Powerful new film, ‘Legalize Gay: The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation,’ documents stories of LGBT young adult leaders fighting for equality and change

“Legalize Gay: The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation,” a documentary film set to debut in May on the national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) TV network LOGO, is currently making special, advanced screenings to LGBT and ally audiences across the country.

Campus Pride and its student and young leaders are featured in the documentary, an incredibly inspiring film that captures the courage and conviction of a new generation of activists determined to close the deal on full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The film’s director, Christopher Hines, has partnered with Campus Pride to provide special preview screenings of the films, including upcoming screenings at the Midwest LGBT College Conference at Iowa State University in Aimes, Iowa, on Feb. 10, and at the Campus Pride Carolinas Young Adult Leadership Summit at the Human Rights Campaign Carolina Gala in Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 24.

“Campus Pride is already doing so much in the struggle for LGBT equality at universities and colleges across the country. I hope ‘Legalize Gay’ can help in that effort,” Hines said. “The young people in the film are so inspiring.”

“’Legalize Gay’ is not only thought-provoking and inspirational, but very entertaining,” said Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer.

Featured in the film is “Camp Pride,” an annual event sponsored by Campus Pride, aimed at giving a new generation of LGBT activists the skills and support they need to flourish at their universities and colleges.

“It was so much fun and impressive to film such a diverse group of young people working together for a common cause – equality,” Hines said. “I hope we can get hundreds of students attending Camp Pride every year.”

A portion of each of the preview screening booking fees will help to provide scholarships for students to attend Camp Pride, held July 17-22, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Students can apply for Camp Pride scholarships at www.CampusPride.org/CampPride.

Current National Screening Dates:
Sun., Jan. 29 -- Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Thurs., Feb. 9 & Sat, Feb 11-- Community Screening, Charlotte, NC
Fri., Feb. 10 -- Midwest LGBT College Conference, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Fri., Feb. 24 -- Carolinas LGBT College Summit, Charlotte, NC
Fri., Feb. 24 -- Western LGBT College Conference, Univ Pacific, Stockton, CA
Sat., Feb. 25 -- University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Thurs., March 8 -- Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
Fri., March 30 -- NorthEast LGBT College Conference, Sage College, Troy, NY
Wed., April 4 -- Lock Haven University of PA, Lockhaven, PA
Tues., April 17 -- CSU Chico, Chico, CA

For more information on booking a special advance screening of the film, visit www.CampusPride.org/LegalizeGay. Advance screenings cost $500.

Legalize Gay: The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation

Part of Proceeds benefit Camp Pride for LGBT Youth Activism; Schedule Your Screening of "Legalize Gay"

November 29, 2011 -- Campus Pride is offering a special opportunity to preview an incredibly inspiring film that captures the courage and conviction of a new generation of activists determined to close the deal on full equality for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.

Director Christopher Hines has just completed a new film “Legalize Gay - The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation,” set to premiere on Logo later next year. However, Hines has joined with Campus Pride for exclusive advanced screenings, accompanied by an educational guide designed by Campus Pride to encourage more activism in the campaign for LGBT equality.

“Campus Pride is already doing so much in the struggle for LGBT equality at universities and colleges across the country. I hope “Legalize Gay” can help in that effort,” Hines said. “The young people in the film are so inspiring.”

Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer said “Legalize Gay” is “not only though-provoking and inspirational, but very entertaining.”

“We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to preview the film,” Windmeyer said. “It will definitely promote a lot of discussion on campus.”

Also featured in the film is “Camp Pride,” an annual event sponsored by Campus Pride, aimed at giving a new generation of LGBT activists the skills and support they need to flourish at their universities and colleges.

“It was so much fun and impressive to film such a diverse group of young people working together for a common cause - equality,” Hines said. “I hope we can get hundreds of students attending Camp Pride every year.”

NOW YOU HAVE AN AFFORDABLE WAY TO PROGRAM FOR YOUR CAMPUS COMMUNITY AROUND LGBT ISSUES

REGISTER FOR ANY WEBINAR IN THE CAMPUS PRIDE SERIES & HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE REGISTRATION ($795 value) FOR YOUR COLLEGE TO ATTEND THE CAMPUS PRIDE SUMMER LEADERSHIP CAMP IN JULY 2012.

Campus Pride Announces the Fall 2011 Webinar Series featuring a diverse selection of topics, ideas and resources for your campus community. Your campus pays one flat fee and can have up to 5 locations per webinar-- its the most affordable way to enlighten, educate and entertain LGBT and ally students, faculty and staff. Every webinar registration also gets a free web recording to share on your campus for those who may not be able to attend. Email any questions to info@campuspride.org.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Research & Action: Religious-Based Bigotry on College Campuses

Moderator: Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride
Guest Presenter: Warren Blumenfeld, Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Iowa State University & QRIHE, Campus Pride

3 p.m. EST - $95 per site includes web recording

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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.

From Coast to Coast: Chicago, Charlotte, Boston, Los Angeles & New York set as 2011 Campus Pride College Fair Locations

Do you want to recruit out LGBT and ally students? Thanks to Campus Pride now your college can do just that. Campus Pride announces dates for it’s fifth annual national college fair program this Fall 2011 specifically designed for out lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students to find LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. More information online at http://www.campusclimateindex.org/events

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20011Campus Pride
LGBT-Friendly College Fair Program Dates & Locations

SOUTHEAST REGION - Charlotte, NC
CAMPUS PRIDE COLLEGE FAIR & PREP DAY
FOR LGBT & ALLY STUDENTS & FAMILIES
in collaboration with the Pride Charlotte Festival,
Time Out Youth & The Charlotte Lesbian & Gay Community Center
Date: Saturday, August 27, 2011
Hours of Operation: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Pride Charlotte Festival, Uptown on S. Tryon Street, between 3rd and Stonewall Streets
 
MIDWEST REGION - Chicago, IL
CAMPUS PRIDE COLLEGE FAIR & PREP DAY
FOR LGBT & ALLY STUDENTS & FAMILIES
in partnership with the Center on Halstead -- Chicago's LGBT Center
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2011
Hours of Operation: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Center on Halstead, 3956 N. Halstead, Chicago, IL 60613
 
NORTHEAST REGION - Boston, MA
CAMPUS PRIDE COLLEGE FAIR & PREP DAY
FOR LGBT & ALLY STUDENTS & FAMILIES
in partnership with Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth (BAGLY) and Friends of GLBT Youth, Inc.
Date: Saturday, October 7, 2011
Hours of Operation: 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: TBD
 

This year are you READY to QUEER IT UP?

Colleges across the country have the opportunity to book Kit Yan as part of the Queer It Up Tour 2011-12 to create change and spark dialogue on campus! Bring Campus Pride and Kit to your campus for National Coming Out Day, Trans awareness events, Pride celebrations, or other Spoken word and energizing events all year to Queer It Up!

Learn more about Kit online, click here. You may also contact OUTmedia or call 718.789.1776.

WATCH THE QUEER IT UP VIDEO
FEATURING KIT YAN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLdRBnc-RV4

Queer It Up
by Kit Yan

Campus Pride, All Rights Reserved.

Your hands are a door knock, your fingertips an email, your voice a phone call,
Your tongue a conversation,
You are a nation that can change the every day,

You are a door knock at a dean’s office,
A thunderous demand for the status quo bend and break,
To right every policy mistake,
To take action for equal benefits,
For the dollars they promised from your fees,
In this office, from behind that desk, they will hear us.

You are an email passed on to tens of thousands,
Starting in a dorm room, a petition for new bathrooms,
New buildings, library shelves stocking our stories,
You are a brand new club,
You can hit send on the campus you’ve dreamed of,
Let each key stroke be a battle cry in a quest for justice.

You are a phone call,
A dial to a queer alumni to come back and speak, ,

Former rugby star Ben Cohen is taking his gay rights advocacy a step further with the creation of an antibullying organization called the StandUp Foundation.

Regarding the collaboration with Campus Pride, Cohen said in a statement, "We are proud to partner with Campus Pride. They have a long, successful track record of working with educators and students to make campuses more inclusive for and accepting of LGBT people. Raising awareness of and funds for their tireless, on-the-ground work is very important to all of us here at the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation."

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE FROM THE ADVOCATE: Learn more and WATCH THE VIDEO online at THE ADVOCATE

Early-bird discount registration is open until May 25; Scholarships and financial assistance are available until June 1, 2011.

[Nashville, TN] – Campus Pride announced today the list of national speakers and artists to be featured at its fifth annual summer leadership camp, affectionately known as “Camp Pride.” Among the list is the “Next Drag Superstar” winner of Season 1 of Logo’s hit show RuPaul’s Drag Race Bebe Zahara Benet. Her appearance is being sponsored as part of Divas of Diversity from Hope’s Voice just confirmed today.

Camp Pride is the only one of its kind for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally college students from colleges and universities across the country. The camp will take place from July 19 to 24, 2011 and will be hosted on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville,TN. Registration is available online at http://www.CampusPride.org/CampPride. Early-bird discounted registration has been extended to May 25, 2011.

Keynote highlights will include Daniel Hernandez, Jr.,the young gay college student credited for saving U.S. Representative Gabriel Giffords life in Arizona shooting; Dr. Sue Rankin, nationally-known LGBT campus climate researcher, Bleu Copas, an Arabic translator discharged in 2006 from the U.S. Army under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell; T. J. Jourian, as seen on Logo’s show “TransGeneration,” Mara Kiessling, President of the National Center for Transgender Equality; Shane Windmeyer, best-selling national author and Executive Director of Campus Pride; and Robyn Ochs, Bi-Activist, Trans Advocate & National Public Speaker.

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

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SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

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.”

REGISTER FOR ANY WEBINAR IN THE CAMPUS PRIDE SERIES & HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE REGISTRATION ($795 value) FOR YOUR COLLEGE TO ATTEND THE CAMPUS PRIDE SUMMER LEADERSHIP CAMP IN JULY 2011.

CAMPUS PRIDE SERIES :: LIFEGUARD: Suicide Prevention on College Campuses

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WHEN: Wednesday, April 6 :: 3 p.m. EST
WHO: Meg Ten Eyck, The Trevor Project & Shane Windmeyer, Campus Pride
COST: $95 per site

Campus Pride joins with The Trevor Project to bring student leaders, faculty and staff a webinar on suicide among LGBT and questioning youth and the different environmental stressors that contribute to a heightened risk for suicide. Based on the Trevor Project's LIFEGUARD program, this webinar will focus on college campus communities and the impact of language, actions, and bullying/harassment on LGBT young people. Participants will leave with specific actions on how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and how to best respond as lifeguards on campus. A particular emphasis will be placed on best practices and experience to better work with LGBT youth populations. Presenters will also share programs and resources to support suicide prevention work from both national organizations -- Campus Pride and The Trevor Project.

About The Trevor Project:
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. More info online at www.thetrevorproject.org