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Born Different
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TED CHALFEN
Gay Colorado Teen's
Graduation Speech
May 2013
A
Boulder, Colorado-based gay
teen's
incredible commencement speech
thanking his graduating
classmates for their support is
receiving some attention
nationally. The speech was given
at the graduation ceremony of
Fairview High School.
"I’m going to skip all of the
clichés I want to rattle off
right now, and get right to the
point -- I’m gay," Ted Chalfen
told the crowd. "Many, if not
most, of the students here today
know this, and most of them
don’t really care."
Admitting he was prepared to
"endure taunting, social
ostracization and even physical
abuse" when he came out before
entering high school, Chalfen
added, "The response I have
received, by and large, has been
stunning. The amount of people
who actually seemed happy to
hear that I was gay outnumbered
those who didn't care, and those
who didn't care far outnumbered
the small group who reacted
negatively."
He
then noted, "The kindness and
understanding that you all have
shown me over the past four
years speaks volumes about each
and every one of you as human
beings."
LINKS:
Gay Colorado Teen's High School
Graduation Speech
SARAH NOONE & ADAM PRATT
Opposing Alabama Anti-Gay Law
March 2013
Two brave Alabama teens are
getting national attention for
their LGBT activism! They
were recently featured in a
front-page article in the
Birmingham News!
With the
help of Rep. Patricia Todd, two
Birmingham high school students
are showing real courage in
opposing legislation that they
fear will be harmful to Alabama
youth. Sarah Noone, 16, from Indian
Springs School, and Adam Pratt,
17, from Homewood High School,
are taking a bold stand against an
anti-gay Alabama law.
They organized a petition effort
to gain public support for their
cause and submitted their
comments on a video posted
through Change.Org. They are
asking
the Alabama legislature to
remove a section of Alabama law
that requires sexual education
teachers to emphasize
"homosexuality is not a
lifestyle acceptable to the
general public and that
homosexual conduct is a criminal
offense."
Sarah says, "I’ve
devoted my life to helping the
LGBT youth of this state find
safe places and thrive as a
community. As a Youth Leader of
the Birmingham Alliance of Gay,
Straight and Lesbian Youth (BAGLY),
I spend considerable time with
individuals who face some of the
worst homophobia and transphobia
that this country has to offer."
LINK:
Sarah and Adam Take a Stand Against Ala Anti-Gay Law
Bham News Article: Ala Teens Petition Legislature to Repeal Anti-Gay Law
Sarah and Adam on
You Tube
LGBT HEROES
RYAN ANDERSON
Boy Scout Denied Eagle Badge
October 2012
Ryan joined the Boy Scouts when he was just six years old, and since then, he's dreamed of earning his Eagle award -- the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. Ryan is now a senior in high school, and just completed the final requirements to earn his Eagle badge. But because he recently came out to his friends and family as gay, leaders from our local Boy Scout troop say they won't approve his Eagle award.
A Boy Scout gets his Eagle by earning many badges, completing all lower Scout rank requirements, and carrying out an approved final project. So Ryan decided to build a "Tolerance Wall" for his school, to show bully victims -- like Ryan -- that they are not alone. Ryan worked countless hours with elementary students to amass a wall of 288 unique tiles, all illustrating acts of kindness.
But when leadership in Troop 212 (San Francisco Bay Area) found out that Ryan was gay, the Scoutmaster said he refused to sign the official paperwork designating Ryan as an Eagle Scout, despite the fact that Ryan completed all of the requirements.
Andresen has shown heroic commitment to the Boy Scouts despite fierce adversity and intolerance. Andresen has endured years of bullying and torment at school and while attending Boy Scout activities. When Andresen attended Boy Scout camp his nicknames were "Tinkerbell" and "faggot." In addition, Andresen endured hazing that included, among other rituals, having the word "fag" written in charcoal across his chest, all so he could participate in the Boy Scouts, and earn his Eagle Scout award.
LINKS:
Boy Scout Anti-Gay Policy Denies Scout His Eagle Badge
Huffington Post: Boy Scouts Anti-Gay Policy
PBS: Boy Scouts Anti-Gay Policy
SF Examiner: Boy Scouts Deny Gay Teen His Eagle Scout Award
ABC News: Boy Scouts Reaffirm Anti-Gay Policy
ELIZABETH GARRETT
Tuscaloosa Prom Pioneer
March 2012
Elizabeth Garrett is a 10th-grade
student
at Brookwood High School, in
Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She wore a sweatshirt
on January 5 with the words
“Warning, This Individual
Infected With ‘The Gay,’ Proceed
With Caution.” She wore it to
express her support for LGBT
rights and to communicate, in a
humorous way, that there is
nothing wrong with gay people.
A school official demanded that
Elizabeth remove her sweatshirt,
claiming that it was
“distracting.” The administrator
released Elizabeth to her class
only after she placed it in her
backpack.
On a separate occasion
during this school year, the
administrator indicated that
same-sex couples are not
permitted to attend the school
prom together.
Elizabeth became a catalyst for
change in her school when the
Southern Poverty Law Center came
to her defense and demanded the
Tuscaloosa County School System
end its discriminatory ban.
The SPLC reached a resolution
with the school system and it
announced in March 2012 that it
will allow its
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender students to attend
prom with same-sex dates. The
school district also has
recognized the right of students
to wear clothing with slogans
expressing acceptance of LGBT
people.
LINKS:
SPLC Letter Sent to Tuscaloosa
School Officials
SPLC Report: Resolution reached
with Brookwood High School
Tuscaloosa Report: Same Sex
Couples May Attend Prom
SARA COUVILLON
T-Shirt Warrior
August 2011
The SPLC praised officials at an Alabama high school or restoring the right of a student to wear a T-shirt expressing acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.
Sara Couvillon, a sophomore at Hoover High School, wore a t-shirt that said, “gay? fine by me.” School officials told her to change her shirt out of “concern for her safety," despite the fact that no one had made any threats. At first, Hoover High School defended its decision to ban the pro-gay t-shirt.
Then, the Southern Poverty Law Center sent the school a letter letting them know this case would not be taken lightly:
Evidently, officials at your school told Sara that she could not wear the shirt because they were “concerned for her safety.” Yet, Sara did not experience any threats of violence, nor did the officials tell Sara that there were threats of violence against gay students from which disruption could have, or did, result. In fact, Sara had routinely worn the t-shirt during the previous school year without incident. Therefore, the officials’ stated reason for the censorship was unfounded and unsubstantiated. Moreover, even if there are students who will act disruptively in reaction to Sara’s t-shirt, the school has a duty to punish the disruptive students, not to prohibit Sara’s speech...
By censoring Sara out of concern that other students would behave disruptively, your school has allowed those disruptive students to exercise a “heckler’s veto” over Sara’s free speech rights. The First Amendment does not permit such an outcome.
The principal, Don Hulin, responded:
“At Hoover High School, we have a tradition and practice of respecting the rights of students to exercise all of their constitutional entitlements. We are fortunate to have a diversified student body and we work very diligently to encourage a culture of tolerance and understanding.
In the tradition of the United States Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines, students at Hoover High School exercise their First Amendment rights without restriction unless such expression disrupts the learning environment or disabuses the rights of others.
Our dress code at Hoover High School is designed to facilitate the learning environment that is so important to our school. The t-shirt at issue has not caused a substantial disruption and the student will be allowed to wear it. Our focus has been and will be on the learning environment at Hoover High School.”
LINKS:
Too Gay For School
SPLC Intervenes and Free Speech
is Restored
Digg: Hoover High School Defends
Decision to Ban Pro-Gay T-Shirt
Blog: Hoover High School Defends
Decision to Ban Pro-Gay T-Shirt
Left in Alabama: James Robinson & Sara
Couvillion
DANIELLE SMITH
GLSEN Student Advocate of the Year
May 2010
For four years, Danielle Smith,
17, has steadily and tirelessly
worked for safe schools and
equal rights for gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender teens,
never imagining her efforts
would attract attention beyond
her home in Bowdoin, Maine. But
as she prepares to graduate from
high school, the accolades have
begun to pour in.
At a gala event
in New York City on May 24,
2010, the Gay, Lesbian, and
Straight Education Network (GLSEN),
named Smith its Student Advocate
of the Year. And on June 22, she
attended a special reception in
honor of LGBT Pride Month at the
White House, where she met
President Barack Obama.
Smith
has
spent
her high
school
career
working
as an
advocate
for LGBT
rights,
training
students,
lobbying
politicians,
speaking
with
newspapers
and TV,
and
organizing
local
protests.
“Danielle
is an
exceptional
student
whose
leadership
within
her
school
community
and
state
has led
to safer
and more
welcoming
schools
for all
Maine
students,”
said
GLSEN
Executive
Director
Eliza
Byard.
“Danielle’s
commitment
to safe
schools
is an
inspiration.”
Since
she was
a
freshman
at Mt.
Ararat
High
School
in
Topsham,
Maine,
Smith
has been
active
in the
school’s
Gay
Straight
Alliance
(GSA),
becoming
president
in her
sophomore
year.
After
her
first
year as
president,
she was
invited
to
become a
member
of the
GLSEN
national
student
leadership
team,
called
Jump-Start.
Through
the
Jump-Start
program,
Smith
organized
trainings
across
southern
Maine
for
youth
leaders.
Smith
also
served
as a
media
spokesperson
for
GLSEN
and GLAD
(Gay &
Lesbian
Advocates
&
Defenders)
about
the
implementation
of the
Maine
Human
Rights
Act as
it
related
to
regulations
that
would
affect
schools.
LINK:
Youth's
Activism
for LGBT
Rights
Honored
DERRICK MARTIN
Project Life Vest
July 2010
In April 2010, Derrick Martin, a gay teen
from Cochran, Georgia, was asked to
leave home after
publicity surrounding his decision to take his boyfriend to the high
school prom. In July 2010, Martin launched
Project LifeVEST to help
other LGBT people in similar situations.
States the new group's website: "Our
mission is simple: 'To be a helping hand, a life vest, to as many LGBTQ
teens and adults as possible. We will carry out this mission through the
establishment of safe places in as many cities as possible; through
opening a call center with a qualified and well-educated and experienced
team of counselors who can give advice and guidance where needed;
through finding qualified and screened families who can, if the need
arises, host rejected teens while they finish schooling or find a new
place.'"
Martin is founder and president of the new
organization. In a personal statement on the website, Martin reflects on
the trauma that came from his decision to take his boyfriend to prom in
the small Georgia town and the ensuing international media attention.
PRESTON WHITT
Point Foundation
Scholar
August
2010
The Point Foundation recently named their 25 scholarship recipients of
2010. They include a cadet, a football captain, and the founder of
Mississippi's first GSA.
Preston Whitt
is from
Decatur, Alabama. He is pursuing a BA in international affairs
focusing on Latin America and Spanish at George Washington University in
Washington, D.C.
Whitt, the son of divorced parents, was raised by his evangelical
Christian mother in rural Alabama. He always knew that he was different,
and other students knew it as well. Throughout his school years, Whitt
was taunted, harassed, and bullied almost incessantly, and not just by;
some teachers even joined in. When his mother found out he was gay, she
had an exorcism performed on him, then kicked him out and attempted to
end the family’s relationship with him, including all financial support.
However, Whitt took those experiences and converted them into the
foundation of his determination to protect other students from
suffering. Politically involved, Whitt has worked with GLSEN in various
capacities, most recently as a GLSEN media ambassador to help promote
safer schools. Preston has also started a mentoring community on
Facebook called Alabama LGBT Mentors to help support LGBT youths in that
state.
Preston attends George Washington University, where he is
double-majoring in international affairs and Spanish. He describes his
life goal as working to fight all manner of oppression so that every
individual has the opportunity to achieve his or her own happiness.
“My personal
experiences have given me a passion for activism to improve the lives of
LGBT people, particularly LGBT students," Whitt says. "With the support
of Point, I hope to continue and expand on these efforts until LGBT
people are fully safe, equal, and respected members of society
worldwide.”
WILL PHILLIPS
Grand Marshall of Gay Pride Parade
June 2010
The 2010 Northwest Arkansas Gay Pride
Parade featured a 10-year-old boy, Will Phillips, as grand marshal. Will Phillips is an activist in his school
and has taken a stand for equal rights. He is being called an
"ambassador for equal rights." His parents say they are "honored
and proud."
View the Channel 5 News report in which
Will Phillips is interviewed about being the parade's grand marshal and
about his views on equal rights. And read the report on the NWA
Pride website.
LINKS:
TV 5 News: 10 Year Old to Be Grand
Marshall of NWA Gay Pride Parade
NWA Pride: Pleased to Announce Will Phillips as Grand Marshall of Pride
Parade
Advocate Magazine: Will Phillips Named Gay
Pride Grand Marshall
Fusion Magazine: 10 Year Old Wins GLAAD
Award
LAURA GENTLE
Atlanta Ally
October 2009
Laura Gentle was the first
straight Co-President in Lambda Legal’s some 35-year
history and was also heavily involved in women’s rights
as the founder of the University of West Georgia’s first
feminist organization that fostered straight, lesbian
and bi-sexual feminist ideology.
After moving to Midtown
Atlanta, she lent support to many LGBT and civil rights
organizations, including: the Stonewall Democrats,
Georgia Equality, AIDS Atlanta and YouthPride through
financial contributions and volunteering.
Later, she took a step back from her activism work, but
after the Eagle bar (gay bar in Midtown Atlanta) was
raided by Atlanta police and over 60 patrons were
detained without cause, she went back to work and helped
organize many protests and community events to fight
back against such discrimination. She states:
"I felt I needed to stand
up as an ally to draw the straight community into this
issue as I feel it affects everyone who loves Midtown
and doesn’t want it changed for the worse."
LINK:
Jay Says: LGBT Heroes Project Features Laura Gentle
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