LOG IN   JOIN   BLOG SEARCH   ALL DIARIES
Blog
Issues
Take Action
Donate
About
Youth Resources
My Sistahs
Advocates For Youth
 
Blog - Amplify your voice
adrianmchs
adrianmchs
Facebook:  (none)
About Me:
My name is Adrian Pedroza, I am 16 and Bisexual. I am a Chicano living in Southern California. I am the Co-Publicist of my school's Gay-Straight Alliance, "Family of Colors." I love to campaign and get involved with today's issues. My specialty when it comes to social issues is LGBTQ rights, but I would love to learn even more as a member of Amplify.

Friday, January 8, 2010 at 12:39:00 PM EST

After the disappointing news from New Jersey on same-sex marriage, it’s refreshing to wake up this morning to hear that Portugal, that little land-locked country next to Spain, has passed a law in parliament that will permit same-sex marriages as soon as April.
 
The Socialist country of Portugal, although predominantly Catholic and faced with conservative opposition passed the law Friday by a margin of 125 to 99.
 
"It's a slight change to the law, it's true," Socrates, the prime minister, said. "But it is a very important and symbolic step towards fully ensuring respect for values that are essential in any democratic, open and tolerant society: the values of freedom, equality and non-discrimination."
 
The bill still needs to be signed into law by Conservative President Anibal Cavaco Silva, however, it is unlikely that the bill will be vetoed which means that Portugal will soon join other European countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway in recognizing the right of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people to marry.
 
Now if it’s anything that I picked up from this story it’s that despite the strong presence of the Catholic Church in Portugal, there are a majority of people in the government who recognize equal rights and recognize that one of the largest churches in the world cannot stand in the way of LGBT people’s civil rights. This is the same church that not too long ago threatened to “stop feeding the homeless” if same-sex marriage was allowed in Washington D.C. It’s entirely possible to fight conservative opponents of same-sex marriage, but it takes a strong group of people to be persistent and not settle for separate but equal civil unions. This is the same country that just lifted the government’s ban on abortion two years ago and permitted same-sex unions in 2001. Change is possible if we work at it, people, even in the United States and countries that have a large demographic belonging to a historically anti-gay church.
 
Even though this same-sex marriage bill has been passed, the fight isn’t over in Portugal, yet. Not too long ago, Portugal refused to grant same-sex couples the right to adopt children. Hopefully, legislators will not be dissuaded by the failure to pass a bill that would allow LGBT adoption and will only be further encouraged to move forward with LGBT rights after this victory.
 
And if it’s any other good news, the pope plans to visit Portugal in May, the month after same-sex marriages can begin to be ratified if this bill is passed.
 
Peace, Love, and Solidarity!

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 8:19:00 PM EDT
Comments Add Comment
Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

In case you haven't heard, congress has choosen to protect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer people by now including them as part of the group of classes of people that are discriminated against in this country and around the world. LGBTQ victims of hate crimes, illegal acts against people motivated by an intolerance or prejudice, will now be ensured that their assailants will not go unpunished or treated tepidly. Since 1969, race, color, nationality, ethnicity, sex, and religion have been recognized as protected classes, and now because of the passage of The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability will soon be included as protected classes of people. So what does the new law mean?

For more than a decade, senators have been fighting to extend protections for LGBTQ people and this Thursday their efforts along with the efforts of civil rights and gay rights activists paid off when the Senate passed the extension of hate crimes legislation. Because several states already enforce hate crimes protections upon LGBTQ people, the federal government will not change existing laws but will instead broaden the range of actions that can be considered biased against LGBTQ people such as preventing someone from voting or going to school because they are LGBTQ. The bill also includes available grants to help state and local governments fight the prevalence of hate crimes. Although the bill won’t prevent hate crimes, per se, the Matthew Shepard Act is a sign of great things to come during this era of rising progressivism in our nation. There is no doubt that the passage of this bill will pave the way towards future pro-LGBTQ legislation under the Obama administration.

Now that the bill has passed both the house and the senate, all we have to do now is wait for the president. We've been waiting for years for this bill and months for President Obama to fulfill his campaign promises to the LGBTQ community. We'll be watching what he does when he signs this bill and what he has in store for the future of civil rights.


Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 7:52:00 PM EDT

So, the November issue of Seventeen magazine came out and there was a story in there that was suprising to say the least. The story was "My Boyfriend Turned Out to be a Girl!" It was a story about a girl who fell in love with her boyfriend who just happened to be, big twist, transgender. Derek, the boyfriend in the story, was accused of being a liar and a fraud because he didn't share with the narrator that "he used to be a she."

Well, a good friend of mine wasn't going to let it go. Ariel Bustamante has started a Facebook group, "Letter Campaign to Seventeen Magazine":

The November issue of Seventeen Magazine featured a story entitled "True Life Drama: My BOYFRIEND turned out to be a gir!l"

Rather than use this opportunity to educate readers about transgender issues, it never once even uses any terminology (well, unless you consider the slur "he-she" -_- ) but instead furthers the common transphobic assumption that someone who's gender does not match their sex assigned at birth is a deceptive liar and even compares them (at the bottom) to perverts, drug addicts, and older dad's trying to get someone young w/o disclosing their parental/age status.

Please read the article (follow the link) done in poor taste with a terrible accusatory tone from the get-go and write a letter to the editor (mail@seventeen.com) expressing your opinion about the article, the implications it has, and ask them to put an apology in one of their next 2 issues.

The more responses they receive about this the better! Even if you don't read the magazine, it's important to send the message that articles like this will not be tolerated and that we don't want this hateful message being sent to young people who read it. Please invite anyone you can to write a letter, too
So I suppose a letter like this would suffice.

This is a response to your "True Life Drama: My BOYFRIEND turned out to be a girl!" article in the November issue of Seventeen magazine. I feel that the story's editor did not consider the implication that it would have on the transgender community and the readers who may or may not understand transgender people. The inappropriate use of terminology and the insensitivity on the matter in the story continues the cycle of transphobia in our community and confuses uninformed readers even more. I ask that you make a correction to your magazine in the next issue and apologize to your readers, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, male,and female, for furthering the transphobic assumption that someone who's gender does not match their sex assigned at birth is a deceptive liar comparable to perverts and drug addicts. By keeping these ideas in your magazine and promoting them, you create a divide between all of your readers that will end up harming many people and creating a stigma attacked to people who are transgender. I hope that in the future you will learn to be more sensitive to issues concerning the GLBT community and that articles concerning to the latter will be taken in a more serious note.

Sincerely,
Adrian Pedroza

Get the full article here and write to Seventeen magazine to make sure homophobia and transphobia never touch the pages of the magazine again!



Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Friday, October 16, 2009 at 10:29:00 PM EDT
Comments Add Comment
Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

In case you missed it, the Daily Show covered the National Equality March on DC like no other news station did before. Surely a sign on the part of the media that shows the failure that we have of a system whose responsiblity is to keep Americans informed. What made my day after seeing the lack of coverage on the media is when my favorite, best straight ally went to me on Monday so that he could find out everything about the National Equality March that they didn't cover on Sunday. I love him so much. Well, in case you did miss it like Fox, CNN, and MSNBC, here's the Daily Show's "Queer and Loathing In DC." (Fear and Loathing reference).




Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Friday, October 9, 2009 at 12:32:00 AM EDT

Don't think that old ideas can never come back and find its place in American politics again. Sexism was proven to be alive and well while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was running for office and from what we've seen while she has been in office. Once again the National Republican Congressional Commitee has proven that the GOP has several members who continue to debase women and promote sexism in the United States. This time, they have attacked Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
AP Reports:

She was taking issue with a National Republican Congressional Committee press release that accused her of backing down to liberals in her caucus who oppose Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's recommendation for an escalation of troops in Afghanistan. Pelosi had been quoted as saying that voting for an escalation was a difficult choice for members of her caucus whose constituents oppose such action."If Nancy Pelosi's failed economic policies are any indicator of the effect she may have on Afghanistan, taxpayers can only hope McChrystal is able to put her in her place," the release said.


Clearly someone at the NRCC needs a few history lessons. This is unacceptable behavior and speech and should not be allowed in any house of Congress or government branch, period.

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 12:08:00 AM EDT

For years, gays have been waiting for the day that the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, the discriminatory law that bans openly gay men and women from serving in the military, is repealed. After thousands of honorable servicemen and women have been kicked out after already serving years in the military fighting for Americans and training for years to prepare for combat, the year finally came that a president would come into office supporting LGBTQ rights. After running a campaign promising all of us the oppertunity to serve this country we love, President Obama was elected, however, after eight months in office, we have not seen any of the change he has promised us.

Jon Stewart Tuesday night took Obama over to camera three for a little talk and in my opinion, nailed him!


(Follow Link Here If Above Doesn't Work)

Listen up, Mr. President. We're not backing done and we want action. So, eat up and start working for us and for what we deserve, equal rights! P.S. I loled at "The Gay After Tomorrow."

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 12:17:00 AM EDT

So once again The Onion has come out with a story that entertains, educates, and satirizes.



(If the above doesn't work try the link)

I usually like the Onion but this went a little too far. I know it was commenting on how "That's So Gay" is a popular phrase and on how smoking in the gay community is an epidemic, but gosh, the video was pretty harsh personally.

Well, anyway, the topic I want to bring up is the epidemic of smoking in the LGBTQ community. According to several reports, high smoking rates in the gay community is the result of stress and a number of external factors including advertising targeted towards the community.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 12:55:00 AM EDT

You wouldn't believe how far my jaw dropped when I saw the trailer for this movie. You'll understand how amazed I was at what I was seeing once you see the video below.



"It's Elementary, the groundbreaking film that addresses anti-gay prejudice by providing adults with practical lessons on how to talk with children about gay people." The film first aired in 1999 on public television, yet I have never heard of it and schools are still scared to even mention the letters, "LGBTQ." This film brought to you by GroundSpark.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Friday, September 25, 2009 at 11:55:00 PM EDT

So I think the jury is in, we all hate the Westboro Baptist Church, that hate group from Kansas that protests war veterans’ funerals, Jewish holidays, and places where LGBTQ people are celebrated and welcomed. It’s not the people so much as their ideas. The ideas that fallen war heroes are in hell and deserve to be, murdered and mourned LGBTQ youth and equality activists are in hell and deserve to be, and that anyone who disagrees with them should burn in hell unless they convert their beliefs. Let’s admit it. They’re “the crazy,” and that’s something right and left wingers can agree with.
 
The Puritan revivalists were at it again in Brooklyn, but it was here that they faced unanticipated opposition. The five adults and one child (So sick and disgusting, bringing children into an environment where slurs from both sides are being yelled back and forth. In one documentary about Westboro, there was a drive-by, a 7-eleven cup filled with ice and drink was thrown, and a five to seven-year old boy was hurt badly on the forehead because his parents forced him to go to an anti-everything-sane rally. In my definition, “everything sane” includes women’s reproductive rights, LGBT rights, loving Jews, Ikea, and honoring people who have served their country) were outnumbered by the 200 students of Brooklyn Tech High School. The event for the Baptists was scheduled for 3:00 to 4:00 PM but they left earlier than expected according to reports. Nike! I guess their anti-women’s rights, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ rights, and anti-veterans signs were no match for pro-love teenagers. And like any 21st century protest, the anti-hate rally was organized by the youth through word of mouth and Facebook. Westboro is no match for constant friend updates, Kanye West memes, and Farmville. Anyone want to adopt a black sheep?
 

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Friday, September 18, 2009 at 8:54:00 PM EDT

Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-Wi) has released a youtube video addressing the importance of healthcare reform and why people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community should be following the debate carefully.

Congresswoman Baldwin, the first openly lesbian congresswoman in the house, has even included sections in the bills that would directly affect the LGBTQ community including extending drug access to people with AIDS and nondiscrimination policies. Her Youtube site can be found here and her official page here.



Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 12:52:00 AM EDT



This Tuesday in the House of Representatives, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced legislation that would repeal the discriminatory law that denies federal benefits to same-sex couples, the Defense of Marriage Act. The new bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, has over 90 sponsors in the lower house and support from former President Bill Clinton. The sponsors hope to educate and to gain momentum for the repeal and for future LGBTQ rights legislation. Although some believe, like Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) who is not one of the sponsors, the repeal will not pass because the law would allow couples to take their partnership benefits across states, that did not stop the congressmen and women from coming together to fight for our rights. RMA ensures that in states like Vermont, same-sex couples are given federal marriage benefits in the state they married and where ever they choose to live even in a state like Texas. The Respect for Marriage Act will not force any state or religion into sanctioning or recognizing same-sex marriages. Congressman Polis (D-CO) states in defense of the proposed law, “Whether this takes a year, six months, three years, what we're accomplishing here today is getting the ball rolling.

From Huffingtonpost.com:

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 11:35:00 PM EDT

In light of all of the “teabaggers” rallying and complaining over the people in power, I would like to bring to light someone who maybe doesn’t have as much power as the president but enough influence over people to cause a considerable amount of harm.

Pastor Steven Anderson of Tempe, Arizona, leads the Faithful Word Baptist Church, a loony, right-wing, god-smiting, hate church that preaches and prays for, “Barack Obama to die and go to hell.” He became relevant when Christopher Broughton, a member of the Faithful Word Baptist Church, brought an assault rifle to an Obama health care rally. He has ties to anti-government groups and was part of that day’s publicity stunt organized by Ernest Hancock, a conservative talk show radio host. It’s ironic how people who are pro-life will threaten to kill someone if they attempt to provide health insurance to millions of people.
 
I would also like to mention as a part of the story the overt prevalence and signs of racism as a part of these anti-Obama rallies. AZcentral reports on Christopher Broughton:

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at 12:28:00 AM EDT

A contraversial ad to spread AIDS awareness to the people of Germany has hit the web and has had organizations questioning if this ad has gone too far. I think y'all should judge for yourself but viewer's discretion advised. German television is a lot more lax than American TV.

Now, here's what's happening for those who don't want to watch the video. The ads show a woman having "close encounters" (sex) with several historical, tyranical dictators such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. The dictators are symbols of how HIV and AIDS are mass murderers and that they must be stopped from taking more lives.

The message is great and we can all get behind it but it's the execution that's the problem. Hitler is a symbol for AIDS but by having him have sex with a woman and spread the AIDS virus you can also be saying that the HIV-positive people and the people who spread the virus are the mass murderers. Clearly not the intent but it is logical to assert that that message can be portrayed in these ads.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 3:36:00 AM EDT

As we have all heard, Maine will be fighting hard in the upcoming vote on human rights, specifically, marriage equality rights for LGBT people. The latest video comes from Equality Maine, an organization set on taking the recently passed law that allows same-sex marriages off hold as it is right now. So, until this Maine votes No on 1, the law will be put on hold and if Maine votes Yes then it'll be thrown out. Let's not let that happen. But first, we must know our past before we move on towards the future!



Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Sunday, August 30, 2009 at 3:55:00 PM EDT

I ran into this very charming little commercial and thought y'all should see it too. The commercial comes from marriagequality.ie, an organization based in Ireland fighting for extended LGBT rights. Currently Ireland has Civil Partnerships but as we all know those partnerships and civil unions are not the same as marriages and do not guarantee the same rights and protections. Enjoy the video and don't forget that while we're fighting state-to-state for marriage equality people around the world fight on a national level for their rights just as much as us.

Sinead's Hand


Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 1:41:00 AM EDT

Once again, in the American tradition, people from across the nation have gathered together to vote on human rights. (But maybe I should be a little uplifting; this story does have a good ending. Spoiler!) Last week, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American (ELCA) voted to pass a resolution that would allow gay ministers in the church to be in monogamous relationships and live openly without having to be restricted to celibacy.
 
Before there was a vote on the resolution, the members of the ELCA conference debated the topic with passion and fervor. According to Star Tribune, “A man wiped away tears as he told about a gay seminary student who was so despondent about his rejection by the church that he committed suicide.” Of course, as usual, the opponents of the resolution pointed to the thousands of years of heterosexual marriages and biblical testament to provide the insight to how gays should be treated by the church. But not even a tornado could stop justice from coming to the ELCA congregation.
 
The vote came in 559 to 441 to pass the resolution that would grant equal treatment by the church to all ministers gay or straight. Although the resolution is a big step for the church in accepting LGBT members in their congregation, the resolution in no way supports or denounces the topic of same-sex marriage. According to Reuters, “The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America also encouraged its congregations to find ways to support or recognize members in "accountable lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships." The word marriage was explicitly left out of the discussion and resolution, according to reporters from the conference. Although a Christian church accepting LGBT people is uncommon and considered “far-left”, today, the United Church of Christ still remains the most open Christian church, accepting all people who are LGBT and blessing same-sex unions.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 4:21:00 PM EDT

Current TV's Bryan Safi returns once again as the gays-in-the-media-and-on-TV expert. This time, he gives his commentary on how television producers and writers include lesbian "flings" and create "homosexual tendencies" within the show between noramally heterosexual characters in order to enhance viewership and create a buzz for more publicity.



Not only is it disgusting that writers must include girl-on-girl action in order to rise in the ratings, the representations of LGBT people that they portray insult our community and give a tainted message to their viewers on what it really means to be LGBT.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 2:05:00 AM EDT

In today's society, we're not all safe. That's why, especially for LGBTQQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Intersex) tweens and teens, it's important to make sure you know the rules and practice caution in everything you do. This rings especially true for teens who are coming out.

Below is a video made by a friend of a friend about how to best come out of the closet and be safe while doing it.



Ask most LGBT people how they came out and the above video should be reminiscent to their expierences and the advice they would often give to a fellow "family member". (The submitter entered a contest on the website so make sure to support them. (ALSO click on this link if you can not view the above video.)

At this moment you should be asking why I am bringing up this topic. Well, it's because, as stated in the video, there are some places in the world where local law prohibits people from expressing who they truly are. If you haven't heard the story, yet, don't blame yourself. The media has been taking their sweet time reporting on this.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 11:26:00 PM EDT

August 15th was “The Great Nationwide Kiss-In.” Hope you didn’t miss out. In case you did, the Associated Press wrote a great article on the meaning behind the kiss-ins across the country and how it correlates with the image of the Mormon Church. “Mormonism…has struggled with its image since its western New York founding in 1830 for a host of reasons, including polygamy.”
The event comes after gay couples [in Salt Lake City] and in San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, were arrested, cited for trespassing or harassed by police for publicly kissing. In Utah, the July 9 trespassing incident occurred after a couple [was] observed by security guards on a downtown park-like plaza owned by the 13 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As Joe has posted before, after the men in Utah, Derek Jones and Matthew Aune, were assaulted by the LDS security guards because they were showing innocent affection for one another, the people of Salt Lake City gathered in solidarity to form what is now known as the "kiss-in.” Just like a sit-in but more fun. Kiss-ins not only serve a purpose by showing our solidarity with the gay couples in Salt Lake, San Antonio, El Paso, and other places where gay PDA is targeted, they also enhance the LGBT community’s visibility and bring attention to the injustices that are effecting our lives.
"I don't think that kiss would have turned out to be the kiss heard round the world if it were not for Proposition 8," said Ash Johnsdottir, organizer of the Salt Lake City Kiss-In. "I encourage them to promote the values they believe in and to defend their religious principles in advertisements, but civil rights have nothing to do with religious principles," Atali Staffler said.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Sunday, August 9, 2009 at 7:04:00 PM EDT

Tortured by loneliness and his lack of success with women, George Sodini developed a plan to get even. On Tuesday night, he executed it, opening fire in a fitness center here and hitting 12 women, 3 fatally, before turning a gun on himself.
After reading the full article, you begin to understand how a man can become so anguished that he finds himself capable of fulfilling his plans of vengeance against the world he felt had shunned him and the society that had betrayed his trust and led him to believe he had no choices other than finding a beautiful, young woman for him to love or dieing in heartache.
 
Cenk Uygur, one of my favorite liberal talk show hosts, host of the Young Turks, suggests how we can see the Pennsylvania shooter and the tragedy from a different perspective. He suggests in the video below how we can see the result of this situation as a product of how society sees love and relationships.


(Link To Youtube Channel Updated Daily)
 
 “Society has become obsessed with dating and going out with…someone who is supper attractive…they have to be younger, they have to be thinner, they have to be attractive.”

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 6:46:00 PM EDT

As I have reported in my last blog, the murders that took place August 1st in Tel Aviv were a part of the most heinous hate crime against the LGBT community that Israel has ever seen. When the news broke out I was in near tears while trying to comprehend what had happened and writing the blog response that helped me express my emotions about my connection with the LGBT community around the world.
 
In response to the hate crime, vigils took place around the world to remember the eleven who were badly injured, the three that had lost their lives, and the thousands who will never forget the pain of such a tragic and horrendous crime.
 
In Los Angeles, youth activists, some of them friends with whom I attended GSA activist camp with, gathered at Los Angeles City Hall from 7 to 8 PM to honor the victims of the Tel Aviv hate crime through poetry and personal offerings. Below are videos from the vigil organized by Youth Today that took place Friday August 7.

 
“What seemed like worlds away touched so deeply today/…Lending a hand to dear allies/soon a new song of freedom/…I too sing for freedom/Sing for peace/Sing for home/”

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Monday, August 3, 2009 at 3:11:00 PM EDT



 As some of you may have heard,  Israeli police were in search of a masked man who opened fire at a gay youth club in Tel Aviv, killing two and wounding fifteen in an attack that struck fear among the liberal city's homosexual community. This attack is considered to be the worst against the country's queer community. Join us this Friday to remember the victims of this hate crime.

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 7:34:00 PM EDT

Associated Press:

JERUSALEM – Israeli police say a gunman entered a youth club for gay teens in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night and sprayed the interior with automatic rifle fire, killing three people and injuring 11.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said it was "most likely a criminal attack and not a terror attack." Tel Aviv has been a target for Palestinian militants in the past.

He said the gunman burst into the basement of the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association and opened fire on a support group for gay teenagers.

Police are searching the area for the gunman, who fled the scene, he said. Roadblocks were set up.

Rescue services said six of the wounded were badly hurt.

"This was a hate crime, a premeditated attack," witness Yaniv Weisman told Channel 10 TV. He said Cafe Noir, the basement club, was popular with youth.

"Those hurt were very young," he said.

Openly gay Knesset lawmaker Nitzan Horowitz said it was "without a doubt the biggest ever attack on the Israeli gay community, we are all in shock."

Witnesses told Israeli media that the gunman was dressed all in black, and described the scene as a "bloodbath."
The violence that exists around the world never ceases to shock me and this has to be the most shocking. Not only did this gunman viciously attack the entire gay community in Israel that night, he attacked all LGBT youth who struggle enough to identify themselves. I hope that as news of this attack spreads people realize that these were the children who were seeking an opportunity to live life to its fullest and they were stripped of that. They were so young yet they had gone so far in such little time. Maybe no one really knows who these people were but I know exactly what they stood for.

When I think of this story it reminds me of my LGBT youth center, the one I go to every week, and at this moment I am at the point of breaking in tears. Those youth who go there, who are ages thirteen and older, are the bravest people I know. In a world of hate and violence, a world filled with those who concern themselves with the lives of others so much that the thought of those different from them drives them to the point of insanity and as we see here madness, not less than that. Who were those kids? Some, I’m sure were out and proud to be who they are. Some, I’m sure were coming to terms with themselves and beginning to understand their community. And I am sure that there was not a single one that thanked God, someone, everyday that they were finally somewhere that called them brother, sister.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 11:51:00 PM EDT

Now that summer school is over, I can get back on track on updating you on all of the info that I got from my activist camp experience earlier this month.
 
Gay-Straight Alliances face many challenges in school. It can come from low recruitment, low visibility and awareness, little to no activity on campus, student/staff acceptance (or unacceptance), and fundraising. However, above all of these complications that can arise, there are laws that protect students from discrimination, grant rights to students for comprehensive sex education, and ensure that no student-organized club is discriminated against.
 
One of the workshops that took place at the GSA activist camp was “Fight 4 Your Rights!!!” There were three laws that we were taught about that were either in place already or have yet to be passed by the California legislative system.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 3:32:00 AM EDT
Comments Add Comment
Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

For my next couple of blogs, I will be featuring the learning experiences that I have been privileged enough to go through while attending the Gay-Straight Alliance Network’s 3-day Activist Camp that took place last weekend. Before I go through the specifics of what I learned I wanted to start by sharing the application form to enter the camp that everyone had to complete before going to camp. Not all of them are the same questions (these questions are technically for another activity) but a majority of the questions asked revolved around the following themes of the questions.

More...

Share this entry:  del.icio.us | Facebook |  MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This