Massachusetts, but not in most other parts of the country.

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned state bans on interracial marriage, the Massachusetts law fell into disuse.

However, when the Massachusetts high court struck down the state ban on same-sex marriage in 2003, then-Gov. Mitt Romney (R) dusted off the old law, threatening to charge local clerks if they issued marriage licenses to out-of-state same-sex couples.

In a 2006 challenge to the out-of-state ban, the Supreme Judicial Court upheld the law, but noted that since Rhode Island did not have a specific law defining “couple” in its marriage law, gays and lesbians from that state could marry in Massachusetts. Rhode Island is believed to be the only state without a definition of what constitutes a couple.

The court also said that the Massachusetts legislature could repeal the 1913 law. For the past two years, LGBT rights groups and gay-friendly lawmakers worked to gather support for repeal.

Laws usually go into effect 90 days after they are signed, but the repeal bill contained a clause stating that it would go into effect as soon as the governor put his pen to it.

California, the only other state to allow same-sex marriage, has no out-of-state limitation, so gay and lesbian couples from across the country have been going there to wed.

With same-sex marriage opening up in Massachusetts it is expected a large number of couples from Eastern states will opt for Massachusetts.

An analysis by the state Office of Housing and Economic Development found repealing the law would draw thousands of couples to Massachusetts, boosting the economy by $111 million, creating 330 jobs and generating $5 million in taxes and fees over three years. 

 

The study assumes New York would provide the largest number of gay couples – more than 21,000 couples – with New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine bringing the total to more than 30,000 in the first three years after the ban was lifted.

 

 

 

 

Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Florida High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance August 7, 2008

THIS ARTICLE IS REPRINTED DIRECTLY FROM THE GLSEN WEBSITE AT:

http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/2317.html

 

Federal Judge Rules that Florida High School Must Allow Gay-Straight Alliance

Media Contact
Daryl Presgraves
646-388-6577
dpresgraves@glsen.org

Jul 30, 2008

Decision Follows Judicial Precedent on GSA Cases, Rejects Claim of Sex-Based Club

NEW YORK, July 30, 2008 – In yet another judicial decision upholding the right of students to form and participate in Gay-Straight Alliances, a federal judge ruled Tuesday night that Okeechobee High School in Florida must allow a GSA the same access it allows other non-curricular clubs.

The ruling also stated that GSAs do not interfere with abstinence-only education and that schools must take into account the well being of non-heterosexual students.

“We applaud this decision rooted in judicial precedent for recognizing not just the legal right of students to form GSAs, but also that schools and students will benefit by having GSAs on campus,” said GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings. “While it is important to note the courage of the students who came forward to claim their legal right to work to make their school safer, the real victors are all the students at Okeechobee High School.”

Okeechobee High School had sought to mischaracterize the purpose of the GSA. Judge K. Michael Moore reaffirmed his earlier ruling that GSAs are not sex-based clubs, but clubs designed to foster tolerance on school campuses.

About 4,000 GSAs are currently registered with GLSEN, including 155 in Florida.

A 2007 GLSEN research brief on the benefits of GSAs found that students in schools with GSAs are less likely to hear homophobic remarks in school on a daily basis than students in schools without a GSA (57% compared to 75%).

The report’s major findings:

• The presence of GSAs may help to make schools safer for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students by sending a message that biased language and harassment will not be tolerated.
• Having a GSA may also make school more accessible to LGBT students by contributing to a more positive school environment.
• GSAs may help LGBT students to identify supportive school staff, which has been shown to have a positive impact on their academic achievement and experiences in school.
• Most students lack access to GSAs or other student clubs that provide support and address issues specific to LGBT students and their allies.

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. For more information on GLSEN’s educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs, research, public education or development initiatives, visit http://www.glsen.org.

TLW Laurel Fans Still Supporting Doctors Without Borders August 5, 2008

Here’s a video made by one of the regulars on the Our Chart thread that was originated to create “Project Laurel” which began with honoring actress Laurel Hollowman (see post below) of The L Word with a birthday gift to her chosen charity, Doctors Without Borders.

An extraordinary effort through numerous online chat rooms and message boards, and fan threads on Our Chart,  raised $14,000 in less than 60 days, and the figure is still growing as the next phase of “Project Laurel” has taken fundraising efforts into the work place with people collecting at their offices and businesses and sending those contributions to Doctors Without Border through the http://www.firstgiving.com/laurelhollomanonline charity site.  To date the figure has just surpassed $18,000!

More projects are underway, including tables at local fairs and events staffed by volunteers who want to see the gift in honor or their favorite actress continue. Now that’s Fan Power!

Thank you, Hereden for this touching and heart-stirring creation! -MsQueer

see also the Birthday Blog created by Laurel’s fans at http://laurelsbirthday.wordpress.com