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STRUT CELEBRATES FASHION FOR A CAUSE
by: Juan Martinez, Basic Rights Oregon, OIA Newswire
STRUT CELEBRATES FASHION FOR A CAUSE
Local Designers Showcased in Benefit for Basic Rights
Oregon
(Portland, OR) More than 500 fair-minded fashionistas will
don fierce attire for the third annual STRUT Fashion Show on
Friday, May 16 at the Wonder Ballroom (128 N.E. Russell Street).
The event, showcasing the best and brightest area fashion
talents, is a fundraiser for Basic Rights Oregon.
"STRUT is about glamour, style and an over-the-top
celebration of local designer talent," said Juan Martinez,
Development Coordinator for Basic Rights Oregon. "And Basic
Rights Oregon is defending Oregon's domestic partnership and
anti-discrimination laws from attacks by out of state anti-gay
groups, so community support is especially important right
now."
Fans of fashion, elegance and equality for all Oregonians
will make an entrance by way of the red-carpet surrounded by
bright lights and cameras, where diva extraordinaire Bolivia
Carmichaels will be highlighting the fashion entering the
ballroom. Once inside, guests can enjoy cocktails, a
chance to enter a drawing for a fabulous prize package, bid on
high-end silent auction items, get a complimentary haircut
courtesy of Rudy's Barber Shops, and listen to DJ Barrett Paul
spin the latest tunes made for both the catwalk and the dance
floor.
Host Juliana Jaffe will gather the crowd in for the start of
the show, and then it's all about the runway. STRUT will
feature the latest collections from local cutting edge designers
that include: Adam Arnold, Sofada, Magali, Dress to Koll, Idom,
Popina Swim, Amai Unmei, and under U 4 men.
STRUT is produced by Jonny Schultz & Q6 Model and Artist
Management.
Tickets are $15 at the door or $12 in advance, available from
Ticketmaster (503)224-4400 or online at www.strutpdx.com.
Tickets can also be purchased at the Wonder Ballroom box office
(503)284-8686, open from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays. VIP
tickets are $75 and include a swag bag, private cocktail service
and reserved runway seating.
This year's sponsors include: Q6, Fred Meyer, under U4 men,
makelike, Ultrapdx, Willamette Week, Seizure Palace Screen
Printing, Queenbee Creations, Rudy's Barbershop, Wells Fargo,
Royce's Prop Shop, Powell Phones, New Seasons Market, The
Standard, Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams, Cacao, and Kiehl's.
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About Basic Rights Oregon
Basic Rights Oregon is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide
advocacy organization whose mission is to end discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Oregon. For
more information, please visit our website at
www.basicrights.org.
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juan@basicrights.org - Basic Rights Oregon
[5/1/08]
25TH ANNIVERSARY IGLTA CONVENTION IN LAS VEGAS BREAKS RECORDS
25th Anniversary IGLTA
Convention Breaks Records > Full Story. [4/28/08]
GOVERNOR, SPEAKER PRESENT AWARDS AT BASIC RIGHTS LUNCHEON
BUSINESS LEADERS HONORED FOR
COMMITMENT TO NONDISCRIMINATION > Full Story. [4/24/08]
MEASURE TO PROTECT LGBT FOSTER YOUTH PASSES FIRST COMMITTEE
SACRAMENTO – Assembly lawmakers yesterday passed a bill that would help protect foster youth against harassment and discrimination at school. Assembly Bill 3015, introduced in response to a school shooting in Oxnard two months ago, would educate foster care youth, and their caregivers, about existing California laws that protect students against bias.
The Assembly Human Services Committee passed AB 3015 on Tuesday with an initial vote of 5-2. The bill is authored by Assemblymember Julia Brownley, D-Woodland Hills, and co-sponsored by Equality California, the National Association of Social Workers (California Chapter) and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
In February, 15-year-old Lawrence "Larry" King was shot in the head by another classmate at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard. Larry, who had recently begun to identify as gay, was the target of bullying and ridicule by some of his classmates, including the alleged shooter. The victim was in the foster care system and lived in a group home for abused and neglected children.
"Every day, young people are bullied and harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, which in part leads to higher rates of depression, school dropout and suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth," said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. "In Oxnard, this escalated into a tragic hate crime that ruined the lives of not just one, but two youth. This bill will help ensure that foster youth, like Larry, have caring adults in their lives who will take the time to explain their rights to safety and dignity at school."
AB 3015 requires that existing training programs for foster youth and their caregivers include information about existing school safety laws that protect students from discrimination. EQCA was the sponsor of several bills which have become law that protect public school students from bias based on many factors, including sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
"The death of a child is a profound loss. Let us remember Larry as a young man who believed it was his protected right to pursue and to discover his own identity," said Assemblymember Julia Brownley. "It is my deep, sincere hope that AB 3015 serves as a step to providing our young people with a safe, protective environment in which to grow and thrive."
"Social workers are the first line of defense in ensuring that foster youth are safe in all their environments, including school," said NASW-CA Executive Director Janlee Wong. "AB 3015 ensures that social workers, foster parents, relative caregivers, group homes and, most importantly, foster youth are informed of the protections foster youth are entitled to on their school campuses and how to report and prevent harassment and violence at school."
"Foster youth and their caregivers need to know that they have the right to attend a safe school where youth won't be harassed or bullied based on their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression," said GSA Network Executive Director Carolyn Laub. "GSA Network is proud to co-sponsor AB 3015, which will help stop violence and harassment directed toward LGBT foster youth in their school setting."
Founded in 1998, Equality California celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2008, commemorating a decade of building a state of equality in California. EQCA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. www.eqca.org > Full Story. [4/16/08]
BILL TO PROTECT LGBT SENIORS PASSES SENATE HEALTH COMMITTEE
SACRAMENTO – The Senate Health Committee today passed legislation that would help create an environment that is free from discrimination for LGBT seniors in nursing homes and senior care facilities.
Senate Bill 1729, authored by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, and sponsored by Equality California, would train licensed health professionals who care for seniors about the unique needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Committee members passed the bill with an initial 6-1 vote.
"Seniors in our community are more likely to live in 24-hour care facilities in their later years due to lifelong experiences of discrimination and the lack of legal safety nets, such as Social Security survivor benefits, that help keep people in their homes after retirement," said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. "Once they do receive professional care in a nursing home or senior facility, LGBT seniors should not have to face further isolation, discrimination or a lack of acceptance based on their sexual orientation or gender identity."
SB 1729 would require licensed healthcare professionals who have constant interaction with seniors to participate in a training program that focuses on preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Many health professionals already receive cultural diversity training, but it does not include information and education about LGBT issues.
"We want to make sure all seniors receive the essential services, programs and activities they need and deserve," said Sen. Migden. "SB 1729 will help foster a culture of respect within senior care facilities so every person who needs support feels welcome in that environment."
Testifying before the committee, Frank Howell, a senior from Hayward, said he was not allowed to make medical decisions for his now deceased partner, John, even though Howell was listed as his caregiver.
"In some cases when gays or lesbians are admitted to nursing care facilities they are not even allowed to visit their partners – or even hold hands," Howell said. "A large number of retirement homes have no official written policy regarding gay and lesbian residents and are totally ignorant of any of the issues involved."
Basic rights, such as the choice to live in the same nursing home with a partner and the right to hospital visitation, are routinely denied to same-gender couples in older age, according to a 2000 study from the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The study also shows that same-gender partners lack essential protections, including Medicaid benefits and access to pensions, which would typically protect the assets, homes and retirement funds of surviving spouses.
"I personally witness the effects of this isolation among LGBT seniors regularly as a caregiver to an 86-year-old gay man with Alzheimer's," said Dan Ashbrook, director of the Lavender Seniors of the East Bay. "He was institutionalized at age 17 when his parents found out he was gay. Now he lives a life of poor health and isolation because of his mistrust of the health care system." The Lavender Seniors of the East Bay provides social activities, support, and networking for LGBT seniors.
Founded in 1998, Equality California celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2008, commemorating a decade of building a state of equality in California. EQCA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots-based, statewide advocacy organization whose mission is to achieve equality and civil rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Californians. www.eqca.org > Full Story. [4/16/08]
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