Individuals, Celebrities, Media Figures and Corporations Joining Forces
to Support LGBT Youth

Last fall, the nation mourned after the suicide deaths of more than a dozen young people who were LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) or perceived to be LGBT. These tragic losses and the reports that these youth were bullied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity sparked a nationwide conversation about bullying, especially with regard to LGBT young people. Their stories also inspired a movement toward encouragement, which included Spirit Day (10/20) and the "It Gets Better" Project.

Unfortunately, many LGBT young people continue to face bullying and harassment:

• A 14-year-old boy from Williamsville, NY, named Jamey Rodemeyer died by suicide last month. He endured near-constant anti-gay bullying at school and online.
• In early October, a teenager at Sequoyah High School in Madisonville, Tenn.,says he was physically assaulted by his own principal for wearing a shirt that supported the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance at the school.
• Last Friday, the LGBT teen son of a City Councilor in Ottawa, Ontario, died by suicide.
• Just this weekend, vandals spray-painted the words "F*GS BURN" and "DIE" on the entrance to the LGBT center at North Carolina State University.

These stories are why this year’s Spirit Day is just as important as last year’s.

Capitol Hill briefing, Thursday, Sept. 23

Tomorrow, Campus Pride will join Campus Progress and the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus for a special Capitol Hill briefing on our new report, The 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People.

Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Place: Capitol Visitor Center, Room 215
United States Capitol
E Capitol NE & 1st St NW
Washington, DC 20001

Members of the press must RSVP to attend this event. To RSVP, contact Katie Andriulli at kandriulli@americanprogress.org or 202-481-8238.

To receive information on the report or speak to experts, please contact Campus Pride at info@campuspride.org or 704-277-6710.

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The Good and the Very Bad

The Advocate, Sept. 20, 2010
Campus Pride's Shane L. Windmeyer says his organization's State of Higher Education for LGBT People report finally gives a voice to the experiences of LGBT student, faculty, and staff. Read more...

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Study Reveals High Level of Hardships for LGBT Students, Faculty & Staff at U.S. Colleges & Universities

GLAAD Blog, Sept. 21, 2010
In The 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People, a landmark research study being released today, it is revealed that one-third of LGBT students, faculty, and staff seriously consider leaving institutions of higher learning due to a climate that interferes with their ability to successfully work, live, and learn on campus. Read more...

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LGBT harassment increases on campuses nationwide, survey finds

The Daily Free Press, Boston University, Sept. 22, 2010
About one-quarter of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and university employees have been harassed on college campuses across the country because of their sexual orientations, according to a new survey. Read more...

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Virginia Tech LGBT campus climate reviewed

Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech, Sept. 21, 2010
Virginia Tech’s campus climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students was under review Tuesday as advocacy group Equality Virginia stopped in Blacksburg to discuss campus policies. ... Tech earned 3.5 out of five stars in the Campus Climate Index, a ranking system developed by Campus Pride, a national LGBT organization. The index ranks college campuses on the quality of life provided for LGBT students and helps set standards for LGBT-friendly policies. Read more...

Brüno: Satire, Humor and Stereotypes

[This op-ed originally appeared at The Huffington Post]

In April, when the first trailer for Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie Brüno debuted online, many of us in the LGBT community were cautiously optimistic about what we saw - and I was among them.

I first became familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen through his Da Ali G Show on HBO, where he played different characters who conducted squirm-inducing interviews with political leaders, media personalities and everyday Americans. The characters' clueless questions - and the actor's impressive ability to never break character - allowed them to call attention to people's hang-ups, biases and intolerance.

One of those characters, Brüno, was a flamboyant gay correspondent for the fictional Austrian TV show Funkyzeit mit Brüno -- itself a satire of programs that feed people's obsession with fashion and pop culture. Brüno interviewed fashion designers, nightclub owners and models - but he also spoke to people with anti-gay attitudes, using the setting to send up the homophobia of some of his interview subjects.

Sacha Baron Cohen's 2006 blockbuster Borat made him a household name. Audiences and critics loved the movie. And based on what I had seen on Da Ali G Show, I had hoped that I might be able to say similar things about the forthcoming Brüno.