KNDU-TV, Nov 20th, 2008:

• KNDU Report on Homeless Youth

Paper Products:
Sm. Bowls, 8-10”Plates, 8 oz Cups, Toilet Paper, Paper Towels
Plastic Products:
Spoons, Forks, 39 gal garbage bags, 13 gal garbage bags
Cleaning Products:
Toilet cleaner, glass cleaner, surface cleaner

FOOD ITEMS:
Frozen Food, heat and eat items are a hit! We have lots of freezer space to fill (two upright freezers and two household refrigerator freezers are empty.) Also, canned soups, stews, ravioli’s etc are welcome. Fruits and vege’s are always needed. Fresh is better, but canned is fine too! Hotdogs & buns are big hits too.

WISH LIST:
We have three printers and frequently run out of ink… So, if you are at office depot or office max and don’t mind picking up some ink for us, here’s the numbers of the inks we use:
HP 74 & 75 Ink
HP 02 Inks in all colors (including black)
HP 97 & 96 Ink
AA-Batteries

“In One Room,” a documentary play based on more than 100 interviews conducted in 2002 with gay, lesbian and questioning youth under the age of 25, will make its Tri-Cities debut on Thursday, Nov. 6.

The play, which be performed at Community Unitarian Church in Pasco (CUUC) at 8 p.m., is written and directed by Jimmy Maize, a 2002 Whitman graduate who currently writes, directs, acts and produces theater in New York. “Representing towns across the country, big and small, these stories are meant to create a pastiche of growing up gay in 21st century America,” said Maize. This production of the play is sponsored by The Pride Foundation and the Whitman College GLBTQ; proceeds will go to support the VISTA Youth Center in (Kennewick).

“In One Room” was first performed in 2002 on the Whitman College campus, where it received the college’s David Nord Award. Whitman GLBTQ presents the play annually in order to foster a dialogue of diversity and acceptance on campus. When the play debuted at the Bailiwick Repertory Theater in Chicago in 2003, it received the theater’s first college/university playwriting competition. In 2005 it was presented in New York City by “Tosos II,” the city’s first gay theater company.

Maize is the artistic director of “The Theater Bureau,” a New York company comprised largely of Whitman College graduates. He works with Tectonic Theater Project, and he has recently begun tracking the changes in Laramie, Wyo., as the tenth anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s murder approaches. When complete, his research will result in a production afterword to the company’s “The Laramie Project.”

CUUC is at 2819 W. Sylvester Street, Pasco, WA 99301 509.545.6777

www.Transyouth.com
A great TRANS resource site!!!

Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008
Gay teens face hard times in Tri-Cities
By Sara Schilling, Herald staff writer

Gay and lesbian teens in the Tri-Cities say they've been targeted in the community and at school because of their sexual orientation.

They've been whispered about, laughed at and called names such as "faggot" when they're on the street and in school hallways, they say.

"I've had people try to fight me because I'm gay. I've had people try to fight me because I hang out with people who are gay and stand up for them," said Alex, 17, who goes to high school in the Tri-Cities.

The Herald agreed not to fully identify students to protect them from harassment.

Their experiences are backed up by a national survey released this month. It found that 86 percent of students who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered -- abbreviated as LGBT -- had been verbally harassed at school in the past year.

Educators say such bullying isn't acceptable, and that's reflected in school policies that include specific protections for characteristics such as sexual orientation.

Full story at: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/354682.html

Hey! The Qvoices project at the University of Washington has an anonymous online survey for LGBTQ youth of color ages 14-19 in the United States. If you fit that description you can check out the website, learn more, and take the survey: www.qvoices.org

If you don't think it'll apply to you, but know someone who it does, feel free to pass this email on to them. Also feel free to spread the word in any other way.

The survey is designed to learn more about the experiences of LGBTQ youth of color so that services tailored to their needs can be created. Community agencies will be given a report summarizing the information collected from the survey to help them better meet the needs of youth.

Was an amazing night and a beautiful evening under the stars. This fundraiser for Vista Youth Center featured great food, a silent auction, friendship and fun. We raised over $6,500 getting nearly 50% of the way to our goal!!

Media Contacts:
Daryl Presgraves
646-388-6577
dpresgraves@glsen.org

Tom Chiodo
Rubenstein Communications
212-843-8289
tchiodo@rubenstein.com

GLSEN Study Finds Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT Students Experience Harassment

NEW YORK, Oct. 8, 2008 – GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, today released the most comprehensive report ever on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, The 2007 National School Climate Survey. The report is being released in conjunction with the announcement that GLSEN will partner with the Ad Council on a multiyear national public education campaign targeting anti-LGBT language among teenagers.

The survey of 6,209 middle and high school students found that nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students (86.2%) experienced harassment at school in the past year, three-fifths (60.8%) felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and about a third (32.7%) skipped a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe.

"The 2007 National School Climate Survey reveals that, on a whole, the situation is still dire for many LGBT youth when it comes to school safety," GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings said. "It's hard to believe that anyone who reads this report could continue to turn the other way as our nation's LGBT students are bullied and harassed at alarming rates. The good news is there's hope. The 2007 National School Climate Survey also shows that when schools and educators take action, they can make a drastic difference."

Download the full report at http://www.glsen.org/binary-ata/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/000/001/1290-1.pdf

Key Findings of The 2007 National School Climate Survey include:
A Hostile School Climate and the Effects on Academic Achievement:

At their event last night Stephaen Harrell said:
"This year we are also blessed to welcome two new partners who will help deepen AmeriCorps’ positive impacts on our community...the other is Vista Youth Center; this is a drop-in program that promotes adaptive youth development strategies for diverse participants, and also teaches tolerance to people of all ages and backgrounds." I was so honored to be there!

We are getting ready for the 1st Annual Back to School Party

Here is the updated list of items needed to fill school supplies for the youth that attend VYC... Let’s get them back to school with the things they need! Please drop them off by August 20. If you have any questions, please call Tamara 509.396.5198

WE NEED:
• 28 - Backpacks
• 30 – 3 ring notebooks (1.5 inch)
• 60 – Notebook Divider 5-tab packs
• 60 – College Ruled Notebook Paper
• 20 – Calculators
• 20 – Glue Sticks
• 20 – Blunt nose scissors
• 60 – Highlighters variety of colors
• 55 – Colored pencils/pen sets
• 30 - Pencil pouches
• 60 – Composition notebooks

ALSO NEEDED:
• Socks (all sizes, men’s and women’s)
• Panties (all sizes, women’s)
• Underwear (all sizes, men’s)
• T-Shirts (no graphics, all sizes/colors)
• Deodorants (both men’s & women’s)
• Refillable 2 – 4 ounce bottles for Shampoo & Conditioner.