YOUTH GROUPS

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
  The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States. It's website carries a section on lesbian and gay rights along with other civil liberties. www.aclu.org/
• American Psychological Association (APA)
  APA is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States. With more than 155,000 members, APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide and its website lists information about lesbian, gay and bisexual concerns. It also has materials in Spanish. www.apa.org
• Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
  GLADD is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Its website contains recent articles in the media, services the organization provides and a publication archive. www.glaad.org
• The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
  This organization strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. It believes that such an atmosphere engenders a positive sense of self, which is the basis of educational achievement and personal growth.
  Under Booklink, the organization has an online resource to order books or videos in the areas of Secondary Students (Grades 7-12), Primary Students (Grades K-6), Adults and Curriculum & Training. www.glsen.org
• The Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
  The largest national lesbian and gay political organization envisions an America where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. HRC has more than 400,000 members, both gay and non-gay, all committed to making this vision of equality a reality. Website contains up-to-date information about issues. www.hrc.org
• The Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies (IGLSS)
  This organization is the source for timely and relevant scholarship. An independent think tank answering questions that affect the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, IGLSS confronts tough issues, by using credible methodology to assure reliable answers. With a mix of scholarly study and rapid-response data on pressing topics, IGLSS fulfills some of the most vital research needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, and provides leadership within the movement through informed critical analysis. IGLSS offers a variety of products to serve different policy needs.
  One of its articles, "Going Beyond Gay-Straight Alliances to Make Schools Safe for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students," is referenced in Website Materials.
  www.iglss.org/
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
  The mission of NASP is to promote educationally and psychologically healthy environments for all children and youth by implementing research-based, effective programs that prevent problems, enhance independence, and promote optimal learning. This is accomplished through state-of-the-art research and training, advocacy, ongoing program evaluation, and caring professional service. Its website carries information on services, publications and other information. http://www.naspcenter.org/teachers/gc_glb.html
• National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
  NGTLF is the national progressive organization working for the civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, with the vision and commitment to building a powerful political movement. NGLTF believes a strong GLBT movement demands the empowerment of community leaders at the local level. Its website contains up-to-date activity in the nation and has a folder on publications. www.ngltf.org
• National School Boards Association (NSBA)
  NSBA's mission is to foster excellence and equity in public elementary and secondary education through school board leadership. NSBA achieves its mission by representing the school board perspective before federal government agencies and with national organizations that affect education, and by providing vital information and services to state associations of school boards and local school boards throughout the nation. NSBA advocates local school boards as the ultimate expression of grassroots democracy.
  Founded in 1940, NSBA is a not-for-profit federation of associations of school boards across the United States. NSBA represents the nation's 95,000 school board members, who govern 14,890 local school districts serving the nation's more than 47 million public school students.
  NSBA has information on school legislation and policy and has published articles on GLBT issues-"Guest Viewpoint: View Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs as Partners" and "I Don't Feel Safe Here Anymore," see references in Printed Materials and Documents section. 703-838-6722 or http://www.nsba.org/
• National Mental Health Association (NMHA)
  NMHA is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. With more than 340 affiliates nationwide, NMHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans, especially the 54 million people with mental disorders, through advocacy, education, research and service. Its website offers information on sexual orientation and prejudice (see "What Does Gay Mean" article in Documents section). http://www.nmha.org/
• Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays-National (PFLAG)
  A national non-profit organization with over 80,000 members and supporters and more than 460 affiliates in the United States. PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. PFLAG provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. www.pflag.org
• Safe Schools Coalition
  A public-private partnership that supports gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. Headquartered in Washington, Safe Schools Coalition's website offers information and resources for school boards and youth as well as stories. Materials in Spanish also are provided. www.safeschoolscoalition.org
• Southern Poverty Law Center
  Publishes a quarterly magazine, Teaching Tolerance, and a weekly email that contains articles, stories and activities to promote the acceptance of all children in schools and in the community. www.teachingtolerance.org
• Youth Activism Project
  This national clearinghouse site aims to prove that minors can play a major role. It promotes youth civic engagement, trains adults (see "Traits of Great Adult Collaborators" in Printed Materials section) how to collaborate successfully with young people, provides free advice to young people to help them transform their ideas into proposals and be taken seriously by the powers-that-be, convinces community, educational and government leaders to engage young people in meaningful roles and the decision-making process and promotes youth infusion on citizen task forces, school boards, community coalitions and other organizations. The website also offers publications, other resources and success stories. 1-800-KID-POWER or www.youthactivism.com

• School District Policy on Harassment, Intimidation or Bullying
  House Bill 3403, passed in 2001, and amended by HB 2599 (Oregon Safe Schools Act) in 2009, requires school districts to adopt and publish policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying no later than the 2010-11 school year. This amended law requires policies to include prohibition of harassment, intimidation or bullying and cyber bullying, description of the type of behavior expected, statement of consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person who harasses, intimidates, or bullies, definition of protected classes, notice that policy applies to behavior at all school-sponsored activities and transportation, incident reporting, investigation procedures and designated school officials for implementing policy and for receiving and investigating reports.
  
  Oregon Revised Statutes 339.351, .353, .356, .359, .362, .364. See the full text of the legislation here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/01orlaws/sess0600.dir/0617ses.html
  
  Also, see OSBA Law Info section on OSSCC website.
  
  
• Anti-Discrimination
  The Oregon Equality Act (SB 2), passed in 2007, is comprehensive legislation that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the following areas:
• Employment
• Public Accommodations (hotels, restaurants, etc.)
• Housing and Real Estate Transactions
• Education (including K-12, higher education and public charter schools)
• Public Services
The Act created new provisions, and amended ORS 10.030, 20.107, 30.860,93.270, 109.035, 166.155, 166.165, 174.100, 179.750, 192.630, 240.306,338.125, 353.100, 418.648, 418.925, 421.352, 430.550, 443.739, 458.505,659.850, 659A.003, 659A.006, 659A.030, 659A.403, 659A.406, 659A.409,59A.421, 659A.424, 659A.805, 659A.815, 659A.885, 660.139 and 744.353; and repealed ORS 236.380. See the full text of the legislation here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/sb0001.dir/sb0002.intro.html

• Guidance for Drafting State Safe Schools Legislation (National Center for Lesbian Rights)
  www.nclrights.org/publications/schoolguidance.htm

• Information for Allies to Trans and Intersex People
• Do ask pronoun and name preferences, and use them when appropriate (check name/pronoun use with work, family, school, etc.)
• Do correct other people's inappropriate use of pronoun(s) and name(s).
• Don't fall prey to binary gender and sex classifications (for example, there are only two sexes, male and female).
• Do support and affirm the choices trans and intersex people make about their genders, bodies, and/or transitions.
• Do show your support of intersex and trans people, and advocate for intersex and trans awareness in your schools, organizations, workplaces, and among your peers.
• Don't reveal a person's sex assigned at birth, or their given name.
• Don't assume sexual orientation based on your perception of gender. Do realize that sexual orientation and gender identity are separate (although sometimes related) issues.
• Do let intersex and trans people define their own inclusion in certain spaces (e.g., queer-only space, women-only space, bathrooms, etc.
• Do educate yourself!!
  
• TransParentcy
  Supporting the loving and caring relationship between the transgender parent and their children through support and education.
  Portland Email: Paula@TransParentcy.org Web Site: http://www.TransParentcy.org
• It's Time, Oregon! (ITO)
  ITO is a gender advocacy and educational organization on the west coast of the United States of America. We are a chapter of It's Time, America! (ITA), the first nationally-organized grassroots civil rights group seeking to secure and safeguard the rights of all transgendered persons.
  Portland, OR Email: itstime@itstime.org Web Site: http://www.itstime.org
• FTM International
  This site is the internet contact point for the largest, longest-running educational organization serving FTM (female-to-male) transgendered people and transsexual men.
  Phone: 415-553-5987 (Voicemail) Email: info@ftm-intl.org
  Web Site: http://www.ftm-intl.org
• International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE)
  IFGE is a leading advocate and educational organization for promoting the self-definition and free expression of individual gender identity.
  Web Site: http://www.ifge.org/
• International Journal of Transgenderism (IJT)
  A national non-profit legal organization that advocates for LGBT people (including youth) through impact litigation and public policy advocacy.
  Web Site: http://www.symposion.com/ijt/
• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
  Online resource of professional provided information and research related to gender identity.
  870 Market St. Suite 570, San Francisco, CA 94102 Phone: 415-392-6257
  Email: info@nclrights.org Web Site: http://www.NCLRights.org
• Outside In
  Addressing the changing needs of homeless youth and other low-income and marginalized people as they work toward self-sufficiency and improved health by providing them innovative social, medical and mental health services and material resources
  1236 SW Salmon St., Portland, OR 97205-2042 Phone: 503-223-4121
  Fax: 503-223-6837 Email: info@outsidein.org Web Site: http://www.outsidein.org/