Maquoketa Student Creates "Gay is Okay Day"

MAQUOKETA, Iowa - A T-shirt is causing confusion at Maquoketa High School. It has the word “gay” on it- and administrators say they couldn’t tell if the shirt was making fun of or supporting gay rights.

Early last week Ali Lai wore a shirt to school that read “I Heart Lady Gay Gay.” Lai said, “I mean “gay” that’s not inappropriate. At least I don’t think it’s inappropriate. But it could catch the eye of some people and make them mumble a few words.”

He says the shirt is in reference to Pop Star Lady Gaga, who’s also an activist for gay rights.

The school’s Assistant Principal told Lai to change his shirt or turn it inside out. The Superintendent stands by that decision. But admits, administrators didn’t know what the expression meant. Superintendent Kim Huckstadt said, “Not knowing if it was an item that was either in support of or if it was actually derogatory.”

Another student thinks this is an example of Maquoketa High School violating a student’s rights. So, she organized what she’s calling “gay is okay day”.

Read the full article from KCRG Here.

Michigan Asst. AG Targets Gay College Student

By: Ross Jones

ANN ARBOR (WXYZ) - Andrew Shirvell has fought battles in courtrooms throughout the state, but it’s a fight he’s picked with an openly gay college student that has some wondering if this attorney is out of order.

In classroom’s across the state, Attorney General Mike Cox uses videos to teach students the dangers of internet predators and cyber bullies.

“We want you to be safe on the Internet, and in particular, we want to protect you from Internet predators,” said Cox in the video.

But is one of his top lieutenants engaging in cyber bullying, the very behavior Cox says is so dangerous. Andrew Shirvell is an assistant attorney general who helped run Cox’s last re-election campaign. But on his own time, he’s the author of a blog he started last spring targeting Chris Armstrong, the openly gay president of the University of Michigan’s student assembly.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Queer Leadership Summit @ ISU on 11-6-10

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Saturday, November 6th, 2010

Iowa State University 
Memorial Union

On Saturday, November 6, 2010, Iowa Pride Network, in partnership with Iowa State University, will host the 4th Annual Queer Leadership Summit!

This is a FREE event and lunch is provided.

This year’s theme, The Politics of Progress, will explore Iowa’s ever-changing political landscape and what it means to LGBT and allied people and their rights and how institutional politics within schools and colleges can affect campus climates. The summit will also explore best practices for sustaining GSA and college LGBT groups and networking them together, emerging issues within our movement and provide time for attendees to network and collaborate.

Check-in will begin at 9:00 AM and the summit will start promptly at 10:00 AM and last until 4:00 PM.

This event is FREE and is sure to be a tremendous networking and community-building opportunity. Don’t miss it!

Further details regarding the summit and registration materials will be updated to the Iowa Pride Network website: http://www.iowapridenetwork.org/. Check back often. More questions or need more info? Call the Iowa Pride Network office at 515-471-8062 or email iowapridenetwork@gmail.com

IPN Presents at Anti-Bullying Summit in D.C.

IOWA PRIDE NETWORK PRESENTS AT FIRST-EVER FEDERAL BULLYING PREVENTION SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Iowa Pride Network & Iowa Department of Education Invited to Help Develop National Strategy for Reducing & Ending Bullying

Washington, D.C. – August 13 – Iowa Pride Network, along with the Iowa Department of Education, was invited to the nation’s capital to present at the first-ever Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Summit. 

Ryan Roemerman, Executive Director of Iowa Pride Network and Amy J. Williamson, Education Program Consultant with the Iowa Department of Education, co-presented on strategies to help schools implement safe school laws with fidelity.

“We’re proud to be invited to participate in the summit and for the opportunity to highlight Iowa’s pioneering work regarding safe school policy,” stated Roemerman.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan kicked off the two day summit along with the department’s Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Kevin Jennings and Assistant Secretary for the Office for Civil Rights Russlynn Ali.

Administrator Mary Wakefield of the Health Resources and Services Administration; Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin; Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli; other representatives from the U.S. departments of Justice (DOJ), Agriculture (USDA), Defense (DOD) and Interior (DOI); superintendents; researchers; corporate leaders; community partners; and students also attended the summit.

You may review Willamson and Roemerman’s presentation by following this link:

(Williamson begins at the 2 hour, 28 minute mark followed by Roemerman)

IPN Hails U.S. Supreme Court Decision

IOWA PRIDE NETWORK 

HAILS U.S. SUPREME 
COURT DECISION

Christian Legal Society v. Martinez Ruling Can Help Colleges and Universities Stop Intolerance

Des Moines, IA – June 28 – Iowa Pride Network is hailing the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Christian Legal Society v. Martinez.  The ruling articulates that public colleges and universities do not have to support student groups that violate their non-discrimination policies.

The Christian Legal Society (CLS) had sued the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law for funding and recognition after they were denied.  The university has a non-discrimination policy stating that no recognized campus groups may exclude people due to religious belief or sexual orientation—which the CLS was effectively doing.  The CLS requires that voting members sign a statement of faith and specifically targets gays, lesbians and their allies from joining as they are “participating in or advocating for an unrepentant sexually immoral lifestyle.”

The debate had centered on whether or not denying CLS violated the group’s First Amendment rights of association, free speech and free exercise.  The Supreme Court found that the group’s rights were not violated.

"In requiring CLS – in common with all other student organizations – to choose between welcoming all students and forgoing the benefits of official recognition, we hold, Hastings did not transgress constitutional limitations," said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote the majority opinion.

“The CLS has numerous chapters nationwide and has bullied many public colleges and universities into going against their own non-discrimination policies in order to avoid lawsuits,” stated Ryan Roemerman, Executive Director of Iowa Pride Network, a non-profit organization that networks and provides resources to high school and college Gay-Straight Alliances.

In November, 2008 Iowa Pride Network expressed its concern that the University of Iowa violated its own policy on Human Rights with the approval of funding to CLS.

“Originally, members of the UI Student Government committee that allocates fees for student groups denied CLS funding based on its mission that violated the University of Iowa’s Human Rights Policy. Unfortunately, when threatened with a lawsuit, the Administration was bullied into reversing the decision” said Roemerman.

The CLS and its legal counsel have threatened lawsuits in Iowa before. In the fall of 2007, this same type of controversy erupted on Iowa State University’s campus after conservative Christian groups tried to persuade Iowa State’s administration into allowing varying degrees of discrimination into ISU’s student organization policies. At that time, the ISU Student Government passed a resolution, “opposing the accommodation of any violation to the University’s non-discrimination policy.”

“We hope that today’s ruling gives colleges and universities the courage to stand up to groups like CLS and makes clear that equitable and inclusive non-discrimination policies are crucial in creating safe and healthy campuses for our students” stated Roemerman.

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Iowa Pride Network is hiring!

If you are interested in building a statewide movement for LGBTA rights and helping Iowa's LGBTA students become the most culturally competent, politically astute youth activists in the nation--apply today!

http://www.iowapridenetwork.org/2010outreach.pdf

IPN Weekly Update June 4, 2010