Young LGBT People Who Are Changing The World

 

 

 

The Advocate has selected forty LGBT young people under forty who are making a difference in the world. They are "accomplished leaders in politics, sports, science, religion and the arts.". You can't help but look at this list and feel great hope for the future. Here are five of them..

Ryan Spahn
32 / New York
Actor and Student

Ryan Spahn happily acknowledges that his partner of four years, Michael Urie (of Ugly Betty fame), has the more recognizable face of the couple. In fact, he’s banking on it. Spahn’s first feature film, in theaters this May, is sardonically titled He’s Way More Famous Than You. He wrote the film with Halley Feiffer, with Urie in the director’s chair. Both Spahn and Urie star in the film, along with Tracee Chimo, Jesse Eisenberg, and But I’m a Cheerleader’s Natasha Lyonne.

While completing preproduction for Famous in 2011, Spahn penned a screenplay for another upcoming film, Grantham & Rose, a coming-of-age story featuring Feiffer as a filmmaker willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get her way, foiled by The Jeffersons’ Marla Gibbs as a feisty 81-year-old woman named Rose.

Spahn is also a third-year drama student at Juilliard. Urie, a Juilliard alum, encouraged his partner to attend, promising the education would change his life. Indeed, Spahn says he’s found funding for and self-produced all three of his feature film and a short film projects since enrolling.

“It was unexpected and thrilling,” says Spahn. “So it was more of a juggling act of scheduling the films to fall during my holiday breaks. I am a hard worker, so I managed to balance the workload of Juilliard against these filming schedules.” @ryan_spahn

Harper Jean Tobin
31 / Washington, D.C.
Director of Policy, National Center for Transgender Equality

As a young transgender woman coming of age in Louisville, Ky., Harper Jean Tobin was grateful for her supportive family and friends within her community. But while she describes Louisville as “the least conservative place in Kentucky,” she was still aware of the discrimination and transphobia that runs deep in many Southern states. That awareness led the lawyer — recently named among the best 40 LGBT attorneys under 40 by the National LGBT Bar Association — to actively fight to improve the lives, visibility, and equality of transgender people by creating inclusive federal policy. And that’s exactly what she’s done in her four years with the National Center for Transgender Equality.

“Gears sometimes turn slowly in this town,” says Tobin of the Washington infrastructure. “But we have seen tremendous progress over the past four years.”

Tobin cites 2010 revisions to federal policy that allowed transgender people to obtain passports that reflect their authentic gender without a requirement for surgical procedures. Tobin also highlights ongoing work to protect transgender prisoners and immigration detainees. Tobin says such efforts have been “quite successful” thus far, but notes that there is still much to do. She hopes NCTE’s efforts signal the beginning of “a larger and very critical conversation in our movement about the ways in which so many of our transgender youth are funneled into these harmful systems by poverty, unemployment, rejection, and discrimination.” @transequality

Alex Morse
24 / Holyoke, Mass.
Mayor

When your high school gay-straight alliance faces censorship by the school board, it helps to have the town’s mayor on your side. To be fair, Mayor Alex Morse of Holyoke, Mass., founded that group back in his high school days, which weren’t that long ago. He’s only 24.

The Holyoke High School GSA planned an assembly against bullying in February, and in response a board member wanted to move it after school or require an opt-out provision because of its supposed sexual nature. Morse spoke strongly against the idea, arguing that the kids most likely to opt out would also be most in need of training. When he won and the assembly happened, the mayor was a guest speaker.

Morse shows that even a mayor for a city of about 40,000 can make a difference for LGBT Americans. “Legal protections are one thing,” he says. “Changing the hearts and minds of people is another challenge.” @mayormorse

Amir Dixon
23 / Boston
Filmmaker

Amir Dixon recently made history when his film Friend of Essex screened at Atlanta’s Morehouse College, one of the nation’s preeminent historically African-American colleges. The documentary drama explores the lives of young black gay men today and “looks at how we are seen in the black community through the scope of religion, how we are seen in the [larger] LGBTQ community, and in turn how we see ourselves,” Dixon says. The film has prompted discussions on race, masculinity, identity, and sexuality. This is what he hopes to achieve wherever Friend of Essex screens. “[I hope to set a] national agenda for LGBTQ people of color that is inclusive of all of our experiences,” he says. “This isn’t about me but about us.” @amirnow

Danielle Moodie-Mills
33 / Washington, D.C.
Director of Education Advocacy, National Wildlife Federation

If you think you’re busy, you haven’t met Danielle Moodie-Mills. She’s the director of education advocacy for the National Wildlife Federation, a board member for the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League, and an adviser for LGBT policy and racial justice with Fighting Injustice to Reach Equality, an initiative of the Center for American Progress. In her spare time, she maintains a blog (ThreeLOL.com) and hosts a radio show (Politini at BLIS.fm), both of which she manages with her wife. But she doesn’t mind her industrious life. “I’m really passionate about all those pieces because they really reflect to my core, which is social justice and working for equality across the board for all people,” she says.

Moodie-Mills’s latest work with NWF centers on encouraging kids to put down the Xbox and get active, and her latest project with FIRE involves helping LGBT youth in the juvenile justice system. “I’m really proud to do the work I do,” she says. @deetwocents

SEE THE ENTIRE LIST BY CLICKING HERE........

NYC Point Foundation Dinner To Honor Nigel Barker On April 15!

 

 

 

If you never have met a 'Point Scholar', then you should make it a goal. The Point Foundation Scholars are the best of LGBT youth across America. Many of them have had to overcome enormous obstacles in order to even attend high school let alone to receive a scholarship from the Point Foundation for their higher education.

The annual dinner in New York City for the Point Foundation is this coming Monday (April 15th). It will be held at the Chelsea Pier 60 right on the Hudson River

Actor, Director, Television Star and Photographer Nigel Barker will be receiving this year's Point Foundation Courage Award. The renaissance man has been a long time supporter and vocal advocate for full equality for LGBT citizens around the globe.

In addition, Estee Lauder Companies will receive the Point Inspiration Award.

YOU CAN ORDER YOUR TICKETS HERE.......

Stop Shaming Our Youth With HIV/AIDS

 

 

Over the last several weeks, coming to my attention were stories about people being extremely hard on young LGBT youth who had sero-converted to an HIV/AIDS status. The trauma and fear they must feel has to be overwhelming. Being young and discovering you have a disease is never an easy road. This is the time that any individual needs love, compassion and assistance.

However, increasingly our youth who discover they are HIV postive are finding hostile families and friends who react in horror that they had sero-converted. Often they demand to know how they could have been 'so stupid' and 'why didn't they practice safe sex'. Those individuals filled with indignation and judgement often shame the person receiving the news instead of offering a helping hand.

This has to stop for the well being of individuals but also to continue an effective fight against the epidemic.

First of all, people are human and young people especially feel invincible. Like young people who drink and drive the thought never crosses their mind that they could be the one in an accident. Young people don't think in terms of disease, death and dying. Youthful passion often clouds youthful judgement. Love is literally blind at times and creates situations where missteps simply take place.

Second, by shaming our young for contacting HIV/AIDS in this age of massive information about safe sex forces HIV/AIDS back into the closet. They keep secret about sero-converting and often are too ashamed to share with future partners or friends. As a result, many people feel they don't know anyone with HIV and that is no longer a priority. The fact of the matter is that because of retroviral drugs it is quite possible to close that closet door around having HIV.

Third, the shaming is stopping young people from getting tested and receiving early treatment which will increase their odds of a long protective life. They live in fear of being discovered as having made a mistake, a mishap taking place or using poor judgement. They stay silent and avoid any information that they desperately need at such a time.

The LGBT community has not only pioneered the major reforms, medical break through's and treatment and care around HIV/AIDS. Our journey with HIV/AIDS, while filled with tears, has been one of compassion, knowledge and courage. Now is not the time to forget those qualities as the infection rates increase among your young.

Hold your judgement and don't shame anyone. Simply put 'shit happens'. Instead smile, give a hug, extend a hand of assistance and show love and compassion. Our young in these situations will need us more than ever.

VIDEO: Tyler Clementi Center Established At Rutgers

 

 

Tyler Clementi Honored At Rutgers

Rutgers University on Monday held an emotional ceremony to honor young Tyler Clementi. The bright young musician took his own life after being spied on and bullied for being gay by his room mate. A standing room crowd of several hundred packed the room as the family spoke emotionally about the positive that must come out of the tragic situation. Politicians, students, professors and university officials all pledge that the Tyler Clementi Center would make serious and consistent outreach to students in trouble.

MSNBC's Thomas Roberts Interview High School Student Who Came Out In His High School Assembly

 

 

The LGBT national community was inspired this week by the courage of New Jersey high school senior Jacob Rudolph. The young man came out in front of his high school awards assembly. Thomas Roberts interviewed him for his highly rated show.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Georgia: Over 100 Schools Says "No Homosexual Students Need Apply" And The Schools Get Public Funds!

 

 

One would think that it is bad enough that LGBT Americans tax dollars are funding the effort to stop the repeal of DOMA in the United States Supreme Court. So far, House Speaker John Boehner and House Republicans have authorized $3 million dollars of public funds to finance the effort to keep DOMA in place. Remember our tax dollars are being used to defeat us.

Now in the State of Georgia, over a 100 schools that have as official policy to deny entrance to any LGBT student are receiving our tax dollars. In essence, taxpayer money, our money, is being used to establish a system of segregated private schools to keep out LGBT students.

The New York Times in an article by Kim Severson reports:

"At issue is an increasingly popular tax credit program that transforms state money into private school scholarships, some of them used at religious-based schools that prohibit gay, lesbian or bisexual students from attending.

The policies at more than 100 such schools are explicit.

The 400 students at a private school in Woodstock, for example, must adhere to a policy that states, “Homosexual behavior, whether an ‘immoral act’ or ‘identifying statement,’ is incompatible with enrollment at Cherokee Christian Schools and is a basis for dismissal.”

A male student at the Shiloh Hills Christian School in Kennesaw, who utters “I like boys” or “I am a homosexual” will be expelled.

And at the 800-student Providence Christian Academy 20 miles north of Atlanta, a student who is gay, lesbian or bisexual or supports people who are could be kicked out.

At least 115 religious-based schools in Georgia have severe antigay policies, according to a report issued this month by the Southern Education Foundation. Public information about the scholarship program is limited by law, so the number is probably much higher, according to the foundation, which was founded in 1867 to improve education for poor children in the South.

Steve Suitts, the vice president of the foundation and the author of the report, said that as many as a third of the schools in the scholarship program have strict antigay policies or adhere to a religious philosophy that holds homosexuality as immoral or a sin.

As a result, his report says, public money is being spent by private educational institutions that “punish, denounce and even demonize students in the name of religion solely because they are gay, state that they are homosexual, happen to have same-sex parents or guardians, or express support or tolerance for gay students at school, away from school or at home.”

The foundation and other supporters of public education have long been critical of the state’s tax scholarship program, which has proved popular among parents at both liberal and conservative private schools.

The scholarships allow individuals and corporations to receive state tax credits for thousands of dollars in donations to nonprofit groups that, in turn, give the money to private schools. The scholarships are often aimed at public school children from low-income families who cannot afford private school.

The tax credit scholarships were conceived in Arizona in 1997 and now run in 11 states, gaining strength each year among people aligned with the school choice movement.

But they have also brought legal challenges from opponents who call the scholarships “neo-vouchers” and argue that they mask the use of public money to pay for education at private schools whose philosophical and educational underpinnings are at odds with state standards.

The program is intended to avoid conflicts between church and state because the money is collected and distributed by nonprofit organizations.

There is little state oversight of those organizations. The Georgia legislature in 2011 tightened the rules regarding how much information about the program the Department of Revenue, which keeps track of the money, can make public.

Since the Georgia program began in 2008, $170 million in tax credits have been given to people who donated to the nonprofit organizations that funnel money to private schools"

Read the entire article here.....