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Anti-LGBT Bullying Community Awareness Event and “Out in the Silence” movie showing

by on Sep. 23, 2010, under Arts, Life, Politics

The Wingspan Anti-Violence Programs (AVP) is facilitating a city-wide Anti-LGBT Bullying Community Awareness Event at 5:30 pm on Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Tucson YWCA ,525 N. Bonita, south of W. St. Mary’s Road.

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Moreover, Mayor Walkup and Council Member Paul Cunningham have proclaimed September 23, 2010 (today) as Anti-LGBT Bullying Awareness Day.

“A recent increase in reports of Anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment at area schools motivated Wingspan advocates and staff to organize the event. The target audiences for the event are affected youth and their guardians, educators, school administrators and staff, as well as concerned community members.

The goal for the event is to raise awareness of this specific type of violence and to gain a commitment from attendees to address this type of violence in their respective schools and campuses. Local advocates and experts will be speaking at the event. Representatives from local organizations working to end violence will be available at a community resource fair held in conjunction with the event. ”

For more information on the event or to participate in the resource fair, please contact AVP Manager Oscar Jimenez at ojimenez@wingspan.org, or 520-624-1779.

And congratulations to Wingspan for just being awarded the Tucson Weekly’s 2010 “Best Local Activist/Advocacy Group” award for seven years in a row. (Tucson Weekly’s Best of Tucson issue of 9/23/10, www.tucsonweekly.com).

And for a movie on this very topic — Himmel Park Branch Library will be hosting a re-screening of “Out in the Silence” on Saturday, September 25, 2010 between 2:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. Local musician and singer Namoli Brennet wrote and performed the music for this film. This PBS documentary is open to the public and free.

DVD movie cover

“Out in the Silence is more than a movie, it’s part of the movement for fairness, equality and human rights for GLBT people.” (from the movie’s website)

I saw this movie at an earlier screening at Himmel library, and it is a powerful documentary about a 15 year old male teenager in rural Pennsylvania, facing discrimination and constant harassment for being openly gay at his high school. Find out what he has to do to overcome this bullying. It really made me reflect upon how difficult it is to be “different” in a rural setting, and how sad it is when adults (teachers & administrators) let the bullying continue. For more info contact Librarian Suzanne (Sue) Parker at 520-594-5305, suzanne.parker@pima.gov.

Himmel Library is at 1035 N. Treat Ave (SW corner of E. 1st St, south of Speedway).

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  • tiponeill

    One thing that makes the problem of anti-gay bullying and teen suicide so intractable is that it is most common in rural areas where gay teens are isolated and have no local support. It is hard to reach them.
    Dan Savage has just started a youtube channel that might help address this. It’s called It Gets Better

  • Carolyn Classen

    Thanks for the link tiponeill.  That teenager in Oil Town, PA had to withdraw from school or he likely would have been beaten up worse than he had been in the past.

  • erniemccray

    Inch by inch we might be getting somewhere in protecting our gay children but it’s still going to be over a long haul. Society still tolerates it far too much and I pity the gay child cowering in a closet in a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” world where their fate is put up to a majority rules vote.
    For as loving as we are we’re governed so much by our hatred. Hating a group of people is one thing, but enacting laws out of our hatred is deplorable. Growing up being discriminated against I didn’t really care that much if someone hated me but not selling me a “hamburger” when I’m hungry, come on!
    Thanks, Carolyn, for doing what you always do: bringing us stories that we should give serious careful thought to.

  • erniemccray

    “Society still tolerates” the bullying of gay people “far too much” is what I meant to say.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Thanks as usual Ernie for your insight and comments.  I went to this meeting tonight, attended by about 75 people, including 3 TPD officers. Speakers were 2 gay high schoolers, one parent of a gay middle school student, a 7th grade straight ally, plus Dr. Katerina Sinclair (Frances McClelland Institute, who spoke on sexual orientation-based harassment in schools,  and Dr. Alan Storm (Superintendent of Pima County Joint Technical Education District).  The latter stated that 42% of GLBT students didn’t feel safe at school and that 84% of these schools had no policy to protect students from discrimination based on sexual orientation.  It’s tough being openly gay in our school system was the consensus of tonight’s meeting, and that students/teachers/administrators as well as parents needed to speak up to stop the bullying that is occurring. And yes, society does tolerate this anti-LGBT bullying and harassment way too often.

  • tiponeill

    The latter stated that 42% of GLBT students didn’t feel safe at school and that 84% of these schools had no policy to protect students from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
    Was there any mention of TUSD ? Because I have been under the impression that TUSD did have policies and Tucson was pretty good.

    • Carolyn Classen

      The stats seemed to be general ones, and yes, TUSD was mentioned by the student speakers about Catalina HS and Mansfeld MS, but they didn’t report favorable behavior overall by the administrators/teachers, so the general impression tonight was not good.  It sounded like each school is handling it as they choose or not to, and that Wingspan and the YWCA are trying to conduct anti-bullying trainings for teachers/staff in Tucson schools, with limited success.

      • erniemccray

        Trying to conduct training with limited success: That’s a major factor in the problem which doesn’t surprise me, having dealt with the problem throughout my years of working with children. There are significant number of educators who make anti-gay statements in classrooms are principals’ offices everyday and when they’re questioned they adopt an attitude of “Hey, what’s the problem. The kid should lighten up, not be so sensitive.” It’s a huge sad sad sad problem. In 2002, I testified to the California State Senate on the importance of addressing LGBTQ discrimination at the elementary school level.
        I wish Wingspan and the YWCA success in working with as many teachers as they can muster. Struggles in behalf of children are always, as far as I’m concerned, worth the effort. They’re what it’s all about, the future.
        Let me know if Tucson High, my alma mater, is not doing all that they can do because I will get in their face -in a creative way (smile). I love that place and won’t let them shirk their duties to protect our teenagers.
        Just to let you know, Carolyn, I’ve worked around gay issues in Tucson from afar, so to speak. In 2008 I was honored to be selected as the keynote speaker for the first-ever UA Celebration of LGBTQ and Allied graduates. We had a great time that night, a lot of laughs, a lot of tears. I felt a lot of hope in Pima Hall that night. It made me want to always stay in touch with movements in the Old Pueblo to make life better for our gay brothers and sisters, especially the children. They’re who I live for. And Tucson needs to reach out to them and love and appreciate them for who they are.
        Well, enough from this old Badger (’56) and Wildcat (’60/’62). Take care and: Bear! Down!

        • Carolyn Classen

          Thanks Ernie for sharing your previous experience as an alumnus of Tucson High School. Last night we were told that the victims needed better coping strategies and support from family & friends to overcome the bullying. Strict policies which are actually enforced by teachers/administrators, classroom discussions (to elicit empathy) and visible school support for LGBT people can lead to safer school atmospheres. The problem in Tucson that it seems that students are getting mixed messages from adults that saying “Oh that’s so gay”, etc. is acceptable. You and I both know what its like to be called racial names and have other people stand by and not say anything in our defense.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Reminder: this movie is showing today for free at Himmel Park Library.

  • Carolyn Classen

    “Out in the Silence” coming to the Loft Theater for a free showing on Feb. 22 sponsored by the Pima County public library.  Director Joe Wilson will be present for a Q & A after the film, plus pre-show entertainment by Tucsonan singer Namoli Brennet.

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