LBGT Resource Office- Transgender Speaker

Thursday, March 31st at 7:00pm in the Mendenhall Great Rooms the LGBT Resource Office will be hosting it's first campus event, co-sponsored with the GLBTSU, called "Not Your Average Southern Gentleman: Growing up Trans in the South".  Our guest speaker's name is Loren Lemmond and he is a female to male transperson.  Loren candidly tells his story of growing up in North Carolina, of realizing his gender identity, of coming out to his family, and of the struggles and triumphs along the way.  He shows pictures of himself growing up, and shares funny, sad, touching and ultimately inspiring descriptions of what his experience has been like coming to terms with his gender identity and the range of ways those around him have responded.  After the presentation he opens the floor for questions and is generally willing to answer almost anything as he tries to help people really understand and become more comfortable interacting with Trans people.  He has been a popular speaker in the Sociology department's classes and is excited to share with the whole campus.  I've attached the flier for the event and look forward to seeing everyone.

Summer Wisdom
LGBT Resource Office
252-737-4451
Brewster B-103B
East Carolina University

PARADISE CARES- BENEFIT FOR PICASO

Time

Wednesday, March 30 at 9:00pm - March 31 at 12:00am

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Location

Club Paradise- 209 E. 5th street. Greenville, nc

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Created By

Paradise Gaynight, Aaron Lucier, Michelle Michaels

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More Info

CLUB PARADISE CARES ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, DO YOU? We are raising money for PiCASO- The Pitt County Aids Service Organization. Doors open at 9pm, Someones Sister hits the stage @ 9:30. Two Drag King and Queen Shows. 11pm for those early birds and 12:00 for our late night people. Purina Chow will be coming to Paradise and starring in this fierce Event along with your house cast and a few surprises. $6 cover charge for this evening for everyone. Please come out help us raise money for this wonderful organization. Free HIV Testing will be provided this evening as well.

www.PiCASO.org

 

Hate Crimes Conference with the F.B.I

Time Wednesday, April 6 · 4:00pm - 7:00pm

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Location Lumina Theater-Univeristy of North Carolina Wilmington

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Created By OutReach, Amy Schlag

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More Info

Enjoy us for a fascinating and timely discussion of Hate Crimes and Hate Crimes Legislation. This event is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

INTRODUCTION: Keith H. Bethke Jr., FBI Resident Agencies Supervisor, Wilmington and Raleigh

PRESENTATION ON HATE CRIMES: The FBI's Civil Rights Program from Washington HQ will be conducting an unclassified presentation on Hate Crimes. It will include definitions of Federal Hate Crimes statutes (Ma......tthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009), nationwide statistics on Federal Hate Crimes cases, and examples of Federal Hate Crimes Cases previously worked by the FBI and other agencies.

SERVICES: Victim Specialist Kory Williford, FBI Charlotte Division, Office for Victim Assistance Rapid Deployment Team. Kory Williford will discuss services provided by the FBI’s Raleigh Resident Agency program to victims of Hate Crimes.

HATE CRIMES INTELLIGENCE: Tom Kuhl will conduct a brief presentation on Southeastern North Carolina Hate Crimes statistics and how Hate Crimes affect our local community.

HATE CRIMES PANEL DISCUSSION: Moderator Buffy Ruffin, Coordinator of Multicultural Student Affairs.

SHOWING OF S.P.I.C. The Storyboard of My Life (27mins)

CLOSING REMARKS: Quynh Rcom

 

Letter From Equality NC

Dear Friend,

Hi!  My name is Josh Wynne and I’m one of Equality NC’s new organizers working against the anti-LGBT constitutional amendment.

During the past few weeks, we’ve shared scary news of the anti-LGBT amendment that was filed in the NC Senate.  Here’s something you can do about it.  We’ve also learned encouraging news about polling that says many North Carolinians are in favor of some form of same-sex relationship recognition.  With your help, we can mobilize fair-minded North Carolinians against this mean-spirited amendment. 

Whether you’re new to Equality NC or have been involved with us for years, we know you care about this issue and are dedicated to this cause.  You know the damage this amendment would do to LGBT individuals, youth, families, and allies.  Getting postcards signed by your friends, neighbors, family, and coworkers is a great way to both bring the issue to light and to let NC senators and representatives know that voters in their district care about equal rights. 

In order to make a bigger impact, we're asking that each of you gather at least 25 postcards from your social circles, families, friends, co-workers, organizations, and faith communities.  Collect the postcards as they are signed, and we'll include a return envelope with postage for you to send them back to us.  We will duplicate each postcard so that each person's representative and senator receives one.

When we provide legislators with a stack of our postcards urging them not to vote for the anti-LGBT amendment, it not only makes a powerful statement but also proves there are fair-minded North Carolinians in their district. 

Won't you help us make that statement?

Additionally, we need volunteers in our Raleigh office to help us process postcard requests, track outstanding postcard kits, do data entry as we receive completed postcards, duplicate postcards in order to reach the signer's representative and senator, and organize postcards by legislative districts!  

SIGN UP HERE to join this campaign!  Remember how much our collective voices can make a huge impact in North Carolina! 

Thank you for all that you do every day to make North Carolina a better place for LGBT people!

In solidarity,

Josh Wynne

PS:  Support Equality NC financially in our campaign against the Anti-LGBT Amendment!

 

Town Hall Meeting host by Equality NC

Please join Equality NC Executive Director Ian Palmquist for a discussion on LGBT rights in our state.

What	Advocacy Event Community Meeting Educational Program
When	Apr 06, 2011 from 07:00 PM to 09:00 PM
Where	Greenville
Add event to calendar	vCal iCal

There's so much going on with the NC Legislature these days that Equality NC is hitting the road to tell you all about it, and to enlist your help in what may be the largest campaign for LGBT rights in our state's history! We'll talk about the anti-LGBT constitutional amendment, as well as other policy that will potentially impact all of us who care about equal rights, and what you can do about it.

It's all happening on Wednesday, April 6th at 7pm at the Tipsy Teapot (409 South Evans Street, Greenville, 27858).

Please join us for this informative and empowering evening.

 

EDITORIAL: Big government in your browser

Administration officials are determined to grab hold of the Internet - for your protection. The latest scheme will be the subject of a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday on "The State of Online Consumer Privacy." Regulators claim various online nuisances such as spam, identity theft and other privacy invasions cry out for government intervention. It's a classic Washington power grab for the digital era.

Md. House effectively kills same-sex marriage bill

The Maryland House of Delegates has voted to effectively kill a bill for the year that would have allowed same-sex marriage in Maryland.

The House approved on voice vote a motion to send the bill back to the Judiciary Committee, an acknowledgment by supporters that it did not have sufficient votes to pass on the floor.

The bill cleared the Senate two weeks ago on a 25-to-21 vote, and Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) had pledged to sign it.

Advocates for the bill had hoped Maryland would join five other states and the District in allowing same-sex marriages. The bill had significant momentum coming out of the Senate but ran into resistance in the Democat-led House from African-American lawmakers from Prince George's County, who cited religious opposition in their districts, and conservative Democrats in Southern Maryland and the Baltimore suburbs.

A Message from Senator Richard Burr

From: Sen. Richard Burr [mailto:info@burr.senate.gov]
Subject: A Message from Senator Richard Burr



As many of you are aware, this week the Senate finally took up legislation that would have set a budget for the rest of the fiscal year as well as impose cuts to federal spending. On Wednesday, I voted for the House-passed plan to reduce the federal government’s spending by $57 billion and against the Democratic alternative that fell far short by cutting spending by just $4.7 billion.

I am disappointed that a majority of my colleagues in the Senate are not taking our fiscal crisis seriously. I fully supported the House-passed proposal to reduce government spending by $57 billion, and like most Americans I would like to see even more cuts. We cannot shy away from the fact that cutting spending is absolutely necessary to put us back on the track to fiscal sanity. We have to stop charging our children and grandchildren for our own excessive spending habits.

I am hopeful that both parties can come together to start to fix our fiscal mess and make the tough decisions necessary to keep our government solvent, create a strong economic environment and spur job growth.

Also this week, the Senate passed a resolution I sponsored to make March 30th “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.” On March 30, 1973, all U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. So, this March 30th, the Senate has encouraged Americans across the country to recognize Vietnam veterans for their sacrifice and demonstrate a warm welcome to these soldiers who returned from war to a politically divided country.
I’m pleased that the Senate has agreed to set aside a day to give our Vietnam veterans a warm, long-overdue welcome home. I strongly encourage communities across North Carolina and the country to observe this day with activities and events that honor these veterans for their service. It’s time they receive the recognition they earned and have deserved for so long. This day also provides our nation with an important teaching moment - never again should our men and women serving in the armed forces receive the same treatment as those who returned from Vietnam.
Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Max Cogburn, of Asheville, to serve as United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina. I believe he is an excellent choice to serve as District Judge, and I am pleased the Senate unanimously supported his confirmation. His vast experience - including serving as assistant U.S. attorney, chief assistant U.S. attorney, magistrate judge, and in private practice - makes him a well qualified nominee for this position and an excellent addition to the Court. To watch a video of a speech I gave on the floor of the Senate in support of Max’s confirmation, click here.

Stay tuned to my website and Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter for updates from Washington next week as the Senate continues to debate the budget cuts that must be made to get our fiscal house in order.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Richard Burr


*Please do not respond to this email. To contact me, please click or visit my website www.burr.senate.gov.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SenatorRichardBurr
Twitter: @SenatorBurr

Press Release Criminalization of Gay and Lesbian Kansans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jon Powell, Chapter Chair
Kansas Equality Coalition, Hutchinson Area Chapter
916-761-8984
Powell462@gmail.com

Thomas Witt, State Chair
Kansas Equality Coalition
316-683-1706
chair@kansasequalitycoalition.org

STATE REPRESENTATIVES CALL FOR CONTINUED CRIMINALIZATION OF GAY AND LESBIAN KANSANS

Topeka, Kans, March 8, 2011 -

State Representatives Jan Pauls (D, Hutchinson), and Lance Kinzer (R, Olathe) said yesterday that being gay or lesbian should remain a crime in Kansas. Pauls made, with Kinzer’s support, the successful motion in the Kansas Legislature’s Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee to keep the criminalization of gay and lesbian relationships on the books. Their action removed key language from HB2321, proposed by the Kansas Judicial Council, which would have resolved inconsistencies in Kansas criminal code, as well as remove unconstitutional laws.

“Jan Pauls was trusted to be a judge before becoming a state representative, and should know better than to support unconstitutional laws, breaking her oath to defend the Constitution,” said Jon Powell, Chair of the Hutchinson Area chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition. “We are fed up with her obvious support of harassment of gays and lesbians. We will not be bullied.”

Although one remains on Kansas’ books, all state laws criminalizing gay and lesbian relationships were struck down by the United States Supreme Court in 2003. Writing for the majority in the case of Lawrence v. Texas, Justice Anthony Kennedy said “if protected conduct is made criminal and the law which does so remains unexamined for its substantive validity, its stigma might remain even if it were not enforceable as drawn for equal protection reasons. When homosexual conduct is made criminal by the law of the State, that declaration in and of itself is an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres.”

Disregarding the US Supreme Court, the President of the Kansas County and District Attorneys Association, John Wheeler, said in 2008 that “even to this day, homosexuality is a crime in Kansas." His warning, made to a group of adult college students and caught on video, raised questions about the ability of gay and lesbian Kansans to live free from arrest, and to receive fair trials in our courts.

“Representatives Pauls’ endorsement of an unconstitutional statute that’s used to threaten and discriminate against law-abiding Kansas citizens is an outrage,” said Thomas Witt, state Chairman for the Kansas Equality Coalition. “She took an oath as both judge and state representative to uphold the Constitution. We insist that Representative Kinzer and she be immediately removed as Chair and Ranking Minority from the House Judiciary Committee. Legislators who willfully ignore the Constitution should never be in positions of leadership and responsibility.”

The Hutchinson Chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition is organizing a peaceful demonstration to raise awareness of Representative Pauls’ actions, to take place Thursday, March 17, in downtown Hutchinson. The demonstration will begin at 6pm, and will take place at the intersections of Main and Avenues A and B.

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PFlag Meeting Set up

PFLAG Meeting - (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meets Tuesday, Mar 15,. For meeting details, contact pflagrm@aol.com, call 252-443-0345, or visit www.pflag.org.

March 8 Call-in Day: Stop the Grand Jury Witch Hunt

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY
to Fitzgerald, Holder and Obama

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Grand Jury is still on its witch-hunt and the FBI is still harassing activists. This must stop.

Please make these calls:

1. Call U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald at 312-353-5300. Then dial 0 (zero) for operator and ask to leave a message with the Duty Clerk.
2. Call U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder 202-353-1555
3. Call President Obama at 202-456-1111 

Suggested text: “My name is __________, I am from _______(city), in ______(state). I am calling _____ to demand he call off the Grand Jury and stop FBI repression against the anti-war and Palestine solidarity movements. I oppose U.S. government political repression and support the right to free speech and the right to assembly of the 23 activists subpoenaed. We will not be criminalized. Tell him to stop this McCarthy-type witch hunt against international solidarity activists!” 

If your call doesn’t go through, try again later.

Update: 800 anti-war and international solidarity activists participated in four regional conferences, in Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; Chapel Hill, NC and New York City to stop U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s Grand Jury repression. 

Still, in the last few weeks, the FBI has continued to call and harass anti-war organizers, repressing free speech and the right to organize. However, all of their intimidation tactics are bringing a movement closer together to stop war and demand peace.

We demand:

• Call Off the Grand Jury Witch-hunt Against International Solidarity Activists!
• Support Free Speech!
• Support the Right to Organize!
• Stop FBI Repression!
• International Solidarity Is Not a Crime!
• Stop the Criminalization of Arab and Muslim Communities!

Background: Fitzgerald ordered FBI raids on anti-war and solidarity activists' homes and subpoenaed fourteen activists in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Michigan on September 24, 2010. All 14 refused to speak before the Grand Jury in October. Then, 9 more Palestine solidarity activists, most Arab-Americans, were subpoenaed to appear at the Grand Jury on January 25, 2011, launching renewed protests. There are now 23 who assert their right to not participate in Fitzgerald’s witch-hunt. 

The Grand Jury is a secret and closed inquisition, with no judge, and no press. The U.S. Attorney controls the entire proceedings and hand picks the jurors, and the solidarity activists are not allowed a lawyer. Even the date when the Grand Jury ends is a secret.

So please make these calls to those in charge of the repression aimed against anti-war leaders and the growing Palestine solidarity movement.

Email us to let us know your results. Send to info@StopFBI.net

**Please sign and circulate our 2011 petition at http://www.stopfbi.net/petition

 

In Struggle,

Tom Burke,

for the Committee to Stop FBI Repression

FFI: Visit www.StopFBI.net or email info@StopFBI.net or call 612-379-3585.

 

Help Support PiCASO- Eat at Chico's

Forgive any cross postings- please forward and share!

Help Support PiCASO- (Pitt County AIDS Service Organization)

Visit Chico's (downtown Greenville, NC) on March the 10th, 2011. It is an all day event and folks that want to help just need to write on their bill that they are doing this for P.I.C.A.S.O and/or Lamda Theta Alpha. Chico's will then donate some of the days checks to the agency!

Contact Brian for more info- brian_b_g@yahoo.com
This event is being supported by- Lamda Theta Alpha

PICASO.org

PiCASO offers FREE HIV testing in Pitt County