Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:

Resending this due to some problems with our listserv emails going out properly. Please forgive if you are getting this twice.

1) Safe Schools Coalition Presents 2012 Professional Development Training Program

and
2) Action Alert: A closet is a horrible place to work
3) Action Alert: Petition - Tell Erie, IL school board to reverse malicious ban on inclusive anti-bullying resources

   Note: We are sharing these items because we believe that they are issues Safe Schools Coalition members and friends may be interested in.
   If you have opinion about them, please let your voice be heard.

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1) Safe Schools Coalition Presents 2012 Professional Development Training Program

Please forward to all your contacts.

Greetings!

Safe Schools Coalition warmly extends an invitation to participate in our 2012 Professional Development Training Program. 

Safe Schools Coalition is an international public-private partnership of over 50 school-based organizations, community-based organizations, government agencies, individuals, and businesses who are committed to our mission of supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth by providing trainings and resources to help schools become safe from biased-based bullying and violence.

Our 2012 Professional Development Training Program will provide skill-based trainings for educators, educators-in-training and youth development professionals on how to respond to biased-based bullying and violence in schools.  

There are two parts to this program:

1.     Safe Schools Summer 2012 Series. The trainings will take place at Planned Parenthood (2001 East Madison, Seattle, WA 98122). These trainings are free and open to all educators, youth development professionals and volunteers who work directly with youth. However, space is limited, and you must register to confirm your attendance. Clock hours may be available. Please indicate if you are interested. The schedule, flyer and registration form are posted on our website here http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/speakersbureau/SafeSchoolsSummerSeries2012.htm

2.     The second option is to arrange for a professional trainer from Safe Schools Speakers Bureau to come to your school or organization to train your staff biased-based bullying and other related concerns. Our Needs Assessment form can be found here: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/speakersbureau/AssessStaffTrainingNeeds.htm

Safe Schools Coalition is providing these trainings for free with support from the Turnstone Fund at Seattle Foundation. If you have any questions, or would like to schedule a training, please contact katrina@safeschoolscoalition.org.

Best,

Katrina Pestano

Speakers Bureau Manager

www.safeschoolscoalition.org

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2) Action Alert: A closet is a horrible place to work

Whether you're a retail clerk, a mechanic, or a surgeon – if you're gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, you shouldn't be forced to stay in the closet for fear of losing your job. Today, in 29 states LGBT people can be fired only because they're lesbian, gay, or bisexual. And in 34 states, people can be fired just because they're transgender — reasons completely unrelated to their work!

For two years, Congress has stalled all action on ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban discrimination just like this — discrimination based on an employee's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Thankfully, on June 12 a Senate committee will finally hold a hearing on ENDA. This is our chance to shine a spotlight on the real harm caused by these forms of workplace discrimination. But we need the Senate to go further — ENDA needs to be voted out of committee and sent to the Senate floor!

Sign our petition to tell the committee chairman, Sen. Harkin, to bring ENDA to a vote!

It's simply outrageous that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community STILL does not have clear federal protections from workplace discrimination. Discrimination at work is well-documented, both for LGB people as well as transgender people.

ENDA would ensure that employees are treated based on the quality of their work and nothing else.

We need your help right now to outlaw this form of discrimination, once and for all! Please take a moment to tell Senator Harkin to bring ENDA to a vote!

Sincerely,
Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
1325 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
202.393.5177
www.thetaskforce.org
www.thetaskforceblog.org

3) Action Alert: Petition - Tell Erie, IL school board to reverse malicious ban on inclusive anti-bullying resources

Over the weekend, a change.org petition was posted by a former graduate of the district. The story also got picked up on a few blogs such as Queerty and the Huffington Post. There will be another Huffington Post story coming out tonight or tomorrow. At this point, we are seeking your help continuing the momentum by drawing national attention to the school district's decision by posting the petition to your blogs and social media accounts. 

Here is some sample text:

Tell Erie, IL school board to reverse malicious ban on inclusive anti-bullying resources.

The Erie Community Unit School District school board has banned widely-used elementary school resources that teach respect for all families and address the anti-gay name-calling that has been documented in Erie schools.

The ban includes The Family Book by Todd Parr and anything associated with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), including the proven bullying prevention program No Name-Calling Week (endorsed by over 50 national education and youth organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America) and Ready, Set, Respect, lesson plans created in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The superintendent has since clarified that the ban applies to any material that addresses “alternative lifestyles.”

These well-respected, age-appropriate, and effective resources are used in thousands of schools across the country and were even wholeheartedly recommended by a district-appointed committee of parents, educators and community members. There has been an outcry of support for all of the banned materials, with over 100 Erie parents signing a petition to call for the reversal of the ban. Unfortunately, the school board president, who has publicly called teaching the bible in schools a "good idea" will not reconsider. 

No child is too young to learn how anti-gay language is hurtful to people in their community!  Tell the Erie, IL school district that they should value the health and safety of their students over the extreme personal views of a handful of people by signing this petition and sharing it with your friends: http://www.change.org/petitions/erie-school-board-reverse-prejudicial-ban-on-glsen-and-other-anti-bullying-resources. 

Some sample social media posts (the petition is also available at chn.ge/LtJwHs)

• Stand with Erie, IL families against ban on materials that include gay families. Sign the petition. 
• Tell Erie, IL to value all students and families by reversing their ban on LGBT-inclusive materials
• Reverse ban of gay families: chn.ge/LtJwHs
• Reverse ban of @GLSEN materials: chn.ge/LtJwHs

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The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 60+ organizations (government agencies, schools, community agencies, churches, youth/student groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights groups) and 100+ individuals working to help schools 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.

Safe Schools' website: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org
Safe Schools' blog: http://safeschoolscoalition.blogspot.com/
Join SSC's group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43732067796
Join SSC's group on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1110307
Follow SSC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/safeschoolsc
 
Got a problem at school with anti-gay harassment?

In Washington State:

1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) 24 hours a day - the phone line is answered at the Sexual Assault Hotline and they will have a Safe Schools Coalition Intervention Specialist volunteer get back to you within 24 hours. Or contact us by email (click here: Intervention) http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=10 and we will respond within 24 hours.

For non-emergencies: 206-451-SAFE (7233).

Or email us:

Questions
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Co-Chairs:

Beth Reis, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-296-4970
Michelle Munro, not representing a member org
Mo Lewis, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
Matthew Wilson, Oasis/Pierce County AIDS Foundation

Co-Secretaries:

Heather Carter, Youth Suicide Prevention Program
Frank Couch, Science & Management of Addictions Foundation
Penny Palmer, not representing a member org

Listserv Managers:

Beth Reis for Action Items, Resource messages (books, films, curricula, etc.), Professional Journal messages and Help Needed by Reporters/Authors, Researchers, and Member Organizations
Corey Bernstein and Robyn Walters for News messages
Nik Donia for Event messages
Open position for Jobs, Internships, and Volunteer Opportunity messages
Ryan Schwartz for Right Wing Watch messages
Julie Parmenter for Opinion (blogs, editorials, letters to the editor) messages
Colleen Mullins for Lesson Planning Guide messages
Gabi Clayton for Legislative/Elective messages and Fundraising* messages
    * Note: Fundraising messages are only sent for member organizations.