Actor, GLSEN Supporter Jonathan Del Arco Talks Safe Schools, Gay TV Characters on Entertainment Tonight

Jonathan Del Arco plays a gay coroner on TNT's The Closer. He also works with GLSEN. Jonathan talks about his two passions on Entertainment Tonight tonight. You can check out an online version of the clip below and learn more about GLSEN's Respect Awards - Los Angeles, which Jonathan is helping organize, here.

Meet GLSEN Student Ambassador Saad Diniari

GLSEN introduces Saad Diniari, a junior at Plano West Senior High School in Dallas, TX, and one of our talented and passionate GLSEN Student Ambassadors. While each ambassador's story is their own, one commonality lies in their infallible quest for equality with an optimistic attitude.

"Many youth, including myself, are discriminated against on a daily basis. I hope to be able to correct this problem in the future, because no teenager should have to undergo the stress associated with bullying alongside other school pressures (SAT preparation, etc)."

"I hope to see a future in which people are respected for internal character qualities as opposed to who they are physically/emotionally attracted to and what gender they identify as."

During our Safe Schools Media Summit, Saad took some time to reflect on his trip to New York City, his short time at GLSEN headquarters, the friends he's made, and the valuable memories he takes with him.

The day had arrived. Thursday, July 22nd. I was both eager and anxious to see what the GLSEN Media Summit had in store for me. Living in a Texas suburb, I had never really been exposed to so many diverse experiences by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer students. By the first workshop, I had already felt as if I had taken part in a eye-opening experience. The tales of courage and boldness by youth from all over the country astounded me, and for once – I felt as I was a part of a group of people who I truly identified with. We are all unique and different, but we are unique and different together.

On day two of the New York Media Summit, the other GLSEN Student Ambassadors and I were able to listen to country music sensation Chely Wright’s deeply personal and engrossing coming out story. The way in which Chely was so courageous with her circumstances of wanting to put her music career in jeopardy in order to stay true to herself exemplified her bravery and strength. Her narrative was so honest and down-to-earth that it would be nearly impossible not to be moved by her passion.

The final day is approaching and the experience that GLSEN has provided me will stay with me forever. It has been a learning experience, a journey of personal growth, and a haven for diversity. I’ve met people and learned lessons that will never be forgotten.

Meet the 2010-11 GLSEN Student Ambassadors

With back-to-school season is in full swing, we thought this would be a good time to introduce our 2010-11 GLSEN Student Ambassadors, a diverse group of 18 LGBT and non-LGBT students who will serve as GLSEN spokesyouth throughout the school year in traditional and social media.

You'll see the students in GLSEN videos; on our blog, on Facebook and Twitter talking about safe schools and respect; telling their story in the news and at GLSEN events; and simply being all-around amazing young people.

We got a chance to get to know the Ambassadors in July at GLSEN's Media and Safe Schools Summit, a four-day summit to empower students to learn how they can use media to help raise awareness about the need to make schools safe and respectful for everyone. You can see a bit of the highlights in the fancy photo sideshow below.



The Ambassadors got a chance to attend a Sheryl Crow concert as part of the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, visit with out TruTV executive Marc Juris and spend several hours over two days with out country music singer and all-around fantastic person Chely Wright. Entertainment Tonight covered Chely's visit.

We'll be telling you more about each of the Ambassadors over the coming weeks.

Alyssa M. from Illinois
Annmarie O. from New York
Brandon H. from Maryland
Dominique W. from Massachusetts
Jason G. from California
Jesse E. from Pennsylvania
Jesse T. from New York
Joey K. from Pennsylvania
Lily G. from New York
Loan T. from North Carolina
Margot P. from Washington
Moriah R. from Ohio
Nowmee S. from Georgia
Red O. from California
Richard W. from Ohio
Ryan T. from Colorado
Saad D. from Texas
Zac T. from California

Department of Justice Helps Prevent Dismissal of Anti-Gay Bullying Case

Charles Pratt, a student in upstate New York, filed suit last April against his school district on claims that he faced severe anti-gay bullying and harassment before he was forced to drop out at age 15. Citing repeated pleas from his parents, Charles claims that district officials were aware of the harassment he faced but deliberately refused to help him. He is represented by Lambda Legal, which reports that he faced almost daily episodes of name-calling and physical intimidation. His sister, Ashley Petranchuk, is also suing the district for denying her rights to start a gay-straight alliance.

The Indian River Central School District has already filed a motion to dismiss the case, but the U.S. Department of Justice has filed a motion to participate as an "amicus curiae," or friend of the court, to help the court decide whether federal discrimination claims should be upheld and to prevent the case from being dismissed.

The Department of Justice intervened in a suit earlier this year in Mohawk, NY also under a Title IX based claim of bullying and discrimination. These cases may represent a new focus at the Department of Justice regarding preventing LGBT-based bullying and harassment.

The Department of Justice contends the arguments of the New York school district are incorrect, and therefore, could add a significant weight to Charles and Ashley’s case. However, the motion to dismiss remains pending.

For local news coverage, click here.
To read the official complaint filed by Lambda Legal, click here.


Submitted by Sara LaPlante
GLSEN Public Policy Intern

Entertainment Tonight Talks With Chely Wright At GLSEN's Media and Safe Schools Summit

During GLSEN's second annual media summit July 22-25, Entertainment Tonight visited with Chely Wright to discuss how life has changed for the country music star since coming out in May, as well as her partnership with GLSEN. During the summit, a diverse group of 18 Student Ambassadors from around the country shared their stories with Chely and learned more about how they can make an impact in their schools and communities using multimedia tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Some of the Student Ambassadors even had the opportunity to speak on camera with ET, making their Ambassadorship debut just a day into the summit!

Check out what Chely and some of our GLSEN Student Ambassadors had to say in the clip below.

The Prop 8 Decision: GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard Finds Ruling Historic for Treatment of Facts vs. Opinion

GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard, who has a PhD in United States History from Columbia University, gave her initial reaction yesterday to Judge Vaughn Walker's decision to overturn California's Proposition 8. Today, Dr. Byard takes a deeper look at the decision and what it means beyond ruling that same-sex couples have a Constitutional right to marry. Check back Monday for Dr. Byard's look at how schools factored into Judge Walker's decision and the Prop 8 proponents' flawed arguments.

Proponents of California's Proposition 8 argued that allowing same-sex couples to marry would lead to public schools teaching that same-sex marriages are equal to heterosexual marriages – an outcome that they saw as disastrous. By failing to offer a single scrap of credible evidence at trial in support of Proposition 8, they have ensured that generations of students will learn just that, in studying Judge Vaughn Walker's landmark decision in Perry v. Schwartzenegger. Above and beyond the decision’s clarity on the equal status of same-sex and heterosexual relationships, however, Judge Walker has made another crucial contribution to a vision of a better America with his opinion in this case. Hopefully this additional lesson will make its way into our schools as well.

At an event in New York City in June, David Boies was quite clear about his goal for the initial trial in this case: establish a factual record of great clarity on the central issues for the rounds of appeal to come. A trial attorney of unparalleled skill and experience, Boies spoke movingly of his love for the American system of justice, and particularly for the practice of cross-examination, which requires the witness on the stand to respond substantively to direct questions posed by their opponents. By taking the key questions on head on, and confronting opponents in the courtroom, far from the media echo chamber, Boies felt that our court system would allow the discussion to cut through the noise to the facts. David Blankenhorn, you're not on Hannity anymore.

Boies was right. Brietbart beware. Tea Partiers take note. Propagandists of all stripes, you are on notice. Amidst Judge Walker's many bold statements and findings of fact is a simple citation of Federal Rule of Evidence 702 that is in its own right no less bold an assertion. Rule 702 holds that in order to be considered an “expert” by the federal courts, and to have your opinions and statements be given legal weight, you must be qualified by “knowledge, skill, experience, training or education,” and your testimony may only be admitted if it “is based upon sufficient facts or data” and “is the product of reliable principles and methods.” In simpler terms, you have to know what you’re talking about. In a society inundated with undifferentiated "content" and opinions often bolstered by nothing more than sheer volume, Judge Walker has reminded us of the standard by which information should be evaluated and categorized.

Whatever the impact of this ruling on the content of the curriculum vis-a-vis same-sex marriage, one can only hope that it will contribute to a fundamental renaissance of knowledge, expertise and respectful debate. If there is one thing that students in this diverse society should learn about in public schools, it is how to articulate and defend their points of view in a respectful, relevant and cogent way in the public square. Should Judge Walker's opinion prevail through many rounds of appeal, he will have left a truly monumental legacy. One element of that legacy will be his reassertion of the difference in standing between opinion and fact in a Constitutional system, and the grounding in reality required to give either credence and meaning in public discourse.

GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard's Initial Take on Prop 8 Decision

We're still reading through the Prop 8 decision and hope to have deeper analysis tomorrow, but here's a quick take from GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard, who has a PhD in United States History from Columbia University.

This historic decision will one day be part of every student's curriculum. It represents a remarkably clear and unequivocal statement about the reach and meaning of constitutional protections heretofore not applied to the issue of marriage or to the standing of lesbian and gay people before the courts.