SAFE SCHOOLS (Services offered by PFLAG FCA NYC, Organizations, Gay/Straight Alliances - GSAs, Books)
PFLAG for Families of Color and Allies in NYC offers workshops for parents, school personnel and students, social workers, psychologists who work with youth and families. Write or call Nila Marrone, nilajoe@optonline.net, 914-787-8738.
Organizations:
GLSEN. The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for ALL students www.glsen.org/
Greater Boston PFLAG's Safe Schools & Communities Project. Working to create a dialogue of understanding in our schools and communities throughout Massachusetts. We believe every student has the right to a safe and equitable learning environment free from verbal or physical harassment. www.gbpflag.org/safeschools
Hetrick Martin Institute. HMI was founded in 1979 for the protection of LGBT youth. Hetrick-Martin’s flagship program is the Harvey Milk High School, founded in 1985 in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, which administers the school and is responsible for admissions. www.hmi.org
PFLAG’s safe schools campaign is called From Our House to the Schoolhouse: We recognize that schools are "ground zero" in our efforts to stop homophobia in the classroom and create safe learning environments for all students. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) youth, those perceived to be, and even children of GLBT parents, face unspeakable harassment and abuse in schools and are too often effectively denied access to a safe and equal education opportunity. The school culture that fosters and sustains this hostile environment negatively impacts all students. http://community.pflag.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=358&srcid=212
Safe Schools Coalition: A rich source of curricula, books and other resources. http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/ . Resources for Teachers and Curriculum Specialists, http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/blackboard-teachers.html
True Colors. True Colors works to create a world where youth, adults and families of all sexual orientations and gender identities are valued and affirmed. We challenge all forms of oppression through education, training, advocacy, youth leadership development, mentoring and direct services to youth and those responsible for their well-being. www.ourtruecolors.org
Youth Enrichment Service (YES), at the LGBT Community Center. The YES program exists to provide LGBT young people with community support to foster healthy development, in a safe, affirming, sex-positive, alcohol- and drug-free environment. At YES we are guided by our goal of creating a Community of Inclusion for everyone who comes to our program. Everything in YES is free and confidential! The YES Program offers professional development workshops, training and resources to service providers. www.gaycenter.org/youth/serviceproviders
Welcoming Schools, http://www.welcomingschools.org/ at HRC (http://www.hrc.org/) has curriculum for elementary schools.
Gay/Straight Alliances – GSAs
True Colors has resources for Public Schools GSAs, Private Schools GSAs, Colleges/Universities GSAs and Community GSAs. www.ourtruecolors.org
GLSEN. The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network offers resources for GSAs, Days of Action, Days of Silence and much more.
www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/student/student/index.html
Books
GLSEN. The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. GLSEN's online library holds a myriad of resources and documents that can help further your knowledge on creating Safe Schools. Feel free to read online or print out a hardcopy to share with others.
www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/student/library/index.html
PFLAG Hartford, Library: You will find an extensive list of books on LGBT issues. www.pflaghartford.org/library.html
Tackling Gay Issues in School: Leif Mitchell, http://www.amazon.com/
Children's Literature
Reading Level: To Age 8
All Kinds Of Families: This picture book is an essay on family love and continuity. Many ethnic groups are represented as the author points out that families come in many different packages and in many different forms. The main thing is that all families love one another, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Daddy's Roommate: A book describing the feelings of a boy whose gay father lives with another man presents the facts in a favorable light. Mother is extremely understanding, and Daddy's roommate is a friendly fellow, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/ , click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Heather Has Two Mommies: Heather's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears, two hands, and two feet. Heather also has two mommies, Mama Jane and Mamma Kate, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
How My Family Came to Be - Daddy, Papa and Me: Narrated from the perspective of a school-aged child, the book shows how his family was created and that families are made up of people who love each other. Told with simple words and playful illustrations, How My Family Came to Be - Daddy, Papa and Me clearly addresses for a young audience the changing makeup of families, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Lucy Goes to the Country: Madcap adventures ensue when a gay couple and their cat spend the weekend in the country, , http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Two Moms, the Zark, and Me: After becoming separated from his two mothers at the zoo, the narrator of the execrable tale is menaced by bigoted do-gooders before the Zark helps him find his parents, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Uncle What-Is-It is Coming to Visit!!: Tiffany and Igor learn that Uncle Brett is a homosexual and soon realize that the stories and stereotypes the neighborhood kids have told them about gay life are untrue, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
When Grown-Ups Fall in Love, a Book for Very Young Children and Rush Limbaugh http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Who's In a Family?: This equal opportunity, open-minded picture book has no preconceptions about what makes a family a family. There's even equal time given to some of children's favorite animal families. With warm and inviting illustrations, this is a great book for that long talk with a little person on your lap. Pencil and watercolor illustrations, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Zach's Story: Growing Up With Same-Sex Parents: Eleven-year-old Zack talks about his life with his lesbian mother and his "second mother" in an attractively appointed photo-essay that is part of the Meeting the Challenge series. Pictures catch Zack at home, at school, at the Gay Pride Parade in New York City, and with his dad and his dad's other family, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Reading Level: 6-10
How Would You Feel if Your Dad Was Gay?: A thoroughly realistic story portraying the prejudice, confusion, and self-doubt experienced by children with gay parents, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Reading Level: 9-12
Being Different; Lambda Youths Speak Out, http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
Reading Level: Older Children/Teen
Coping When a Parent is Gay: Examines the impact of a parent's sexual orientation on family relationships, describing the experiences of young people in various types of families, , http://www.ourtruecolors.org/, click on Reading Materials, select Children’s Literature.
