Herland Sister Resources

By Lynn Paltrow, JD Executive Director, National Advocates for Pregnant Women

On November 19, 2008, after serving only one year from the date of sentencing, Theresa Lee Hernandez was released from prison.

Ms. Hernandez was arrested in 2004 and charged with first-degree murder (a crime with a potential penalty of 25 years-to-life imprisonment) and second-degree murder for having suffered a stillbirth. The state of Oklahoma claimed — without any scientific basis — that the stillbirth was caused by her methamphetamine use.

In 2007, as her case approached trial, national and state-based organizations, advocates and experts organized, educated and spoke out against the prosecution. These efforts were instrumental in helping Ms. Hernandez avoid a life sentence and in enabling her counsel, Robin Shellow and Jim Rowan, to negotiate a plea bargain. That plea, entered last November, resulted in a sentence of 15 years, to be revisited after Ms. Hernandez served one year in prison.

As the Tulsa World reported: “Theresa Lee Hernandez, 31, appeared before Judge Virgil Black for a sentencing modification hearing. At the request of prosecutors, Black agreed to “suspend the remainder of her sentence and ordered her released from custody.” Ms. Hernandez will go to a private treatment program for 90 days and will be on probation for 10 years.

Just a week before Ms. Hernandez’s November 19 release, the second of two public forums regarding pregnancy, parenting and drug use was held. This forum, held at the Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, was co-sponsored by the local chapters of the National Association of Social Workers and of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the YWCA Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma State University’s Gender and Women’s Studies program. The panel discussion included local experts, doctors Eli Reshef and Dana Stone, and continued a conversation that drew upon evidence-based research concerning pregnancy, parenting and drug use. This conversation had begun at an Oklahoma forum one year earlier, in anticipation of Ms. Hernandez’s sentencing.

Ms. Hernandez’ release was not typical. Even in cases where a conviction is completely overturned, prisoners are almost always returned to prison for processing – something that can take weeks or even months - before they are finally released. In Ms. Hernandez’ case, the judge ordered that her handcuffs be removed right in the courtroom and that she be allowed to leave straight from the courthouse to her awaiting family and friends.

The Channel 9 news story, “Freed from Prison,” began by noting that “The case created a firestorm with doctors and women’s advocates who rallied to the woman’s side.”

Election night was a bitter-sweet celebration. We came together to witness the first black man who will become our president, yet watched in sadness as Florida, Arizona, Arkansas, and California all voted down equal rights for all citizens.  In California, Proposition 8, which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry, passed by 52%.

Proposition 8’s passage left only Massachusetts and Connecticut as states where same-sex marriages are legal, though both Rhode Island and New York will continue to recognize such ceremonies performed elsewhere.

In Arizona, Prop 102 passed by 56% and amended the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman.  Florida’s Prop 2 was a similar constitutional amendment and passed by 62%.

Arkansas voters approved a measure banning unmarried Arkansas couples who are living together from serving as adoptive or foster parents, imposing a ban that the Legislature balked at adopting. More than 56% of voters supported the ban, said by its proponents to be aimed primarily at keeping gays from becoming foster or adoptive parents. The measure’s sponsor, the Arkansas Family Council, tried to paint its proposal as a battle against a “gay agenda.” The conservative group successfully pushed for an amendment banning same-sex marriage four years ago.

This is not a one time, four-state issue. It’s an issue of equality across America. Stand up and make your voice heard!

In an effort to make a positive impact in the lives of our community, our allies, and even our opposition, JoinTheImpact.com emerged. JoinTheImpact coordinates the national effort to promote LGBTQ equality and organized the recent rallies across the nation against California’s Prop 8.

Our movement seeks to encourage the LGBTQ community not to look towards the past and place blame, but instead to look forward toward what needs to be done now to achieve one goal: Full equality for ALL. We stand for reaching out across all communities. We do not stand for bigotry, for scapegoating, or using anger as our driving force. Our mission is to encourage our community to engage our opposition in a conversation about full equality and to do this with respect, dignity, and an attitude of outreach and education.

At JoinTheImpact, we are all inclusive. As such, we will continue to encourage debate from all sides of the conversation provided it is civil and respectful. We will encourage our community to not let anger steer the conversation, but with an understanding that anger is a human reaction and we hope that it can be used as a catalyst toward positive change.

An estimated 200 people attended the rally against Prop 8 in OKC on Saturday, Nov. 15, at City Hall, shown at right.
 

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 http://www.stophateinthehallways.org/ or http://www.cimarronalliance.org/.

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.

date: saturday, october 4
time: 4:30 pm—7 pm
awards/recognition at 5:30 pm
place: herland
  
Herland is proud to be among the ranks of only a handful of other lgbt organizations that have made it to the 25-year mark.  A few large cities like New York and the San Francisco have centers that have lasted that long but OKC is one of the few outside the coasts that can boast such an accomplishment.  It’s time to celebrate and look back over our achievements of the last 25 years.
The anniversary celebration will be held from 4:30—7 pm on Saturday, October 4, 2008, at Herland.  The event begins with a reception where we will have hors d’oeuvres and drinks as we gather and visit.  You can browse the 25th Anniversary scrapbook with pictures and stories sent in by Herlanders and watch videos of past Herland retreats and other events.  Then, we’ll gather to honor past board members and volunteers ask some of you to share a few thoughts or stories about your times at Herland. 
The focus of this event is to bring together old friends and enable folks to reconnect with some they may not have seen in a while. 
It’s not too late to put together a story or a few photos to bring to the anniversary party.  Just email the stories to us at herland@herlandsisters.org or bring them with you the afternoon of the celebration.  We look forward to seeing you there!