ACLU Asks Court to Stop Camdenton School District from Illegally Censoring LGBT Websites; School District Ignored Requests to Remove Web Filter to Avoid Liability for Unconstitutional Viewpoint-Based Censorship

Campus Pride statement:

"Finding a LGBT-friendly college and learning about valuable LGBT services on campuses should not be blocked for any reason. Every young person should have access in their schools to such online information provided by Campus Pride, especially those seeking safer, more welcoming places to learn, live and grow," said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. "Our online resources are essential in delivering a message of hope and support -- and in changing the lives of LGBT and ally young people."

ACLU RELEASE ABOUT THE FILING:

ST. LOUIS – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Eastern Missouri filed a lawsuit against Camdenton R-III School District today after the district ignored warnings that its Internet filtering software had been improperly configured to block access to web content geared toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of LGBT organizations whose websites are blocked by the filter: PFLAG National (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian and Gays), the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Campus Pride and DignityUSA, a Catholic LGBT organization.

Campus Pride solicits Call for Workshops for Models of Pride College Track

Models of Pride, a free, one-day, LGBTQ youth conference, is now accepting proposals for workshops to be presented on October 15, 2011 at University of Southern California, USC.

Purpose:
The purpose of the youth workshops is to provide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Youth (LGBTQ), between the ages of 12 and 24, an opportunity to ask questions of themselves and their peers; to explore the nature of their orientation and identity; to gain an understanding about how their community relates to society in general; to become aware of community resources and realize that allies exist for them among their peers, in the adult LGBTQ community and in their schools.

Guidelines:
Models of Pride seeks proposals from both the youth and adult communities for potential workshops that embody our purpose. We encourage workshop proposals that integrate and acknowledge communities with regard to race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, culture, ability, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Workshop Topics in the past have included: Relationships • History • Sexuality • Family Issues • Political Activism • Gender Identity • Mental Health • Culture • Safer Sex • Self-Esteem • Recreation/Sports • Foster Care • Substance Use & Abuse • Literature • Spirituality • HIV/AIDS/STIs/STDs • Education • Religion • Disabilities • Careers • Gay-Straight Alliances • Immigration • Arts • Hate Crimes/Harassment • Ethnic/Cultural Identity • Media/Communications • Legal Issues & Rights.

Charlotte-based National Gay Rights Advocate Speaks Out After Horrific Rock Hill Attack

ROCK HILL -- The brutal beating of a gay man has prompted local representatives to re-introduce a hate crime bill when the state Legislature reconvenes next week, but those intentions are being met with resistance.

The measure, led by SC state Rep. John King, D-Rock Hill, was prompted by the beating of Joshua Esskew at a convience store, which was caught on the store's video tape.

King's hate crime bill, which went nowhere in the General Assembly when first introduced last year, is expected again to be met with opposition. A spokesman for Gov. Nikki Haley told a reporter from the Rock Hill Herald that the newly elected governor does not support state hate crime laws.

Shane Windmeyer,
Campus Pride Executive Director
"Individuals who believe that a crime is a crime is a crime do not understand the definition of a hate crime or the unique impact a hate crime has on an entire targeted community," says Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride, a national, Charlotte-based nonprofit for student leaders and campus organizations working to create safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities.

Campus Pride wants to know what the response was to Day of Silence -- tell us, show us what you did?!

Be featured on the Campus Pride blog -- Send your stories and pics to info@campuspride.org.

Hernandez to be awarded honorary Voice & Action Award at Campus Pride’s Summer Leadership Camp on July 23, 2011

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Daniel Hernandez, Jr., the student intern credited with saving the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) after the Jan. 8 shooting attack in Tucson, Ariz., will speak as a guest keynote and receive an honorary National Voice & Action Leadership Award at Camp Pride (www.campuspride.org/camppride/) on July 19-July 24, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn.

Hernandez, who is an openly gay college student at the University of Arizona and serves on the City of Tucson Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Issues, was thrust into the national media spotlight following the January tragedy. Though he’s publicly rejected the label “hero,” his student leadership, service to his local LGBT community and work with Congresswoman Giffords has inspired young, LGBT students across the country.

“Daniel fully embodies the mission and values of Campus Pride and our Voice & Action National Leadership Award. His leadership, integrity and humility has inspired many across the nation -- simply by doing the right, just thing and being visible,” said Shane Windmeyer, founder and executive director of Campus Pride. “In a time where we have national headlines about LGBT youth suicide, it is even more important to shine a light on young adult leaders like Daniel who give hope and inspire.”

The year is coming to a close, and with it we have time to reflect upon this year's wonderful successes, growth and achievements for Campus Pride.

Summer Leadership Camp
This year, college students, faculty and staff gathered at Vanderbilt University for summer camp like none other. Our phenomenal and inspiring staff led great workshops, sessions and trainings. We can hardly wait until 2011's camp.

The 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People
This year's most exciting happening was Campus Pride's release of its landmark 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People. Months of research and work culminated in a national release that brought much-needed attention to the need for safer and more welcoming learning, living and working environments for LGBT college and university students, faculty and staff.

The report, released in September at a special Capitol Hill briefing in Washington, D.C., is the first and only of its kind. Our hope is that it will be used to inform and inspire change on college campuses around the world.

Responding to tragedy
As Campus Pride was releasing its 2010 State of Higher Education report, we were saddened to learn of the tragic series of gay teen suicides by high school and college students around the country. More than half a dozen young gay men and lesbian women took their lives this fall. Campus Pride responded quickly and thoroughly, attempting to bring attention to the plight of LGBT high school and college students. With our report, our Stop the Hate trainings, college fairs and other work, we hope LGBT teens will one day be granted and ensured the right to go to school, learn and grow in safe and inclusive environments.

Supporting student leaders
Several times this year, Campus Pride had the unique opportunity to support LGBT and straight ally student leaders on campuses across the country. In particular, we are especially proud of LGBT and straight ally student leaders at the University of Rhode Island. Their action this fall to raise awareness of campus climate and inclusion issues was received well by students on their campus and members of the surrounding community. We're happy the students' efforts have been met with some positive responses from the university's administration.

LGBT-Friendly College Fairs
Last but not least... We can't forget this year's series of LGBT-Friendly College Fairs. We particularly proud of this years' college fair events, as we expanded the program to first-ever and one-of-a-kind events in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest. Both the Charlotte, N.C., and Portland, Ore., fairs drew phenomenal student and parent participation. Fairs in Boston, New York City and Los Angeles were equally as successful.

Thanks
This year's magnificent work wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of young people and students, parents, teachers, college faculty and staff, and, of course, our grant funders, donors and sponsors like AFFA, Cargill, Gamma Mu Foundation, OUTmedia and Food Lion, among others.

This year the staff of Campus Pride decided that another level of recognition was to be added in this year’s National Voice & Action Leadership Award. The staff felt that there were too many amazing student leaders creating positive change on their respective campuses to only give recognition to the final recipients of the award. This was the main reason the Top 12 Leaders in Action recognition was created. All of the committee members agree that the 40 applicants who applied and the work they have done is the very reason Campus Pride developed this national honor. These students are on the front lines of the movement creating positive change every day. We should be proud and thankful of all the work they do.

Last week the Campus Pride Youth Advisory Board finished its review and selected the Top 12 Leaders in Action. These 12 students will also be forwarded on to the final review process. This final review process will result in the selection of the National Voice & Action Award Recipient(s).

Now please let us introduce you to the Top 12 Leaders in Action (listed in alphabetical order by first name); Daniel Weidel, Bentley University; David Anderson, Eastern Kentucky University; Evan Gallo, Salve Regina University; Hillary Montague-Asp, University of Colorado at Boulder; Jason Goodman, University of Pennsylvania; JeShawna Wholley, Spelman College; Lee Friedlander, University at Albany - SUNY; Masha Makhyagina, McDaniel College; Nicholas Pfost, Michigan State University; Olivia Tai, Cornell University; Samuel Brinton, Kansas State University; and Yvette Lerma, The Pennsylvania State University.

Learn more about these Top 12 Leaders after the jump!

So the school year has finally ended, and I feel like I can honestly say that I’m proud of the work I’ve done with OPEN. Everyone warned me that junior year is the hardest, and those warnings proved true. Besides the boat load of work, I managed to make it out alive with good grades and a successful club. Talk about a job well done. :)

This summer will largely be spent getting in contact with the people OPEN hopes to work with next year. For starters, the first group I’ll be hitting up is the local Boys and Girls Club. A wonderful volunteer and Clark alum started up a program to help eliminate the bullying and homophobia shared by patrons and staff members alike there. I’m hoping to continue the program with OPEN next year as we spread out into the Worcester community.

The club is really excited for a queer prom this upcoming year. I’m not really sure what it will consist of or where it will be held, but hopefully contacting the other LGBTQA groups in the area will start something. Any advice?

I’ll keep you posted over the summer with any developments!

Tonight ESPN senior writer LZ Granderson speaks at Bowdoin College as part of the Campus Pride Voice & Action Award recognizing outstanding LGBT and ally college leaders across the country.

OUTmedia awarded George Aumoithe, Jr. of Bowdoin College a FREE Speaker of his choice for winning the national honor.

LZ Granderson lecture: Men, Manhood, and Mayhem: The Real Reasons Behind Homophobia in Sports
Friday April 9, 8:00 pm, Kresge Auditorium (Visual Arts Center)
LZ Granderson is a senior writer adn columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com, as well as a regular contributor for ESPN's Sports Center, Outside the Lines and First Take. He is perhaps the most visible openly gay sports journalist in the nation.

Campus Sponsors; Department of Art, Athletics, Bowdoin Men Against Sexual Violence, Bowdoin Queer Straight Alliance, Gay and Lesbian Studies Program, Office of Residential Life, Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and Student Activities. For more information, please contact kstern@bowdoin.edu.

LZ Granderson's visit to Bowdoin is sponsored by OUTmedia in honor of George Aumoithe '11 winning this year's Campus Pride Voice & Action National Leadership Award. For information about the award and George's leadership and activism please go to Campus Pride and Bowdoin News. For information about OUTmedia please see www.OUTmedia.org

DON'T FORGET -- BE QUEER, BUY QUEER INTERNATIONAL VIDEO CONTEST

My name is Ernesto Dominguez; my friends call me “E.” I am a 21-year-old youth living in Portland, Oregon. I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and grew up in the beautiful city of Salt Lake. If I had to define my sexual orientation today, I would say Queer – I tend to mostly just think of myself as a sexual being that is attracted to other sexual beings. If I had to define my gender identity today, I would say I consider myself cisgender, but also gender queer. At its core, what that means is, my gender expression tends to fluctuate (sometimes dramatically) from month to month, or sometimes day to day. On the other hand though, I have always really enjoyed my male body and never felt a need to change it in any way.

My coming out experience was different from my non-people of color (POC) peers for a number of reasons, thus making it quite different than other youth’s experiences. Because I was not white, my mother would always tell me to try and fit in, instead of standing out – that simply by being gay, I was making myself stand out from the rest of the population and subsequently was making my family stand out. My sexual orientation was a reflection not just on myself, but also on the rest of my family. Our family already had a “strike” against us for being from another country, and my sexuality only served to give my family another one.