Northwest Pride

Join PFLAG Portland for Pride!

PFLAG Portland is looking for volunteers to staff our booth at this year's Pride celebration, June 14 and 15 at Waterfront Park. If you can spare 1 or 2 hours, we would appreciate the help.

Want to feel like a rock star?

Plan to join PFLAG Portland's Pride parade contingent. It will be the highlight of your PFLAG year! Step off is at 11:15am from the North Park Blocks in Downtown Portland on Sunday, June 15. The exact location to assemble for PFLAG's parade contingent will be sent out as soon as it is announced.

This Is Our Love Story

PFLAG is proud to announce that we’re launching an exciting new ad campaign, featuring actress and activist Calpernia Addams, that highlights our long history of moving equality forward for the transgender community. The campaign will begin appearing in various media outlets, both in print and online, in the coming months.

The campaign, titled This Is Our Love Story, outlines PFLAG’s long history of embracing our transgender families, friends and allies, including being the first national LGBT organization to include transgender people in our mission statement; adopting a landmark policy to only support legislation that is inclusive of the transgender community; and our work, as a founding member of United ENDA, to fight for workplace non-discrimination that leaves no one behind.

“I am grateful to PFLAG for their deep commitment to the transgender community and am excited about the opportuity to educate our community about PFLAG’s important work on behalf of transgender Americans,” Calpernia said today. “They are a champion for equality and an irreplaceable ally for transgender people. Their love story with our community is long and significant, and I am proud to help them tell it through this remarkable campaign.”

Rmore at PFLAG National Blog

Middle School Has a Lesson For All of Us…

From The PFLAG National Blog by Adam!

Our Senior Safe Schools Coordinator, Suzanne Greenfield reports on Spencer Butte Middle School in Eugene, Oregon where school administrators and students have come together against  some hateful  messages. Elise Self, a PFLAG mom from the Eugene-Springfield chapter was there on behalf of PFLAG, speaking out for GLBT students…

Spencer Butte Middle School in Eugene, Oregon has a lesson for all of us:

On Thursday, May 8, Spencer Butte Middle School was tagged with some very harmful and discriminatory graffiti.  The graffiti targeted Jews, gays, different races, and people with disabilities. The school responded to this hate by supporting the victims and publicly demonstrating their resistance to discrimination.  They held an assembly and all classes discussed the need to respect one another.  They also opened up their school to members of the Eugene Human Rights Commission, the ACLU, as well as members of the Jewish, Hispanic, and  gay and lesbian communities  to visit their classrooms to discuss the impact of the graffiti on the community at large.

On Friday May 16th the students of Spencer Butte Middle School held a unity walk at the end of the school day and signed a Harassment and Racism Free Zone (H.R.F.Z.) pledge.  After the signing, students, faculty, parents, andcommunity members all gathered for a potluck, listened to a student musical group, and made a circle symbolizing taking back their school.

PFLAG Eugene mom Elise Self attended the event and spoke for a few minutes as a representative of PFLAG.  In describing the event she said, “It was such an upbeat, fun, creative way of dealing with a very hurtful incident.”  Elise went on to say, “Students from the Jewish community spoke about how this incident made them feel and I spoke about the impact of this kind of graffiti on the LGBTQ community and me personally as the mother of a lesbian daughter.  My daughter and her partner have a new baby and I told them that I hoped that Lucy would grow up and be able to attend a school like Spencer Butte where her family would be valued like all other families.  It was a very uplifting event planned by the students.”

Thank you Elise for speaking out as a PFLAG mom and  thank you students of Spenser Butte Middle school for taking something hateful and building a stronger and better community.

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Maryland Passes Anti-Bullying Law

from The PFLAG National Blog by Steve

From PFLAG’s Safe Schools Coordinator, Suzanne Greenfield, comes word of good news for LGBT students in Maryland schools . . .

Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland has signed into law a bill that protects LGBT students from bullying in school. Maryland now joins six others states (California, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont) as well as the District of Columbia in passing legislation that specifically protects students on the on the basis of gender identity and expression as well as sexual orientation.

Passage of the comprehensive Maryland bill is particularly important because research shows that safe schools laws that specifically enumerate protected categories are more effective than laws that do not. The measure will require school districts to develop bully prevention programs for students, staff, volunteers and parents.

Great job Maryland!

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Spencer Butte Middle School invites the community

On Thursday, May 8, Spencer Butte Middle School was tagged with some very harmful and discriminatory graffiti.  The graffiti targeted Jews, gays, different races, and people with disabilities.  This harmful graffiti also targeted specific teachers and administrators in our school.  We have decided to respond to this hate by supporting the victims and publicly demonstrating our resistance to discrimination.  We held an assembly Monday morning when school began and have been working all week to create appropriate responses.  Classes have been discussing the the need to respect one another.  On Wednesday, members of the Eugene Human Rights Commission, The ACLU, The Mayors Office, 4J District Diversity Team, The Jewish Community, Hispanic Community, Gay and Lesbian Community as well as others, visited our classrooms to discuss the impact of the graffiti on the community at large. Also, every day this week up to 200 + students have been meeting at their lunches to design our strategy.

       

The students of Spencer Butte Middle School will be leading a unity walk at the end of the school day on Friday May 16.  We will be signing our Harassment and Racism Free Zone (H.R.F.Z.) pledge.  This statement will signify our unity as a school.

After signing our names to the pledge we will invite community members to join us in a potluck/vigil here at SBMS between 5:30pm and 8:00pm.  We will share food and music and circle our school in a symbolic gesture to reclaim our space.  We would be honored if you would join us for any or all of the day's events.  Please come and join the students of Spencer Butte Middle School for

a peaceful demonstration in response to hurtful graffiti that was sprayed on our school last Thursday night.  We invite you to come and celebrate our diversity and unity on the night of May 16th from 5:30 to 8:00pm.

Potluck:  We will provide flat ware, plates, tables to set food out on, briquets and a grill.  Please bring something to throw on the grill and a dish that celebrates your families' unique history, culture, religion or ethnicity.  If your last name begins with A - I bring a side dish, J - R a salad and S - Z a dessert.  Also, please bring a card with the name of the dish and the ingredients.

PLEASE BRING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY.

Please contact the school at 687-3237 if you have any questions.

SBMS DIVERSITY CELEBRATION AGENDA

2:55 Students invite teachers to help them highlight our history as the first Racism Free Zone in the United States of America by walking out the front doors of the school and signing our HRFZ pledge.

3:15 School is out and some students will remain to decorate the school while others will go home and help their parents create food that highlights our diversity and tastes like unity.

5:30 Students, family and community members gather in front of the school and finish preparing and presenting food.

5:45 Students welcome the community, explain the reason for our celebration, the agenda for the evening and invite the community to eat together.  Please bring blankets to sit as the event is a picnic.

6:15  Students begin cleanup of the meal.

6:25  Students invite the community to come together in a giant peace sign and lead a moment of silence to acknowledge the unifying atmosphere that has been created.  Community members have an opportunity to speak at this time.

6:45  Students lead a music/drum circle to signify our response as positive and creative.

7:15  Students invite community to help us circle the school signifying that we are taking our space back and surrounding it with love and acceptance.

7:45 Regroup and have closing statements from students, staff and community.

-- 

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California lifts gay marriage ban

California's ruling is expected to have an impact on the nationwide debate

California's top court has ruled that a state law banning marriage between same-sex couples is unconstitutional.

The state's Supreme Court said the "right to form a family relationship" applied to all Californians regardless of sexuality.

The ban was approved by voters in 2000 but challenged by gay rights activists and the city of San Francisco.

The state legislature twice passed laws to legalise gay marriage, but Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed them.

He said California's court system should rule on the matter.

The seven-judge panel voted 4-3 in favour of the plaintiffs who argued that the 2000 law was discriminatory.

"Limiting the designation of marriage to a union 'between a man and a woman' is unconstitutional and must be stricken from the statute," California Chief Justice Ron George said in the written opinion.

more at BBC

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“Religion Doesn’t Preach Discrimination”

from The PFLAG National Blog by Adam

PFLAG Pendleton (Oregon) chapter member and public school teacher Vickie Read appeared in a Day of Silence-related article in the East Oregonian last week entitled “Silence Sends a Loud Message.” (Article is available via the website archives.)

As you can imagine, articles dealing with GLBT matters, and especially matters of GLBT youth generate a lot of responses all across the spectrum. It is wonderful to see, then, editor George Murdock stand up for fair treatment of people in his community.

In this case, an anonymous caller left a disparaging message in response to articles on the Day of Silence and area farmworkers. Murdock responds:

“Ordinarily, we do not respond because we believe if a person truly cares enough, he or she will demonstrate the courage to stand up and be counted… While I have my own personal beliefs on a variety of subjects, I make no bones about my thoughts regarding tolerance, the dignity and value of every individual human being, and the need for each of us to demonstrate care, compassion, respect and understanding for those around us, regardless of who they are and what they believe.”

Read “Religion Doesn’t Preach Discrimination” here

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A More Suitable Person, Please

May 8th, 2008

“They’re very mean,” Phyllis Schlafly, the mother of a gay son, once said when someone asked her what she thought of the GLBT community. “[J]ust . . . vicious . . . ”

So just imagine how so many students at the Washington University felt when they learned that Ms. Schalfly, founder of the ultra-conservative, anti-gay Eagle Forum, is scheduled to receive an honorary doctorate from the school at their May 16 commencement ceremony.

Schlafly, who first rose to national prominence by opposing the Equal Rights Amendment, and went on to make a career out of gay-bashing, misogyny and attacking immigrant Americans, is also scheduled to speak at the May 16 event, and students and faculty are organizing to press the school to rescind its decision to give Phyllis a Ph.D.

And today, PFLAG and our St. Louis chapter are proud to join those on the ground in Missouri and call on school officials to do the right thing and, as executive director Jody Huckaby said today, “find a more suitable person to applaud.”

Read the rest of this entry at PFLAG National Blog»

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Soromundi

Soromundi's 19th Spring Concert at the Hult Center! - May 17

Tickets on Sale Now for Soromundi's 19th Spring Concert at the Hult Center! Saturday, May 17th, 7:30

Buy Tickets Online

Soroumundi: Lesbian Chorus of Eugene Featuring lively and engaging music from all over the world as well as familiar pop and folk songs, Soromundi's annual spring concert is a community favorite. This year's concert on May 17 features a variety of songs ranging from a haunting Sephardic lullaby to a rousing Cajun farewell song, adding a few popular pieces from past years just for fun. By bringing our music and our visible presence into the community, Soromundi counters prejudice, ignorance, and intolerance and fosters openness, respect, and cooperation.

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Reginald Shepherd

Poet Reginald Shepherd to read

Nationally renowned poet and part of the LGBT community, Shepard will read at:

8:00 p.m. Thursday, May 15 at the Knight library browsing room.

He'll also give a presentation on poetry at:

11:00 a.m. on Friday May 16 in the Linder Room, EMU.

Both events free. His blog is: http://reginaldshepherd.blogspot.com/