GLIFAA Board - 31 Mar 2009

The GLIFAA Globe
Pride Issue!
May 2009
In This Issue
Message From Amb Guest: The Dallas Principles
LGBT FSI Course
LGBT Immigration Legislation
LGBT Advocacy At U.S. Embassy Albania
PRIDE Events Worldwide
Quick Links...

GLIFAA Pride Booth Sign Up!
Please email Michelle Schohn to represent GLIFAA at the Pride Festival Sunday, June 14 between 11am and 6pm
Join Our Mailing List
,

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year's election!  We are tallying the votes and informing candidates - expect an announcement this week about the 2009-2010 Board.

We hope you will join us Wednesday for our first Official Pride event - the Women's Happy Hour at Cafe Asia. 

Fill your calendars with all of the local and international events by downloading the PDF Pride event calendar here.

We need volunteers for GLIFAA's booth at the Pride Street Festival this year - contact President Michelle Schohn to get on the list for Sunday, June 14th.

Please look below at new efforts to ensure action on LGBT issues in the Obama Administration and visit www.TheDallasPrinciples.org

Happy Pride!

-The GLIFAA Board 
GLIFAA Women's Happy Hour
All are welcome to join GLIFAA at Cafe Asia - as we celebrate diversity within the LGBT community by specifically welcoming women (lesbian or not) to Cafe Asia in Rosslyn.

Full PRIDE Calendar
 
Location: Cafe Asia
 1550 Wilson Blvd #1
Rosslyn
Arlington, VA
Metro:  Rosslyn (Blue/Orange Line)

Wednesday, June 3
6:00pm-8:00pm
GLIFAA Pride Parade Reception
Come socialize, enjoy some appetizers and beverages, then join GLIFAA by marching in the Parade to represent GLIFAA publicly with our banner.

Full PRIDE Calendar
 
Location: Bob Gilchrist's House
 2147 N Street NW #C
Metro:  Foggy Bottom/Dupont Circle

Saturday, June 13
3:00pm - 6:00pm
RSVP:  GLIFAA
GLIFAA General Meeting & Happy Hour @ Nellies
This Month we will hold our general meeting in conjunction with a Happy Hour at Nellies Sports Bar (this is a LGBT venue as well as sports bar).

Full PRIDE Calendar
 
Location: Nellies Sports Bar
 900 U ST NW
Metro:  U Street (Green Line)

Wednesday, June 17
6:00-9:00pm
Meeting at 7:00pm
RSVP:  GLIFAA
 
From Ambassador Michael Guest:
Since leaving the Department, I've become involved in a range of efforts to try to compel our government to take action to provide equality now for LGBT citizens, and to compel a clearer USG response to LGBT human rights violations overseas.  These efforts include support for equal treatment at the State Department, of course, and also the creation of a new NGO, the Council for Global Equality (www.globalequality.org).
 
They now include what is for me an exciting new approach.  After months of vibrant e-discussions, two dozen of us flew to Dallas last weekend to brainstorm how to generate greater momentum.  Our sense was that we need a new way of mobilizing American voices from across this country to counter the push-button response of conservative advocacy groups every time sexual orientation and gender identity issues arise.
 
The result is a set of principles and goals, and a call to action, that we hope will inspire countless Americans, gay and straight, to say, 40 years after Stonewall, "Let's put this issue behind us and get on with America's future." 
 
What we produced is at www.TheDallasPrinciples.org.  Please check out our site and join us.  The more e-clicks of agreement we register, the greater our community's ability to carry the message to the White House and Capitol Hill that equality means but one thing:  the time for our full civil rights is now.

Sign-up For FSI's Course: 
LGBT in the Foreign Affairs Community

This workshop will highlight challenges for LGBT employees and their families overseas and provide guidance in finding solutions:

FSI LGBT CourseForeign Service Institute
Wednesday, June 10
6:00 - 8:30pm
 
  •  Open to all foreign affairs agency employees and members of household
  • For registration provide the name, agency and contact information of the attendee to FSITCTraining@state.gov
  • Non-State tuition rate:  Free
  • For further information contact Transition Center@ FSITCTraining@state.gov
Also Contact David Tessler
Immigration Equality asked GLIFAA to pass this legislative alert to all its members who may be interested:

Take Action to support LGBT Immigrant Families! 

Tell Congress:  Keep Our Families Together! 

Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), a long-time champion of the LGBT community, will soon introduce The Reuniting Families Act.  This landmark immigration bill ends harmful practices - such as long visa wait times and discrimination against LGBT families - that prevent loving families from being together. 

In an historic move, Congressman Honda has included lesbian and gay people as part of this remarkable legislation . . . marking the first time in Congressional history that lesbian and gay couples have been included as part of a multi-issue immigration bill. 

As our country begins a conversation about comprehensive immigration reform, this important first step helps to ensure that, moving forward, we're included, too.  The President supports us, and Congress is increasingly on our side.  Now, our community can be part of fixing our nation's broken immigration system by supporting their efforts. 

Please stand with Congressman Honda and our families, and urge your elected representative to co-sponsor The Reuniting Families Act. 

ACT NOW to Urge Your Member of Congress to Cosponsor the

Reuniting Families Act! 

Please call your U.S. Representative and ask him or her to cosponsor the Reuniting Families Act, which will allow gays and lesbians to sponsor our partners for immigration.   

Along with the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), Congressman Honda's bill is another sign of historic progress for the lesbian and gay community, and it is critical that our elected representatives know this is an important issue for our community. 

There are two QUICK ACTIONS you can DO TODAY to support family unity: 

  • Call NOW to urge your Representative to cosponsor the Reuniting Families Act!  Contact the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be directly connected to your Representative.  (If you don't know who your representative is you can find out at www.congressmerge.com )
  • Forward this message to 10 friends immediately and urge them to participate.
 

Thanks for making sure that comprehensive immigration reform is truly comprehensive - and includes LGBT families! 

For more information on immigration discrimination against LGBT families, see www.immigrationequality.org and learn about the Reuniting Families Act and its supporters.

LGBT Advocacy at U.S. Embassy Albania
A shining example of LGBT Outreach
 
From Melissa Schraibman, Post Rep Albania:
With significant support and encouragement of U.S. Ambassador John Withers and the Embassy PAO, my partner Mindy Michaels and I have been working since March with a small group of Albanian activists, human rights NGOs, and the Dutch Embassy to try and jump start a LGBT movement in Albania, where there has been very little visibility or organized activity to date (no gay bars, cafes).  Mindy is fortunately a long-time LGBT activist and former director of the LGBT center at American University.  Moreover, due to the discriminatory EFM policy, has no currently paid job, so she has some time and energy to dedicate to the project.  The Albanians hold the U.S. in high regard, and so the U.S. Embassy in Albania has a high profile and a definite impact on the Albanian government and public.
 
The main goals at this point are 1) promote visibility; and 2) create community; and 3) pass an anti-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity.  Activities to date include:
  • Lectures at major universities.  Mindy has a Ph.D in Anthropology, and Albanian universities usually welcome American guest lecturers.  The PAO has obtained invitations for Mindy to speak at several universities in Tirana on LGBT-related topics.  The PAO has also featured these lectures on the Embassy internet website.  See http://tirana.usembassy.gov/may_2009.html
  • Roundtable discussion at U.S. Embassy.  With PAO assistence, we organized a roundtable strategy discussion in April with the U.S. Ambassador, the Public Affairs Officer and FSN staff, Albanian LGBT activists, human rights NGOs, representatives from the Dutch Embassy.  The U.S. Ambassador expressed his support, and one activist even came out publicly as a lesbian at the meeting, which is quite rare in Albania.
  • Facebook/website creation.  On April 30, some young Albanians began a new facebook gay straight alliance group for GLBT rights in Albania.  Since then, it has gained 275 members, almost entirely Albanian.  The discussion forum has been very active, with multiple posts every day. In collaboration with the same group of young Albanians, we obtained the website address, http://www.gayalbania.org, and Mindy is helping a Albanian volunteer web designer develop a functional and informational website with information in Albanian.
  • University panel discussion with Ambassador.  On the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia, the Ambassador participated in a panel discussion, along with Mindy, with nearly 150 Albanian students at the University of Tirana, expressing his support for LGBT rights.  His appearance at the event was widely covered by television and print media.
  • International Day Against Homophobia (May 17) events.  In addition to the panel discussion, and in cooperation with the Dutch Embassy, a number of events were organized:
    • Newspaper editorial from the U.S. Ambassador in Shekulli newspaper on Sunday, May 17.
    • An interview with Mindy and two gay Albanians (using pseudonyms) in Panorama newspaper on Sunday, May 17.
    • An interview with the Dutch Ambassador in Panorama on Saturday, May 16.
    • A story on BBC Albania on gay issues in Albania Wednesday, May 27 or Thursday, May 28.  It will also be posted with a story on the BBC Albania website.
      on Wednesday, May 20.
    • 30,000 Mania postcards with information about the International Day Against Homophobiadistributed for a two week period (beginning Saturday, May 16) in bars and cafes in Tirana, Durres, Shkoder and Vlore.
    • An interview with two gay Albanians on a radio program Copyright, which was aired live on Friday, May 22.
    • An open call to end homophobia and discrimination signed by 24 Albanian NGOs published in a major newspaper.
    • Homemade posters (made by some of the young people involved with developing a new GLBT organization) that were posted all around the Bllok area on Saturday night, May 16, saying that "Homophobia is Social Disease," and noting that Sunday was the International Day Against Homophobia.

Activities planned for the future include:

  • Books translated into Albanian.  There are no LGBT books available in Albanian.  The PAO has indicated that it would support a proposal (through the small grant program) for an NGO to translate two books into Albanian, books that would be appropriate for use in an academic setting.  We are in the process of identifying these two books (ideas, anyone???) and working with an NGO to put in a proposal.
  • Pride events.  We would like to organize a public showing of "Milk" in June with introductory remarks by the Ambassador.  We are awaiting final approval to obtain the rights to show the movie, and then we hope it can be subtitled in Albanian.  We also plan to do a book display at the American corner (thanks for the idea, Rangoon!).  We also are planning a road trip with some of the new activists to the Pride in Zagreb.
  • Regular social events.  In progress on an informal basis, but there are plans to start a private facebook group to organize movie showings, bar outings, and beach trips.
  • Possible reception for LGBT folks and family at AMB residence.  The Ambassador has offered, and it may be very helpful to those few parents who know about their LGBT children.  It is a bit premature for this, but it was quite generous of him and we will try and organize it a bit later.
We would welcome any other ideas.  Also, it would be great if someone were coming to Albania next year when we leave who would be willing to work on these issues.  There is so much pent-up energy here for LGBT activism, it is really exciting to be involved at this stage, and the Albanians are so happy I can't even describe it.
GLIFAA Events Abroad!
U.S. Opens Minds in Iraq, China and Burma
Does your event belong here??  Email GLIFAA

Event:  Gay Pride Theme Party
Date:  Friday, May 29, 2009
Time:  8:00 pm
Location: Baghdaddy's at U.S. Embassy Baghdad
 
Event:  Film Documentary: "Before Stonewall"; Photo and Book Exhibit
Date:  Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Time:  5:00 pm
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event:  Movie of the Week: "Milk"
Date:  June 1 - 6  
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event: "Amour", a multimedia Bharata Nathyam dance performance by Shanmugha Sundaram, sponsored by Alliance Francaise of Madras + SAATHI. "Amour" is an ode to the famous French sculptor and painter Auguste Rodin, celebrating the right of all people to express their love regardless of sexual orientation or gender.
Date:  Friday, June 5, 2009
Time:  6:30 pm
Location:  Alliance Francaise Auditorium, No. 24, College Road, Chennai

Event:  Film Documentary: "After Stonewall"
Date:  Monday, June 8, 2009
Time:  5:00 pm
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event:  Discussion with representatives from PSI, Alliance, The Help, and
MBCA on HIV in the work place
Date:  Wednesday, June 9, 2009
Time:  5:00 pm
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event:  Movie of the Week: "Philadelphia"
Date:  June 8 - 13   
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event: Digital Video Conference with Matt Coles, New York-based Director of ACLU's LGBT Project, a discussion of the LGBT movement in America with local activists in Chennai.
Date:  Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Location:  US Consulate General Chennai, 220 Anna Salai, Chennai
http://chennai.usconsulate.gov/

Event:  Panel discussion: Gay and Lesbian Lives Around the World; Theatrical
Performances
Date:  Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Time:  5:00 pm
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event:  Movie of the Week: "Bangkok Love Story"
Date:  June 15 - 20    
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event: Come watch Oscar-winning movie 'Milk,' for which Sean Penn bagged the Oscar for Best Actor, sponsored by the US Consulate. The inaugural address will be delivered by the US Consular Section Chief, Bryan Dalton, and Ms. Rose, TV celebrity & transgender activist, will be the Chief Guest. Dress in party wear for Oscar Night Premier!
Date:  Monday, June 22, 2009
Location: South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce Auditorium Mahatma Gandhi Salai; Thousand Lights; Chennai www.close2rose.com

Event:  Pride Party!
Date:  Wednesday, June 24, 2009   
Time:  5:00 pm
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon
 
Event:  Movie of the Week: "Noah's Arc"
Date:  June 22 - 27   
Location: American Center Burma - 14 Tawin Street, Dagon Township, Rangoon