Free Streaming of Chasnoff’s “Lets Get Real” part of “No-Name Calling Week”

January 23, 2013 by Leave a comment

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In an effort to help curb school bullying thousands of students, parents and educators across the country are participating GLSEN’s No Name Calling Week this week.

Filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, whose It’s Elementary—Talking About Gay Issues in School documentary set off a firestorm in Idaho close fourteen years ago, is offering free streaming of her company’s award winning film Lets Get Real as part of the week’s activities.

According to a press release,”No Name-Calling Week was founded in 2004 by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing with more than 50 participating organizations supporting the week-long event.”

“The project seeks to focus national attention on the problem of name-calling in schools, and to provide students and educators with the tools and inspiration to launch an ongoing dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling in their communities,” says a website devoted to the week.

“In honor of No Name-Calling Week, House Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) will introduce a congressional resolution during the week to commemorate the wide range of educational activities taking place in schools across the country aimed at ending name-calling, bullying and harassment of all kinds. Ros-Lehtinen is also a co-sponsor of the Safe Schools Improvement Act.”

As for the film, according GroundSpark’s website,”Let’s Get Real gives young people the chance to tell their stories in their own words–and the results are heartbreaking, shocking, inspiring and poignant. Unlike the vast majority of films made for schools about the issue, Let’s Get Real doesn’t sugarcoat the truth or feature adults lecturing kids about what to do when “bad” kids pick on them.”

Currently, Idaho has the fourth highest suicide rate in the nation. Studies have shown that those who have been bullied and or harassed at school can be affected by the actions well into their adult years.

According to 2012’s Idaho Youth Risk Behavior Survey, out of 1,702  students in 48 public high schools in Idaho, 22.8 percent report being bullied or harassed on school property within the last year.

The Center for Preventing Hate released a disturbing report in 2011 regarding bullying and harassment among Pocatello’s high school students. The report found, among other things, common slurs like “whore” and “fag” along with more extreme ones like “ni–er” and “c-nt” are reportedly used daily. (Read more on that HERE.)

Click HERE to WATCH the film for Free!

Watch the Film’s trailer below:

Learn more about No-Name Calling Week HERE.

Filed under Call To Action, LGBT, Pride, Relationships, The Agenda Tagged with , , , , , , ,

Idaho’s “Add The Words” bill To be Reintroduced this Session

January 23, 2013 by 1 Comment

BucknerWebb

For the seventh time in as many years, Idaho lawmakers will once again be asked to amend the state’s Human Rights Act to include the words “sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, (D) Boise, told KBOI-TV on Monday that she’s prepared to sponsor the measure this session. The language of the bill would be similar to last year’s proposed amendment, with a few minor changes.

The “Add the Words” bill would make it illegal in Idaho to discriminate against someone solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity in cases of employment, housing or in other public amenities.

Idaho’s LGBT community has been trying to gain a public hearing for the bill for the past seven years.  Despite positing hundreds of sticky notes from citizens across Idaho, as well as heavy turn out at rallies in 14 cities during a day of action, last January, GOP lawmakers once again told the community, “no”.

But Buckner-Webb appears hopeful that, with three Idaho cities having passed their own non-discrimination ordinances and two cities banning discrimination against gay employees, Idaho maybe at the tipping point when it comes to securing the rights of ALL of its citizens.

“One thing Idahoans care about is fairness,” Sen. Buckner-Webb tells KBOI-TV. “Fairness and equity. Not special rights. Fairness and equity. That’s what we’re interested in.”

No word yet on when exactly the bill will be introduced.

Meanwhile, one of the groups that was most visible during the last legislative session is planning on taking more of an educational approach to the issue this year, while still maintaining the pressure on lawmakers.

Misitie Tolman with Add The Words, Idaho told the Idaho Agenda on Monday that the group plans to be active throughout the session, “We are getting to know the new legislators this year, and we have events planned, so please be watching!  (You can “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter)  This discussion must be had.  It is time that an open dialogue is had inside the walls of that statehouse, and we will not give up until all Idahoans are given protections. “

One of those actions will be to thank the Boise City Council for the recent passage of its non-discrimination ordinance.

According to a recent press release, “Add the Words, Idaho will be presenting the council with plaques as their way of thanking them for stepping forward as leaders of equality. The plaques were generously donated by Western Trophy & Engraving, Inc. The group also has hundreds of names to present on their signature “Sticky Notes” of people who want to show their thanks to the Council as well.”

The event will take place on Tuesday, January 29th, scheduled at the beginning of the Boise City Council meeting at 4:00pm.

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Unanimous: Ketchum City Council passes city-wide Non-Discrimination Ordinance

January 23, 2013 by 4 Comments

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Lesbian, gay. bisexual and transgender folks who live, work and play in the south-central Idaho town of Ketchum will soon be included in a citywide non-discrimination policy.

The Ketchum city council passed the ordinance, which prohibits discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity in cases of housing, employment and public accommodation, unanimously, after a third reading of the measure on Tuesday night.

Mayor Randy Hall told the Idaho Mountain Express in December that for him the issue was “simple”

“The city has zero tolerance when it comes to discrimination based on somebody’s sexual orientation,” he said. “We wanted to make sure we lead by example and make sure everybody understands that there will be no discrimination in Ketchum..”

The next step will be to create a “Human Relations Review Board” which “would be formed to investigate complaints of violations of the ordinance. The emphasis of the ordinance will be on “mediation and education.” However, violators could be charged by the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with a misdemeanor,” the newspaper reports.

Ketchum is the third city in Idaho to enact such an ordinance. Sandpoint passed its anti-discrimination ordinance in 2011 and Boise passed a similar measure in December. Leaders in Pocatello, and Moscow are also considering adding their own anti-discrimination bans.  Driggs considered its own proposal in November but council members voted not to move the measure forward.

According to reports, Idaho Falls was scheduled to have the first reading of its anti-discrimination ordinance tomorrow night.  However, the City Clerk’s office says it isn’t on the council’s agenda. There are also reports that the measure maybe changed to a simple resolution, which, while still encouraging, wouldn’t carry as much weight as a full ordinance.

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