“Harassment and physical assault against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students has been trending downward in the past six years, according to a report released Wednesday. An increased presence of Gay-Straight Alliances in schools and more inclusive curricular resources are part of the reason for the change, according to research by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, an organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools.” Read the full article in the Pasadena Star News … [Read more...]
[Reminder] Maven Presents – Hack 4 Queer Youth, Nov 14 – 16, San Francisco
This is an event for Queer Youth AND Tech Professionals to kick it at Mozilla's SF office for a weekend of building apps, mobile games for queer youth to network, organize and educate for social change. All AGES & Coding Experiences Invited!! Free food all weekend long and some great prizes for winning teams!! When: Friday, November 14th 2014 @ 6pm - 10pm Saturday, November 15th @ 9am - 9pm Sunday, November 16th, 2014 @ 9am - 3pm Where: Mozilla SF Office, 2 Harrison St. San Francisco, CA Cost: FREE Limited spaces available! … [Read more...]
[Reminder] LGBTQ Family Halloween Party, Oct 30
Bring your family for a spooky and fun time. Dress up in your wildest costume for our fun fashion show! Treats! Prizes! Games! When: Thursday October 30th, 2014 @ 4:30 - 7:30pm Where: Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High Street. Santa Cruz Cost: $5 requested donation. No one turned away. Questions: Contact Sharon Papo: (831) 425 - 5422 x101 spapo@diversitycenter.org Co-sponsored by The Diversity Center, Theta Pi Sigma, UCSC Cantu Center and Peace United Church of Christ … [Read more...]
LGBT News: Efforts Build to Track School Climate for LGBT Students
“Advocates say many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students have similar experiences in schools. In addition to bullying, they are disciplined at higher rates than their peers, they say. But without consistent, reliable national data about LGBT students, researchers have struggled to prove the extent of the problem or to track the effectiveness of educators' efforts to address it.” … [Read more...]
LGBT News: Sixteen Years After Her Son’s Death, Judy Shepard Celebrates Marriage Equality In Wyoming
“As same-sex marriages begin in Wyoming this week, Judy Shepard speaks to BuzzFeed News about the changes that have occurred since she lost her son, Matthew Shepard, to a hate crime.” Read more at BuzzFeed … [Read more...]
[Reminder] GSA Network: Youth Empowerment Summit 2014, Dec 13, San Francisco
YES is a free annual conference for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and ally youth activists who are dedicated to racial, economic, and educational justice for trans and queer youth. YES is youth-planned and youth-led. When: Saturday, December 14th, 2014 @ 9am - 8pm (Youth only dance 5-8pm) Where: Mission High School, 3750 18th St, San Francisco, CA Cost: FREE! Workshops, drag show, resource fair, plus free HIV testing. *Breakfast and lunch provided* To register visit gsanetwork.org/yes Are you interested in … [Read more...]
[Reminder] LGBTQ Family Halloween Party, Oct 30
Bring your family for a spooky and fun time. Dress up in your wildest costume for our fun fashion show! Treats! Prizes! Games! When: Thursday October 30th, 2014 @ 4:30 - 7:30pm Where: Peace United Church of Christ, 900 High Street. Santa Cruz Cost: $5 requested donation. No one turned away. Questions: Contact Sharon Papo: (831) 425 - 5422 x101 spapo@diversitycenter.org Co-sponsored by The Diversity Center, Theta Pi Sigma, UCSC Cantu Center and Peace United Church of Christ … [Read more...]
LGBT Youth Op-ed: Push Back On School Pushout of LGBT Youth
“My entire experience with high school has felt like one person after another, from classmates to school officials, telling me I’m not wanted and I’m not worthy of an education. And I am not the only LGBTQ student of color being told that. This week, GSA Network and Crossroads Collaborative released a study that backs up what I’ve been seeing: gender nonconforming youth and LGBTQ youth of color like me are being blamed for our own victimization, targeted for harassment and punishment, treated like criminals, and ultimately pushed out of … [Read more...]
Until We Could by Richard Blanco – A Powerful Poem & Short Film
“This film, from some of our country’s most talented artists, vividly shows the meaning of marriage, and reminds us why our fight for the freedom to marry for all loving couples is so important.” Watch this short film at Freedom to Marry … [Read more...]
Join Conexiones for Their Next Three Events! Oct 16, Nov 13, & Dec 11
Conexiones is a program of The Diversity Center and part of Triangle Speakers, it exists for the Latino Intersex, Trangender, Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Queer, Questioning and Allies community of Santa Cruz County. Upcoming Events: Thursday, October 16th - Enjoy delicious chinese food and help us decorate our Day of the Dead altar! There will also be an optional haunted corn maze! Thursday, November 13th - Let’s give thanks with family and friends in this pot-luck themed social! Thursday, December 11th - We’ll be finishing off the year by … [Read more...]