LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Speak Out |
My name is Robert Rigby, Jr., and I am an openly gay teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia. I am pleased to announce that a group of local citizens is forming a Washington area chapter of GLSEN (glisten), the Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network. We are a group of people who are dedicated to helping public and private schools in our area be more welcoming towards sexual minority students, parents and staff. As members of an organization that addresses the concerns of the sexual minority community, I thought that you might be interested in learning about or helping to establish this new chapter. GLSEN welcomes members of the gay and straight communities, educators and non-teachers, teens and adults, of all creeds and races: essentially, all people who are concerned with the effect that our schools have on children who are different. We will be working in several areas: to bring together concerned people; to educate school boards, administrators and teachers to the fact that lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered students attend our schools and how the environment of the schools affects these students; and to advocate with local jurisdictions to expand legal protections for sexual minority students and teachers. Any involvement you have will help move towards positive change. There are several ways in which people can be involved. You can join our electronic bulletin board, or listserve, and receive email messages about chapter activities, people's concerns, and ways in which other people approach these issues. To do so, send an email to dcglsen@yahoo.com. If you join the listserve or mailing list, your name and information will not be shared. You can look us up at our new Web site, at www.geocities.com/dcglsen/. Finally, you can attend meetings. Our first meeting is scheduled for noon on Saturday, September 23rd at the Lowell School in Washington. Directions and further information is available on the above website. If you have any questions or would like further information, call Robert Rigby, Jr. at 703-685-0844. We are very excited about forming this new chapter, and also about the pace and direction of change in society with respect to sexual minority issues. Robert Rigby, Jr. Mark and I would like to thank you for the terrific support CAMP showed us with Barry's review in the July 28th issue of Letters. We've gotten enormous response and feedback from his visit and his subsequent article. The response was immediate and many patrons mentioned the fact that they had read the review and were there because of it. Their response shows us two things at least: that advertising in CAMP pays and that the publication is widely read. You are bringing us exactly the market that we wanted and hoped for. Many thanks to Barry for his article and making us look good enough to eat! We will definitely be long-standing advertisers with CAMP. Cindy Cook, Co-owner Amor Restaurant A reception to support the re-election of Washington, DC Council Member Carol Schwartz will be held on Saturday, August 26th from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at my beach home at 6 State Road in Rehoboth Beach. Members of the Host Committee including the Honorable David Catania, Kevin Bliss, Bill Courville, Joyce Felton, Mike Ferens, and Patrick Menasco, Michael Gallagher, Scott Huch, Bob Kabel, Carl Schmid, Jeffrey Slavin and Douglas Miller and Larry Woldt cordially invite everyone to attend. Carol has been a long time friend and supporter of the gay and lesbian community, and we are taking this opportunity to show our thanks. The suggested minimum contribution is $35 at the door and will all benefit the re-election of Council Member Carol Schwartz. I hope you'll join us on the 26th of August. Kevin Bliss To any of you lucky enough to live in or planning to visit central Pennsylvania in the fall, here's a fabulous way to spend an evening. On Saturday November 4, the central Pennsylvania gay and lesbian community will sponsor its fifth annual Fall Achievement Benefit (FAB 2000) in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. The dinner dance raises money for area lesbian and gay organizations. Last year, the event netted $26,331.84, all of which was donated to the Equity for Gays and Lesbians (EGAL) Partnership Fund with The Greater Harrisburg Foundation. This money was matched dollar for dollar by the National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership and will be distributed to lesbian and gay organizations in the Harrisburg-Lancaster-York area for non-disease related needs and projects. The guest speaker this year will be comedian and writer Bob Smith. Smith is the author of several books including Growing Up Gay, Openly Bob, and Way to Go Smith! Smith tours extensively, performing across the country, and has written for numerous television shows and performers. He was the first openly gay comic to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and has had his own HBO special. This year, once again, all or a portion of the net proceeds will be matched, dollar for dollar, by a grant from the National Lesbian and Gay Community Funding Partnership. FAB 2000 is a unique opportunity to strengthen and support the lesbian and gay community, and have a lot of fun in the process. To order tickets ($65-$135), or for other information, call FAB's toll-free line at 800-406-3321. Tom Miglino Comments may be sent to CAMP Rehoboth, 39 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, or fax: 302-227-5604, or e-mail: letters@camprehoboth.com. Include your name and phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 12, Aug 25, 2000. |