GSAFEGAY STRAIGHT ADVOCATES FOR EDUCATION

Working to Make Every Student and Every Educator SAFE at School Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity/Expression

GSAFE April Newsletter

Day of Silence Edition
April 2011
In This Issue
Upcoming Events: UNCG Theatre presents Tennessee Williams' ORPHEUS DESCENDING
Lesson Plan of the Month - Day of Silence
GSAFE MEDIA HITS
FEATURE: GSAFE's Word Wall
Upcoming Events: UNCG Theatre presents Tennessee Williams' ORPHEUS DESCENDING at
Taylor Theatre (406 Tate Street) April 8-17
 
A man holding a womanThe production is directed by Mr. Jonathan Bohun Brady and is Williams' very relevant "rant" on racism and intolerance.  When Val, a handsome drifter with a guitar comes to a small town
in 1950's Mississippi, smoldering passion ignites the town as all clamor for his love and attention in typical Tennessee Williams style.  Please note that the production is not recommended for audiences under 16 due to nudity and language. 
Call 336-334-4849 or visit boxoffice.uncg.edu for tickets.  8 pm on April 8, 9, 15 and 16; 7:30 pm on April 12, 13, 14;  and 2 pm on April 10 & 17.

 
Lesson Plan of the Month - Day of Silence: What did you do to break the silence on April 15, 2011?
 
Day of Silence April 15th, 2011 image of people with index finger over lips
April 15th was the Day of Silence (DOS), when hundreds of thousands of students nationwide took a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBTIQ name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools. While DOS is a student-led action, GSAFE encourage educators to support their students' efforts. You can use the Educators Guide to the Day of Silence to learn about DOS, how you can support your students' efforts and how you can go beyond the silence, and advocate for LGBTIQ-inclusive changes in your school. READ MORE

 

GSAFE MEDIA HITS 


 
NBJC Co-Founder Mandy Carter Gives Keynote at Opening of Bayard Rustin Center
Picture of Mandy Carter
Social justice activist Mandy Carter was the keynote speaker at the dedication of Guilford College's Bayard Rustin Center for LGBTQA Activism, Awareness and Reconciliation (BRC) on Wednesday, March 16, in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Formerly the Queer and Allied Resource Center, the BRC is named in honor of Bayard Rustin, a Quaker who was a mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and a pioneer in advocating civil rights for African-Americans, gays and lesbians. Rustin, the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, is credited with introducing non-violent Gandhian principles and tactics in the American Civil Rights Movement, leading to direct actions such as sit-ins, marches and boycotts. 

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Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Resources on LGBTIQ Youth
Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and those who are questioning their sexual orientation are happy and thrive during their adolescent
years. Going to a school that has created a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and having caring and accepting parents are especially important. This helps all youth achieve good grades and maintain good mental and physical health. However, some LGBT youth face greater difficulties in their lives and school environments compared to their heterosexual peers, such as experiencing violence.
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Carter Stroupe Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship applications can be submitted to csmscholarship@gmail.com or to
The PFLAG Greensboro P.O. Box, which is P.O. Box 4153, Greensboro, NC 27404. 
Scholarship applications accepted through April 18.  Go to www.pflaggreensboro.org to get the scholarship application and instructions.
  
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ENC Logo 

During the past few weeks, ENC has shared scary news of the anti-LGBT amendment that was filed in the NC Senate.  Here's something you can do about it. ENC has also learned encouraging news about polling that says many North Carolinians are in favor of some form of same-sex relationship recognition.  With your help, ENC can  mobilize fair-minded North Carolinians against this mean-spirited amendment.  Whether you're new to ENC or have been involved with ENC for years, we know you care about this issue
and are dedicated to this cause.  You know the damage this amendment would do to LGBT individuals, youth, families, and allies.  Getting postcards signed by your friends, neighbors, family, and coworkers is a great way to both bring the issue to light and to let NC senators and representatives know that voters in their district care about equal rights.  In order to make a bigger impact, ENC is asking that each of you
Keep Discrimination Out of NC!gather at least 25 postcards from your social circles, families, friends, co-workers, organizations, and faith communities.  Collect the postcards as they are signed, and ENC will include a return envelope with postage for you to send them back to us.  ENC will duplicate each postcard so that each person's representative and senator receives one.  When ENC provides legislators with a stack of postcards urging them not to vote
for the anti-LGBT amendment, it not only makes a powerful statement but also proves there are fair-minded North Carolinians in their district.   Won't you help ENC make that statement?  Additionally, ENC needs volunteers in their
Raleigh office to help process postcard requests,  track outstanding postcard kits, do data entry as completed postcards are received, duplicate postcards in order to reach the signer's representative and senator, and organize postcards  by legislative districts!

 

SIGN UP HERE to join this campaign!  Remember how much collective voices can make a huge impact in North Carolina!

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  Save our Schools
*Who's behind the March? Learn more about our Organizing Committee* Why March?  Getting to this point has been a long journey. For the last few years, thousands of teachers and parents have been calling for action against No Child Left Behind, and more recently, Race to the Top. Teachers, students, and parents across the country have staged protests, started blogs, written editorials, and called and written to the White House and the federal Department of Education to resist the disruption and destruction of their schools. READ MORE  
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Brickwall

ally - a person who works in helpful capacity of another (from Interrupting Heteronormativity: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Pedagogy and Responsible Teaching at Syracuse University -Kathlee Farrell, Nisha Gupta, and Mary Queen, Editors
  If you have a term that you are curious about and would like defined in our monthly Word Wall Series, please email us at contact@gsafe.org
 

 
 
Quick Links

GSAFE: www.gsafe.org
(336) 327 - 7499
contact@gsafe.org

 

Guilford County Schools Anti-bullying Policy  


YouthSafe

Resources
youthsafe logo 5inches
A safe, welcoming, program for LGBTIQ youth ages 14-18

YouthSafe Next Meeting:
Thursday, April 21, 7:00pm at the Green Bean (meets every third Thursday of each month)

Other Triad LGBTIQ Resources


Need help addressing LGBTIQ issues
at your workplace, church or school? 

GSAFE offers a variety of free trainings for your students, employees and organizations.
Please
Contact Us for details.
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