She keeps betraying my trust

Tonight, she wouldn't even relate to me about the Oprah special on her
school for girls in South Africa.

I always wanted to start a school. And my work with the kids in the War
Zone was so important to me. It killed me when the city condemned the
house and threw me into the street.

She knows all that.

It's always about her interests, projects, needs, etc. I always play
second fiddle, am required to put my needs aside. Her job, school, body
dysmorphia, hypocondria and self-obsession always come first.

She can't conceive of treating me with minimum respect.

I emailed her this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=english+%2B%22south+africa%22

The least important aspect of the program tonight was why the girls
spoke English.

You repeatedly interrupted the MOST important part of the program, the
girls' own stories, to obsess on it.

I told you to look it up. You were sitting RIGHT by a computer with
internet access.

You would not let me hear the girts' stories, and that's exactly why I
wanted to watch the program.

Other than your obsession with that issue, you had no interest in the
program, except to put down Oprah.

I wasn't watching Oprah; I was watching the girls. They're the story.

Your behavior was disrespectful and disruptive. I don't frequently
express much interest in promotions for tv programming. I did for this
special, and told you so over several days.

You KNEW this was important to me.

I don't ask for much, but I do provide a lot. I wanted to see that
program, to enjoy and savor it.

You poisoned it. I think you did it intentionally.

I seldom ask for your emotional support. I needed it tonight.

As usual, you were not only not there for me, but you acted like I was
torturing you, just because I wanted to have you actually stand within
my line of vision while I spoke to you. You made faces; you groaned; you
sighed heavily; you rolled your eyes. You made it very clear you didn't
even want to listen to me.

Tonight was an incredible opportunity for us to bond, discuss something
profoundly important to the health of the world. You threw it away.

I give up. Nothing I do to support, help and encourage you will ever be
enough to earn your respect. You will never treat me as an equal. You
will always treat me as a threat to your well being.

I quit. You're on your own.

NM domestic partner legislation

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/. Legislative Update: House Bill 603 on the Move

HB603: Domestic Partner Rights And Responsibilities Act Scheduled for Hearing on Friday, February 23 at 1:30 pm

HB 603 is scheduled for public hearing in the House Judiciary Committee this Friday, February 20, 2007 at 1:30 pm in Room 309 at the Roundhouse. Once again, we will need people to attend the hearing.

Assuming HB603 passes House Judiciary, it will likely be heard on the House Floor next Wednesday, February 28. (It is possible that the hearing on the House Floor could be scheduled for Tuesday February 27th, but at this point Wednesday is our best estimate.) As soon as we receive confirmation on the hearing date, we will let you know. We will need to fill the Gallery with our supporters!

TELL THE LEGISLATORS TO SUPPORT NEW MEXICAN FAMILIES BY VOTING FOR HB603

The pace is picking up, and EQNM needs you to take action. We need people to participate in our online campaigns, but we also need people to make phone calls and personal visits to the legislators!!!!

If you are willing to visit the Roundhouse to speak one on one with legislators, please contact our Executive Director, Alexis Blizman at 505-224-2766. She will be glad to meet you there (schedule permitting) or at least go over talking points and how to find the legislators that we need to put pressure on.

Help Pass Domestic Partner Benfits By Donating Now To Equality New Mexico’s Lobbying Efforts! Below is a list of legislators who we believe are either on the fence about supporting HB603 or who may be swayable. All of them need to be contacted multiple times and asked for their support. We need all of you to call their offices, visit them between now and next Tuesday, and tell them why they should support this important legislation. We know this is more time consuming than the online campaigns we have been asking you to participate in so far this session, but your efforts can make a huge difference. We have a good chance of getting HB603 through the House, but we need all of your help to do it.

Sample message to legislator (if you are making a phone call you will likly speak to a secretary. This is fine the keep a record of how many peopkle call to support a specific piece of legislation):

Hello, My name is _______ I am calling to ask Representative _______ to support House Bill 603 the Domestic Partner Rights and Responsiblites Act. This legislation will provide many protections that my family as well as numerous other New Mexican families desperately need.

Thank you and I urge Representative ______ to vote yes on HB603.

Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones (R, Bernaillo-24) 505.986.4451
Rep. Elias Barela (D, Valencia-8) 505.986-4254
Rep. Andrew Barreras (D, Valencia-7) 505.986.4243
Rep. Joseph Cervantes (D, Dona Ana-52) 505.986.4249
Rep. Mary Helen Garcia (D, Dona Ana-34) 505.986.4435
Rep. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales (D, Taos-42) 505.986.4235
Rep. Manuel Herrera (D-Grants-39) 505.986.4233
Rep. Dona Irwin (D-Luna-32) 505.986.4249
Rep. Ben Lujan (D-Santa Fe-46) 505.986.4782
Rep. Andy Nunez (D-Dona Ana-36) 505.986.4423
Rep. Jane E. Powdrell-Culbert (R-Sandoval-44) 505.986.4467
Rep. Debbie Rodella (D-Rio Arriba, Sandoval & Taos-41) 505.986.4329
Rep. Dan Silva (D-Bernalillo-13) 505.986.4425

Thank you in advance for all of your hard work and dedication. Passing HB603 is an uphill battle for us all, but with your help, it is possible! ___________________________ Equality New Mexico is fighting for full civil rights for ALL New Mexicans.

Please help us continue the fight. Make a donation today at our secure website at http://www.eqnm.org/donate.html or send a check to EQNM 1410 Coal Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87104.

Paula Gunn Allen benefit

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.

> > Contact: Kerrie Lynn
> > (404) 524-0304
> > Charis Books, Atlanta
> >
> > NATIVE WOMEN WRITERS READ AT BENEFIT FOR PAULA GUNN
> > ALLEN
> >
> > Seven Native women writers will read Friday, March 2,
> > at 8 PM at Charis Books.
>
> The reading is in honor of
> > Paula Gunn Allen, the Laguna writer whose
> > groundbreaking study The Sacred Hoop, established the
> > field of Native feminist studies. Gunn Allen's home
> > was destroyed by a fire in October, and she has been
> > hospitalized as a result of injuires sustained in it.
> >
> > Paula Gunn Allen's many honors include an American
> > Book Award for her 1990 Spider Woman's Granddaughters:
> > Traditional Tales and Contemporary Writing, a National
> > Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and the Lifetime
> > Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of
> > the Americas. A scholar and a creative writer, her
> > many books include Life is a Fatal Disease: Collected
> > Poems 1962-1995, The Woman Who Owned the Shadows, and
> > Grandmothers of the Light: A Medicine Woman's
> > Sourcebook. She received her M.F.A. from the
> > University of Oregon and her Ph.D. from the University
> > of New Mexico. After a distinguished teaching career,
> > including professorships at UCLA, Berkeley, and the
> > University of New Mexico, she retired in 1999.
> > Writers participating in the event include Kimberly
> > Blaeser (Anishnabe), Allison Hedge Coke (Tsalagi /
> > Huron), Heid Erdrich (Anishnabe), Diane Glancy
> > (Cherokee), LeAnne Howe (Choctaw), Evelina Lucero
> > (Isleta /San Juan Pueblo), Janet McAdams (Alabama
> > Creek), and Deborah Miranda (Esselen/Chumash). The
> > writers will read from Gunn Allen's as well as their
> > own work.
> >
> > Each of the poets has recently published a volume of
> > poetry in Salt Publishing's Earthworks series of
> > indigenous writers. Erdrich's The Mother's Tongue,
> > Glancy's Rooms, Howe's Evidence of Red , and
> > Miranda's The Zen of La Llorona appeared in 2005, the
> > inaugural year of the new Earthworks series. New books
> > include Blaeser's Apprenticed to Justice and Hedge
> > Coke's Blood Run. Series editor McAdams will also read
> > from a new collection, Feral. Novelist Lucero will
> > read from her award-winning Night Sky, Morning Star.
> >
> > More information, including directions, can be found
> > on the Charis Books website at
> > http://charis.booksense.com or by calling (404)
> > 524-0304. Gunn Allen's books will be available for
> > purchase, and donations will be requested for the
> > Paula Gunn Allen Fund. Admission is free.
> >
> >
> > ^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
> > http://www.janetmcadams.org

Gender ID Assault

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.Bienvenidos a Albuquerque, where your "friends" will mess with your gender!

Police arrest six in connection with bizarre, disgusting beating


Last Update: 02/02/2007 8:01:28 PM
By: Todd Dukart

An Albuquerque man is recovering after police say he was beaten in an incident with details that are rather disgusting.

Police say the 19-year-old man got into a scuffle with some friends that soon turned into an attack.

“He was confronted and basically overpowered,” said Albuquerque police spokesperson Trish Hoffman. “They started kicking and punching him, then threatened him with a knife.”

They forced the man into a dress, police say, put make-up on him, forced a sex toy into his mouth and rubbed dog feces on him.

The suspects stole his wallet and watch, police say.

The victim was released from the hospital on Friday. The suspects could face felony charges.

Refused Rape Services

We can't let one more rape survivor go through what a
21-year-old woman in Tampa Florida, just had to endure.

Please act now by rushing the enclosed petition to your state
governor to ensure rape survivors in your state are not denied
access to emergency contraception.
http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/ec_florida/uidius4o6j7i8j?

Here's what this young woman went through:

Raped as she returned to her car after attending a local parade,
she escaped and reported the attack to local police. As she was
being interviewed, police discovered she had an outstanding
four-year-old warrant for failing to pay a fine related to an
incident when she was a juvenile.

Just hours after being raped, she was handcuffed and hauled off
to jail. But it gets worse. A jail worker blocked this young
woman from taking emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy,
stopping her from taking the required second dose for more than
24 hours longer than recommended.

The reason: the jail supervisor doesn't "believe" in emergency
contraception.

Will you join me in asking your governor to ensure that women in
your state have access to emergency contraception?
http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/ec_florida/uidius4o6j7i8j?

This is not the first time a rape survivor has been treated so
outrageously. But we need to insist that it should be the last
in Florida or anywhere else in the country. Please act right
now.

Sincerely,

Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

*************************************************

Tell A Friend:

http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/ec_florida/forward/uidius4o6j7i8j?

Learn More: http://www.ppaction.org/ct/W7aaFl91CSe9/

Lots of winter projects

My g/f & I are planning a 10-day trip, traveling the Santa Fe Trail from
here in Albuquerque all the way to Kansas City and back. We're shooting
video for an Independent Study project of hers at college. It'll be a
video documentary, based on a radio play she produced several years ago.

So, the truck needs cleaning out; bedding and cooking utensils need
washing; goats & chickens need extra feed (so do cats). Clothes need
packing; cameras need batteries, film, etc.

It's a lot of work. As usual, she can't help, because she works full
time and has other classes, too.

It's her last semester. She'll graduate, with honors, in May. Maybe then
I can fall apart! I've never known her without tremendous pressure on
her.

Besides all that, Dudette at http://net4tv.com Games has offered me a
job, writing about WebTV stuff for her users. I'll have a blog; it'll
have a forum, so readers can reply, etc. I'm also helping her set up
online greeting cards and email signatures.

So, I've been awful busy!

BTW: I'll be gone from the 9th through the 19th of February. We're
taking the WebTV and a small TV set with us. We'll periodically stay in
hotels. That way, we can post still photos online, check email, etc.
I'll try to post in my newsgroup and blogs then, but who knows?

Mostly, we'll be sleeping in the truck, on an air mattress, in February.
We go through Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and, of course, New
Mexico. Nothing like a camping trip, in the DEAD OF WINTER! brrr.

Abortion: Is it possible to be pro-life and pro-choice?

Re: Abortion: Is it possible to be pro-life and pro-choice? Guapo

Group: news:alt.discuss.politics.liberal
Date: Wed, Jan 31, 2007, 7:42am
From: (Rogi Riverstone)

"Partian birth" abortion is misnamed. It implies the baby would have
lived, if nobody had interfered.

These are late-term pregnancies of horribly deformed babies, who will
not survive without nutrients from the mothers' bodies. They will die,
outside the womb. Even though they will not have normal -- or even
functionally below normal -- brain function, they will die agonizing
deaths.

Now, that's only the "living" babies.

Most of these late term procedures are done on babies WHO ARE DEAD
inside the mother!

The safest way to remove the dead tissue (which can kill the mother) is
by removing it vaginally, in pieces.

It is a horrible situation. The mother is grieving the death of her
child. Her health and life are in tremendous danger. And the state is
telling her doctor not to perform a necessary, medical procedure to save
her life.

So, doctors are having to perform emergency C-sections to remove these
dead babies. This puts the mother at greater risk of dying, as it cuts
open her belly and her uterus. She is probably already compromised. She
may suffer blood poisoning, from the dead baby inside her. Interfering
with her circulation, by cutting into her, can spread the poisons and
kill her.

These procedures are RARELY done and then only in emergencies.

I thought the Conservatives believed in keeping the government out of
our lives? Why does that not pertain to women's bodies, and the medical
professionals who CARE for women's bodies?

PlayInk, San Francisco

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.

http://www.playink.com/

I found her because she has me listed under "family" in her favorites!
http://www.playink.com/me/morefavs.htm

8 Faces of Jane

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.http://www.8facesofjane.com/

Wanted: Brave LGBTQ Youth

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.Wanted: Brave LGBTQ Youth!>

Reward: Ten Thousand Dollars Each!> > > > >

The Colin Higgins Foundation is requesting nominations for its> annual Youth> Courage Awards. Each year the Colin Higgins Foundation salutes> LGBTQ> individuals who demonstrate courage in the face of adversity and> discrimination based on gender and/or sexual orientation.> >

Many LGBTQ Youth grow up in family, school and community> environments that> threaten their well being. They find themselves ostracized,> marginalized,> in psychological or even physical danger. Colin Higgins Foundation> Youth> Courage Award winners rise above such circumstances to inspire> others by> taking action, rallying support, and working to transform the> systems and> institutions that impact their lives.> >

This year the Foundation will be awarding $10,0 00 grants to:> > * Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirit, Queer and> Questioning youth (through age 24) who have bravely stood up to> hostility> and intolerance based on their gender and/or sexual orientation and> triumphed over bigotry through working for LGBTQ rights and social> justice.> > > >

The deadline for all nominations is 5pm (Pacific Standard Time)> Friday,> March 2, 2007. Late nominations will not be accepted. The> Foundation> encourages all nominations to be made via the online submission> tool, which> can be found at: > http://www.colinhiggins.org/courageawards/nomin_mat.cfm or
www.colinhiggins.org http://%20/%20/www.colinhiggins.org/ .

spectacular specula

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.
Subject:
Spectacular Specula
http://www.fwhc.org/health/specula.htm
I've had a speculum since I was 17.
I'd run away from a VERY psychotic mother and was living in Venice
Beach, Ca, during the seventies.
There, I met quite a few of those "seventies feminists." They saved my
life. They taught me to take care of myself: balance a check book,
change my own tires & oil, get an education, etc. They taught me not to
be a "typical female:" a victim of circumstances, dependent on men who
might exploit me.
Most young, blonde, pretty women who run away from home and end up in
Los Angeles end up: dead, addicted or pimped. Usually, all three.
We learned self-examinations together. The Boston Women's Health
Collective had just published the book, _Our Bodies, Ourselves_ . I
still own my first-edition copy.
Most women have no idea how their bodies work, or even what they look
like. And many think they're ugly.
I've been very fortunate.

soft core for children?

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.Marapets

Letter to editor:

I really resent all the ads with bare-breasted women. I didn't sign up for soft-core porn, for one thing. For another thing, it sends a TERRIBLE message to little girls, in particular, but also to little boys: a woman's only value is to pleasure men? One of the ads was for so-called, "intimate dating." That's sex hook-ups, in case you didn't know. If children are seeing these ads, I won't be able to recommend Marapets to any friends, adult or child. There are lots of healthy things to sell on Marapets. Women's breasts shouldn't be used this way; their purpose is the feeding of babies. Anything else is perverse, obscene and insulting to women.

physician, heal thyself

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.Dr. Phil has lost his mind, apparantly.

I went to his website today, looking to see what happened to a VERY abusive couple who torture their children. I think they ought to have called the police and had them arrested, based on the torture I saw in home video tape. I was curios about any follow up.

Then, I saw a question, apparantly a topic for a future show. I was dumbfounded, so I clicked on it.

Under the flash caption, "Be On The Show," they had form fields one could fill about the following "questions:"

be on the show

Are You a Lesbian Who Hates Men? Are you a lesbian who's mad at the world for everything people have done to you? Are you a self-proclaimed bitch who will argue with anyone? Do you know you have anger issues but don't know how to control yourself? Tell us your story.

This is what I wrote:

A "bitch" is a female dog: she is protective of those she loves. She will attack when provoked.

Lesbians don't hate men; they love women. The worst "man-haters" I've ever met were all heterosexual women or gay men: familiarity breeds contempt.

Many Lesbians and pansexual women fear men, just as many men (hetero or not) and almost all hetero women do. Men are only encouraged, in this society, to express 2 emotions: aggression and sexual arousal.

Any man we meet on the street is a potential rapist. Men are, statistically, more likely to commit violent crimes. Male heterosexuals commit most of the incest and child rape.

We don't hate men. Men hate themselves. We FEAR men.

But we aren't sexual with women because of MEN. Men are irrelevent to our love lives. We love women.

Why do you find it necessary to frame this argument this way? Why are you associating woman loving with man hating? Does everything have to center around men, including women who love women? Do you feel threatened by women who don't need you?

Why are you calling Lesbians bitches? Why do you seem to think we are "out of control?" Is it because we're out of YOUR control? Is that so important to you?

I can go months without thinking anything of consequence about any man. Do you see that as threatening: that you're just not that important to me?

Do you frame questions to Black people the way you've framed this series of questions to Lesbians? Do you use racial stereotyping to try to provoke something "worthy" of ratings? Do you do this with the disabled?

Then, why are you using stereotypes that were never true, and that were addressed by the Queer Liberation Movement more than 30 years ago?

Are you insecure in your own sexuality? Do you feel the need to abuse those who aren't like you, in order to force them to either conform to your comfort zone, or, otherwise, alienate them into disappearing from your field-of-vision?

How can you help heal the human mind, while being so blatantly unhealthy?

Queer memorial in Albuquerque

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/. Alternative parts for this section:
unnamed [text/html] 1.44 KB



Hi everyone,

This evening (June 8) is the time to join with Albuquerque Pride and other members of the GLBT community for the commemorative walk and the dedication (groundbreaking) of a GLBT memorial as part of the Arts in the Park city project at Morningside Park.

Morningside Park was one of the first places Pride was held back in the 1970's and is recognized as the birthplace of Pride here in Albuquerque. Walkers will come from places where Pride started or ended over the years and arrive at Morningside park by 8:00pm. There will be a powerful candlelight vigil and a look back and forward at the GLBT Community. Reception to follow. The city of Albuqeurque Arts in the Park project worked with Pride to create the memorial.

If you want to be part of the commemorative walk from prior years Pride Parade sites to Morningside Park be at the park at 6:30PM. (Rides will take you to the start sites.)

If you just want to be present at the dedication and vigil it starts at the park at 8:00 PM.

Remember it's our history we talking about.

Hope to see you there.

Pledge-A-Picket Fundraiser

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.PPNM to Hold Pledge-A-Picket Fundraiser in Anticipation of Large
Anti-Choice Protest on Good Friday

Every year on Good Friday, anti-choice protesters hold a
demonstration at PPNM's surgical site in Albuquerque. Last year
183 men, women and children turned out to picket and pray - the
largest such gathering ever here. We're expecting another big
crowd this year.

For the privacy and safety of our patients, the clinic is closed
on Good Friday but we hold an annual Pledge-A-Picket fundraiser
to offset the loss of revenue. Individuals pledge to donate a
specific amount per protester - anywhere from five cents to two
dollars.

This year we're expanding the Pledge-A-Picket time frame to
include all the protesters who show up the week of April 10-14.
Typically, we have 3-4 protesters per day. If you
Pledge-A-Picket, we'll count the protesters all week, add that
to the number who show up on Good Friday, and multiply the total
by the amount of your pledge to figure your contribution. If you
pledge 25 cents a picketer and we have 15 protesters during the
week and 190 on Good Friday, we'd multiply 205 x .25 for a total
of $51.25. You may put a cap on your pledge.

Email us at pledge@ppnewmex.org if you'd like to participate in
our Good Friday fundraiser. Please tell us how much you want to
pledge per picketer and if you'd like to cap the amount. We'll
notify you by email after Good Friday to let you know how many
picketers we had and the amount of your donation.

Last year we raised over $4,000 in pledges from our Action
Alert Network. These donations allow us to continue providing
PPNM's high-quality, affordable health care in New Mexico. If
you have questions, please call Development at 265-5976.

Thank you for supporting Planned Parenthood of New Mexico.

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.

Katrina

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.

Is my credit card information secure?My donation was denied. Why?Can I cancel a donation?View All FAQsAmerican Red Cross Emergency Vehicles respond to disasters nationwide.Did you know... The American Red Cross provides assistance to people in need... free of charge... every single day!Donate by Phone Donate by Mail Donate Spare Change Donate In-Kind Products Donate Airline Miles Donate Stock Latest NewsPrivacy Policy Dear Rogi,Thank you for your generous gift to the American Red Cross 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund. This fund makes it possible for the Red Cross to help nationwide Hurricane disaster victims of 2005 with critical needs such as shelter, food, clothing, counseling and other assistance. It's because of the 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund that our response can be immediate regardless of its location or the community’s ability to financially support our efforts. Your generous support means the most to the families who rely on Red Cross to help them through some of the most difficult times of their lives. Please continue to visit us at http://www.redcross.org/ to see how we’re using your 2005 Hurricane Relief Fund donation to make a difference, and for the most current disaster updates and stories about the people being helped.Together, we can save a life.American Red Cross*************************************************To verify that your company participates in a matching gift program, please contact your human resource representative.Please print or save this message for your personal records.Donation InformationDonation Form:Hurricane 2005 Relief and other Related EventsThis organization's tax ID is:53-0196605This letter serves as the tax receipt for your gift. The American Red Cross is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization as described in section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code for 1984, as amended. Our tax identification number is 53-0196605. Adequate records will be maintained and made available to the IRS upon request. In accordance with IRS regulations, no goods or services were provided to the donor by the American Red Cross as part of this contribution.Your gift may be recognized in future Red Cross publications. If you prefer your gift to remain anonymous, or have questions about your gift’s designation, or would like to learn more about the services that the Red Cross is committed to providing, please call 1-800-797-8022.The American Red Cross is not a government agency and all Red Cross disaster assistance is free thanks to the generosity of people like you. The value of your donation is increased by the fact that the ratio of volunteer Red Cross workers to paid staff is almost 36 to one.Contributions to the American Red Cross, a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, are deductible for computing income and estate taxes.© Copyright The American Red Cross. All Rights Reserved.

Independent Lens

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.

Independent Lens"Thunder in Guyana"
Tuesday, February 22, 2005 10 - 11:00 pm

Janet Rosenberg Jagan, the filmmaker's cousin, was elected Guyana's president in 1997, becoming the first American-born woman to lead a nation.

This film weaves family history and Guyanese history with the extraordinary life story of this unconventional woman, who, along with her husband, Cheddi Jagan, is considered to be one of the founders of Guyana. (CC, Stereo)

Learn more about Janet Rosenberg Jagan at the companion Web site.
here

Federal agency scrubs the word 'gay' from conference literature

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.

If nobody collects statistics on Queer suicide, we can pretend we're not culpable.


Date: Wednesday, February 16 @ 10:43:07 EST
Topic: The Bush Administration
By Rick Weiss, San Francisco Chronicle

Washington -- A federal agency's efforts to remove the words "gay," "lesbian," "bisexual" and "transgender" from the program of a federally funded conference on suicide prevention have inspired scores of experts in mental health to flood the agency with angry e-mails.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that is funding the conference on Feb. 28 in Portland, Ore.
On the program, at least until recently, is a talk titled "Suicide Prevention Among Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Individuals."

Everyone seems to agree the topic is important. Studies have found that the suicide risk among people in these groups is two to three times higher than the average risk.

So it came as a surprise to Ron Bloodworth -- a former coordinator of youth suicide prevention for Oregon and one of three specialists leading the session -- when word came down from SAMHSA project manager Brenda Bruun that the contractor running the program should omit the four words that described precisely what the session was about.

Bloodworth was told it would be acceptable to use the term "sexual orientation." But that did not make sense to him. "Everyone has a sexual orientation," he said in an interview Tuesday. "But this was about gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders."

The title rewrite was one of several requested changes. Another was to add a session on faith-based suicide prevention, said Mark Weber, a spokesman for SAMHSA, who said he believed the brouhaha was all a misunderstanding.

SAMHSA prefers the term "sexual orientation" simply because it is more "inclusive" he said. And besides, he added, it was only a suggestion.
Asked how strong a suggestion, Weber replied: "Well, they do need to consider their funding source."

Upon due consideration, Bloodworth renamed the session "Suicide Prevention in Vulnerable Populations." But he is not happy.

"We find this behavior on the part of our government intolerable," he wrote in an e-mail to colleagues, in which he called upon the government to "end this shameful marginalization of an already marginalized at-risk population."

A Health and Human Services official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there was not a department-wide policy against using terms relating to sexual identity or orientation at federally funded venues.
Weber said some of the complaints received by his agency had been extremely vitriolic.

"It is incredible, the venom from these people," he said. "My boss is being called a Nazi."

copyright 2005 San Francisco Chronicle
Reprinted from The San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/16/MNG71BBLDI1.DTL

This article comes from The Smirking Chimp
http://www.SmirkingChimp.com

The URL for this story is:
http://www.SmirkingChimp.com/article.php?sid=19939

kinsey

You are reading http://viridianariverstone.blogspot.com/.

American Experience"Kinsey"
Monday, February 14, 2005 9 - 10:30 pm
Tune in for this profile of the controversial 1950s sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, whose findings blew the lid off sexuality in America. (CC, Stereo, DVI)
Log on for a chronological look at the life and work of Alfred Kinsey and the cultural and societal events that played a role in his research.
http://www.pbs.org/amex/kinsey