LGBTQIA Celebration of Self: A Masquerade Ball Looking for Talent & Emcees * Do you sing? Solo or with friends? * Do you dance? Solo or with a troupe? * Do you play an instrument? Solo act or in a band? * Do you have a skit you would like to perform? * Have you written poetry/prose you would like to recite? * Would you like to be one of the emcees's for this years Awards Ceremony? We are looking for youth emcees and several youth performance artists or groups to perform for the 2015 Queer Youth Leadership … [Read more...]
LGBT News: This May Be The Youngest Ever Same-Sex Kiss On US TV
“ABC Family show The Fosters has screened a kiss between two 13-year-old boys, delighting fans of the groundbreaking show that follows a family of five biological, adopted and foster children parented by lesbian mothers.” Read more on BuzzFeed … [Read more...]
Queer Youth Leadership Award Nominations NOW OPEN! Nomination Deadline: March 9
The Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County is seeking to honor local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth and their allies at the 2015 Queer Youth Leadership Awards (QYLA)! Eligible awardees are those who have shown outstanding leadership, academic excellence, or community engagement as an LGBTQ youth under the age of 18, or as an ally to LGBTQ youth. Allies to LGBTQ youth may be a straight youth, or can also be a straight or LGBTQ adult. If you know an LGBTQ youth who has made an effort to improve the lives of … [Read more...]
LGBT News: Most Major California School Districts Pledge to Reduce Suspensions
“The state's landmark school finance law has prompted most major California school districts to pledge to reduce student suspensions, hire more counselors and use positive alternatives to deal with misbehavior, according to a study released Wednesday.” Read the full article in The LA Times … [Read more...]
LGBT News: The Forsaken: A Rising Number of Homeless Gay Teens Are Being Cast Out by Religious Families
“While life gets better for millions of gays, the number of homeless LGBT teens - many cast out by their religious families - quietly keeps growing” Read more in Rolling Stone … [Read more...]
LGBT News: #WhatTransLooksLike
“Even though queer people are gaining more and more visibility in mainstream media and society, that doesn't mean that the images we're presented with are always accurate or fully representative of who we really are and how we live our lives...So, thanks to the Twitter hashtag #WhatTransLooksLike, we're sending a little love to our trans friends who proudly shared their photos with us when we put out a call earlier this week.“ Read more in The Huffington Post … [Read more...]
LGBT News: How Punk Music Empowered a Queer Youth (VIDEO)
“Rudy Garcia of East L.A. says that when he was young, he never quite felt like the "normal" kid. Although his migrant parents pressured the youngest of their eight children to be the embodiment of the American dream, Rudy was more interested in punk-rock music, feminism, and 'zine culture. “ Read more in The Huffington Post … [Read more...]
LGBT News: Washington School District Apologizes for Firing Gay Teacher in 1972
“Forty-two years after being fired for being gay, a Washington teacher finally received a formal apology from his former school district.” Read more in The HRC Blog … [Read more...]
LGBT News: ‘Outcasting’ Radio Program Elevates Lives Of Queer Youth
“Called ‘Outcasting,’ the radio program is produced by young queer people and straight allies and broadcast on more than 40 public radio stations affiliated with the Pacifica Radio Network. Not only does this program serve as a resource for young queers across America, but it injects an LGBT narrative into the conversation surrounding mainstream radio that historically lacks this kind of perspective.” Read more in The Huffington Post … [Read more...]
California LGBT News: Middle School Kids Fight to Form Gay-Straight Alliance
“Down the street from Stanback, a 6-foot Confederate flag hangs over the doorway of a home. Liberal Chapel Hill and Carrboro seem distant. Elizabeth Vallero, an A.L. Stanback guidance counselor and GSA supporter, knows the residents of these rural fringes of Orange County are more conservative than their neighbors , and so do administrators, she says. "Change is difficult in public schools," she says. "There's a fear of doing something different."” Read more in Indy Week … [Read more...]