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An international public-private partnership in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, that is working to help schools - at home and all over the world - become safe places where every family can belong, where every educator can teach, and where every child can learn, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
 
Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends: 
Contents:
1.) IMPORTANT: Safe Schools Coalition meets tomorrow! Tuesday, August 20 in Seattle
2.) NEWS: Safe Schools Coalition's Gabi Clayton honored by USA Network's Characters Unite
3.) GLAAD is looking for interns! Interested college students in NYC or LA should apply now
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1.) IMPORTANT: Safe Schools Coalition meets tomorrow! Tuesday, August 20 in Seattle

The next Safe Schools Coalition meeting is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 20th from 2-4 pm at Planned Parenthood on Capitol Hill in Seattle, WA.

Contact Matthew Wilson, the lead chair if you have agenda items to suggest or if you need instructions about attending in person or calling in by conference call.
 
Use this contact form on our website or call: 253-671-2838.  

All are welcome! You do NOT need to be a Coalition member to attend.

For more information, see this page.



2.) NEWS: Safe Schools Coalition's Gabi Clayton honored by USA Network's Characters Unite
For immediate release

August 5, 2013

Contact: Matthew Wilson
253.671.2838
mwilson@piercecountyaids.org

Safe Schools Coalition's Gabi Clayton honored by USA Network's Characters Unite

Seattle, WA - When any one of us faces an unimaginable personal tragedy, it changes us forever.  For many it means permanent depression, withdrawal and hopelessness.  But a few extraordinary individuals are able to channel their grief into passion and they become dedicated, unstoppable forces working to spare others the same suffering and loss.  Gabi Clayton, a longtime leader in Safe Schools Coalition, is one such hero-so much so that she has been recognized with an Honorable Mention award for her work by Characters Unite, USA Network's award-winning public service program which honors extraordinary individuals who are champions for civil and human rights in their communities.

Her life changed in 1995 when her openly bisexual 17-year-old son, Bill, committed suicide after a violent hate crime in which he was assault by four youths on the grounds of Olympia High School. Over the 18 years since, Clayton has dedicated her life to protecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth from bullying and violence. "I don't want any child to go through the horror that Bill did, any parent to lose a child to hate, or any community to be forever changed by acts of bigotry and hate like ours was."

Clayton, a mental health counselor, taught herself web design within a year of Bill's death and published a single page with a dedication in memory of her son. Today, she maintains the now robust site and has heard from thousands of people around the world who face harassment, intimidation, bullying and hate crimes, and those who are working to end the hate and are working for equality and justice.

Much of Clayton's work has been as a leader in Safe Schools Coalition (SSC) - an international public-private partnership in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and gender nonconforming youth.  SSC helps educators, youth and parents make schools around the world safe places where every child can learn, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.  Its roots go back to an ad hoc "Advisory Committee on Gay/Lesbian Youth and Schools" convened by the Seattle Commission on Children and Youth formed 25 years ago, which was the first public effort in the United States to address the issue of LGBTQ bullying, harassment and violence in schools.

Clayton has been an active leader in SSC almost from the beginning.  She created the organization's web site in 1996.  The site which she continues to maintain  has grown to over 900 pages, and in the 12 months ending in February 2013 it served over 350,000 visitors from more than 100 nations and every U.S. state, with more than 600,000 page views.

It contains resources for educators, youth, parents and concerned allies ranging from discussion guides to emergency contacts to curricula for K-12 teachers, music, films, law and policy information and more. "SSC really started the conversation around anti-LGBTQ bullying that is now part of our national dialogue, and we did that largely through our website.  And that would not exist without Gabi.  There is no telling how many lives she has touched, changed and even saved through her incredible dedication," stated Matthew Wilson, chair of the Coalition.

She serves on Safe Schools Coalition's leadership team and Law and Policy Committee.  That Committee, and Clayton's testimony, was instrumental in passing our state's Anti-Bullying Law.  She represents Safe Schools Coalition on the Washington State Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Work Group.

Clayton also co-founded Families United Against Hate (FUAH) to support victims and survivors of bias-motivated crime, serves on the board of Youth Guardian Services, an international on-line support group for GLBT youth, and is active with the Olympia chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).

Clayton was nominated for the Characters Unite Award by Jim Musslewhite of Olympia who said:

"Gabi lost her son to suicide at about the same time that my partner took his own life.  Since learning of our shared past, I have often been heartened by the positive way in which Gabi and her family have responded.  This is especially true of Gabi's long-running work with the Safe Schools Coalition. Gabi's work on (the Safe Schools Coalition) site has allowed her to extend the reach of her commitment and compassion to students, families, and educators around the globe.

"To nominate her to the Characters Unite Awards was as obvious and as natural as anything I've ever done.

"I knew there would be heavy competition from lots of great entries and wasn't sure that I could get Gabi's story, and son Bill's, into 500 words or less. It is a complex, true tale of a family's reaction to harassment and intolerance, and of their subsequent outpouring of compassion and love. It could easily fill a small book.

I am gratified that the Characters Unite Awards have honored Gabi in this way.  She deserves this recognition - and more. And the same is true of the Safe Schools Coalition!"

Clayton said, "I am flattered by the award, but more important to me is the recognition of the kind of work that Safe Schools Coalition does and of the on-going need for it - which means Safe Schools Coalition, like so many organizations in these tight financial times, need donations and volunteers.  I hope my story will inspire others to do whatever they can to end the hate and protect queer youth from the kind of torture that lead Bill to take his life."

For more information visit:
www.safeschoolscoalition.org
www.charactersunite.com/initiatives/characters-unite-awards/award-winners
www.charactersunite.com/initiatives/characters-unite-awards/award-winners/gabi-clayton

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This press release (with some photos) is on our website here:
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/SSCsGabiClaytonHonoredByUSANetworksCharactersUnite.html


3.) GLAAD is looking for interns! Interested college students in NYC or LA should apply now
Call for interns! We're looking for college students in NYC and LA who are interested in working in the LGBT movement. Entertainment media, trans issues, special events and more: http://www.glaad.org/about/opportunities

GLAAD amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality.

Thank you for your interest in GLAAD. Check out our career opportunities, fellowship opportunities, and internship opportunities. We also have volunteer opportunities available.

Careers
Media Strategist - New York
Senior Director of Development - New York or Los Angeles
Spanish Language and Latino Media Strategist - Los Angeles

Internships
Design and Multimedia Intern - New York
Entertainment Media Internship - Los Angeles
Faith Initiatives Internship - New York
Foundation Relations Internship - Los Angeles
GLAAD Communications/PR Intern - New York
National News & Field Media Internship - New York
Online Production Internship - New York
Social Media Internship - New York
Spanish Language Media Internship - Los Angeles
Special Events Internship - Los Angeles
Special Events Internship - New York
Sports Internship - New York
Trans Issues Internship - New York
Youth Issues Internship - New York

Equal Opportunity Statement
GLAAD is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to their race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, height and weight, or other personal characteristics as may be protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, without limitation, hiring, placement, promotion, layoff, termination, transfer, leaves of absence and compensation; relationships with outside vendors and customers; use of contractors and consultants; and in dealing with the general public.

Statement on Diversity
GLAAD was established with the premise that expanding diversity within the organization enhances the work experience and furthers the understanding of the entire mission that GLAAD is based upon. An atmosphere of civility and mutual respect towards difference is indispensable to the work process and enables the free interchange of ideas that is the basis of a successful organization. These differences may be cultural, ethnic, religious, intellectual, ideological or political. Each of these qualities is integral to the identity we form as individuals, and all are essential to creating a vibrant workforce here at GLAAD comprised of individuals with unique perspectives and backgrounds. GLAAD has committed itself to a workforce of inclusion, respect for difference, and fairness, and guarantees the same rights to all its employees to ensure the fullest degree of success within the organization.

GLAAD's Mission
GLAAD amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality.

See: http://www.glaad.org/about/opportunities

Leadership Team:

 

Co-Chairs:

  • Lead Chair -- Matthew Wilson (Oasis Youth Center): send a message or call 253-671-2838   
  • Back-up Lead Chair -- Seth Kirby (Oasis Youth Center): send a message or call 253-671-2838  

Co-Secretaries:

Mailing List Managers:

  • Wazina Zondon and Elena Jaime - Resource & Lesson Planning Guide messages
  • Nic Donia - Events messages
  • Gabi Clayton - Coalition Announcements, Action Alerts, Law & Policy, Legislative/Elective messages, and Member Organization Only Fundraising* messages
OPEN:
  • News, Opinion (blogs, editorials, letters to the editor), and Right Wing Watch messages
  • Job, Internship & Volunteer Opportunity
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  • Interested in being a SSC Mailing List volunteer? Great! Contact Gabi!

* Note: Fundraising messages are only sent for Safe Schools Coalition member organizations. Join the Coalition!  

 

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