programleaders

Ten points to Urban Outfitters! In their latest catalog, to show two pretty great dresses from its Kaleidoscope Dresses collection, two female models are pictured in middle of a kiss. The campaign One Million Moms is outraged, as they were with Ellen DeGeneres’ part in being a spokesperson for JCPenney. To quote the organization:

"The April 2012 catalog from Urban Outfitters has begun arriving in home mailboxes the last couple of day… On page two of this catalog is a picture of two women kissing in a face holding embrace! The ad and catalog are clearly geared toward teenagers…The content is offensive and inappropriate for a teen who is the company's target customer."

Putting all backlash aside, it’s important to focus on the fact that a major company, who does have a significant LGBT clientele, has put this picture in its catalog. From here, who knows what is next in terms of normalizing LGBT people into everyday life, and even into people’s closets (many puns intended).

For more, click this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/17/urban-outfitters-lesbian-kiss-photo-one-million-moms_n_1431134.html?ref=mostpopular

When it comes to the ongoing battle for equal rights, prisons don’t seem like the place to start. However, with an ever-increasing rate of violence against LGBTQ, particularly transgendered, people during a term of incarceration, (and thinking back to the 1994 case of transwoman Dee Farmer, who was physically and sexually assaulted while being housed in a men’s prison despite having breast implants) the Los Angeles Police Department may have the right idea. The LAPD plans to open a separate, segregated prison for convicts whose biological sex does not match their gender: one for Male-to-Female, and a segregated one for Female-to-Male. The 24-bed module should be opening this May; it is a hope that other jurisdictions will follow the LAPD’s example to protect transgender convicts.

The Program Leaders submitted this video into the Pride Month Champions of Change video challenge. The video tells the story of a participant coming to coffeehouse for the first time and what her journey is like making new friends! Hope you enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8eSyc33-eY

Follow this link to our youtube to see the latest video from the Program Leaders!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDGZAOnoGlI

Every year, Live Out Loud gives five LGBTQ seniors the chance to win a scholarship. Live Out Loud chooses 5 (or less) teen leaders in the LGBTQ community to receive this scholarship. I have been honored to be chosen as one of the recipients. This scholarship is for five thousand dollars, and I am very happy to be chosen.

For three years I have been involved in the LGBTQ community. First I started out with my schools GSA, starting out as just a member, and eventually becoming president this year. I have helped promote equality and acceptance throughout my school and community. Now I work with organizations on Long Island, helping to make a larger impact.

The process for this scholarship was very hard, but exciting. First, I had to fill out the application. The first part of the application was filling out two pages of information. It was very basic. Next up was short answer and essay questions. There were five short answer questions, which had to have 250-500 words. The essay questions had to be from 500-750 words long. After completing the application, I sent it in, and waited.

A few weeks later I received an email stating that I have been chosen as a finalist for the scholarship. Next thing to do was to interview with the Manager of Youth Programming, and also the Founder and Executive Director of Live Out Loud. At first I was very nervous to interview, but once I got there, it very relaxing. The interview lasted about forty-five minutes, and when it was over, I was very happy with how it played out. A few days later I received a call from Live Out Loud, and was told I won the scholarship. That moment was one of the happiest moments I have ever had.

On April 30th, I will be attending Live Out Loud’s 11th Annual Young Trailblazers Gala, where I will receive my scholarship, as well as give a speech. This will be in front of four hundred influential people within the LGBTQ community. Alan Cumming (known for acting in Cabaret, Spy Kids, and many other plays/movies) will be presenting me with my scholarship. I feel honored to receive this scholarship. In my future, I hope to work with LGBTQ youth, and advocating for the LGBTQ community.

I suggest that any youth leader within the LGBTQ community look into this scholarship. All it takes is a little hard work, and you can accomplish many great things. Hard work pays off in the long run.

Kate McKinnon is making everyone, gay and straight, laugh. McKinnon celebrated her first episode on Saturday Night Live on April 7th with host Sofia Vergara of Modern Family. Why is discussing a new featured player on SNL important? Well, Kate McKinnon just happens to be Saturday Night Live’s first openly lesbian cast member since 1985. Featured in a number of skits, she got to shine as bright as her starring cast mates. She even appeared as Tabatha Coffey, the all-business Australian host of Tabatha Takes Over on Bravo TV, which is funny because Coffey is a proud lesbian, just like McKinnon. Here’s the best part: the fact that she portrayed one lesbian is miniscule to her role in the show. The fact that she’s gay isn’t being exploited like many television series have done with their LGBT members. She also did a parody of Penelope Cruz, who happens to be straight, and her other characters were “orientation-less,” since nothing was specified. In the past, she has been involved in LGBT-targeted projects like Rosie O’Donnell’s “Big Gay Sketch Show.” Now on SNL, she has the potential to become a great voice for her community. Well, with “Stefon” actor Bill Hader telling her that she “did a great job,” after her first episode, where could she go wrong?

For more on this story, head to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/29/kate-mckinnon-snl-featured-player_n_1387549.html

The question of LGBTQ people in religion has always been a heads-or-tails, sensitive topic with any number of answers, none of them definite or permanent. Indeed, organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church has yet to concede the right of entering Priesthood to women on a whole, let alone people who identify as gay or lesbian.

Last Thursday, however, the Schecter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem, Israel voted to allow openly gay and lesbian candidates for ordination as Rabbis. This particular issue has been one of the fragmenting factors between the Conservative Movement of the U.S. and the more traditionalist Masorti movement in Israel.

Unfortunately, country music and the gay community have never gotten along. A shame, certainly, but possibly a trend that’s on its way out. Since her coming out lesbian two years ago, Chely Wright has been an open and powerful activist. Being in the genre she’s in, and coming from the family she’s come from, Wright knows how hard people can be on the LGBT community and LGBT icons.

Wright, whose own mother does not talk to her (although her father shows his support), is frequently criticized by her narrow-minded straight listeners, who accuse her of being too loud or “too gay” of an LGBT icon.

Wright is unperturbed, taking a position of spokeswoman for GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).

She will be soon going to the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to accept a Lavender Award for her recently-released autobiographical documentary, Wish Me Away. The MGLFF will be running this weekend through Friday, May 6th.

Here’s the theatrical trailer for Wright’s documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-v4K8pRQ74

The governor of California has been given a bill by California lawmakers that will incorporate LGBT history and contributions by LGBT people into textbooks and the California Social Studies Curriculum.

A gay high school student in Ohio, after being prohibited from wearing a t-shirt that promotes LGBT tolerance, is opting to sue the school for infringement of his freedom of speech and expression.

Barbara Streisand, gay icon and author of her soon-to-be-released autobiography, Hello Gorgeous, celebrated her 70th birthday yesterday (April 24th).

This past Saturday (April 20th) GLAAD celebrated its 23rd annual Media Awards, with appearances from Cher and her son Chaz Bono, winner of the Stephen F. Kolzak award; as well as Ellen DeGenerous, Betty White, Jessie Tyler Ferguson, Grant Gustin and Max Adler.

This past Friday at PFY’s Coffeehouse was a very special event, celebrating a prominent day of observation in the LGBT community: National Day of Silence. Participants during Day of Silence refused to speak in schools or social circles, to observe the traumatic past of the gay community, the oppression of LGBT adults and teens, and the bullying that targets them in the classrooms and hallways.

Most participants had broken their silence before coming to Coffeehouse, but we still observed the spirit of it through our weekly activity.

Coffeehouse-goers were encouraged to write on a provided piece of paper a word, a bad name, an event or a fear that has “kept them silent,” or somehow hindered their happiness as LGBT youths and allies, or simply as human beings. Participants were then given the opportunity to get on the stage and share what they wrote, or expand on their experiences, with their PFY peers. The papers they wrote on were then made into a linked paper chain, which, after a moment of silence in honor of the day, the same participants that had written and shared, ripped the chain up.

We heard a lot of really powerful stories and got the excellent opportunity to open up to and support one another. A fabulous, therapeutic, definitely successful night here at Coffeehouse.

Next Friday’s (4/27) event will be Meditation Night!