School Board of Broward County Affirms Safe Schools for LGBT Youth

Fort Lauderdale, FL – On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, for the second consecutive year, The School Board of Broward County, FL, voted unanimously to affirm its support for the National Day of Silence observed on April 16, 2010, one of the largest student-led actions in the country sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).  The purpose of the National Day of Silence is for students to silently and peacefully protest anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) bullying, harassment, and name-calling.  According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), because students who are targeted for anti-gay or anti-transgender bullying often do not identify as LGBT, the Day of Silence represents a peaceful a protest of a problem that affects all students no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The board resolution was once again sponsored by Broward County School Board Chairwoman Jennifer Gottlieb who recognizes the critical role for the National Day of Silence as an effective tool in the fight for equal protections of all Broward County students.  Below is a statement School Board Chairwoman Gottlieb read on behalf of the District’s Office of Prevention Programs:

“The resolution for the ‘National Day of Silence’ is more than a simple recognition supporting an LGBTQ/sexual minority activity in April. The resolution speaks to the importance of building a broader, critical, cultural norm in our school district. 

Providing our LGBTQ/sexual minority youth and their allies the opportunity to bring awareness to the issues of discrimination and prejudice that shadow this youth population every day is a responsibility of our educational system.

Empowering youth to reach out, connect and collaborate with their greater school population on this specified day provides a vehicle for peace building that is a human right. There is no greater place than the American school, to teach about issues that serve to strengthen our morality, our obligation to serve our community and our ability to make a stand for those that are marginalized. This is the premise behind the National Day of Silence resolution.”

Prior to the Board’s unanimous vote, School Board Members Stephanie Kraft, Phyllis Hope, Ann Murray, Maureen Dinnen and Robin Bartleman engaged in a heartfelt discussion voicing their strong support to ramp up on programs to reduce bullying in Broward County Public Schools.

The Board’s Student Advisor and Alternate Student Advisor also spoke in support of National Day of Silence.  Both self-identifying as heterosexual, shared their experience of speaking with classmates and students throughout the District who all support having activities that ensure for greater protection and inclusion of LGBTQ students.  The Board’s Alternate Student Advisor shared with the Board of the model created at Nova High School and the value these efforts contribute to safer schools for their classmates, but more specifically, their LGBTQ peers.

During an earlier agenda item, the Board’s Student Advisor shared with the board that during his past visits with various schools throughout the District, that students are asking for the District to ramp up on its sex-education curriculum and programming.  Students reported not getting the information they need to make smarter and healthier choices.

Jeanne Jusevic and Michael Emanuel Rajner, who both serve on the District’s Diversity Committee, spoke as Broward County residents in support of the resolution.  Jusevic, a mother, parent activist and of Mormon faith, spoke passionately about having a gay brother living with AIDS, a lesbian aunt shared the story of her son’s adolescent friend who was rejected from his home simply for being openly gay.  Jusevic also urged the School Board to support the resolution and made it clear that all students have the right to feel safe in our schools.  Rajner spoke as an openly-gay man living with AIDS and urged for vigilant efforts to be implemented at the middle school level where data consistently shows an increased incidence and prevalence of bully and suicide of LGBT youth.  Rajner also advised the board to reject any criticism from parents fueled by American Family Association (AFA), Liberty Counsel and other organizations with a mission to actively marginalize LGBT youth.  Rajner shared an example of the divisive harm these organizations are culpable when he briefed the Board on the recent spike at the end of 2009 in new HIV-infections of self identified gay Black men under the age of 24 who are not receiving age-appropriate comprehensive sex-education in the schools or at home.  Rajner noted that the lobbying efforts of these organizations contribute to the State of Florida’s failure to adopt legislation which would establish a statewide minimum standard for sex-education and reject the legalized discrimination of LGBT youth based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.  According to the Florida Department of Health, Florida ranks third (3) in the nation, behind New York and California in the total number of HIV/AIDS cases.

On Sunday, March 28, the GLCC/Pride Center will participate in a 10-kilometer fund raising walkathon through Fort Lauderdale to address the AIDS crisis in our community. We’ll be joined by thousands of others who understand that we need to take action now to halt the escalating spread of HIV/AIDS in south Florida.

ALL THE MONEY THAT GLCC/PRIDE CENTER TEAM RAISES WILL RETURN TO OUR AGENCY TO BE USED IN HIV SERVICES.  We hope we can count on your support!

Please consider:

1. joining our team as a walker/fundraiser or
2. sponsoring our team’s participation in the walk financially.

Please click here to join our team or make a donation. Help us confront the HIV/AIDS crisis in our community!

New Leaders Appointed to CenterLink’s National Board of Directors

New York, NY (February 23, 2010) — CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers today announced the appointment of the following three individuals to serve on its national Board of Directors:

• Jennifer Breakspear, Executive Director, Qmunity (Vancouver, BC)
• Paul Hyman, Executive Director, Pride Center at Equality Park (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
• Jay Squires, Executive Director, Gay Community Center of Richmond (Richmond, VA)

“Our board members are the most visionary and dedicated leaders in the LGBT community,” said CenterLink Executive Director Terry Stone. “Their experience, commitment and leadership will be driving forces in our work to assist centers in building a movement that honors and promotes full human rights and dignity for all LGBT people.”

In their leadership roles, they will work with CenterLink to oversee its strategic direction while guiding the organization as it seeks to build capacity, strengthen linkages, and advocate empowerment, self-reliance, inclusion and diversity among every community center in the coalition. CenterLink is the voice of community centers, and the board members represent both emerging and established leaders from many segments of the community.

“Every one of these new board members brings experiences and perspectives that will be invaluable to the Center movement,” said Lorri L. Jean, Co-Chair of CenterLink’s Board of Directors. “We’re thrilled to have them joining us!”

Others currently serving on CenterLink’s Board are Dolph Ward Goldenburg (Philadelphia, PA), Lorri L. Jean (Los Angeles, CA), George Westerman (Ferndale, MI), Valerie Larabee (Salt Lake City, UT), Robbin Burr (Rockford, IL), Maggi Cage (Milwaukee, WI), Kendall Clawson (Portland, OR), Sue Doerfer (Cleveland, Ohio), David Kilmnick (Bay Shore, NY), Lorraine Langlois (St. Petersburg, FL), Mike McKay (Dallas, TX), Jude Medeiros (Sterling, VA), Lester Neblett III (Sacramento, CA), Candice Nichols (Las Vegas, NV), Aejaie Sellers (Santa Clara, CA), Leslie Ann Thompson (Ferndale, MI), Craig Wiley (Baltimore, MD).

“Our new Board members bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and relationships to CenterLink and will help us continue to strengthen LGBT Community Centers,” said Dolph Ward Goldenburg, Co-Chair of CenterLink’s Board of Directors.

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Founded in 1994, CenterLink is the only organization working to expand the organizational and advocacy capacity of LGBT community centers through direct technical assistance, leadership skills development and resource coordination. For more information on CenterLink and its members, visit www.lgbtcenters.org.

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Thank You to all who attended our

Ribbon Cutting.

Thank you for your support

of the GLCC/Pride Center

And a Thank You to our sponsors:

Bacardi ~ Budweiser

Florida Agenda ~ Green Hopper

HotSpots ~ Latino Boys Magazine

Mark’s List Magazine ~ Premier Event Staffing

South Florida Gay News ~ Gay Tea Cruise

Wachovia – A Wells Fargo Company

And a very special thanks to our co-sponsor –

Pride of Greater Fort Lauderdale

GLCC/Pride Center And the Red Cross Partner 

  LGBT Americans for Earth Quake Relief

The terrible disaster that hit Haiti has touched all of us. We, as individuals, always come forward at these times to make contributions and offer support. Now we can speak as one voice, joining together to help the people of Haiti. The GLCC/Pride Center is collaborating with the Red Cross in an historic effort to bring the LGBT community’s contributions to Haiti. Because we are now able to donate directly to the Red Cross as a group, our community’s efforts can be identified as such. By giving generously, and in a timely manner, we will be making a statement to the world that will have a profoundly positive impact. The Red Cross is instrumental in the early response efforts critical to the survival of so many. Please click here and donate what you can to aid the people of Haiti.

The GLCC/Pride Center is collaborating with the Red Cross in an historic effort to bring the LGBT community’s contributions to Haiti. Because we are now able to donate directly to the Red Cross as a group, our community’s efforts can be identified as such. By giving generously, and in a timely manner, we will be making a statement to the world that will have a profoundly positive impact.

We know many of you have already contributed, but please consider an additional donation, in any amount, to this fund. Even ten dollars will make a big difference; Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and much of its capital city, Port-au-Prince, has been utterly destroyed by this disaster. The Red Cross is instrumental in the early response efforts critical to the survival of so many. Please click here and donate what you can to aid the people of Haiti.

Thank you in advance for participating in this effort to help the people of Haiti. We strongly urge you to forward this letter to your friends, so they may also donate to the LGBT Americans for Earthquake Relief in Haiti Fund.