• Home
• Events
• Retreats
• Archives
• Herland Voice
• Yahoo Groups
• Services
• Legal Defense
• Links
• About Us
• Contact Us

Table of Contents

Herland Voice November 2008

cimarron alliance foundation presents stop hate in the hallways 2

thursday
november 13, 2008

The director of an organization focused on preventing violence and prejudice in schools and colleges has been invited to provide the keynote address at the upcoming Stop Hate in the Hallways 2 Conference: Strategies for Preventing School Violence.

The one-day conference presented by the Cimarron Alliance Foundation is set for Thursday, Nov. 13, at the National Center for Employee Development, 2801 E. State Hwy. 9, Norman. The conference will address hands-on strategies for preventing school violence and will feature a keynote address by Stephen L. Wessler, director of the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence at the University of Southern Maine and former Maine assistant attorney general.

Organizers hope educators, policy makers, attorneys, law enforcement personnel and community leaders will attend the conference, which will focus training on the intervention and prevention of bullying and harassment.

“This conference has been developed out of concern for all children and youth who may be bullied or harassed in our schools today,” said Randy Tate, Cimarron board member and conference organizer. “National data on bullying and harassment suggest that bullies most often target children and youth who differ from the mainstream population because of a religious, racial, gender or sexual orientation bias.”

Between 2000 and 2005, FBI data show simple assault in schools went from 16,898 reported cases to 129,675 cases, and intimidation went from 5,154 to 35,715 cases. According to data analyzed by Harris Interactive, for example, 68 percent of Latino students have been harassed or assaulted in high school and 90 percent of LGBT students have reported similar situations.

Wessler will provide keynote remarks during the conference. His center develops and implements programs in schools, colleges and communities to prevent bias, prejudice, harassment and violence and promotes writing and teaching on issues relating to bias-motivated violence. He has conducted scores of trainings on preventing hate violence to educators, students, police officers and community members. In 1998, Wessler participated in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Working Group, which developed and piloted the National Hate Crimes Training Curriculum.

“Stephen Wessler is strong advocate in the fight against school violence. His no-nonsense approach brings the entire school community - administrators, faculty, parents, students, even the school bus drivers - into the fight to make our schools safe for every child,” said Rob Howard, Cimarron Alliance Foundation executive director. “He excludes no children in his efforts, regarding violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth to be as much of a concern to the community as religious, ethnic, and racial discrimination. This is going to be an exceptional one-day conference.”

Beth Reis, a health educator from Seattle, Wash., and co-founder of the Safe Schools Coalition, also will conduct two workshops that will center on helping campuses become safe places where every educator can teach and every child can learn regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

State Attorney General Drew Edmonson is slated to provide opening comments for the conference, which will also feature a panel of high school students who will discuss real-life examples of harassment in their own schools.

Total tuition for the conference is $75, which includes lunch as well as five continuing-educational units (CEUs), three of them for Ethics, for licensed mental health professionals. Training certificates will be given to educators to apply for educational credits with their districts.

The first Stop Hate in the Hallways was held in October 2007 and drew more than 350 attendees from more than 20 Oklahoma communities. Cimarron was supported by 53 partner organizations, including national, state and local nonprofit organizations and three government agencies to develop and promote the conference. Kevin Jennings, founder and chief executive officer for GLSEN, was the featured keynote speaker.

For more information about the conference or the Cimarron Alliance Foundation, visit www.stophateinthehallways.org or www.cimarronalliance.org.

back to top

2008 annual fall peace festival

saturday
november 15
10 am–4 pm

The annual Fall Peace Festival is one of the Oklahoma City Peace House’s premier contributions to the Oklahoma City peace and justice community. Organizations from across the state display their information or sell their fair trade goods to holiday shoppers.

Organizations that participate are too numerous to name, but range from the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, to the Gay & Lesbian Political Caucus, to the First Unitarian Church’s Peace & Justice Committee, to the Department of Peace.

Thousands of people each year come through the Peace Festival, browsing the table and purchasing holiday gifts.

Entertainment is provided all day long, from 10:00 to 4:00. The Fall Peace Festival is held in the Civic Center, Hall of Mirrors, 201 N. Walker.

back to top

breast cancer: should you join a support group?

from www.care2.com

“I’m sorry. It’s cancer.” With four words, your life is upended. What do you do? Where do you go? How do you find the information and support you need? One option is the cancer support group.

My history of participation in cancer support groups began in 1991 with my first breast cancer diagnosis; I received my sixth this year. My first group taught me how to live with cancer. I’ve been perfecting my skills and passing on what I’ve learned ever since. For over four years I have co-facilitated two support groups for young people with cancer, one specifically for women with breast cancer, and the other for women and men with cancer of all types.

I found that first group among the classifieds in a neighborhood weekly, when the Internet was still in its nascent stage. I was relieved to find a group that catered to my specific needs–I sought information about alternative treatments for cancer–while I was simultaneously terrified and determined to hang on to my autonomy. Sometimes as many as 13 women showed up in my drop-in group.

We were different ages at different stages with different cancers, but we all wanted to know what else we could choose along with, or instead of, the standard offering of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. I was 38 and, until three months before, felt little need for conventional medicine beyond my annual visits to the gynecologist and dentist. My preferred form of medical care was acupuncture and I was well-versed in several kinds of non-Western healing traditions. When the lump found by my gynecologist turned out to be malignant, I naturally sought more unconventional ways to deal with it before going further with recommended treatment.

I received far more than information: Most of my breast cancer peers in that first support group had metastatic disease and were undergoing treatments through clinical trials for drugs that are now standard protocols. In my two years of attendance, I watched them navigate treatment failures and shift their priorities to choices about how to live while dying. I’m glad I had the fortitude to stay. I owe everything I know about living with a life-threatening disease to them. Four years later, my disease would metastasize, too, and all the lessons were there to guide me: the best practitioners; the appropriate treatments to add to the conventional methods I did choose; and the knowledge that we can keep on healing even as our disease progresses and, in some cases, outlives us.

FINDING A SUPPORT GROUP THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

Support groups are great for many, but they’re not for everyone. Like cancer treatments, they’re not one-size-fits-all, but you can try them on and you can try more than one. Sometimes you have to shop around, just like you do with oncologists and treatment plans. They’re not therapy, even when they’re led by psychotherapists; they don’t provide “treatment”. An effective group should offer mutual support, a shared commitment to respecting members’ choices, and an exchange of resources and wisdom–rather than advice.

This is a time for listening deeply to your needs, or, as a wise friend once proffered, to “follow your pulls.” If you decide to investigate, here are some points to consider as you identify your preferences:

Leadership
Some groups are led by peers, others by experienced counselors, nurses, doctors, psychotherapists, or spiritual teachers. Ask yourself which you prefer or try on a couple to answer that question.

Demographics
Pay attention to where, and with whom, you feel most comfortable. A good place to start is a support group with women who have recently been diagnosed and are roughly your age. You may find, though, that you want to hear from a more diverse group of people with cancer. If so, seek out mixed-gender groups or multi-generational ones. For metastatic cancer, whether at initial diagnosis or recurrence, consider looking for groups devoted to this stage of disease.

Closed or Drop-in?
Closed groups have the same members at each session, sometimes for a finite number of meetings. In this setting, some find it easier to trust and develop intimacy. Members may change frequently in drop-in groups, though often a core group develops and attends consistently. Drop-ins offer flexibility and the opportunity to hear new voices and viewpoints.

Focus
When starting out, or even when returning (if cancer recurs), you will most likely be focused on treatment options, decision-making, and the consequences and effects of your choices. It’s a given that you will also delve into the emotional aspects of this major life transition and, if you are so inclined, into the spiritual. You may be drawn to groups designed for working with cancer through art, writing and other forms of creative expression.

back to top

lesbian camp sister spirit is now 15 years old

Wow! Things here in Mississippi have changed and we can now truly say we are Ovettians! Our neighbors now love us and help us in any way they can. We and all our supporters came through for this little community after Katrina. Many who would have never even come to this sacred space were forced through a terrible situation to “get to know us.“ We are a pivotal member of this community now and to the surrounding areas.

Our co-founder, Brenda Henson died this past February. To say this was a huge blow to us is an incredible understatement. Even the trees are grieving her loss.

We are still operating at full capacity. However, costs have sky rocketed and our supporters are suffering through this economic nightmare as well. We just purchased propane for the winter months and only filled the two main tanks to save money. The cost is $880.

We are respectfully asking for your assistance in raising money to pay this particular bill. We need to get the rest of the propane tanks filled but cannot even think about doing it until we can get this paid. We know that many of you, like us, have little to give. But, you do know other people and they know others and so on and so forth. Would you please assist us and ask your friends and family to consider helping us. We are a non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible.

We have a Paypal link on our web site : www.campsisterspirit.com or our address is PO Box 12, Ovett, MS 39464. If we could get 800 people to send just $1.00 it would solve the problem and ease our worried minds for at least THIS winter.

Thanking you in advance.
Andrea Gibbs-Henson, M. Ed.
Sister Spirit, Incorporated

back to top

planned parenthood of central oklahoma

Tulsa health care provider, Reproductive Services, is suing the state of Oklahoma, asking the state to throw out the law, and seeking an injunction to prevent the onerous and harmful Senate Bill 1878 from taking effect November 1st.

SB 1878 was passed in April after the legislature overrode a Governor’s veto. The bill requires women to view an ultrasound one hour prior to an abortion procedure. This includes listening to a detailed description of the ultrasound image. Additionally, the bill includes a refusal clause which shatters the balance between the conscience of the health care provider and the needs of the patient and legislates additional guidelines in administering the medication abortion pill. For a comprehensive look at the law, you can view SB 1878 online.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is representing Reproductive Services. They state that the law intrudes on a patient’s privacy, endangers her health and assaults her dignity. The law also prevents a woman’s doctor from using his or her medical judgment for treatment. “Governments should stop playing doctor and leave medical determinations to physicians and health decisions to individuals,“ said Stephanie Toti, a staff attorney for the U.S. Legal Program, a division of the Center for Reproductive Rights. Read more about this at the Tulsa World and at Truthout.org.

Linda Meek, executive administrator of Reproductive Services in Tulsa, said if the law takes effect, it will be very difficult for her nonprofit clinic to survive. She said the law is an effort to throw up barriers to women who want an abortion. The law will make it more difficult for doctors at the clinic and will be very costly.

Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma will be watching the developments of this lawsuit very carefully and update you, our supporters, as developments unfold.

back to top

gendering america at IAO gallery

saturday, december 13, 2008 6–9 pm

Individual Artists of Oklahoma is proud to announce a challenging exhibition of contemporary art, titled Gendering America, slated to run from November 20, 2008 through January 9, 2009. This group exhibit of visual art created by artists from across the nation, as well as Oklahoma, is intended to investigate and explore the impact of culture on gender development in America. “The artists in this exhibit address how we develop behaviors that are identified as masculine, feminine, or somewhere in between, as well as how those choices affect our personal and social lives,” said IAO Executive Director, Jeff Stokes, who is curating the exhibition.

“Each of these artists is interested in how men and women in America define and act out gender in relation to cultural memes,” Said Stokes. “ Are there natural forces and instincts that inform our choices, or are those “choices” guided by social agreement within a range of acceptable categories? How have the last 40 years, with the advent of Feminism, the Sexual Revolution and Gay Rights issues affected gender self-awareness/perception?”

“I found so many excellent artists addressing these issues,” said Stokes, “that I was able to bring together a wide range of perspectives which IAO hopes will generate important dialogue about gender in our community.”

Gendering America will feature works by artists John Hammer, Ursula McCarty, Angela Piehl, Morgan Price, Derek Grant Smalling, Mary Lou Stokes and Ann-Maree Walker.

“My work is an attempt to grapple with the weighty questions concerning gender and the formation of the self. I see the body as an active site of a variety of power plays, a tablet for the inscriptions and augmentations of the self . It is vulnerable to external manipulation by sources such as the media and advertising. Even the very clothing and accessories that adorn the body are codified surfaces that are read and interpreted by others,” says St. Louis artist, Ann-Maree Walker.

California Artist, John Hammer, investigates the ever evolving role and identity of gay men in America. Hammer states: “When I was in my twenties, way back in the late eighties and early nineties, being out was a political statement in its self. Now, being out is almost passé in its mainstream modernity.” “How is our identity defined when the aspect of absorption is within reach, and reaching such, we leave behind a history of “otherness”? Can we be both mainstream and queer?”

There will be an Artist’s Reception, open to the public, on Saturday, December 13th, 2008 from 6-9 pm, at IAO Gallery.

back to top

soulforce mourns the passing of del martin

This week, our community lost one of its great sheroes, Del Martin. Del and her partner, Phyllis Lyon, have been legends within the lesbian community for as long as I can remember.

Born in San Francisco in May of 1921, Del met Phyllis in 1950 and shortly thereafter they founded the first national lesbian organization, Daughters of Bilitis. Understanding the relationship of religious dogma in the oppression of gays and lesbians, Martin and Lyon in 1964 joined religious and gay community leaders to form the Council on Religion and the Homosexual (CRH), which was at the forefront of the movement to gain religious support on gay rights issues.

Martin was the author of “Battered Wives“ (1976) and the co-author of “Lesbian/Woman“ with Lyon (1972). She was first out lesbian elected to the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Del and Phyllis’ role in gay and lesbian rights was publicly acknowledged when the mayor of San Francisco announced that they would be the first to be legally married in California on June 16th of this year. After 58 years as partners, the two were at long last able to marry.

All of us at Soulforce are grateful for the relentless activism of Del Martin throughout the years and we send our heartfelt condolences to her wife, Phyllis.

back to top

tulsa election night watch party

Get out the vote, then come join Oklahomans for Equality on Tuesday, November 4th, for OkEq’s Election Night Watch Party. The party will be from 7:00 p.m. til 10:00 p.m. in the Sue Welch Hall at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, 621 E. 4th Street (4th and Kenosha), in Tulsa. Drinks and refreshments will be available. Drawings every hour. Watch parties will continue after 10:00 p.m. at The Eagle and Club Mavericks. Log Cabin Republicans and Stonewall Democrats will have information tables available. Call 918.743.4297 for more info.

back to top

biblio bits

Over the last few months, Herland has become aware that many of our classic titles from the library are missing. The books have been checked out but not returned. You won’t owe any fine but please return the books. If you are not able to bring the books on Saturday when we are open, call 521-9696 and leave a message with a phone number on the answering machine and arrangements will be made to meet on another day or place. Thanks!

back to top

november events

Louise & Mary Saturday November 1 Full Circle Bookstore 7-9 pm no cover
Election Day Tuesday November 4 7 am–7 pm
PFLAG-OKC Tuesday November 4 Church of the Open Arms 7 pm
Herland Barbecue and Blues Saturday November 8 at Herland 5:30 pm $6
OGLPC Monthly Meeting Monday November10 1236 NW 36 7 pm
PFLAG-Norman Thursday November 13 St Stephens 7 pm
Sisters of Swing Friday November 14 UCO Jazz Lab 8 to 11 pm $7
Peace Festival Saturday November 15 Civic Center Hall of Mirrors 10 am to 4 pm
Herland Work Day Sunday November 16 1 pm
Herland Board Meeting Sunday November 16 4 pm
OKC PRIDE General Meeting Monday November 17 Neighborhood Alliance 1236 NW 36 7pm
Miss Brown to You Tuesday November 18 Galileo Bar & Grill 3009 Paseo 8:30 to 11 pm no cover
Covert Union in concert Saturday November 22 7:30 pm Church of the Open Arms $5 suggested donation
Holiday Open House at Herland Saturday November 29 5:30 pm

back to top

barbecue at herland

5:30 p.m. saturday november 8

Join us for an evening meal of barbecue ribs at Herland on Saturday, November 8, at Herland. If it’s good weather, we’ll be in the backyard, if it’s cold or damp, we’ll be inside. Either way, we are bringing in BBQ ribs, potato salad, baked beans, dessert and drinks. All for only $6.00! We start at 5:30 p.m. and play some games afterward.

back to top

herland work day

1 p.m. sunday november 16

We need to take care of some regular and special maintenance at Herland before winter. If you can spare a couple of hours, please drop by and help. We’ll be patching a hole in the eaves where squirrels are getting in the attic and doing some general cleanup and painting. Everyone is needed!

back to top

holiday open house

5:30–7:30 p.m. saturday november 29

After the dust has settled from Thanksgiving and you’re ready for something a little more sane, come by Herland for some pie, coffee, and relaxing with friends. We’ll have everything, just come by and visit.

back to top

website of the month

www.stophateinthehallways.org

back to top

© Copyright 2008
All Rights Reserved
Herland Sister Resources, Inc.