Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth: Current News
http://ligaly.org/news.php
2013-05-17T15:48:07+01:00text/html2013-05-17T16:48:03+01:00http://ligaly.org/LIGALY Announces GLBT Center in Hamptons at Sold-Out Gala
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=215
Over 400 business, political, civic, and community leaders attended the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) 20th Anniversary Gala on Friday, May 10th where LIGALY CEO David Kilmnick announced the opening of the organization's third Center, The GLBT Center of the Hamptons, this summer.
<img width="300" hspace="9" height="643" align="right" src="/images/uploads/Image/Screen%20shot%202013-05-17%20at%2011_41_51%20AM.png" alt="" /><font color="#d71b7c"><strong>LIGALY's 20th Anniversary Gala </strong></font><br />
Over 400 business, political, civic, and community leaders attended the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) 20th Anniversary Gala on Friday, May 10th. The electricity in the hall could be felt throughout the evening as LIGALY's impact on the local and national levels was celebrated, and a record $250,000 was raised to continue LIGALY's critical programs. <br />
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<font color="#d71b7c"><strong>Honorees Praise LIGALY's Work </strong></font><br />
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, US Supreme Court Petitioner Edie Windsor, and former LIGALY Board President and NARAL Pro-Choice NY COO Andrew Stern all praised the leadership and work of LIGALY while sharing personal accounts of their journeys and fight for full equality. <br />
<font color="#d71b7c"><br />
<strong>Looking Back, Moving Forward </strong></font><br />
LIGALY's CEO David Kilmnick delivered an impassioned speech that reflected on LIGALY's beginnings when few believed the organization could survive and prosper in conservative suburban Long Island, to current times where LIGALY is working with over 110 school districts and has served more than 100,000 young GLBT and allied people. <br />
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Kilmnick reminded everyone that while we celebrate our legislative victories today, we cannot forget the past and the fight that is ahead of us: still today, there are disproportionally higher rates of bullying and suicide as well as a reemerging health crisis with more than half of new HIV cases on Long Island being young gay and bisexual men. <br />
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<font color="#d71b7c"><strong>A Third Center for Long Island </strong></font><br />
After sharing a tragic story about a 16-year-old East Hampton gay youth who committed suicide in October 2012, David announced to thunderous cheers the opening of the organization's third Center, The GLBT Center of the Hamptons, this summer. This Center, to be located in Sag Harbor, is slated to open in July and serve East End youth, families, and seniors. It will ensure that no matter where you live on Long Island, whether it is in Mineola or Montauk, there is a GLBT Center that is accessible to everyone.<br />
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<strong><font color="#d71b7c">RELATED LINKS:</font></strong><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNjUa00Dub8"><strong>LIGALY 20th Anniversary Video</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq_EKW9wHzM"><strong>Gala on News 12 Long Island</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40391324@N02/sets/72157633511650172/show/"><strong>Gala Photo Slideshow</strong></a></li>
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text/html2013-05-13T16:55:56+01:00http://ligaly.org/NEWSDAY: Long Island Gays' Group Marks 1st 20 Years
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=214
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mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">More than 400 people joined the anniversary celebration of the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth group in Old Bethpage, among them local politicians and four members of Congress, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. </span>
<em><strong>May 10, 2013<br />
By Victor Manuel Ramos<br />
</strong></em><br />
What started as the effort of a group of college students and local teens to create a more welcoming environment for gay and lesbian youth has grown into an expanding Long Island network of community resources and services that marked its first 20 years on Friday.<br />
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More than 400 people joined the anniversary celebration of the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth group in Old Bethpage, among them local politicians and four members of Congress, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), a supporter of causes affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.<br />
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For members of LIGALY, as the advocacy group with centers in Bay Shore and Garden City is also known, the celebration was an opportunity to look back the progress made since the days when its officers needed security guards to visit some public venues to today when same-sex marriage is legal in New York and a growing number of other states.<br />
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"I remember 20 years ago people did not believe an organization like LIGALY could exist in suburban and conservative Long Island," said David Kilmnick, the group"s chief executive. "And 20 years later, I am here to tell you that, after organizing America's first prom for GLBT youth in the suburbs and starting the nation's first and only . . . gay parent-teachers association, it is possible."<br />
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Pelosi said it was the work of local organizations like LIGALY that has made it possible for the issue of equality to catch fire and lead to statewide reforms favoring equality and a national push that is building momentum beyond repealing a the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.<br />
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"They led the way, they were pioneers and now everybody is sort of catching up, but we still have important work to do," Pelosi said.<br />
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The work of local advocates, Pelosi said, "has an impact beyond the region because it has an impact on leaders" and "it intensifies the support within the community," leading to legislative reforms nationwide. <br />
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She said the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman, may soon be declared unconstitutional. Still there's much legislative reform ahead needed to end discrimination in the workplace for everyone, including the transgender community, and to protect LGBT children from being bullied in schools.<br />
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Despite the air of celebration inside, one lone protester stood outside the Carlyle on the Green site at Bethpage State Park, holding a cardboard sign that read "Gay marriage is sinful."<br />
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"I just go by what the Bible said," said Jim Quinn, the 59-year-old protester from Levittown. "There God said that marriage is between a man and a woman, nothing more."<br />
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Partygoers ignored him as they passed by, though Asher Butler, a 21-year-old Westbury resident who goes to the LIGALY centers, said it was a reminder of the bias that LGBT people still face. "When I go to the center, it's a place where I don't have to answer 'what gender are you and why?' I just have to say 'I'm Asher and I'm happy to meet you.' " said Butler, who is transgender and bisexual. "But there are people like that person outside who will not be OK with that . . . It's going to be hard still."<br />
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The need for support, particularly for vulnerable young people who are targets of bullies and often think of suicide, is why Kilmnick announced LIGALY's work will expand from its two centers in Bay Shore and Garden City to a new location on the East End.<br />
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He announced to claps and shouts that the group will open The GLBT Center of the Hamptons at Old Whaler's Church in July in Sag Harbor, as it seeks to reach teens who may not be able to travel to current locations.<br />
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State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, among those at the event, credited the advocates' persistence over the years with giving young people a refuge and a place to grow as a community.<br />
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"This organization is a trailblazer," DiNapoli said, "and a model for what other communities across the country should be doing."
text/html2013-04-18T22:01:51+01:00http://ligaly.org/David Kilmnick Named Outstanding CEO by Long Island Business News
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=213
Long Island Business News has selected Long Island GLBT Services Network founder and Chief Executive Officer David Kilmnick as one of the first recipients of its Outstanding CEO Award.
<img width="238" vspace="8" hspace="8" height="199" align="right" src="/images/uploads/Image/dk_headshot2.jpg" alt="" />Long Island Business News has selected Long Island GLBT Services Network founder and Chief Executive Officer David Kilmnick as one of the first recipients of its Outstanding CEO Award. The awards ceremony celebrating Long Island's top executives and signature firms and organizations will take place on Thursday, May 9th at Crest Hollow Country Club. <br />
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Kilmnick joins the leaders of Long Island's largest businesses and organizations as part of the inaugural class of awardees. Other recipients for this year's awards include North Shore-LIJ Health System President/CEO Michael Dowling, Teachers Federal Credit Union CEO Robert G. Allen, and J. Kings Food Service Professionals Founder and CCO John King, just to name a few. <br />
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Kilmnick was selected for his more than 2 decades of advocacy and leadership on behalf of GLBT Long Islanders. As the founder of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) in 1993, David has guided LIGALY and the entire Long Island GLBT Services Network to become one of the nation's largest and most well-respected organizations serving the GLBT community. <br />
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Join in celebrating David's achievements by<strong> <a href="/content.php?pgID=1115">purchasing sponsorships</a></strong>, <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/ligaly/site/Ticketing?view=Tickets&id=100661"><strong>tickets</strong></a> or a<strong> <a href="/content.php?pgID=1114">journal ad</a></strong> for <a href="/content.php?pgID=1111"><strong>LIGALY's 20th Anniversary Gala</strong> </a>on Friday, May 10th at Carlyle on the Green.
text/html2013-04-18T22:00:12+01:00http://ligaly.org/LIGALY Selected for 2013 Suffolk County Human Rights Commission Award
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=212
In recognition of its 20 years of service to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth and families in Suffolk County, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) has been selected for the 2013 Suffolk County Human Rights Commission's Community-Based Organization Award.
<img width="200" vspace="9" hspace="9" height="190" align="right" src="/images/uploads/Image/20thannligalylogo.jpg" alt="" />In recognition of its 20 years of service to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth and families in Suffolk County, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) has been selected for the 2013 Suffolk County Human Right Commission's Community-Based Organization Award. The award will be presented at the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission's 50th Anniversary Awards Dinner on Thursday, May 16th at Villa Lombardi's in Holbrook. <br />
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The Community-Based Organizations Award is given annually to a Suffolk County non-profit community-based organization for its support, commitment, and dedication to the advancement of human and civil rights. <br />
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LIGALY's 20-year history of working to create safer and more supportive schools and communities has made it one of the Suffolk's most well-respected non-profit organizations, with significant ties to education, business, and community institutions throughout the county. <br />
<br />
Join in celebrating LIGALY's 20th Anniversary by purchasing <a href="/content.php?pgID=1115"><strong>sponsorships</strong></a>, <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/ligaly/site/Ticketing?view=Tickets&id=100661"><strong>tickets</strong></a> or a <a href="/content.php?pgID=1114"><strong>journal ad</strong></a> for <strong><a href="/content.php?pgID=1111">LIGALY's 20th Anniversary Gala</a></strong> on Friday, May 10th at Carlyle on the Green.
text/html2013-03-26T21:39:50+01:00http://ligaly.org/Bethpage Federal Credit Union Announced as Presenting Sponsor of 23rd Annual Long Island Pride
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=211
The Long Island GLBT Services Network is proud to announce Bethpage Federal Credit Union as the Presenting Sponsor of Long Island Pride 2013 to be held on Saturday, June 8, 2013 in Huntington Village.
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The Long Island GLBT Services Network is proud to announce Bethpage Federal Credit Union as the Presenting Sponsor of Long Island Pride 2013 to be held on Saturday, June 8, 2013 in Huntington Village. Bethpage’s sponsorship is the largest corporate contribution received in the Parade’s 23-year history.<br />
<br />
“The Network applauds Bethpage Federal Credit Union for its leadership in supporting Long Island Pride as the largest GLBT cultural event on Long Island,” says Network CEO David Kilmnick. “With Bethpage’s support for 2013, we are able to build upon the success of Long Island Pride 2012 with more groups marching in the parade, more exhibitors at PrideFest in Huntington’s Heckscher Park, and headliner entertainment.” More than 13,000 attended PrideFest in 2012 – nearly three times more than in previous years.<br />
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“Bethpage is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of Long Island Pride 2013 to support The Network’s efforts to build visibility and community as part of our ongoing commitment to cultural diversity and responsible banking,” says Linda Armyn, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Bethpage. <br />
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The sponsorship builds on Bethpage’s support that began in 2011 when The Network named the Bethpage Community Room at The Center at Garden City to acknowledge a major gift from Bethpage – the largest corporate gift in The Network’s history. Additionally, Bethpage created an affinity program providing additional donations to The Network whenever a constituent of The Network opens an account. <br />
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<strong><a href="/content.php?pgID=1042">The Bethpage Affinity Program</a></strong> provides The Network’s tens of thousands of constituents the opportunity to be part of community credit union that has been a partner to and supporter of The Network. This unique partnership with Bethpage also marked the first time that any Long Island company established such a program with a GLBT organization.<br />
<em><strong> <br />
About Bethpage</strong></em><br />
Bethpage Federal Credit Union was approved for the largest federal community charter in the United States in 2003, and is now the largest credit union on Long Island and in New York State. Bethpage is a leading community financial institution with over 212,000 members, 26 branches, and 60 shared service center locations throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties as well as over 425 surcharge-free ATMs in supermarkets, pharmacies, and wholesale stores throughout the region. <br />
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For more information, call 1-800-628-7070 or visit <strong><a href="http://www.bethpagefcu.com">www.bethpagefcu.com</a></strong>.<br />
<br />
Read more:<br />
<ul>
<li> <strong><a href="http://www.lipride.org">Long Island Pride 2013</a></strong></li>
<li> <strong><a href="/content.php?pgID=1042">Bethpage Affinity Program</a></strong></li>
</ul>
text/html2013-03-21T16:30:25+01:00http://ligaly.org/Engaging GLBT Youth in the Celebration of the Jewish Tradition of Purim
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=210
On Saturday, March 2nd at The Center at Garden City, dozens of GLBT youth and their friends gathered to celebrate Purim with a youth-organized "Dragalicious Party."
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<td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40391324@N02/sets/72157632915756172/show/"><strong>Check out more photos from Aleph's Purim</strong></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40391324@N02/sets/72157632915756172/show/"><strong>Party on our Flickr Photostream>></strong></a><br />
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On Saturday, March 2nd at The Center at Garden City, dozens of GLBT youth and their friends gathered to celebrate Purim with a youth-organized "Dragalicious Party." The event provided entertainment, including a "Purim Spiel" performed by the youth in costumes reflecting the themes and culture of Purim. Food was donated by Congregation Beth Emet. <br />
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Youth organized the event through weeks of planning through The Aleph Project of LIGALY, that works to help GLBT Jewish youth to integrate both their Jewish and GLBT identities. The Aleph Project works in partnership with synagogues and Jewish community centers and day schools to create positive, inclusive activities for GLBT Jews. The Aleph Project provides education and training, youth programming, discussion groups, and holiday activities. <br />
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The Aleph Project Youth are joining with Aleph 2.0 young adults for their next project, <a href="http://www.ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=982"><strong>LIGALY's Second Annual Community Passover Seder</strong></a>, taking place Thursday, March 28th at the Center at Garden City. Last year, over 60 people of all ages participated in the event. Joining the youth and young adults are Rabbi Lina Zerbarini (Director of the Weinberger Center for Jewish Life and Learning at the Sid Jacobson JCC) and Song Leader Adam Blotner (Congregation Beth Emet). In May, the youth are working with students from Solomon Schechter School of Long Island and Temple Sinai of Roslyn Heights to create a Jewish GLBT Youth Summit. <br />
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If you would like information on working with LIGALY's The Aleph Project, please contact Karen Taylor, Director of Jewish Outreach, at <strong><a href="mailto:ktaylor@liglbtnetwork.org">ktaylor@liglbtnetwork.org</a></strong>. <br />
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=963">The Aleph Project </a></strong></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=930"><strong>LIGALY Activities Calendar</strong></a></li>
</ul>
text/html2013-03-18T21:29:18+01:00http://ligaly.org/BJs Wholesale Club Supports LIGALY
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=208
Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) received a $5,000 grant from BJ’s Wholesale Club to support LIGALY’s efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS
<img width="200" vspace="8" align="right" hspace="8" height="175" src="/images/uploads/Image/BJsCharitableFoundationClr.jpg" alt="" />Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) received a $5,000 grant from BJ’s Wholesale Club to support LIGALY’s efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. This first-time grant from BJ's Wholesale Club will support the purchase of rapid HIV tests so that GLBT youth can receive results of their test within 20 minutes. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=683"><strong>LIGALY's HIV Prevention Program</strong></a> works to stop the spread of HIV among GLBT youth, particularly young gay and bisexual men of color who are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. In addition to HIV testing, LIGALY's HIV Prevention Program provides a range of prevention and support services, including interactive groups and workshops that provide prevention education, and community-building activities such as the recent TRUE Calling video project that engages GLBT youth in creating video messages about HIV/AIDS. <img width="220" vspace="8" align="left" hspace="8" height="180" src="/images/uploads/Image/DSCN0242a.jpg" alt="" />A unique component of LIGALY's HIV Prevention Program is the offering of STD screenings, conducted by trained LIGALY staff, so that GLBT youth know their STD status, too, as having an STD can increase the risk of contracting HIV by 2 to 23 times. HIV Testing and STD Screenings are available during scheduled drop-in hours in The Center at Bay Shore on Wednesdays 5:00 to 8:00 pm and at The Center at Garden City on Thursdays, 5:00 to 8:00 pm, or by appointment by calling 631-665-2300 or 516-323-0011. <br />
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Read more about LIGALY’s HIV Prevention Program <strong><a href="http://ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=683">here</a></strong>. LIGALY thanks BJ’s for its support to help stop the spread of HIV among GLBT youth.
text/html2013-03-18T18:25:00+01:00http://ligaly.org/Donaldsons Subaru Contributes as The Networks Exclusive Subaru Dealer
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=209
The Long Island GLBT Services Network is pleased to announce Donaldsons Subaru will be returning as The Network’s Exclusive Subaru Dealer again in 2013.
<a href="http://www.donaldsonssubaru.com"><img width="250" vspace="8" align="right" hspace="8" height="122" src="/images/uploads/Image/Donaldson's(1).jpg" alt="" /></a>The Long Island GLBT Services Network is pleased to announce Donaldsons Subaru will be returning as The Network’s Exclusive Subaru Dealer again in 2013. <br />
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Donaldsons Subaru has contributed $20,000 as a Corporate Partner, and joins the 140+ members of the Partners in Pride business program in supporting The Network. Cristina Notaro, Director of Business Development at Donaldsons Subaru, explains, “Donaldsons Subaru is excited to partner with The Network to support their efforts in education, equality, and empowerment, and to offer their members professional service, quality vehicles and, of course, great pricing.”<br />
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Donaldsons Subaru, located at 5700 Sunrise Highway in Sayville, is the Signature Subaru Dealership on Long Island, and has been selling and servicing automobiles in the Long Island area since 1955. Donaldsons Subaru features an award winning service department and offers 24/7 drop off and pick-up. Visit the Donaldsons Subaru listing in the Long Island GLBT Business Directory here. <br />
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Partners in Pride is the business networking and advertising program of the Long Island GLBT Services Network that connects GLBT-friendly businesses with GLBT consumers, and helps GLBT-friendly businesses network. Learn more about the <a href="http://liglbtnetwork.org/content.php?pgID=124"><strong>Partners in Pride Business Program here</strong></a> and its connections to over 10,000 GLBT households on Long Island. <br />
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The Long Island GLBT Services Network thanks Donaldsons Subaru for its continued and generous support!
text/html2013-03-12T19:46:30+01:00http://ligaly.org/Best Buy Childrens Foundation Continues Support for Technology and a Safe Space for GLBT Youth
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=207
<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;">Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) received a $10,000 grant from the Best Buy Children’s Foundation in support of LIGALY’s CyberCenter.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <br />
</span></span>
<div align="left"><img width="199" vspace="10" border="0" align="right" hspace="8" height="142" src="/images/uploads/Image/BBCF_logo_3.jpg" alt="" />Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) received a $10,000 grant from the Best Buy Children’s Foundation in support of LIGALY’s CyberCenter. This marks the second year-in-a-row that the Best Buy Children's Foundation has provided support to LIGALY to ensure GLBT youth have access to technology. <br />
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LIGALY's CyberCenter is a 12-station computer center located within The Center at Bay Shore that provides a safe space for GLBT youth to access computers and the Internet, and help youth build life skills around technology. With these skills, youth will be better prepared for college and/or employment, and subsequently have a greater likelihood of overall success in life. This includes a higher likelihood of a attaining a college degree and obtaining higher earnings. The CyberCenter also<br />
encourages youth by lending a safe location for study, homework, and<br />
healthy socialization. <br />
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LIGALY thanks the Best Buy Children’s Foundation for its continued and vital support!<br />
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Read more:<br />
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<a href="http://ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=91">LIGALY's CyberCenter</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=788">Pride Empowerment Project</a>
text/html2013-02-21T23:48:20+01:00http://ligaly.org/Capital One Bank supports Long Island GLBT Services Network
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=206
Capital One Bank presented a $4,000 check to the Long Island GLBT Services Network in support of the annual Long Island Pride festival and local youth programming designed to prevent GLBT youth suicide.
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Capital One Bank presented a $4,000 check to the Long Island GLBT Services Network in support of the annual Long Island Pride festival and local youth programming designed to prevent GLBT youth suicide. <br />
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Capital One Bank's donation helps The Network operate Long Island Pride, the annual cultural celebration for Long Island's GLBT community that increases visibility and builds community. The funding will also help one of The Network's organizations – Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) - to prevent suicide, through its Friday night program for GLBT youth called "OUTlet." OUTlet is held each Friday night at The Center at Bay Shore to provide GLBT youth and their friends a safe and substance-free space, and ultimately to prevent suicide. <br />
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"As a local bank invested in the Long Island community, Capital One Bank is proud to support the annual Long Island Pride festival and to help strengthen LIGALY's efforts to provide local youth a safe space that fosters a greater sense of community and confidence and helps to prevent teen suicide," says John Ottino, a Capital One Branch Manager and Network Board Member. <br />
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The Long Island GLBT Services Network extends its gratitude to Capital One Bank and appreciates the financial assistance and the partnership built over several years.
text/html2013-02-06T20:57:35+01:00http://ligaly.org/STATEMENT: Boy Scouts Decision Shows Their Character: Cowards
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=205
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;">In the wake of the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA’s) decision today to continue banning gay youth and adults from its organization, Dr. David Kilmnick, CEO of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), one of the nation’s largest organizations serving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) young people, released the following statement</span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">February 6, 2013, Garden City, NY</span></em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> - In the wake of the Boy Scouts of America’s (BSA’s) decision today to continue banning gay youth and adults from its organization, Dr. David Kilmnick, CEO of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), one of the nation’s largest organizations serving gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) young people, released the following statement:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">“The Boy Scout Law requires scouts to be ‘brave,’ but the national leadership of the BSA did just the opposite today. Rather than taking a brave stand against discrimination, the BSA has decided to make the cowardly move of putting off the vote on the policy until May.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">It is long past time that the BSA joins with the majority of the country and takes a stand against anti-gay discrimination. As one of the nation’s oldest and largest character-building youth organizations, the BSA has a responsibility to be inclusive of any boy who seeks to live up to the BSA’s principles. </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">The BSA’s policy against gay members is not only outdated, but dangerous as well. Gay youth already experience extremely high levels of isolation and discrimination in their schools and communities, leading to high rates of suicide, drug and alcohol use, and dropping out of school. Every day that the BSA keeps this policy, they are continuing to contribute to this problem.</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-left: 0.5in;"><em><span style="font-family: Arial;">Additionally, we call on all who believe in equality and are against discrimination to speak out – this includes The United Way of Long Island who continues to fund the Boy Scouts and this discrimination in our own community.”</span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"># # #</span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(13, 13, 13);">About Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY)</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(13, 13, 13);"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(13, 13, 13);">Founded in 1993, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest organizations solely dedicated to serving the needs of GLBT youth, their families and their support systems. LIGALY operates two community center on Long Island, The Center at Bay Shore in Suffolk County, and The Center at Garden City in Nassau County. LIGALY’s innovative programs work to end homophobia and transphobia on Long Island, to provide a home and a safe space for GLBT youth, and to advocate for equality.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
text/html2012-12-07T23:48:57+01:00http://ligaly.org/SAG HARBOR EXPRESS: GLBT Center on the East End Moves Forward
http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=203
On Friday, November 30, community members gathered for the inaugural meeting of the East End GLBT Center Advisory Committee meeting at the Bridgehampton National Bank (BNB) to discuss the future of that center.
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<p><strong><font size="4">GLBT Center on the East End Moves Forward</font><br />
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<p><strong>By Kathryn G. Menu<br />
December 5, 2012</strong></p>
<p>For East Hampton High School junior Joel Johnson, an affirmed transgender student and president of the school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), discovering the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender) Center in Bay Shore — run by the Long Island GLBT Services Network — connected him with 200 new friends and also a new kind of support system.</p>
<p>He discovered the center as a sophomore, and a senior friend drove Johnson 60 miles from East Hampton to Bay Shore for events like the Night of Noise, a celebration Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) sponsors at the center annually, as well as OUTlet, a Friday night youth social program.</p>
<p>At a recent roundtable discussion about the possibility of an East End GLBT Center, Johnson said other students at East Hampton are thrilled at the prospect this could become a reality. In fact, Johnson said as soon as the GSA finishes its fundraising effort for victims of Hurricane Sandy, the group intends to spearhead fundraising to support the new center.</p>
<p>Fundraising, according to Dr. David Kilmnick, CEO of the Long Island GLBT Network, will be key to the creation of an East End GLBT Center.</p>
<p>On Friday, November 30 Kilmnick gathered with close to 20 community members for the inaugural meeting of the East End GLBT Center Advisory Committee meeting at the Bridgehampton National Bank (BNB) to discuss the future of that center.</p>
<p>While conversations about the need for this kind of center are not new to the region, Kilmnick said the suicide of an East Hampton High School sophomore in September added a sense of urgency that it was critical the GLBT community on the East End has a safe place to go.</p>
<p>“Travelling 60 miles to Bay Shore is not an option or alternative for a lot of people,” said Kilmnick. “What we have heard over the 20 years we have been in place is that people just want a space to go to, a safe place where they can be themselves. And the community centers become places that build community.”</p>
<p>Community members have rallied around the proposal since Kilmnick first pitched the East End Center in October. Sag Harbor residents Bea Alda and Jennifer Brooke offered the center a $20,000 matching grant and according to Kilmnick, LIGLBT Network has already raised about $15,000 towards that goal.</p>
<p>However, on Tuesday, he said it will take a lot more funding to get the East End GLBT Center off the ground.</p>
<p>According to Kilmnick, the cost of the first year for an East End center would be roughly $370,000. That amount would cover the cost of renovations, office supplies, furniture and staff, which would include two full-time and two part-time employees.</p>
<p>A three year budget for the center is estimated at close to $1 million.</p>
<p>“And we work on a very tight budget,” he said, adding once a center is up and running, the federal, state and county support offered to the network could also help subsidize it.</p>
<p>The funding Kilmnick’s organization is raising would also support the purchase of a van, used at other centers to help transport those unable to find transportation to a center.</p>
<p>Kilmnick said the organization’s goal was to work towards raising the initial $1 million investment while simultaneously looking for a space to call home. While Kilmnick said his group owns its Bay Shore center, it rents its Garden City facility and in the near term plans to lease space for an East End center.</p>
<p>Kilmnick said his organization is working with Stony Brook Southampton to possibly identify a space on that campus for a center.</p>
<p>Suffolk County officials, said Kilmnick, are also looking at vacant parcels it could consider leasing to the organization.</p>
<p>However, Kilmnick said the location of the Stony Brook Southampton campus, just west of Southampton Village, provides an ideal geographic location for East End residents in need of support.</p>
<p>“What we are looking for is no matter where you live on Long Island you are less than one-hour away from a community center where you have health and human services, but where you also have arts and culture,” said Kilmnick.</p>
<p>Residents attending the meeting, including Johnson, were excited at the prospect of a center, but also concerned about getting something in place — in particular for the youth of the East End — before another tragedy arises.</p>
<p>“We may not have a center, but we are here,” said Kilmnick. “For someone who needs help now, please refer them to us and we will make sure one way or the other that they are assisted.”</p>
<p><font size="4"><strong><font size="3">Help us make an East End GLBT Center a reality by <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/ligaly/site/Donation2?df_id=2420&2420.donation=form1">making a donation today.</a></font> </strong></font></p>