PFLAG hosting a reception at Diversionary Theatre March 15

 
For the March 15th performance, PFLAG San Diego is pleased to be part of the presentation of the Diversionary Theatre's play, Next Fall, which was nominated for a Tony award. The theatre is offering group discount tickets. You can order online (www.diversionary.org) and use the code PFLAG to get the discount, phone the theatre for will call (619-220-0097), or buy the tickets in person. Whatever way you chose to order, please mention PFLAG to get the discount.

This event is open to the entire community. PFLAG is hosting a reception 6:45-7:30 pm, at which time the play begins. After the performance, the audience is invited to stay for a talk-back discussion with church leaders.

The theatre is located at 4545 Park Boulevard, San Diego.

"Kill every last gay person"

Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill has been re-introduced. Citibank and Barclays wield significant influence in the country, but have so far been silent. Tell the two banks to speak up now and help stop the terrifying bill from becoming law. Sign the Petition Citibank and Barclays could save the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Uganda. The Ugandan legislature could vote any day on a so-called "Kill the Gays" bill that could result in legalizing the death penalty for any LGBT person in the country. But Citibank and Barclays together have hundreds of millions of dollars invested in Uganda and wield significant influence in the country, just as banking lobbyists wield influence with Congress in the US. If Citibank and Barclays speak out against the "Kill the Gays" bill, Ugandan legislators will take notice in a hurry. Collin Burton is a Citibank customer -- he's also gay. Collin started a petition on Change.org asking Citibank and Barclays to speak out against the "Kill the Gays" bill. Click here to sign Collin's petition right now. Citibank and Barclays are both big supporters of LGBT rights for their own employees, yet they invest money with a government that is threatening to execute LGBT people. "I expect Citibank and Barclays to live up to the values of equality and fairness, not just list them on their websites," Collin says. If Citibank and Barclays speak out against the "Kill the Gays" bill, Ugandan legislators will see that they are risking the business relationships that keep their government afloat. Click here to sign Collin's petition asking Citibank and Barclays to issue strong statements condemning Uganda's "Kill the Gays" bill. The bill could come up for a vote any day, so swift action is essential. Thanks for being a change-maker, - Eden and the Change.org

"It gets Better" film screened Sunday at 2:30

Subject: "It Gets Better" film screened Sunday at 2:30

Dan Savage's It Gets Better Project was created in an effort to help LGBTQ young persons take heart for their future rather than ending their lives as in several highly publicized cases nationwide.     http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

The Project's recent hour-long video made for MTV was released this week. We will watch it together at the Westminster Presbyterian Church library at 2:30 this Sunday.

The video focuses on three LGBTQ persons. One is a high school ASB president who comes out to his inner circle and to the GSA and then leaves a coming-out letter for his parents at home. A second is a 20-something lesbian whose girlfriend comes to visit, sparking a "Let's talk"moment with her reluctant mother. And a third is a female-to-male transgender person who is planning his wedding with his bride-to-be.

Won't you attend and bring a friend?
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History

All God's Children (AGC) was founded to offer a safe space--especially for students--for open conversation on LGBT issues and faith. Programs include the telling of (usually first-person) stories, presentations by pastors and professors out of their study and experience, and the screening of documentary films. In the past, students and employees of universities, members of local churches, and residents of the larger San Diego and Southern California area have attended. All who come in a spirit of honest inquiry are welcome.

 -----------------------------

For the past four academic years, All God's Children (AGC) has met almost weekly (except during some PLNU breaks) on Sundays, 2:30-4:30. Sessions are dedicated to an open discussion of LGBT issues and faith. Participants are asked to respectfully listen to and engage in a variety of contributions to discussion in a spirit of honest inquiry. Moderators ask participants to honor the announced program topic and to be courteous to speakers. The new church home of AGC is Westminster Presbyterian Church (USA), 3598 Talbot St. (at the corner of Canon and Talbot), in Point Loma. The library is one level below the upper parking lot and and on the same level as the lower lot.

Two more Scholarships offered by SD Human Dignity Foundation Apply NOW

The San Diego Human Dignity Foundation has offered to provide 2 scholarships at $2000 each for awards this April.  One will be the McCusker and the other the Richard Geyser Memorial Ethics scholarship.

 

 

PFLAG San Diego has teamed up with their members, non-profit supporters of LGBT youth, and individual sponsors to offer scholarships to San Diego County residents. The purpose of these scholarships is to recognize outstanding LGBT undergraduate and graduate students, to encourage them to continue post-secondary education, and to promote a positive image of LGBT youth. PFLAG San Diego invites San Diego County LGBT post-secondary students to apply for our scholarships.

Scholarship Requirements

You must attend the San Diego PFLAG Awards Ceremony (date on application), at the First United Methodist Church of San Diego, 2231 Camino del Rio South, the Cove Building across from the church office building.

Evaluation will be based upon commitment to the candidate's goals in their chosen field, essay, financial need and academic achievement.

• A 3.0 Overall GPA
• Resident of San Diego County at time of application
• LGBT high school senior continuing higher education;
• LGBT full-time undergraduate or graduate student

Call or email us today to find out how you can apply for a PFLAG scholarship.

become a sponsor

Annual and quarterly sponsorship recognition opportunities on our website and commercial advertisement options in our newsletter are available. Please contact us for suggested donations.

Go to our webpage (follow link at bottom) to download application.

http://pflag.com/scholarship.html

On open forum on the status of LGBT as a topic on campus

This Sunday at All God's Children, Westminster Presbyterian Library on lower level, 2:30 --

A student said in my presence the other day the topic of homosexuality and faith has been driven into the ground on our nearby Christian university campus. Do you agree? Is there no longer a need for a campus-wide conversation on LGBT issues and faith?

The topic this Sunday at AGC:

How do students feel about LGBT as a talking point?
Do students want more or less conversation?
Has the climate on campus changed for LGBT persons?

There have been three speakers in chapel since a year ago--one being an out gay man (likely a first in the history of the institution)--speaking on the issue, along with accompanying sessions for interaction and discussion.

Other Questions:
Is the conversation continuing?
If so, where?
Do persons feel that they can "come out"? In support, against, as LGBT?

We will look at the first Pastoral Perspective on Homosexuality from the church leaders (http://www.nazarene.org/files/docs/Perspectives_Homosexuality.pdf ) and try to answer whether Point Loma is

"Provid[ing] a Grace Community of Hospitality and Formation including support groups with mature mentors. (Lifted from the document cited above.)

A revised statement has been put on the web site and can be accessed here:
http://nazarene.org/files/docs/Pastoral%20Perspective%20on%20Homosexuality%209_2011.pdf

Read ahead if you like!

History

All God's Children (AGC) was founded to offer a safe space--especially for students--for open conversation on LGBT issues and faith. Programs include the telling of (usually first-person) stories, presentations by pastors and professors out of their study and experience, and the screening of documentary films. In the past, students and employees of universities, members of local churches, and residents of the larger San Diego and Southern California area have attended. All who come in a spirit of honest inquiry are welcome.

 -----------------------------

For the past four academic years, All God's Children (AGC) has met almost weekly (except during some PLNU breaks) on Sundays, 2:30-4:30. Sessions are dedicated to an open discussion of LGBT issues and faith. Participants are asked to respectfully listen to and engage in a variety of contributions to discussion in a spirit of honest inquiry. Moderators ask participants to honor the announced program topic and to be courteous to speakers. The new church home of AGC is Westminster Presbyterian Church (USA), 3598 Talbot St. (at the corner of Canon and Talbot), in Point Loma. The library is one level below the upper parking lot and and on the same level as the lower lot.

[[New post] Oxygen

New post on Gender Blog by Darlene Tando, LCSW Oxygen by Darlene Tando, LCSW If you are like most people, you haven't had to think much about your lungs. You were born with fully functioning lungs that have delivered oxygen to your blood and brain, just as they are supposed to. You can't imagine it any other way, simply because it's never been any other way for you. You've also not given much thought to the role oxygen plays in your life, because it's always been there, as much as you need, delivered to you on cue, no questions asked.  For anyone who's briefly experienced a decrease in oxygen, or lack of oxygen, that person will likely never forget the feeling of panic and the intense, primal need to have oxygen fill the lungs once again. Take a nice, deep breath. Let the air expand your lungs and your stomach.  Feels good, doesn't it? Ah, oxygen. What would you do without it? Well, you'd die, is the obvious answer.  What if you had enough of it to survive, but just not quite enough to lead a "normal" life? Picture this: You were born with something wrong with your lungs, so that they couldn't fully absorb and process oxygen the way most people's lungs can. You can take in just enough oxygen to live, but not fully engage in life. Since you were born with your lungs not doing precisely what they should do, you spend every day of your life not being able to do all the things you would otherwise like to do. You spend many of your days wishing your lungs were different, wishing you could breathe as fully and deeply as everyone around you. You watch everyone take those deep, life-sustaining breaths, and you can tell none of them realize how lucky they are; their lungs (and the resulting oxygen they get) is simply taken for granted.  You stand there, taking shallow, ragged breaths, feeling weak and somewhat listless. Then one day, you stumble across something on the internet: 'Sub-par Oxygenation Syndrome". (Yes, I made that up.) You discover there is a name for what you've been experiencing, and other people have it too!  Sadly, some have taken their own lives from not being able to tolerate the feelings associated with having this syndrome. You feel relieved, validated, excited. Then you read that there is a solution. While it may not give you new lungs, there is a machine that can deliver this life-enhancing oxygen straight to you: an oxygen tank. It's expensive (insurance doesn't cover it in this scenario), but you know you'll do anything to get access to it. The day you get your tank feels like the most liberating, exciting day of your life. You strap that baby on (it comes in a nifty backpack) and put the tubes under your nose. To breathe so fully and so easily is something you've longed for your whole life, but never thought you'd experience. (At times, you feel sad and resentful you have to wear such a contraption to feel the way most others were born feeling, but continue to be grateful nonetheless.) When you explain to those close to you what you've discovered and show them your new tank, they're skeptical. "Really? Are you sure you're not getting enough oxygen? I get plenty of oxygen every time I take a deep breath. Perhaps you're not doing it right."  Others don't like your oxygen tank. "Hmmm, I liked you better before you wore that tank. I'm not used to seeing you with those tubes. Can you please take it off?". You're saddened and shaken by these responses, but you don't take it off. The oxygen tank brings you too much relief and too much life to dare take it off. § I've been looking for some sort of concrete metaphor to use to help explain being transgender and transitioning. Concrete examples can help with understanding. However, I wanted to be careful not to compare being transgender with being disabled. I do not think it is a disability. I think it is something REAL, like not getting enough air. I hope this analogy does justice to those transgender individuals reading it and hits home with loved ones. The irony of my example is that if someone had been born with something wrong with his or her lungs, it would likely have been caught right away by medical doctors, and offered a solution early on. Gender variance is a bit trickier; a person's need for his or her gender identity to be validated develops much later than one's need for adequate oxygen. While we still have a long way to go, intervening with children who display persistent gender-variant behaviors and a consistent desire for changing genders is much like offering the oxygen tank to the person in the above scenario as a child; "I know what you need; here you go." One last thought worth mentioning is that I do believe being transgender is a medical condition and belongs in the medical books, not the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). This is why comparing it to another type of medical condition was appealing to me. I'll save the rest of my thoughts on this topic for another blog. :) To Oxygen! Darlene Tando, LCSW | February 13, 2012 at 5:41 pm | Tags: transgender, understanding gender variance, understanding transgender individuals | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/s1AcSI-oxygen Comment    See all comments Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://darlenetandogenderblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/oxygen/ Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

SDSU Public lecture Series focusing on diversity of the LGBTIQA community

Subject: SDSU Public Lecture Series focusing on diversity of the LGBTIQA community

Key Note Speakers: Kristen Kavanaugh and Matthew Phelps

Time: 6:30-7:45 PM Location: Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center

Happy Saint Valentine's Day

 

Subject: Happy Saint Valentine's Day Having trouble viewing this email? Click here Happy Valentine's Day from the COMPASS Coalition!   Support two important events this month to kiss the world and free it from homophobia. February 17th is the UU UNO's big day in New York to raise awareness about bullying and LGBT violence. February 26th is the Oscar Party in San Diego to support the St. Paul's Foundation's work for Global Equality. We hope to raise funds to bring 76 representatives from countries where it is illegal to be LGBT, to Washington DC in July for the World AIDS Conference. I have been in DC this week and the outpouring of support from religious and  other local organizations and leaders has been inspirational!!   If you cannot join us physically, then send a donation, a kiss or a prayer!!   In solidarity   Albert Ogle     LOVE BEYOND BORDERS   The Unitarian Universalist- United Nations Office and Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) are throwing a Charity Gala to Support the Human Rights of the Global LGBTQ Community "Love Beyond Borders" kick off event on February 17th 2012 6pm-9pm Venue: 777 United Nations Plaza, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10017 Tickets are available for purchase now: https://app.etapestry.com/cart/UnitarianUniversalistUnited/default/category.php?ref=1425.0.84680770 The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office is collaborating with GLAAD to host a breakthrough event "Love Beyond Borders: Equality and Acceptance for All" to spread the message that love exists beyond political borders and is not limited to identifying characteristics such as, gender, race, class, creed, sexual orientation and gender identity. The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office (UU-UNO), and Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) have joined together to support Human Rights of the global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LBGTQ) community along with Mimi productions. The UU-UNO is the only faith-based organization with a sexual orientation/gender identity (SOGI) human rights advocacy program at the United Nations. They work to ensure that our policy makers remember the millions of LGBTQ voices around the world who suffer from oppression. The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office leads a growing coalition of progressive faith and secular voices, which promote the moral equality of all sexual orientations and gender identities and advance the progress SOGI human rights. As a leading non-profit organization, they believe that people, gay or straight, must come together to usher in an accepting and positive world. The UU-UNO works closely with the United Nations system and its agencies, such as UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. http://www.uu-uno.org/2012/01/love-beyond-borders-equality-acceptance-for-all/ Contact: Waheeda Sohan Tel. 212 986 5165 Cell. 347 266 4975 Email. Wsohan@uu-uno.org Contact: Jacqueline Sinclair Tel. 212 986 5165 Cell. 917 557 7192 Email. Jsinclair@uu-uno.org      COME TO THE OSCAR PARTY  Join us at the home of Denice Feldhaus and Susan Guinn from 4-8 pm on Sunday February 26th for a fun filled event or make a donation to support the work of the St. Paul's Foundation   Information and venue here:   http://www.eventbee.com/event?eid=841677274     Forward this email St. Paul's Foundation | 2728 6th Ave | San Diego | CA | 92103

 

Gender Identity Vs. Sexual Orientation

New post on Gender Blog by Darlene Tando, LCSW Gender Identity Vs. Sexual Orientation by Darlene Tando, LCSW After my Gender Vs. Sex blog, I got some requests for a blog about Gender Identity vs. Sexual Orientation. Happy to oblige! For those of you hip to this scene, it might be something you've heard before, perhaps said a bit differently. For those of you still learning, I hope this will serve to clear up some confusion. I apologize in advance for the length of this blog… although I could have said more, trust me! I've heard gender identity described as "who you are" and sexual orientation as "who you want to have sex with". I agree with this, but there's a lot more to it. Gender identity refers to what gender your brain is, who you are, and how you want others to see you. What gender you identify with is going to impact many areas of your life, if not all. It will affect how you are seen in society, how others respond to you, how you are addressed, expectations for your behavior, where you go to the bathroom, your role in your family, and much more. Sexual orientation refers to who you are attracted to, who you would like to receive romantic attention/affection from, and who you would like to be sexually intimate with. I'd even like to say sexual orientation not only refers to the sex (anatomy) one is attracted to, but also the gender. Certainly, anatomy plays a big part in sexual relationships, but the gender of the individual is likely what captures your attention in the first place. I would also suggest that gender is more of a factor in dating and relationships than one's anatomy. Ultimately, who you are sexually attracted to doesn't have a lot to do with who you are and how you present on a day-to-day basis. To whom you are attracted doesn't matter when you are checking out at the grocery store. Since our standard greetings don't entail "Hello, Lesbian" and "Thank you, Gay Man" but "Hello, Ma'am" and "Thank you, Sir", you can see how gender identity is a more pervasive issue and one that affects an individual even more regularly than sexual orientation. Who you go to bed with that night doesn't matter when you're out interacting with society. Additionally, one may not go to bed with anyone that night… or have a sex life to speak of, but one's gender and how it impacts a person is unavoidable. Do children have a gender identity? Yes, usually children have a clear understanding of being either a boy or a girl. If you can't remember thinking about your gender as a child, it's likely because your assigned gender matched with your natal* sex. (*Natal meaning "of, relating to, or present at birth; associated with one's birth". In this blog when I say "natal male" or "natal female" it is referring to one's anatomy, or sex, present at birth.) Do children have a sexual orientation? Not really. Children are not sexual beings. However, at what age do you remember "liking" or having crushes on othe r people? Developmentally, this usually happens in elementary school. "Wanting to have sex with" either girls or boys is not usually a factor during elementary school! However, whispering about, sending notes to, and giggling in the presence of one's crush usually is. Therefore, it is at this age when some children realize they are interested in members of the same sex, but this won't become a sexual idea for some time. I remember many years ago watching a Larry King show with transgender guests. He asked a trans man (who was in a relationship with a female), "Wouldn't it just have been easier to stay a lesbian?". While the question seemed absurd to me at the time, I suppose it echoes the questions of many people who don't understand the need to transition. Easier? Yes, I suppose avoiding transition would be the easier choice in some ways.  The better choice? No. Opting to live a life in a gender that feels foreign is the making of a rough journey.  Staying socially/biologically female and being a lesbian would allow the individual to continue to sleep with women, but all other areas of life would be more difficult. For example, think of the names "Mom" and "Dad". If the trans man were to live his life "as a lesbian" a nd had children, his name might be "Mom" or a version thereof. This simply doesn't fit with his gender identity and would likely sound as strange to him as it would to any natal male who is a father.  Another example would be this same person (continuing to present as female) taking [his] wife out to dinner, and the server says, "Hello, Ladies". Cringing inside every time [he] hears the reference to [himself] as female is most certainly not the "easier" way to go. Additionally, asking a trans man about "staying a lesbian" is actually a misnomer. A trans man is not, and never has been, a lesbian. Yes, many transgender individuals come out as gay prior to understanding their gender identity or coming out as trans.  Because being gay is presently more accepted and understood than being transgender, this may be the only way a transgender individual knows how to identify at first. If a natal female is attracted to women, [s]he may assume [s]he is a lesbian and may come out as such, before realizing he actually identifies as male. Often times one's gender identity is understood later which then invalidates a previously thought sexual orientation. The fact that gender identity and sexual orientation are two separate entities is precisely why someone can be transgender AND gay. For example, a natal male who has the brain gender identity of a female may transition to a woman and also be attracted to women, thereby making her a lesbian. (Stew on that one, Larry King!) I can hear it now, "If the male were attracted to women already, why transition to be a woman only then to be a lesbian? Wouldn't it be easier to stay a straight man?". Forgive me if I'm being redundant, but this person never was a straight man and therefore could not "stay" one.  The above-referenced person could date women, but would perceived as a straight man, which would likely cause great distress. This is because one's gender identity is a pervasive, essential fact to everything one do es during the day. One's sex life is only an element. While these two concepts are different, they are not entirely separate. Gender identity and sexual orientation affect one another in the bedroom. Sexual relations are not only about who you want to sleep with, but how you want your sex partner to treat and perceive you. A transgender woman will likely want to be treated sexually as a woman, whether she is choosing to be sexual with a man or a woman.  This is because the former is about gender identity, the latter about sexual orientation. Additionally, one's gender identity must be factored in to understand one's sexual orientation. To summarize gender identity: Someone with a male gender identity (natal male or not) will want to be treated as a man in the grocery store, by society, by his family, and in the bedroom. Someone with a female gender identity (natal female or not) will want to be treated as a woman in the grocery store, by society, by her family, and in the bedroom. To summarize sexual orientation: Someone with a male gender identity (natal male or not) who is attracted to men is gay. Someone with a male gender identity (natal male or not) who is attracted to women is straight. Someone with a female gender identity (natal female or not) who is attracted to men is straight. Someone with a female gender identity (natal female or not) who is attracted to women is gay. Of course, I'm as opposed to boxes as anyone else… there are all sorts of beautiful nuances of both sexuality and gender identity! Please forgive me for making this blog seem like both are black and white. This was for the sake of simplicity. :) Darlene Tando, LCSW | November 5, 2011 at 2:08 pm | Tags: gay, gender identity, lesbian, LGBT, sexual orientation, transgender, transition | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p1AcSI-W Comment    See all comments Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://darlenetandogenderblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/05/gender-identity-vs-sexual-orientation/

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Today, Love is Victorius

Today, Love is Victorious The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled that Judge Vaughn Walker got it right when he found California's Proposition 8 unconstitutional under the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the United States Constitution. It's a long-awaited and historic victory: LGBT Americans are again full and equal citizens of California! But we cannot yet marry. Once again the decision was stayed while the opponents of equality again appeal to a higher court, again attempting to delay the day when we are fully free. When they write the history of California's struggle with the freedom to marry it will be difficult, if not impossible, to capture the hundreds of thousands trapped in an endless iteration of court battles and ballot propositions that at once assert, "No, you are not full citizens." And then, "Yes, you are full citizens of this state and nation – free to love, commit your lives to each other, and to marry." And then again, "No, we've decided you are again second-class citizens." Back and forth, back and forth. Odd to have your rights, dignity and worthiness endlessly debated. Odder still to have your fellow citizens vote on your basic rights with often nothing more to inform them than their fears, fantasies and biases about people they don't know or understand. And the oddest thing of all may end up being that there never was any evidence that the committed love and marriage of gays and lesbians is anything more than joyous and human. But today – we celebrate a day in that history when love is victorious and we are free. History of Marriage Equality in California California's struggle for freedom and marriage equality spans almost 15 years and is among the strangest in the nation. It's been a long road involving hundreds of thousands of Californians in more than a decade of struggle for fairness, freedom and equality. In March 2000, Proposition 22 (the Knight initiative) was adopted by a vote of the people of California (61.4% to 38%), adding one sentence to the California Family Code explicitly defining the union of a man and a woman as the only valid form of marriage in the State of California. The California Supreme Court invalidated the results of Proposition 22 in 2008. In 2004, then-Mayor Gavin Newsom permitted marriages without regard to gender in San Francisco. These marriages were continued for a month and were then banned, resulting in the lawsuits that would end with the California Supreme Court finding the same-sex marriage ban in California unconstitutional in May 2008. In 2005, the California legislature became the first legislature in the nation to approve a marriage equality bill. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to sign it. The following year, the California legislature again passed a marriage equality bill. And again, Governor Schwarzenegger refused to sign it. Four years ago, in a historic ruling in May 2008, Chief Justice Ron George and the California Supreme Court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriage and allowing only opposite-sex marriages was unconstitutional in the State of California. Three and a half years ago, angered by the coming court ruling, a group of Californians began collecting funds and signatures to place the issue of the fundamental right of marriage on the November 2008 ballot in order to nullify the Supreme Court ruling. This measure became Proposition 8. Following the historic California Supreme Court ruling, marriage equality in California became legal in June 2008 and continued to be legal until November 2008, when Proposition 8 passed in California (52% to 48%). Proposition 8 again resulted in a marriage ban in California. The Proposition 8 battle in California was the most expensive, divisive and brutal ballot initiative in California history, pitting family members, friends, co-workers and neighbors against each other. Anyone who lived through those five months can't help but remember the vitriol. Endless television and radio commercials insisted that the institution of marriage, and indeed society itself, would crumble if marriage equality was the law of the land. Following Proposition 8, the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) filed suit in a United States District Court asserting that Proposition 8 violates both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. In January 2010, Judge Vaughn Walker began a trial, and after hours of testimony ruled that Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution. In August 2010 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to take the case and heard oral argument in December 2010. The result of those arguments was released in the 9th Circuit Court opinion today, February 7, 2012. The Center. © 2010 All rights reserved.

War on a Transgender Girl Scout

>
> The Right-Wing War on a Transgender Girl Scout
> Why a fight to exclude a 7-year-old could mean no Thin Mints for you.
>
> http://motherjones.com/politics/2012/01/religious-right-calls-girl-scout-cookie-boycott?page=1
>
> Three Girl Scout troops in Louisiana won't be hawking Thin Mints this year. They've disbanded in protest after the Girl Scouts of Colorado accepted seven-year-old transgender child Bobby Montoya as a member. Montoya was born a boy but has considered herself a girl since she was two years old, says her mom Felisha Archuleta. In October, Archuleta took her daughter to speak with a Denver troop leader about signing up, and took her daughter away crying after the Scout leader referred to the child as "it" and said "Everyone will know he's a boy." Three weeks later, the statewide Girl Scouts body issued a statement saying, "If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout." When they heard about this reversal, three moms and troop leaders in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana decided to dissolve their troops and leave Girl Scouts.
>
> Now, 95 years after the organization first starting selling cookies, its signature product has once again become a political pawn. Right-wing groups and some conservative parents and scouts have posted to a site called Honest Girl Scouts, YouTube, and Facebook pages—including one called "Make Girl Scouts Clean Again"—urging Girl Scouts everywhere to go on strike from selling cookies, and their parents to stop buying them. They want Girl Scouts USA to officially bans transgender children from membership, and kick out any known transgender scouts "hiding" in the troops...

CESCAL - Last Chance to Register

Last time to register for CESCaL's 3rd annual national educator conference focused on LGBTQIA youth. Seats are limited and we are quickly selling out! Just a few Featured Speakers: Gautam Raghavan, LGBT Community Liaison to the Obama Administration. Gautam Raghavan functions as the White House's liaison to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Prior to joining The White House, Raghavan served as Deputy White House Liaison for the Department of Defense, where he served as Outreach Lead for DoD's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Working Group. CNN Anchor, Don Lemon will join our list of honorees with a video acceptance on Friday evening, February 17th. Chris Linn, Executive Vice President of Programming and Head of Productions at MTV will be accepting a special award on stage Friday evening February 17th. Lily Eskelsen, Vice President of the National Education Association(NEA) Denise Greene-Wilkensen, President-Elect of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Dean Vogel, President of the California Teachers Association (CTA) LIMITED SEATING ~ REGISTER TODAY! Registration is still open for the only national educator conference focused on working with LGBTQIA youth (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex & ally). Register online at: www.lgbtqia2012.org or download and complete the Registration Brochure. Please join CESCaL as we present the... 3rd annual educators conference, Supporting Students ~ Saving Lives  in beautiful San Diego, February 17 - 19, 2012.   Conference Begins: Friday, February 17th at 5:00pm Conference Concludes: Sunday, February 19th at 1:00pm (Extra Day Visiting San Diego: Monday, February 20th - Presidents' Day) WHO SHOULD ATTEND School Counselors P.E. Teachers / Coaches Elementary Educators Secondary Educators Administrators School Nurses School Board Members Social Workers Marriage and Family Therapist School & Community Based Mental Health Professionals Students & Parents (On Sunday 2/19) ACCOMMODATIONS The conference hotel (Doubletree) has brand new, renovated rooms. All conference attendees staying at the DoubleTree receive complimentary parking and wireless in-room internet.  Hotel is booking up fast so reserve your room today.  SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT We are excited to announce that an excerpt of the play, "8" written by Academy Award Winner Dustin Lance Black will be presented at the conference on Friday evening, February 17th! After the awards ceremony honoring CNN's Don Lemon and MTV, get your NOH8 photo taken by celebrity photographer and NOH8 Campaign creator, Adam Bouska. FEATURED SPEAKERS CESCaL is excited to announce the following list of featured national and state leaders in education and LGBT rights: National Leaders in Education Denise Greene-Wilkinsen: President-Elect of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Brian Law: 2010-2011 President of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Lily Eskelsen: Vice President of the National Education Association (NEA) State Leaders in Education Dean Vogel: President of the California Teachers Association (CTA) Steve Salva: President of the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) National Leaders in LGBT Rights Jody Huckaby: Executive Director of the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Gregory Lewis: Executive Director of the True Colors Fund / Give a Damn Campaign Kate Kendell: Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Special Guest Speakers Gautam Raghavan: LGBT Liaison to the Obama Administration Daniel Joseph Baker: Recent contestant on the hit NBC show, America's Got Talent Featured Sessions by educational experts who work and train in K-12 schools  •ACLU  •Anti-Defamation League  •California Teachers Association  •Campus Pride  •Family Acceptance Project  •Gay and Lesbian Task Force  •GLSEN  •GSA Network  •Human Rights Campaign / Welcoming Schools  •Lambda Legal  •Military Acceptance Project  •National Center for Lesbian Rights  •National Education Association  •PFLAG  •Point Foundation  •Southern Poverty Law Center  •Teaching Tolerance  •Trans Youth Family Allies  •Trevor Project  •True Colors Fund  •The Williams Institute Please view our website www.lgbtqia2012.org to learn more about the 3rd annual national educator conference.   LIKE us on Facebook and keep up to date with conference updates. Forward this email to your colleagues and spread the word. We hope to see you in February! Register Online NOW! For more information contact us or CALL US at (760) LGBTQIA [542-8742]