Jesus, Mary and Joseph ... this is exactly why we need a strong gay ally at the helm of the Commonwealth.

Representative Phyllis Mundy of Luzerne County says she has introduced her “Children in Foster Care Act” legislation during every session since 2005. But this time, she’s made some adjustments that may make the bill more popular, by omitting a section that would have protected children against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Because many children are in foster care because of their sexual orientation, she says the clause would be relevant in the bill of rights. However, since she’s had trouble passing it with that inclusion, she says she’d “rather pass an imperfect bill than no bill at all.”

They can't pass a bill that protects children from being abused in foster care based on their sexual orientation?  I know we are battling mightily to add sexual orientation to non-discrimination laws, hate crimes laws, etc.  But this is pretty despicable.

I'd be lying if I said I'm incredulous.  Three years in foster care taught me quite a bit, mostly about the wonderful kind people who step forward to parent children in foster care.  The best foster parents I knew were able to separate their personal opinions from the requirements to provide care consistent with the regulations.  Christian parents kept Jewish and Muslim children connected to their cultures. This was true across boundaries of race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic status, etc. 

That doesn't mean there aren't unscrupulous people who don't fulfill their duty and moral obligation to these children.  This issue hasn't been on the radar that I've seen. I'm going to get more information.  Clearly, LGBT adults need to do some educating of our legislators on this issue. 

This is just a post to raise awareness that this is an issue.  The campaigns are sexy, but we can't lost site of issues.  I don't know if we can make an impact now or later on this issue, but I hope we can at least make sure we keep it on our radar.

Oh those wacky Polish children's rights watchers .... always a day behind and a dollar short.  Remeber back in 1999 when Jerry Falwell deemed Teletubbie Tinky Winky a homo because he carried a purse (TW is the purple one)?  Now Ewa Sowinski is on the same bandwagon.  Well, she way until apparently someone reminder her of 1999 so she's off again.

"I noticed that he has a purse, but I didn't realize he's a boy. At first I thought that must be a bother for him," Sowinska told the magazine in an interview her office approved before publication. "Later I learned that there could be some hidden homosexual undertones."

Sowinska is a member of the League of Polish Families party, which is militantly anti-gay rights and anti-abortion. The party is a junior member in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Spokespeople from Sowinska's office have confirmed that they will not ask psychologists to examine the character.

Kacszynski has famously said, ""It's not in the interests of any society to increase the number of homosexuals, that's obvious."

I have a recurring dream that my father and I are on a long highway and we see a bridge that says "This way to Poland" and another exit that says "This way to France."  For some reason, I always want to go to Poland.  My father goes to France anyway.  For the record, as a lesbian and a woman, I'd much rather go to France.  Thank goodness for my Dad.

April 18 is the 11th Annual Day of Silence.

The Day of Silence is an annual event held to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools. Students and teachers nationwide will observe the day in silence to echo the silence that LGBT and ally students face everyday. In it's 11th year, the Day of Silence is one of the largest student-led actions in the country.

Pittsburgh's chapter of GLSEN leads the charge on the student-driven effort to educate and empower their fellow students around LGBT bias in America's schools and the school systems. 

So what happens?  Essentially, participants remain silent that day in solidarity with those who are "silenced" because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or alliance with the LGBT students.  According to the national website, more than half a million students have participated over the past ten years.

Why do we need a Day of Silence?GLSEN’s 2005 National School Climate Survey found that 4 out of 5 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and more than 30% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. The Day of Silence helps bring us closer to making anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable in America’s schools.

The Day of Silence is a call to action. Students can use this day, as well as other GLSEN Days of Action, as a means of achieving an “ask.” An ask is a very specific action that calls for a change in school policies, climate, and culture to achieve a larger goal of safe schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Some examples of an ask include: adding sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in your school’s non-discrimination or anti-harassment policy, or training teachers to respond effectively to anti-LGBT bullying, harassment, and name-calling.

Here's a good example of why this day is so important.  Christian-opponents have begun organizing "Days of Truth" to spread their message of gay-intolerance in the schools.  They believe that the learning environment should not respect or protect the rights of all students to pursue an education without harassment or discrimination.  They twist this into a Christianity versus homosexuality situation and have gone to court to force school districts to recognize their free speech and freedom of religion in this context.  The schools are backing down because its a fine line.

What's interesting is the Christo arguement that a Day of Silence impedes their free speech.  Ironic, no? 

Check out the GLSEN website and take a moment on April 18 to contemplate all the ways in which you are silenced. 

The Post-Gazette has a thoughtful piece on Dreams of Hope, a local drama troupe for LGBTQ teens and their allies.  Their performance theme this year is "Gay Youth in Good Faith."

"One of the biggest themes is the personal issue of sin, of how something that is so natural and doesn't seem like a bad thing, can be seen as horrible and people reject them for it. That is a big issue that most of them are dealing with," said [founder]Ms. [Susan] Haugh.

One need only read back posts on this blog to verify that the intersection of faith and sexual orientation can be treacherous. It can also be uplifting and magnificent as our own local Reverend Janet Edwards has demonstrated. 

The youth themselves have different experiences of faith -- in some cases, acceptance by their faith community while others have been cast out by their very own clergy-parents.  What's cool about these young people is that they channel those individual experiences of faith into a constructive dialogue for the larger LGBTQ community. 

What a great gift for those of who aren't so much youth any longer.  These kids are creatively exploring these intersections of identity that perplex the hell out of most adults, particularly gay people of faith in non-affirming communities. 

Kudos to Dreams of Hope for being a few steps ahead of the rest of us, but inviting us along for the journey. 

One scene re-creates a bus ride two actors took during which another rider condemned them by reciting Bible verses.

"That really hurt me, because I believe in God," said Renee Ballard, 20, a pastor's daughter from the North Side, who was on the bus.

Ms Ballard said that when she came out as a lesbian, her relatives rejected her, asking how she could still call herself a Christian. But there has since been reconciliation, she said.

"I told them I believe in God and God is in my life no matter what I'm doing. God loves me, no matter what. My sister came and said that she would also love me, no matter what," she said.

Check out Dreams of Hope at their website.

The woman who loves to hate us dykes and faggots is at it again.  Diane Gramley, the high priestess of Pennsylvania family values, has snagged herself a story in the Beaver County Times outlining her "concerns" about recent outreach from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to the Ambridge Area School District.

The Ambridge School District caught our attention late last year when School Board member William Scherfel referred to the high school's GSA as a "sex club" and its members as "fags."  Scherfel later "apologized" by claiming he didn't remember making the comments while acknowleding that he may have used the word fag since he grew up in that era.

In the meantime, GLSEN has stepped up and offered to work with the school district to raise awareness of LGBTQ issues, a move that could actually improve the learning environment for gay students and possibly assist the school district in avoiding lawsuits.

"We just want to help schools understand, so they can deal appropriately and develop some sensitivity to that particular minority," [Network co-chair Tom]Wyse said.

Ambridge Area High School Principal Alan Fritz has said he'd be receptive to having a professional development workshop for teachers, but it was something he would have to discuss with the superintendent."

Aghast at the thought of tolerance in Darryl Metcalfe country, the AFA of PA is riding to the rescue.

But Gramley said such sensitivity workshops overstep the boundaries of proper public education because she said it pushes acceptance of homosexuality and threatens the First Amendment rights of those who believe homosexuality is a sin.

"Unfortunately, a school board member made a disparaging remark. That was not called for at all, but if the principal accepts an invitation from GLSEN, that's going in the wrong direction," Gramley said.

What direction would that be?  Why straight to hell, of course, with a pit stop in San Francisco to pick up some kicky thigh highs and a pink feather boa. 

Note Gramley's subtle reference to Christian persecution with the First Amendment argument. That insidious tact seems to work very well if the minds of my colleagues are reflective of general sentiments.  They do feel like they are under attack for being Christian, rather than for trying to shove their brand of Christianity down our throats <insert obvious gay joke here>.

It is heartening that Principal Fritz is willing to consider training for the faculty and staff.  And Ambridge still has a Gay-Straight Alliance club with the goal of fostering understanding and creating bridges between gay and straight students.  However, as recently as mid-December, the GSA founder described an environment of increasing intolerance among the student body especially since Scherbel's comments.

Well, duh.  When an elected official sets the bar low, can you be surprised that weak minded adults as well as their spawn scurry underneath it?  The ignorance of the common heterosexual is sometimes truly astounding.  These desperate little people truly seem to believe that their way of life, their identity will be destoyed if their children even associate with a known homosexual much less have a conversation or <gasp> actual dialogue. 

Ambridge - breeding homophobes, one salvation at a time.

Kudos to the District 2 School Board Coalition for endorsing Heather Arnet to run for the school board seat being vacated by Highland Park resident Patrick Dowd.   Arnet, also a Highland Park resident, is the Executive Director of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

The Correspondents (and the Lesbians) are long-time fans of Arnet for her great work on behalf of women and girls throughout the region, including women and girls in the queer community.  As we are city residents, we are especially pleased that Arnet is turning her tremendous talent to the oversight of one of our most important resources - the public schools.

Go Heather!

Michelle Manzo of Monaca in Beaver County deserves a nice little shout out from those of us living outside of that hallowed little 'burg for her nice letter to the editor in today's Beaver County Times.  Michelle picked up her pen after reading about all the fuss over the Gay-Straight-Alliance at Ambridge High School.

 I wavered between anger and amusement at the comment by the parent who was afraid the members would become "militant" and "force" others to join the club. What in the world does this person think this organization represents? They are not al-Qaida terrorists, waiting to snatch your unsuspecting youngster into their dark underworld. They are regular kids, just like yours, who just happen to be struggling, because they are aware they are different from most of their peers, and simply need to be a part of something that gives them support and understanding.

With that, Michelle profoundly reduces things to their most basic components.  Kids-Need-Support.  

She also rightfully identifies the true problem -- Grownups are afraid of people who are different from them.

Kudos to Michelle for reminding everyone of what's really important.

Student members of the Gay-Straight-Alliance of Ambridge High School claim they are being harassed according to a story in the Beaver County Times.

 

AMBRIDGE - The gay issue just won't go away.In fact, Daniel Zak, an Ambridge Area High School senior, told the school board Wednesday night that attitudes have worsened toward gay students and their friends since a new gay and lesbian club was established.

Last month, Adam Smith, an Ambridge senior who founded the Gay-Straight Alliance, spoke publicly, saying that he was offended over some derogatory terms used by board member William Scherfel, who referred to the group as a "sex club" and "the faggots." The board approved the club in October.

Smith explained the club's mission: to promote diversity and confront discrimination and homophobia.

"That was very brave of him, it took a lot of courage, but it's gotten to be worse than it was before," Zak said.

Specifically, Zak said there have been more remarks, jokes, and people pointing and laughing. "Now it's really blown out of proportion. They're getting fingers pointed more than if they hadn't started the club," he said.

An Ambridge parent, who refused to give the board her name, asked about the need for the club, its dress code, potential speakers and field trips.

She also said she worried that club members could become militant and force other students into joining.

Principal Alan Fritz said students in the club will have the same rules and dress code as other students.

Fritz said that he respected the woman's views but that there are gay or lesbian students in the school who unfortunately are "targeted, harassed and picked on."

"It's not a free-for-all down there. I don't see any of these kids pressuring anybody. The majority there are not even homosexual. They are friends of the young man."

Superintendent Kenneth Voss said he attended the initial meeting, which was pretty much "routine." Voss said the students discussed election of officers, fund-raising activities and community service.

"I didn't hear anything about pressuring from GSA," Voss said.

Board member Brian Padgett said perhaps the entire student body should participate in diversity training if they are targeting those who are different from them.

Dress code?  From my trips to Beaver County, I'd say the lives of a more than a few breederettes could use a nice dose of a gay dress code. 

My favorite line, however, is her fear that the club could become militant and force people to join.  Honey, that tactic has been all sewn up by the Christian mini-mes decked out in chastity belts and a swayin for Jesus in front of the school flag pole.  I'd take a militant homo any day of the week over a determined "Virgin for Christ."

Maybe the GSA will schedule a field trip to an abortion clinic and then stop by the local gay bar for illicity sexual encounters with smooth chested men from the big city? 

Put Ambridge on the list of places you don't want to raise your children. 

School Board member William Scherfel described the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at Ambridge Area High School as a "sex club" and then refused to apologize, referring ot the members as fags.

The Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has been involved in the dispute, noting concern about the disturbing shift in attitudes toward GSA's across the state.

Good grief ... he called GSA members fags.  What the hell is wrong with him?  He's elected to a position of trust and authority over students and he blatantly violates every iota of both. 

As of Wednesday night, Scherfel allegedly apologized.  Here's an excerpt from WPXI's report

Channel 11 News reporter Gordon Loesch spoke with Scherfel. Scherfel said he's not even sure he said the word.

Loesch asked, “You're not even admitting that you said it? You don't know if you said it?”
William Scherfel said, “No, no. It would not be beyond me to use that word. It’s a word I heard growing up. I might have used the word."

Student Adam Smith said, “It wasn't heartfelt at all.”
Loesch asked, “So you don't believe he's really sorry for saying it?”
Smith said, “No, and I'm sure if he had the chance he'd say it again."

Scherfel said he will take full responsibility for his comments.

So he admits he has the capacity to refer to students as fags, but isn't sure that he actually did it.  Oh it gets better.  Scherfel claims the furor is politically motivated by those who don't appreciate his outspokenness.  The school superintendent has opted not to get involved b/c he has no jurisdiction --- apparently he has been robbed of his ability to critique the school board.  And the school board itself?  Here's their position:

Board president Bernard Logan defended Scherfel, saying no one is perfect, and at least one board member, Kevin Blanarik admitted he heard the remark but didn't think it should have become an issue.

"I didn't appreciate the comment because I don't speak like that, but he didn't say it as if he was trying to be mean," Blanarik said.

Mean? Is Logan out of his friggin' mind?  These are students, kids we are talking about and Scherfel is a grown man.  Would he be excused for using a racial slur and have it written off as not meant to be mean?  How about referring to female students as cunts?  Or disabled students as crippleds or gimps?  Would that be okay? 

It is a great day for Pennsylvania when local politicians sexualize students, use a slur to describe those students, claim they don't remember using it, and get off scott free b/c they weren't trying to be mean. 

I'm sure Darryl Metcale is very proud.

I have been brought to my knees by a mighty round of ailment and have barely touched a computer over the past two weeks.  Thanks for all the inquiring and encouraging emails.  It is nice to be missed. :-)

I'm sure you've caught most of this but I'll do a quick round up of some things that may have slipped beneath your radar.

Mark Foley - Scummy pedophile hiding behind alcoholism, history of abuse and the turmoil of being gay?  Boo fucking hoo.  On behalf of alcoholics, victims of abuse, homosexuals and all of our families, grow a pair and take responsibility for being a fucking pedophile.  As for Hastert and all the rest, are you really surprised at their desperate desire to cover this up and somehow blame the homosexuals --- the Catholics have been doing this same maneuver for years.  And its pathetic to consider abolishing the page program to "protect the children."   Even the Catholics didn't go that far. 

The always eloquent LA Johnson wrote a two-part series for the Post-Gazette about  a local woman, Dannylee Mitchell, who is suing her former employer for discrimination. Dannylee is a transgender woman and believes she was dismissed because of her gender identity rather than her work performance.  This is an amazing little series, very brave and forthright.  I have never met Dannylee, but I admire her courage in sharing so much of her inner life with Post-Gazette readers.  Go check it out.

Reverend Janet Edwards published an Op-Ed piece on her struggle with the Presbyterian Church over performing a wedding for two women.  She explains why she is pleading innocent.   Here's the backstory on our coverage of Janet's situation.

The Lesbian and Gay Film Festival opens this month.

Former Whitehall native James Yearsley now of Tampa wrote in a lovely little anti-gay diatribe to the Post-Gazette that was only printed in the online edition.  Don't ask, Don't tell, Mr. Yearsley opines, keeps the military blood supply HIV free.  Good to know, Jim. 

Contrary to reports from the PA Department of Education, incidents of bullying is significantly high for gay and lesbian students.  A report from GLSEN indicates that 80% of respondents had heard homphobic language in school.   Only 12% of Pennsylvania schools have Gay Straight Alliances in comparison with 22% of schools nationwide.  GSA's are an important tool in addressing homophobic harassment and bullying.

I'm sure there are stories I missed, but they'll resurface soon I am sure.  Enjoy this beautiful day!