DOMESTIC
National News Notes
'■uwiwiiu.i AUGUSTA,Maine —FredKarger,
by David Stout. Q-Notes staff
Youth charity to honor Bea Arthur
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Ali Forney Center
(AFC), the nation’s largest agency dedicated to
homeless LGBT youth, plans to name a resi
dence in honor of Bea Arthur. A formal
' announcement will be made at a memorial
service on Sept. 14 at the Majestic Theater in
New York City. The Ali Forney Center is work
ing with a group of Arthur’s close friends and
colleagues to plan the memorial service.
“Bea Arthur was tremendously kind and
generous to the Ali Forney Center,” said Carl
Siciliano,‘AFC founder and executive director.
“The caring and concern that Bea expressed
for our kids meant the world to us, and we are
thrilled to be able to give honor to her memo
ry in this way.”
In an interview for Next Magazine, Bea
explained her decision to offer her support.
“I’m very, very involved in charities involv
ing youth and the plight of foster children. But
these kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally
dumped by their families because of the fact
that they are lesbian, gay or transgender. This
organization really is saving lives.”
The Center currently offers eight rented
residential sites in New York City to provide
shelter and housing to homeless LGBT youth.
It recently received financial support from the
Oak Foundation to support a plan to purchase
housing sites. AFC is committed to naming its
first purchased site the Bea Arthur Residence
for LGBT Youth.
founder of LGBT advocacy group
Californians Against Hate, has sent a letter
to the Maine Commission on Governmental
Ethics and Election Practices seeking an
immediate investigation into alleged election
law violations by Stand for Marriage Maine. A:
copy of the request was also sent to Maine
Attorney General Janet Mills.
The nine-page complaint charges that the
National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Knights of
Columbus of Washington, D.C. and James
Dobson’s Focus on the Family directed contrib
utors to give money to their organizations
which they in turn gave to Stand for Marriage
Maine in order to hide donors’ identities.
“It’s money laundering plan and simple,”
said Karger. “We feel that we made a very com
pelling case in our complaint, and are asking
the Ethics Commission to consider our request
at their next regularly scheduled meeting on
September 8. This blatant disregard for Maine’s
election law needs to be investigated. There is
no way .that only 0.001 percent ($400) of the
$393,000 raised by Stand for Marriage Maine
came from individuals.”
HRC Bible study aid posted online
WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the past three
years the Human Rights Campaign’s Religion &
Faith program has pubUshed conversations on
Bible passages from more than 100 scholars and
pastors representing 11 denominations. Now,
these 175 collected conversations are available
online at wvm’.hrc.org/Scripture under the title
Mark your calendars!
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“Out In Scripture.” The material is organized
according to the Revised Common Lectionary,
used by numerous Christian denominations to
guide worship and preaching.
“This unique colieotion showcases the
extraordinary momentum we’re seeing by
people of faith committed to LGBT equalit)^’
said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Through
this resource we are helping to assure that no
one will again have to choose between who
they are and what they believe.”
“Over the years my spiritual life and preach
ing has been transformed by‘Out In Scripture,”’
said Harry Knox, Director of the Religion and
Faith Program. “This is one of our signature
projects. As editor Sidney Fowler said,‘The '
Bible is not about beating you up, but lifting us
all up. It includes the seeds of liberation and
justice.’ Be prepared to be transformed as well.”
Student gets $25k settlement
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.—A local student
recently received a $25,(XX) settlement from the
Anoka-Hennepin School District after an inves
tigation by the Minnesota Department of
Human Rights found that “jokes, comments and
innuendos led to a hostile, abusive environment”
at the student’s high school. Two of the studenfs
teachers are alleg^ to have fueled the problems
through their homophobic remarks and actions.
“The reports of what this student endured
from his teachers are horrific,” said Eliza Byard,
head of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Network. “Teachers should be working to stop
students from these types of hateful behaviors
not encouraging them by modeling the behavior.
That the school allegedly allowed harassment by
students to continue even after it was made
aware of the teachers’ behavior is unthinkable.
We can only hope that the school district will do
everything it can to ensure that no other student
will ever have to go through the dehumanizing
harassment this student suffered.”
The student transferred to another district.
Bot^ teachers kept teaching at the school.
Equality Riders sought for 2010
AUSTIN, Texas — Next March, young
adults from around the country and the world
will embark on the fourth annual Equality
Ride, a two-month, youth bus tour visiting
religious colleges and universities across the
U.S. to challengeon-campus discrimination
against LGBTQ students. Guided by the princi
ples of nonviolence, Equality Riders will
engage in critical dialogue, direct action and
in some cases civil disobedience to press for
, much-needed changes for LGBTQ students.
“The Equality Ride is an opportunity for
young adults to come together in the struggle
for social justice,” says Asher Kolieboi, co
director of the Equality Ride. “It’s a way for
both LGBTQ folks and straight allies to work
together to address religious-based oppression
and create safe spaces for queer youth on
Campuses across the country.”
The Equality Ride began in 2006 to address
the over 200 U.S. colleges and universities with
explicit policies that discriminate against LGBTQ
students. Soulforce Q — the youth-driven arm
of the national LGBTQ social justice organization
Soulforce — is now accepting applications for
the upcoming ride. For more information or to
apply, visit www.equalityride.com. I
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SEPTEMBER 5.2009 • QNotes