DIVERSITY NEWS JUNE 2007

Welcome to the June Edition of Diversity News!

This month's articles include:

Ways to Nurture Tolerance in our Youth

Exploring "Day of Silence" in our Public Schools

Book of the Month

Barbara Gittings Dies

Diversity Business Minute

**Be sure to forward to your friends and coworkers!
To forward this newsletter scroll to the bottom and type in a friend's email address. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

An Exploration of Gay / Straight Alliance's "DAY OF SILENCE" in our Public Schools...
By Emily Foreman

Lane Levine, a coordinator in the Student Organizing Department of the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) in New York City, works primarily with GSA’s (Gay / Straight Alliances) in high schools and middle schools nationwide. GLSEN has been an advocate for upper level GLBT youth in public schools since 1988, and has supported the initiation of Gay / Straight Alliances in over 3,000 schools across the country. GSA’s are organizations within public schools that are initiated and run by students, often with a little inspiration and guidance from the GSLEN. GSA’s provide a forum for GLBT, GLBT-exploring youth, and students with GLBT family members to be able to come together with straight allies and friends. Depending on the motivation level of the school’s student-leaders, GSA’s can act as just a support group, it can be a source for public education among the whole community, or can even be a way to organize social events, like “Pride Prom.” Levine recently spoke with Diversity Builder about her experiences and challenges with this unique program. The idea behind the Gay / Straight Alliance is to create support for students of all sexual orientations. Levine spoke with us in great length about the support (and lack of) that has taken place since the program's infancy.

One of the activities that the Gay / Straight Alliance is most well-known for is the annual “Day of Silence”, in which gay-friendly students vow to not speak for a whole day at school. The backlash that comes with this day sometimes includes students’ use of anti-gay tee shirts, or taunting of students who are observing the vow of silence, in order to try to get them to speak. Levine said, “It is always interesting, because it puts these students in a very vulnerable position. It shows students (who might have never explored these thoughts before) how debilitating it can be to be in that position… to be singled out or discounted because of sexual orientation (or perceived sexual orientation.) This is sometimes an eye-opener for students who have never felt before that they can’t speak out how wrong the harassment is.” The 2007 “Day of Silence” had over 10,500 students register to participate across the country, with hundreds of thousands actually joining in on the day of. Levine is excited about these staggering numbers, and at the rate of growth year after year.

Click here to Visit GLSEN


Ten Ways to Nurture Tolerance:
Fight Discrimination in our Youth

1.) Talk about tolerance. Tolerance is an ongoing process; it cannot be captured in a single moment. Establish a high "comfort level" for open dialogue about social issues. Let children know that no subject is taboo.
2.) Identify intolerance when children are exposed to it. Point out stereotypes and cultural misinformation depicted in movies, TV shows, computer games and other media. Challenge bias when it comes from friends and family members. Do not let the moment pass. Begin with a qualified statement: "Andrew just called people of XYZ faith 'lunatics.' What do you think about that, Zoe?" Let children do most of the talking.
3.) Challenge intolerance when it comes from your children. When a child says or does something that reflects biases or embraces stereotypes, point it out: "What makes that joke funny, Jerome?" Guide the conversation toward internalization of empathy and respect—"Mimi uses a walker, honey. How do you think she would feel about that joke?" or "How did you feel when Robbie made fun of your glasses last week?"
4.) Support your children when they are victims of intolerance. Respect children's troubles by acknowledging when they become targets of bias. Don't minimize the experience. Provide emotional support and then brainstorm constructive responses. Develop a set of "comebacks" for children who are victims of name-calling.
5.) Foster a healthy understanding of group identities. For tweens and teens, group identity is critical. Remind them, however, of three things. First, pride in our own groups does not mandate disrespect for others. Second, no group is entitled to special privileges. Third, we should avoid putting other groups down as a way to elevate the status of our own groups.
6.) Showcase diversity materials in your home. Read books with multicultural and tolerance themes to your children. Assess the cultural diversity reflected in your home's artwork, music and literature. Add something new. Give multicultural dolls, toys or games as gifts. Bookmark equity and diversity Web sites on your home computer.
7.) Create opportunities for children to interact with people who are different from them. Look critically at how a child defines "normal." Expand the definition. Visit playgrounds where a variety of children are present—people of different races/ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, family structures, etc. Encourage a child to spend time with elders—grandparents, for example. Attend religious services at a variety of houses of worship.
8.) Encourage children to call upon community resources. The earlier children interact with the community, the better; we are not islands unto ourselves. If a child is interested in stars, visit the local library, museum or planetarium. A child who is concerned about world hunger can volunteer at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. 9.) Be honest about differences. Do not tell children that we are all the same; we're not. We experience the world in different ways, and those experiences matter. Help your child understand the viewpoints of others.
10.) Model the behavior you would like to see. As parents and as children's primary role models, we must be consistent in how we treat others and in our commitment to tolerance. If we as parents treat people differently based on characteristics such as race or gender, our children are likely to do the same.

Learn more about building diversity...


Top 5 Pride Festivals of 2007

1.) San Francisco Pride: June 23 and 24, 2007 This year’s theme is, “Pride, Not Prejudice.” The event will be held in the Civic Center of downtown San Francisco. With over 200 parade contingents, 300 exhibitors, and 19 stages and venues, the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade is the largest LGBT gathering in the nation. The two-day event is packed with a wide variety of vendors, artists, music in a variety of genres, performers, dance stages and venues. Some of the special areas that the San Francisco Pride Festival will be offering this year include: The Writers' Village, the Transgender Pavillion, Family Garden, Elder Space, the Clean & Sober Area, and the Faerie Freedom Village.
2.) Honolulu Gay Pride Festival: Saturday, June 2, 2007 This year's theme is "I BELONG". The parade starts at Magic Island side of Ala Moana Beach Park 9am, June 2, 2007. This year's festivities include workshops, live musical performances, Gay Idol Contest, DJ's, and Poetry Slam (divided into Youth Poetry Slam and Gay Adult Poetry Slam). **All are invited to the Gay Ohana (family) Festival celebriting the idea that we all belong!
3.) PRIDE London: Saturday, June 30th, 2007 35 years after Britain's first ever Gay Pride march, Pride London has confirmed that the 2007 parade will return to Oxford Street. Last year crowds of over half a million packed the streets of London to watch the spectacular parade of celebrities, floats, and performers celebrating Europe's largest gay and lesbian festival. This year's confirmed route will once again include West End's world renowned Oxford Street and Regent Street, and take in iconic landmarks including Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Piccadilly. There will be an arts festival, a rally in Trafalgar Square, a Cabaret Stage in Leicester Square, women's stage, food festival, and travel plaza in Soho Square.
4.) Atlanta Pride: June 22nd - 24th, 2007 Held at Piedmont Park, Atlanta Pride is by far the biggest, craziest pride celebration in the SouthEast. You can enjoy committment ceremonies, the Dyke Parade, AIDS Memorial Quilt display, Lambda Car Show, Theatre on the Lake, YouthPride Prom, and the Curve Magazine Peach Party!
5.) Boston Pride Festival: Saturday, June 9th, 2007 The largest pride festival in New England, Boston Pride is celebrating it's 37th year! Boston Pride proudly celebrates the fact that it is in the only state which allows same-sex couples to have the legal right to marry! If you go, you can enjoy a Military Ball, a Pride Boat Cruise, multiple book signings, and several block parties!


Barbara Gittings, gay pioneer, dies at 75
Mother of the GLBT Civil Rights Movement

Barbara Gittings, a seminal gay activist, died on Sunday, Feb. 18. She was 75 and resided in Wilmington, Delaware. Her death was announced by her partner of 46 years, Kay Tobin Lahusen.

Malcolm Lazin, executive director of Equality Forum, noted, “Barbara Gittings is the mother of the GLBT civil rights movement. She is our Rosa Parks. Barbara helped organize the first gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations in the face of a tsunami of homophobia. Her courage helped launch the GLBT civil rights movement.”

Barbara Gittings began her career in activism in 1958 when she founded the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis (DOB), the first lesbian organization. She edited DOB’s national magazine The Ladder from 1963 to 1966. Describing those years, Gittings said, “There were scarcely 200 of us in the whole United States. It was like a club; we all knew each other.”

In 1965, Gittings marched in the first gay picket lines at the White House and other federal sites in Washington, DC to protest discrimination by the federal government. She joined other activists in the pioneering annual demonstrations for gay and lesbian civil rights held each July 4 from 1965 to 1969 at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. These seminal yearly protests laid the groundwork for the Stonewall rebellion in 1969 and the first New York gay pride parade in 1970. Gittings’ role in these early protests is featured prominently in the Equality Forum and WHYY/PBS co-produced documentary, Gay Pioneers.

Read more...


Diversity Business Minute
A deeper look into companies that are helping our community...

Two financial advisors to invest in the gay community

Michael Aguon and James Nowland, financial advisors with Capital Financial Group, have decided to target two specific special-needs groups—GLBT and disabled persons.

Aguon and Nowland apply a specialized business model with a customized approach to meet the needs of these individuals. They also continue to educate themselves, in order to better serve these diverse groups. Through exploring the areas of cash flow, risk assessment and investments, Aguon and Nowland make it easy for their clients to keep their money growing.

“Our community is only as strong as its many working parts,” Nowland said, “and I believe it’s my duty to strengthen and embolden all people in this great community.”

Capital Financial Group, LLC, has Brentwood, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee locations. It offers a full range of investment and insurance strategies. Nowland may be reached at (615) 309-6362.
CRN 200904-90251

Click Here to Contact Capital Financial


GayFranchise.com

Franchisors now have a vehicle to take advantage of the gay community's growing purchasing power.

GayFranchise.com is the only online franchise directory that targets the Gay and Lesbian business community. The new portal opens doors to a brand new market for saavy franchise marketers and assists self-identified GLBT business professionals in becoming successful franchisees.

"Until now, the GLBT community has gone virtually unrepresented in the franchise industry. We are seeking to change that pattern by linking forward-thinking franchisors with one of the most lucrative markets in the U.S. economy today," stated Grant Courtney, Co-Founder of GayFranchise.com.

GLBT business professionals will find comprehensive listings of franchisors that include a company history, training, qualifications and the company's diversity statement. The site will also feature capital partners, attorneys and consultants to guide beginning franchisees to success...

Read more.....


Book of the Month

Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and Their Families

This book examines:

The six stages of transgender emergence

Coming out as transsexual or transgender as a normative process of gender identity development

Thinking "outside the box" in the deconstruction of sex and gender

The difference between sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as the convergence, overlap, and integration of these parts of the self

The power of personal narrative in gender identity development

Etiology and typographies of transgenderism and transsexuality

Treatment models that emerge from various clinical perspectives

Alternative treatment modalities based on gender variance as a normative lifecycle developmental process


Diversity Builder strives to help businesses reach and serve diverse markets.

Have you ever wished you could contact residents of a certain zip code or nearby neighborhood?
... Or have you ever wished to market your company to the healthcare community or another specific industry? Diversity Builder can help you do this!

We can target groups based upon:

Sexual Orientation (the GLBT Community)

Ethnicity (Hispanic, African-American Communities...)

Industries (Healthcare, Insurance, Retail, Home Improvement...)

Special Needs (Disabled Community, Students)

Location (From Seattle to Miami)

And so much more!

Here's what our clients are saying:

“I have been using Diversity Builder as a primary marketing source for over two years now. We are both listed on DiversityBuilder.com, and take advantage of their inexpensive e-mail marketing campaign services. It’s amazing how quickly I can tell when they’ve sent out my campaign, because I’m contacted by new customers by phone and email. I recommend using Diversity Builder to every small to medium-sized business owner that I meet. We haven’t found a better way to reach new customers in such an effective, reasonably priced way. Thank you Diversity Builder!” --- Gregory Cochran, Owner of Nashville Pest Control ---

"We like Diversity Builder e-mail campaigns more and more each day. New inquiries and calls from potential new customers have increased our business tremendously. " --- Martina Michalova, Owner of Domestic Divas ---

"During the two years that Diversity Builder has been promoting CoffeeCakes.com, we have grown our revenue over 70%, we could not be a more satisfied client, and we are truly excited to work with a company that values diversity as much as we do!" --- Sherry Comes, President of CoffeeCakes.com ---


Click here to inquire about how we can help YOUR business grow!


Quote of the Month:

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

~ BUDDHA ~



Thank you for supporting DiversityBuilder.com! Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Your Diversity Builder Staff