Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:

 

(1) looking for a few brave high schools, colleges and universities to produce groundbreaking musical play called “Out!” about coming out

(2) resources for coaches and athletic directors from Health Imperatives

 

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(1) looking for a few brave high schools, colleges and universities to produce groundbreaking musical play called “Out!” about coming out

 

We’re writing members of Safe Schools Coalition because we’re looking for a few brave high schools, colleges and universities willing to come down on the right side of history.

Just over a year ago, Henry Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California was picketed by Westboro Baptist Church for its support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. In response, students and staff formed a counter picket line holding up love and peace signs and waving rainbow flags.

This February, Gunn High School students and staff made an unprecedented statement of support for GLBT students by premiering the new musical OUT!, about the challenges of coming out as a student. The play was written for Gunn by national award-winning writers, Nancy Hersage and Molly Hersage, with musical arrangements by William Liberatore, one of the Bay Area’s best known musical directors.

The show, which featured more than 150 students and 20 faculty members, was praised by students, staff, parents and administrators.  The superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District said the script carried “such an important message that was delivered in such a thoughtful, wonderful, funny, clever, unpredictable way.”  The head of the GLBT student group wrote, “I wanted to take a moment to thank you very much for taking a huge risk on producing a gay-themed show!  … and having students and parents take part in something that would likely not happen at many high schools.”

It’s true that this is a difficult show to produce in most schools across the country at this time in history. But we also know there are high schools, colleges and universities with students and staff willing to take a risk. We’ve included a brief synopsis of the show (which can be done with a small cast) and would love to send you a copy of the script (and music, if you like) to see if you can help us find faculty and students willing to produce this groundbreaking new musical --- and help make history.

Let us know if you’d like to see the script or could help us find someone who might be brave enough to consider mounting a production.
Nancy Hersage
nhersage@gmail.com
818-633-3019

Out!
A Musical
Book by Molly Hersage and Nancy Hersage
Music and Lyrics by Nancy Hersage
Musical Arrangements by William Liberatore

Decent, Oklahoma is the little town where people are just slightly more American than anybody else. It seems like the ideal place to live until a high school senior boy named Chives starts rocking the pedestal by running for prom queen. Flamboyant and in-your-face, Chives is determined to bring Decent into the new millennium no matter how many people he upsets. His antics are so outrageous that even his best friend Maddy Murphy, the most likeable girl on campus, is having trouble sticking by him. When Maddy argues that people are angry with Chives not because he’s gay but because he’s obnoxiously and provocatively gay, Chives calls her naïve and bets that if the All-American-Girl Maddy were gay, no one would like her either. It’s a challenge she can’t refuse and the game is on. What follows is a comedic roller coaster ride of tap dancing ranchers, Ellen DeGeneres leading a gospel choir and a potent test of the power of gay-dar. The result is not at all what Maddy is expecting from her town, her friends or herself. What she and Chives learn is a lesson filled with pain, joy and the realization that, despite all the challenges of adolescence, it really does get better.

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(2) resources for coaches and athletic directors from Health Imperatives

 

Dear GLBT Youth Supporter,
One question I get at almost every training is, "What do we do about homophobic and transphobic comments in the locker room?" So many people feel overwhelmed by how to address what is happening in their athletic programs. Here are some resources for you and best practices!

Best practices for addressing comments and behaviors:

• Bring it up in front of the group
• Name it as unacceptable
• Say it is offensive to you
• Don't argue
• Be consistent in addressing it every time and make sure all other coaches/teachers are doing the same
• Encourage other team members to address comments and behaviors too. Turn bystanders into upstanders.

Display out athletes as role models:

• GLBT athlete profiles from lgbthistorymonth.org
• GLBT athletes on Wikipedia

Recently, a few online resources have popped up:

• outsports.com - a site for GLBT athletes and sports fans
• athleteally.org - have your team sign the ally pledge and more great resources
• Changing the Game - GLSEN's sports project
• You Can Play Project - also has a pledge and a really great message. Their video is a great conversation starter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXoTRTAw6Dc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Check out one of these documentaries about GLBTQ athletes:

• Tragoidia Moving Pictures has a documentary, "Out for the Long Run" that is available for schools. 
• No Look Pass is a documentary about Emily Tay, a first generation immigrant senior at Harvard who wants to persue her dreams of professional basketball while coming out as a lesbian

We, the GLBT Youth Support Project also facilitate trainings on bullying, cultural competent work with GLBTQ youth, and technical assistance with schools and organizations on writing policies and creating safe environments. Let us know how we can help you!
 
Thank you for all that you do to support GLBTQ youth!
 
Missy Sturtevant, MSW
The GLBT Youth Support Project and OutHealth are programs of Health Imperatives.
Program Director:  Missy Sturtevant
E-Mail: glys@healthimperatives.org  |  Web: www.healthimperatives.org/glys 
Phone: 800-530-2770  |  Fax: 508-583-2611 

P.S. Want to see more resources, events, and action items relevant to you? Check out our Twitter feed @glbtculturlcomp or our Facebook page for daily links!

 

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Got a problem at school with anti-gay harassment?

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