To help move the community to action during this important time, Live Out Loud has gathered resources to help teachers and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) advisors bring LGBT history into the classroom. We’ve also highlighted trailblazers from LGBT history who are sure to inspire your students.

LGBT history is an integral part of Live Out Loud’s mission to connect LGBTQ youth with role models. As a community, we must learn from those who came before us in order to understand what is possible and build on our successes.

We hope these resources inspire fruitful discussions and help your GSA take action. Email us at info@www.liveoutloud.info to let us know what you’ve been up to!

RESOURCES

• Use Live Out Loud’s Lesson Plans with your GSA to connect LGBTQ youth to our shared history. Click here to download our lesson plans.
• LGBTHistoryMonth.com from Equality Forum presents 31 icons for every day of October. GSA Network has excellent suggestions for using this resource activate your school and celebrate LGBT History.
• The Huffington Post’s LGBT History op-eds and articles are sure to spark conversation in your GSA
• Download Quist on iOS or Android for important events that took place on this day in LGBT history.
• The LGBT Community Center National History Archive contains news articles, photos, and other media giving a snapshot of LGBT life from as early as 1920
• Wikipedia’s “Timeline of LGBT history” lists important international events from pre-history all the way to the present day.

ROLE MODELS

Senator Tammy Baldwin made political waves when she became the first female senator from the state of Wisconsin as well as the first out lesbian in the U.S. Senate. Elected in 2012, Baldwin has been a strong advocate for women as well as LGBTQ people.

“I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference.”

Jason Collins is an American professional basketball player who made headlines in 2013 when he publicly came out as gay. He became the first active male professional athlete to be open about his sexuality. Most recently, Collins played for the Washington Wizards and was one of the first inductees into the National Gay & Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame.

“The most you can do is stand up for what you believe in. I’m much happier since coming out to my friends and family. Being genuine and honest makes me happy.”

Laverne Cox made history when she became the first African American transgender woman to appear on an American reality television program. She has also made history as the first openly transgender person nominated for an Emmy Award, and the first transgender person on the cover of Time magazine. Cox currently appears on Netflix’s smash-hit Orange Is the New Black playing Sophia, a trans identifying woman. In addition to acting, Cox is an outspoken transgender activist who advocates for greater inclusion of transgender people in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual civil rights movement.

“I have struggled and continue to struggle to not only have dignity and to carve out a place in the world for myself but to treat myself as if my life matters. My life matters. Transgender lives matter.”

Born in New York City to West Indian parents, Audre Lorde was an outspoken activist from a young age. As a young poet, her first poem appeared in Seventeen magazine while she was still in high school. As a black lesbian, many of Lorde’s poems included insight into both of her identities and how they often crossed paths.

“In our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction.”

Many argue that Harvey Milk is the forefather of the modern day LGBTQ rights movement. Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Milk fought for LGBTQ representation in the city and passed several gay ordinances protecting LGBTQ identifying individuals.

“All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.”

Sylvia Rivera was a transgender rights activist and a veteran of the Stonewall uprising in 1969. As the LGBT rights movement began to focus on the gay community, Rivera fought for those who became marginalized, such as the transgender community, low-income people, and people of color. The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) was named after her and carries on her legacy by fighting discrimination against people of color and low-income people who are transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming.

Bayard Rustin was an openly gay activist during the very homophobic landscape of the 1950’s and 60’s. Inspired by Ghandi, Rustin advocated for nonviolent and peaceful protest and served as Martin Luther King Jr’s advisor and mentor. Rustin was key in organizing the 1963 March on Washington.

“The proof that one truly believes is in action.”

Many consider Edith Windsor a hero. Windsor was a plaintiff in the Supreme Court case against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law that legally defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. When her partner of 42 years died in 2009, Windsor was left with large estate taxes because the federal government did not recognize their marriage. A heterosexual couple would not have been treated similarly. In June 2013, the United States Supreme Court overturned DOMA and, for the first time, recognized same-sex married couples on a federal level.

“Don’t postpone joy.”

Join us October 15, 2014 from 6-8 PM for refreshments and mingling while you learn how you can get involved as a volunteer speaker at a Live Out Loud school program by sharing your story with LGBTQ youth.

Live Out Loud’s Educational Curriculum introduces a range of topics to students in gay-straight alliance (GSA) clubs on a monthly basis in all five boroughs through our High School Program. You could be one of the role models we bring to a NYC high school – so come learn about our lesson plans and sign up for the topics that speak to you!

You’ll also hear about Live Out Loud’s Homecoming Project, which sends successful LGBTQ adults back to their hometown high schools across the country to share their stories with the next generation of LGBTQ youth.

RSVP to info@www.liveoutloud.info.

As a fall chill takes hold over the heat of summer, we can’t help but re-live the back-to-school experience we went through so many times. For those of us who are LGBTQ, the memories this season evokes still accompany a feeling of dread. Despite the progress our community has made, the cycle continues; the next generation still faces the same fear when they return to school every year. Here are three of the most common reasons why, as witnessed by Live Out Loud’s program managers:

1. Coming Out

This is one of the most common and pressing concerns for LGBTQ youth. When the topic comes up during our programs, students are eager to know when is the right time, and what to do if they are rejected by their families. With our community constantly in the media spotlight, teens feel more pressure than ever to come out as early as possible. In reality, in most cases this is not the best course of action. Live Out Loud stresses to students in our programs that they should come out only when it is safe to do so.

2. Home

Even if a student is out at school, this doesn’t necessarily mean they can also be out at home. Many students in NYC face homophobia and religious intolerance from their families and fear for their safety if they were to come out. This forces them to lead a double life that can be emotionally draining for students and can affect their performance at school.

3. Isolation

Many students report feeling isolated in school due to homophobic language and ignorance. And if a school has no Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club, these students may have no one to turn to. Live Out Loud works with schools to found and support GSAs so they can be safe spaces that connect LGBTQ youth to their community.

The LGBTQ experience can be a uniquely lonely one. Other communities based on race or religion are often strengthened by the bonds of their families as they grow up and learn from adult role models what it means to belong to their community. More often than not, LGBTQ youth do not have this support. When Live Out Loud brings a role model into a school, for many of the students this is one of the first openly gay, bisexual, or transgender adults they are meeting in their lives. As incredible as this may seem, it’s a constant reminder that NYC is not always the queer mecca it’s sometimes made out to be. The younger generation still needs our help as much as ever.

So how can you make a difference? Volunteer with Live Out Loud and be a role model. If you made it through high school as an LGBTQ teen, you can change a life just by sharing your story. For some it can seem scary, but Live Out Loud’s volunteers who join our programs as role models have universally described it as a rewarding experience. Not only do you get to meet some amazing LGBTQ teens – but you also get to replace your negative high school memories with entirely positive ones.

Live Out Loud wants to change the paradigm so that no LGBTQ youth must go through high school without a role model to inspire them and help allay their fears. Make this the last fall when you think of “back-to-school” with fear, and the first when you think of it with hope.

Sign up today!

Thank you to our honorary hosts, host committee, sponsors, donors, and volunteers for making this event possible and supporting LGBTQ youth. And very special thanks to our Event Chair and Board Member Bruce T. Sloane for hosting this wonderful event at his home for six years.

Photo credit: Barry Gordin

]]> http://www.liveoutloud.info/wp/events/success-photos-from-the-6th-annual-pride-in-the-hamptons/feed/ 0 http://www.liveoutloud.info/wp/events/hamptons-2014/ http://www.liveoutloud.info/wp/events/hamptons-2014/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2014 15:41:50 +0000 http://www.liveoutloud.info/wp/?p=4023 About the Event: Join us for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction at our 6th Annual Pride in the Hamptons event – an evening to benefit Live Out Loud’s programs that inspire, nurture, and empower LGBTQ youth by connecting them to positive role models and affirmative experiences in the LGBTQ community.

Where and When:

Tickets will not be mailed. All names will be held at the door.

Pre-event ticket sales are now closed. General Admission tickets can be purchased at the door for $300.

	Become a Sponsor
Level Cost Benefits Purchase Now Platinum Sponsor $25,000 Recognized as “Platinum Sponsor” on invitation and email blast; Logo placement on website and link for 1 year / 9 newsletter listing, broadcast e-mails and e-mail reminders; Inclusion in event press releases and signage at event; Recognized as a member of “The Founders Circle”; 12 tickets to event + buffet dinner at 8:30pm Gold Sponsor $15,000 Recognized as “Gold Sponsor” on invitation and email blast; Logo placement on website and link for 1 year / 7 newsletter listing, broadcast e-mails and e-mail reminders; Inclusion in event press releases and signage at event; 8 tickets to event + buffet dinner at 8:30pm Silver Sponsor $10,000 Recognized as “Silver Sponsor” on invitation and email blast; Logo placement on website and link for 9 months / 5 newsletter listing, broadcast e-mails and e-mail reminders; Inclusion in event press releases and signage at event; 6 tickets to event + buffet dinner at 8:30pm Bronze Sponsor $5,000 Recognized as “Bronze Sponsor” on invitation and email blast; Logo placement on website and link for 6 months / 3 newsletter listing; Inclusion in event press release and signage at event; 4 tickets to event + buffet dinner at 8:30pm

Donate to the Silent Auction

Please direct Media Requests to:

Barry Gordin
631.553.4230
bg6@verizon.net

In early September when I started my academic year as the Homecoming Project intern, I remember thinking that the main objective of the Homecoming Project was to get volunteers to return back to their hometown high school and have a discussion with current students – sounds simple. Immediately, I realized the obstacles that I would face when reaching out to certain schools and the lack of willingness to have LGBTQ speakers return to their schools. When working with volunteers who came from diverse backgrounds, I wondered how I, a twenty two year-old graduate student, could help them craft their story when we were generations apart. At moments I felt like a deer in headlights!

Thankfully, it all started to make sense. I worked with a volunteer who grew up during the AIDS crisis and when HIV/AIDS was known medically as GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency), another volunteer who worked in the military during Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and one who came from a religious Christian background. Every time that I was able to work with a volunteer and they shared their personal journey with me, I felt lucky. I didn’t focus on the moments when my volunteers felt powerless, but rather on how they were resilient and got to the point where they are today. When volunteers shared these experiences with me, many of them were vulnerable and raw, and those were the moments that students were really able to connect with. Through working with the volunteers and going to Homecoming Project events, I learned the power of storytelling.

While LGBTQ progress in politics and the media is astounding, LGBTQ youth know that progress is made when it impacts school climate. When speakers return and share their story, these youth can see a future for themselves through the lens of the speaker. The process of coming out to yourself, friends, family, coworkers, and understanding what that feels like during, before, and after is what we want students to hear. For many volunteers sharing their story is cathartic. I know from being a part of the LGBTQ community that all of us need healing; for some of us the healing process begins with the Homecoming Project.

After spending time working with volunteers and planning Homecoming Project events, I thought that maybe I should try this out. Instantly, I started to worry that I’m too young, that I’m not out to every single member of my family, and I thought of all the things volunteers I worked with also struggled with. Instead of focusing on our strengths, we all choose to highlight our limitations. Finally, I decided to return to Manhattan Center for Science & Math and share my story with students.

I started speaking about how when I came out to myself in high school. After years of denial and internalized self-hatred, I was laying in my bed and one day I said out loud, “I’m gay”. Instantly, I felt a huge sense of relief and a weight off of my shoulders, but fear crept right back in. I thought, now that I have validated these thoughts and said those words out loud maybe I’ll say them in my sleep and out myself to my brothers, which in hindsight is funny. That night I didn’t go to sleep. While I was sharing this with students, I let them know that, living in a Somalia Muslim household, I never thought I could be openly gay and thats why I struggled with self-acceptance. The moment I said Muslim and gay, I noticed one student who looked confused and conflicted. He raised his hand and said that he learned from his family that if you’re gay, according to Islam you will go to Hell. He spoke about a verse in Qur’an that discussed an Island of men who were all gay and killed. I could see him looking at me and not understanding how I could equate Islam and queerness, how they weren’t mutually exclusive. I told him that I had been told the same story and once I came out in high school, a student printed that story out and gave it to me. Once I became more comfortable with my sexual orientation, I completely left the religion. I wish someone had told me years ago that I could be Muslim and gay; if they had I might be a more spiritual person, but no one did. I told them that religion is about interpretation and how some interpret that story to be about lust and critique how the women were on the Island were treated.

When I looked at that boy, I felt like I was speaking to my high school self. I was telling him everything I wish I had heard. That was another moment of confirmation of how important the Homecoming Project is for youth, the volunteers, schools, and the entire LGBTQ community.

This year I’ve done a lot of self reflection and realized that in order for me to be a great social worker and help others, I have to continue to work on myself. Completing Homecoming Project events for volunteers and myself has allowed me to start that work. In the end, I’ve realized Live Out Loud does much more than connect LGBTQ youth with role models and resources – it creates community within the LGBTQ community.

In preparing to go back to my high school, I worked very closely with Live Out Loud’s Program Manager, Tom Hernandez. Tom was so incredible and always available to support me throughout the process. He facilitated a workshop for Homecoming Project speakers focusing on how to develop and craft a presentation. The workshop was very helpful and gave me an opportunity to meet some amazing people in the LGBT community. Tom also worked one-on-one to help me focus in on my stories. Part of this process was reflecting and trying to remember what it was like to be a closeted lesbian in high school. It also forced me to look at some very painful moments, but also some really significant moments in my life. To me it was life changing.

Stepping back into my high school that day, I instantly felt nervous. I was a bit overwhelmed with emotions realizing that I hadn’t been there in quite some time. The building still looked the same. Smelled the same. It was still very hot and muggy and had NO air conditioning. The same security guard was still there. It almost felt like I never left, except now 10 years later I am completely out of the closet. I honestly expected the students to be not that interested in what I had to say. I didn’t want them to feel like I was some “adult” reciting a script about what the coming out process is like. I wanted them to feel connected and engaged, just as I wanted to feel connected and engaged with them and their questions. Once I met some of the students my nerves subsided. They were all so incredibly smart, brave, well spoken, and kind. Not only did they listen intently, but they also asked a lot of thoughtful questions. I didn’t feel like I was some stuffy old adult lecturing them. I felt like I was sharing my stories with a group of young adults. After the event my face hurt so much from smiling. I felt proud and touched to have shared my personal stories with them. I felt inspired and confident, and so completely honored to have been able to participate in the Homecoming Project.

I was incredibly surprised at how knowledgeable not only the students were about LGBTQ rights, but the advisers blew me away. It was so amazing to see two adults so engaged and dedicated to the Gay/Straight Alliance. I think it’s important to share with young adults our stories. Think about who YOU were in high school between the ages of 14 and 18. Whether you were out or not. Think about how significant it would have been to hear someone older share his or her experiences. That is why I would recommend doing the Homecoming Project. This gives you an opportunity to give back to our community and help our youth. I cant imagine what I would have thought if a 28 year old, bow-tie wearing, out lesbian came to my high school and shared her experiences. You will touch these kids hearts as much as they touch yours.