Welcome to the Orange County LGBTQ and Allied Youth Convening

Transcription

1 Welcome to the Orange County LGBTQ and Allied Youth Convening MAY 10, 2014 Valley High School Santa Ana, CA Youth Empowered to Act (YETA) invites Orange County Youth, age 14-23, to join us as we build a powerful youth movement in Orange County. As a YETA leader you can be part of the campaign to create safe spaces for LGBTQ youth in schools and beyond, and engage in the larger social justice movement to create a better tomorrow. Mondays 5:30 7:30, The Center OC 1605 N. Spurgeon St. Santa Ana, CA Let s CELEBRATE our diverse and fabulous identities! Contact Tony Ortuno: tony.ortuno@thecenteroc.org x205 YETA is a Program of The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County

2 Schedule Keynote Speaker: Lori Duron Dia De Las Madres Breakfast 9:00am-10:00am Welcome and Key Note Address 10:00am-10:40am Workshop Session 1 10:50am-11:40am Workshop Session 2 11:50am 12:40am Lunch and Resource Fair 12:40pm - 1:30pm Transition back to the school Auditorium 1:30pm - 1:40pm Dance Performance 1:40pm -1:50pm Guest Speaker: Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tempore Joe Shaw 1:50pm - 2:00pm Closing Plenary Session 2:00pm - 2:50pm Announce Safe Zone Competition Winners, Raffle, and Closing 2:50pm - 3:30pm Lori Duron s memoir, Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Fabulous, Gender Creative Son, was recently named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly. The book is based on her hugely popular blog, RaisingMyRainbow.com, which was the first mommy blog to chronicle the daily joys, struggles and, sometimes, embarrassments of raising a gender- creative child. Duron s Blog has had more than two million readers in 173 countries, and her work has been read by gender studies students and faculty at more than 50 college and universities in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. She and has twice been named one of BlogHer s Voices of the Year; one of Ignite Social Media s 100 Women Bloggers You Should Be Reading; one of Circle of Moms Top 25 SoCal Moms; and one of Parents magazine s blogs that are Most Likely to... Change the World. Special Guest Speaker: Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tempore Joe Shaw Orange County's only openly LGBT elected official, now Mayor Pro Tem Joe Shaw has served as a Huntington Beach City Councilmember since Mayor Pro Tempore Shaw will speak to the youth about being Out in OC Politics.

3 SESSION 1 WORKSHOPS 10:50-11:40am Creative Storytelling: Marilynn Montano from Orange County Barrio Writers and Youth Empowered to Act Our personal stories have can be used as powerful tools for self and community empowerment. This workshop will teach participants how to share their stories through art and writing. We will also start a community mural that will be completed at lunch time! Creating a Safe Space Through Language: Youth Empowered to Act The goal of this workshop is to encourage and educate people on respectful and inclusive language. We will focus on community acronyms, proper terminology, reclaimed/semi- slurs, slurs, and what to do when a mistake is made. This presentation can be helpful for both LGBTQ community members and allies due to the depth and complication of language and the degree to which this language will be discussed. School to Prison Pipeline: How LGBTQ Students are Funneled Out of School. Joey Hernandez, ACLU Did you know that students that are suspended or expelled are 5 times more likely to drop out of school? Or 3 times as likely to interact with the juvenile justice system? Come learn about the School- to- Prison Pipeline to identify different mechanisms of push out, have a dialogue about its impacts and possible solutions to remedy the problem. Parents and Youth: Coming out in the Latino Household: La Familia We will focus on a Spanish speaking support group for families of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities in Orange County named La Familia. We will have testimonials from parents who sought help in coping with their queer son or daughter coming out and how this group helped them not only understand the situation, but accept and proudly embrace their queer children. May I Kiss You? Understanding Consent and Healthy Boundaries in Relationships: Michelle Mar, CSP Inc. Come and learn about the qualities and attributes of healthy relationships. This workshop will explore how to set boundaries in relationships, how to be assertive, as well as how to communicate effectively with partners. SESSION 2 WORKSHOPS 11:50am- 12:40pm UndocuQueers: Coming OUT Twice: National Queer Trans Latino alliance (NQTLA), Jorge Gutierrez The workshop will utilize storytelling to highlight the journey of LGBTQ and undocumented communities in this country. Participants will learn about the intersectional organizing happening between the LGBTQ and immigrant rights movements locally and nationally. Parents, Families and Friends of LGBTQ Youth: PFLAG PFLAG promotes the health & well- being of LGBTQ persons, their families, & friends through Support, Education, & Advocacy. Speakers from local PFLAG chapters will provide the opportunity for dialogue with members of the LGBTQ community along with parents/allies of LGBTQ persons. Our goal is to provide the opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity so we can act to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. Progress Built on Pride: Vietnamese Rainbow of Orange County (VROC) Organizing can be difficult, but working in the Asian/Pacific Islander community can be even harder. Similar to many other cultures, our API and queer identities clash.this workshop is designed so that you can communicate and organize with your API and queer community while also being culturally sensitive. Join us as we talk about how we marched towards equality in this year's Tet Parade! We, as a community, are not complete without each other! Transgender 101: Pat MaGee Explore and learn about the gender spectrum. Discover the diversity of those who cross traditional gender boundaries and the reality of trans lives and life transitions. Restorative Healing: Boys and Men of Color and OC Human Relations, Luis Ramirez and Jennifer Jones This workshop will provide you with an opportunity to experience a healing circle, which is a Restorative Justice practice. A healing circle is a practice that creates a safe space for an open conversation. Participants will have an opportunity to share and learn from each other s experiences in a structured, supportive and confidential environment.

4 About Our Presenters Save the date! Queer Youth Prom in June! PFLAG Speakers will each share their individual personal story, as it relates to the LGBTQ experience. PFLAG speakers are all volunteers who bring their personal experience and individual opinions to the panel, along with a wealth of knowledge about the overall LGBTQ experience and community. Jorge Gutierrez is the national coordinator of the National Queer and Trans Latin@ Alliance (NQTLA) and lives in Los Angeles. Jorge has been organizing at the intersection of both LGBTQ and immigrant rights communities for over 6 years. Joey Hernández is the Community Engagement & Policy Advocate working on the LGBTQ Student Rights Project, which focuses on stopping the unlawful bullying and harassment in California schools and creating school communities that promote safety and respect for all students. Michelle Mar serves as a Victim Advocate and Prevention Educator Specialist II at Community Service Programs, Inc. (CSP) - Sexual Assault Victim Services. As Orange County s sole Rape Crisis Center, CSP assists 2,000+ survivors of sexual violence per year. Jennifer Jones has worked for OC Human Relations as a Human Relations Specialist since She is native of Bolivia that moved to the US at the age of 17. She conducts educational workshops, provides certification training on Effective Human Relations in the Workplace, and facilitates court- specific mediation trainings. Currently, Jennifer oversees a new Restorative Justice program which her agency hopes to implement in schools and community. The ideas of creating inclusive communities, eliminating intolerance and prejudice, and building bridges of understanding have always been a way of life for her. Luis Ramirez is a member of Boys and Men of Color and community activist who is involved in creating change around issues that affect the youth, the lgbtq community and the immigration. He engages in this work both at the local and national level. Other organizations he participates in are DeColores, Orange county Dream Team, NQTLA. VROC is a community- based organization that focuses on advancing the quality of life for Viet LGBTQ community members, families, individuals, and loved ones (allies). Pat Magee is a transman who lives in Orange County and works as a geriatric medical social worker. He began his gender transition in 1989 and has been involved with numerous trans activist opportunities throughout the SoCal area including the creation of OC's female- to- male transgender support and social group (OCFTM), co- founder and director of the Orange County Transgender Coalition (OCTC), and as a PFLAG speaker's bureau member, TG moderator and speaker trainer. Color Me Equal Campaign Boot Camp July 2014!

5 About The Center OC Youth Programs The mission of The Center OC s youth program is to provide comprehensive services and resources which promote the healing, well- being, and empowerment of LGBTQ youth. We envision a just society where queer youth are loved and celebrated. Rainbow Youth: The Center OC s Rainbow Youth Program provides spaces for fun, educational and creative activities where Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth and allies are safe, supported and celebrated. Monthly speakers conduct youth- focused discussions, youth talk about sexual orientation and gender identity, family acceptance, dating and relationships, self- care and risk- reduction, LGBTQ affirmative sex education, discrimination issues, safe schools, student rights, and civic engagement. Social activities include LGBTQ movie screenings, Open- Mic Night, Game Night, Arts and Crafts (including a Queer piñata making party), attending plays and concerts, and more. We attend annual events including Disneyland for Gay Days, Models of Pride in Los Angeles, National Day of Silence, Spirit Day, OC Pride, and our hugely popular Queer Youth Prom. This year we held our first Queer Little Homecoming Dance and Resource Fair. Rainbow Youth Group Meetings All groups meet at The Center OC unless otherwise noted 1605 N. Spurgeon Street, Santa Ana, CA (714) Rainbow Youth (ages 13 18): Wednesdays, 6 pm 8 pm (doors open at 3 pm to hang out!) Trans*Fusion (for trans* youth, ages 13-18): Wednesdays, 4 pm 6 pm Young Adults Meetings (YAMs - ages 17-23): Thursdays, 5:30 pm 7:30 pm Rainbow Youth (ages 13 18): Saturdays, 11 am 2 pm *South OC Rainbow Youth (ages 13 18): Fridays, 5 pm 7 pm (*Friday s South OC group meets at shanti Orange County: South Pointe Drive, Suite 100, Laguna Hills, 92653) Follow us on Facebook: YETA: Youth Empowered To Act (YETA) is a coalition of Orange County LGBTQ and allied youth leaders between the ages 14 to 24 working to create safe, supportive, and nondiscriminatory environments for ALL youth through education, organizing and advocacy. YETA meets MONDAYs from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at The Center OC. YETA s Color Me Equal Campaign: The goal of the Color Me Equal Campaign is to educate and train Orange County students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and elected officials on the rights and laws that have been established to protect LGBTQ and allied students and improve school climate for all students in California. YETA youth conduct a presentation about these laws. Teachers and school administrators sign a pledge to uphold the laws and post Safe Zone signs to identify that their space is safe for all students regardless of their perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. This year we have distributed over 1000 SAFE ZONE signs in schools, district offices, and social services and health agencies across Orange County. Color Me Equal Campaign Boot Camp: In the summer of 2013 we held our first Color Me Equal Campaign Boot Camp for 25 LGBTQ and allied high school and college youth from across Orange County. The Boot Camp met twice weekly and focused on grassroots campaign development and explored personal empowerment and social justice work through an intersectional lens. Campers travelled overnight to Sacramento for a day of advocacy at the State Capitol with policy experts and State legislators. Boot Camp 2014 is coming this July! GSA Outreach: This year we met with Gay Straight Alliances at over 30 OC high schools and middle schools. We visited at least one high school in 12 out of the county s 15 school districts. Our Orange County GSA Mixers provide opportunities for GSA youth and leaders from all over the OC to connect and collaborate. Youth Speakers Bureau: The Rainbow Youth Speakers Bureau has served on panels hosted by The Orange County Department of Children s Services, The County Mental Health Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Orange County Department of Education. They will soon be producing their own digital stories and teaching other youth how to do the same. For more information contact: Laura Kanter, MSW, Director of Youth Services (714) x206 laura.kanter@thecenteroc.org

6 A Gender and Sexual Orientation Spectrum Glossary (Partially adapted by The Center Orange County s Youth empowered to Act from Teaching Tolerance: A Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.) Birth Sex/Biological Sex: A specific set of genetic, chemical and anatomical characteristics that we are either born with or that develop as we mature. Types of birth/biological sex include female, male and intersex. Gender Identity: One's internal, personal sense of their own gender. Many people believe in a more fluid gender identity than simply male and female. Gender Expression: The external manifestation of one's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, haircut, voice or body characteristics. Sexual Orientation: The nature of an individual's physical, romantic, emotional and/or spiritual attraction to another person. Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Trans and gender- variant people may identify with any sexual orientation, and their sexual orientation may or may not change before, during or after gender transition. Transgender: An umbrella term that describes people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. This group includes, but is not limited to cross- dressers and other gender- variant people. Transgender people may or may not choose to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically. Assigned Sex: The sex/gender one is considered to be at birth based on a cursory examination of external genitalia. Asexual: In its broadest sense, asexual describes individuals who have little to no sexual attraction to others or are not interested in sex. Those who identify as asexual may still be romantically attracted to others. Bi- Gender: Describes individuals who identify as having both a male and female side to their personalities. Bisexual: Describes a person who is attracted to both males and females. Because bisexual assumes a binary, male/female paradigm, many individuals now use the term pansexual. Cisgender: A cisgender person is someone who identifies as they gender/sex they were assigned at birth. For example, your birth certificate says female, and you identify as a female woman. Closeted or In the Closet: Choosing not to disclose one s sexual orientation. Coming Out: Coming out is the process by which LGBTQIA people recognize, acknowledge, accept, appreciate and celebrate their sexual orientation or gender identity. Gay: Describes a person whose emotional, romantic and sexual attractions are primarily for individuals of the same gender/sex, typically in reference to males, sometimes used as a general term for gay men and lesbians. Heterosexual Privilege: The benefits and advantages that heterosexuals receive in a heterosexist culture. Also, the benefits that LGBT people receive as a result of claiming a heterosexual/cisgender identity and denying a LGBT identity. LGBT: An acronym, which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. Other versions may add Q for Queer or Questioning, I for Intersex and A for Asexual or Ally. Some may prefer to list the acronym as TBLG to place transpeople in a position of importance and to rectify the way trans has historically been omitted, devalued or excluded. Genderqueer: Describes individuals who possess identities that fall outside of the culturally/socially prescribed gender/sex binary. Gender Role: Clothing, characteristics, traits and behaviors culturally associated with masculinity and/or femininity. Gender Variant: A term that describes individuals who do not conform to socially prescribed gender roles.

7 Heterosexism: The societal/cultural, institutional and individual beliefs and practices that privilege heterosexuals and subordinate and denigrate LGBTQIA people. The critical element that differentiates heterosexism (or any other ism ) from prejudice and discrimination is the use of institutional power and authority to support prejudices and enforce discriminatory behaviors in systematic ways with far- reaching outcomes and effects. Heterosexual Ally: Heterosexual people who confront heterosexism in themselves and others out of self- interest, a concern for the well being of LGBTQIA people, and a belief that heterosexism is a social injustice. Homophobia: Literally, the fear of homosexuals and homosexuality; however, this term is generally applied to anyone who dislikes LGBTIQ people, who uses derogatory sexuality- or gender- based terms, or who feels that LGBTIQ people want special rights and not equal rights. Homophobic behavior can range from using slurs, telling jokes, verbal abuse and physical violence, as well as through anti- LGBT legislation. Intersex: Intersex people are born with physical sex markers (genitals, hormones or chromosomes) that are neither clearly male nor female. Lesbian: A female identified person whose emotional, romantic and sexual attractions are primarily for other females. Out or Out of the Closet: To be openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or asexual. Outing: When someone discloses information about another s sexual orientation or gender identity without that person s knowledge and/or consent. Queer: Queer is a term that has been reclaimed by members of the LGBTQ community to describe people who transgress culturally imposed norms of heterosexuality and gender traditionalism. Although still often an abusive epithet when used by bigoted heterosexuals, many queer- identified people have taken back the word to use it as a symbol of pride and affirmation of difference and diversity. Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS): A procedure that physically transforms the genitals using plastic surgery. SRS is a single surgical alteration and is only one small part of transition. Not all transgender people choose to, or can afford to, have SRS. While this procedure is often referred to as a sex change operation in popular culture, SRS is the preferred term. Sexism: The societal/cultural, institutional and individual beliefs and practices that privilege men and subordinate and denigrate women. Straight: Slang term for heterosexual. Trans: An umbrella term that describes people who permanently or periodically dis- identify with the gender/sex they were assigned at birth. Trans- Friendly: Describes organizations or institutions that are open, affirming and accepting of transpeople and their social, political and cultural needs. Gender Transition: The period of time in which a person begins to live in a gender role that is in accordance with their internal gender identity. Transition is not a one- step procedure; it is a complex process that occurs over a long period of time. Transition may include some or all of the following cultural, legal and medical adjustments: informing one's family, friends and/or co- workers; changing one's name and/or gender on legal documents; undergoing hormone therapy; and/or seeking surgical alteration (see Sex Reassignment Surgery). Transphobia: The irrational fear and hatred of all those individuals who do not conform to dominant socially prescribed gender categories. GSA: A Gay- Straight Alliance (GSA) is a student- run club, typically in a high school or middle school, which provides a safe place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and work to end homophobia and transphobia.

8 LGBTQ Resources The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County: The mission of The Center Orange County is to advocate on behalf of the Orange County LGBT community, and to provide services that ensure its well-being and positive identity. The Center Orange County 1605 N. Spurgeon Street, Santa Ana x206 North OC PFLAG Meets 1st Wednesday of each month from 7:30-9pm (or later). Orientation for newcomers begins at 7:15pm. First United Methodist Church 161 S. Orange St., Orange, CA or Resources for Administrators, Educators and School Personnel American Psychological Association: Human Rights Campaign Fund: US Department of Ed: Ensuring Safe Schools for LGBT Youth: Fair Education Act Website: California Dept. of Ed. Bullying Resources: SPECIAL THANKS The Center OC s Youth Program is extremely grateful to our funders. South OC PFLAG: Meets 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7-9pm St. Georges Parish Avenida De La Carlota, Laguna Hills, CA or pflagsouthoc@cox.net Shift Happens: A place for parents, partners, and families of Transgendered loved ones. We meet the first Sunday of each month in the Santa Ana/Tustin area at 6pm. Shifthappensoc@gmail.com National Organizations and Websites: GSA Network: GLSEN Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network: