Welcome to the Ray Of Hope Church
Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender/Questioning/Straight
Y O U T H
INFORMATION PAGE
*includes general
information pages for all ages*
UPDATED October 24,
2016
You are probably here looking for help and information. What you will find here are links to other resource organizations that specialize in being agencies of help. All of these organizations are welcoming to persons of any faith community, spiritual tradition, and those with no formal faith or religion. All of these organizations will help you just because you are you! Some are local, most are national in scope. All of them have contact information and we encourage you to reach out to any of them and ask for help. There are a number of local clergy / pastors here in Central New York who are welcoming and willing to help you as well. Please know you can contact us here at Ray Of Hope Church and we will help you find a local pastor or church in your area if this is what you need. We will also help you reach out to local counselors in your area if you need assistance in this way. You may reach us at 607-280-0374 24 hours a day. Blessings, Pastor Benedict.
toll-free suicide hotline for gay and questioning youth The
Trevor Project
Helpline 1-866-488-7386
Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender National Hotline (Mon - Fri 4pm-midnight and Sat noon-5pm EST.) 1-888-843-4564 www.glbthotline.org
GLBT National Youth Talkline 1-800-246-PRIDE (7743) (Mon - Fri 4pm-midnight and Sat noon-5pm EST.) www.glbthotline.org
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
****Trans Youth Equality Foundation****
Education, advocacy, and support for transgender youth and their families
The Trans Youth Equality Foundation provides education, advocacy and support for transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth and their families. Our mission is to share information about the unique needs of this community, partnering with families, educators and service providers to help foster a healthy, caring, and safe environment for all transgender children. http://www.transyouthequality.org/
Obama
Administration Letter
Regarding Transgender Student Rights
This May 13, 2016, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S.
Department of Justice signed a letter to all federally funded education
systems that outlined what was expected of them when handling
transgender students.
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT ALL ENCOMPASSING RESOURCE
FOR PARENTS and persons of all ages from the Administration of the
President of the USA. Scroll down to page two when you get to the
document. The first page invites people of all languages to the document.
Click here to read the letter yourself!
Explore: Transgender Children & Youth
Find HUNDREDS OF resources that transgender children, families and other youth-serving professionals need to support one another in their journeys.
pages by the Human Rights Campaign
New York State Department Of Education:
Dignity For All Students Act
“New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (The Dignity Act) seeks to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function. ….. by expanding the concepts of tolerance, respect for others and dignity to include: an awareness and sensitivity in the relations of people, including but not limited to, different races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, gender identity, and sexes.” (taken from the New York State Education Department web site)
READ THE DIGNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS ACT FOR NEW YORK STATE HERE: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/dignityact/
NYS Dignity For All Students Act: 6/23/10 11:30 AM
http://www.nysenate.gov/video/2010/jun/24/6232010-dignity-all-students-act
Welcoming Schools: www.welcomingschools.org
Who Can Marry Whom? Inclusive Conversations About Marriage” with the NEA. (http://www.welcomingschools.org/pages/who-can-marry-whom-inclusive-conversations-about-marriage/)
Transgender Law in NY State: Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund web site: (http://www.transgenderlegal.org/publications_quarterly_show.php?id=34#article301)
FTM resources: http://www.ftmmagazine.com/ (Self Made Men—Jason Ballard— Syracuse Pride)
AVEN Asexual Visibility And Education Network
http://www.asexuality.org/home/
PRESIDENT OBAMA calls for an end to “conversion therapy.”
Christianity and sexual orientation (fairly positive) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_sexual_orientation
LGBTQ Youth Groupsin Central NY – BASED IN SYRACUSE, NY
Regionally, we offer a number of programs, support group meetings, and activities for LGBTQ youth.
Telephone Numbers to help you!
Toll-free YOUTH HOTLINES
National AIDS Hotline, 1-800-342-AIDS This is 24 hours.
Indianapolis Youth Group, 1-800-347-TEEN, Thursday - Sunday, 7 p.m. to 11:45
p.m.
OUT YOUTH AUSTIN, 1-800-96-YOUTH, Daily, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Central Time.
Hetrick-Martin Institute for Lesbian and Gay Youth, 2 Astor Place, 3rd floor,
new York, NY 10003 (212)674-2400 They run a GAY/LESBIAN/BI HIGH SCHOOL FOR NEW
YORK
NatBi-Net: the Bisexual network of the United States, 584Castro Street #442,
San francisco, CA 94224-2588, (510) 549-2238
FAMILY PRIDE COALITION COLAGE (CHILDREN OF LESBIANS AND GAYS EVERYWHERE) 
Contact:
Felicia Park Rogers, Director COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere)
415.861.5437 Director@COLAGE.org www.colage.org
C. Ray Drew, Executive Director Family Pride Coalition 619.296.0199
Director@FamilyPride.org
********************************************* COLAGE is the only national and
international organization run by and for daughters and sons of lgbt parents.
Our support, advocacy, and education projects include a national conference,
quarterly publication, youth leadership training, research assistance,
comprehensive web site, and responding to thousands of requests for help and
information annually.
Founded in 1979, The Family Pride Coalition supports and protects the families
of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered parents through advocacy, education
and direct service. For more information, contact the Coalition at
619.296.0199.
Internet Links...
Welcome to the Kurfew Junior page. We
recognize that many gay people actually begin to realize their sexual
orientation at a very early age. This page is provided for and maintained by
the members of the younger gay community, who can't yet go out to clubs, but
would like to participate in a community of their own. We have two special
contributors to the Kurfew Junior page. Dave, a
cheerful, multi-talented, openly gay 14 year old, and Brent, a bisexual 18 year
old. These boys are really heroes, for coming out at a time when there's still
a lot of oppression and homophobia in the schools. And what's most remarkable
is their incredibly positive and healthy outlook on life. They demonstrate that
simple honesty and self-acceptance can be the keys to a happier life for young
gay people. And in the process, they're probably even saving lives! Dave's
column is called "Just a Boy in the World." He begins with his coming
out story. There's also a newer story about the reaction Dave has encounterd
from schoolmates after being included on this web site! In future columns,
he'll be answering questions from other gay youths ages 14 to 18 on the site,
and will be seeking out events and activities suitable for young gays.
NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF QUEER YOUTH GROUPS PAGES: HERE
Qr MAGAZINE THE BEST MALE YOUTH
MAGAZINE
Qr is the international magazine for young gay men. We're a glossy, color,
perfect-bound magazine with spine, similar in printing to Details or Wired. We
have all of the stuff you'd expect from a magazine geared toward gay men --
fashion, music, sports, profiles, celebrity interviews, and more.
Advocates for Youth: Here
WorkNet Employer Database (HRC)
Lists of companies that offer domestic partnership benefits and
non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation.
Sexual Orientation: Science,
Education, and Policy
This is a wonderful site that features the work of Dr. Gregory Herek,
University of California, Davis. Dr. Herek is a noted authority on anti-gay
prejudice, hate crimes, and the stigma of AIDS. This site provides factual
information about sexual orientation to promote the use of scientific knowledge
for education and enlightened public policy. This site includes information on
homophobia, hate crimes, gays in the military, homosexuality and mental health,
homosexuality and child molestation, and changing sexual orientation.
Parents, Families & Friends of
Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)
PFLAG is a national organization dedicated to providing information, education,
and support for the parents, family and friends of lesbians and gays. You will
find a list of local chapters, their mission statement, and general information
about sexual orientation at the PFLAG site.
Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund
A national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil
rights of lesbians, gay men and people with HIV through litigation, education
and public policy work. This site provides information on their AIDS,
employment Discrimination, same-sex marriage, the military ban and anti-gay
initiatives projects.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
The HRC chronicles the battles that are being fought regarding lesbian/gay
lesgislation and litigation. The HRC link page contains approximately 55 links,
many of them are political in nature.
The National Gay & Lesbian Task
Force
The NGLTF is an organization which seeks to build the political
strength of the lesbian and gay rights movement at the grassroots level.
Press releases and position papers are available online.
Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation
GLAAD's web site serves to further its goal of fighting the defamation
of lesbians and gays and their enforced invisibility in the popular culture.
The site defines the goals, the victories and the battles being waged by GLAAD,
with regional chapters reporting on events in their areas.
Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples
A national resource for same-sex couples. Supporting the diverse community of
committed gay and lesbian partners through a variety of media. The Web site
contains 120+ pages of essays, surveys, legal information, with an emphasis on
legal marriage.
And Justice For All
An organization dedicated to promoting heterosexual involvement in the gay,
lesbian, bisexual & transgender rights movement.
The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight
Education Network
GLSEN fights homophobia in K-12 schools around the country. This site contains
a wealth of information on gay and lesbian youth suicide, and the effects of
homophobia on our children.
Children of Lesbians and Gays
Everywhere (COLAGE)
An organization for persons with lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender
parents.
Family Pride Coalition
An organization for GLBT parents.
The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt
The Names Project web site offers information on the history of the quilt, how
to make a panel for the quilt, AIDS information & prevention, and dates
& locations for the quilts display.
People for the American Way (PFAW)
These folks do a great job of keeping track of the radical religious right and
their dangerous political agenda.
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (OCRT)
The OCRT is run by a group of four volunteers. Their purpose is to help others
in understanding different religions; to address religious, spiritual and
ethical "hot topics"; and to expose religious hatred and
misinformation. The site contains over 400 essays and menus.
See also: OCRT's Homosexuality &
Bisexuality Pages
Whosoever
Whosoever is an online journal for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
Christians.
- Leroy Aarons. Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son. San Francisco: Harper, 1995.
- Bruce Bawer. A Place At The Table: The Gay Individual in American Society. New York: Touchstone, 1993.
- Warren J. Blumenfeld (Editor), Homophobia: How We All Pay The Price. Beacon, 1992.
- Don Clark, Ph.D. Loving Someone Gay (Rev. & Updated). Berkeley: Celestialarts, 1987.
- Eric Marcus. Is It A Choice? Answers To 300 of The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Gays & Lesbians. New York: HarperCollins Publishers,1993.
- Michael Nava, and Robert Dawidoff. Created Equal: Why Gay Rights Matter To America. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994.
- Sasha Alyson, editor. Young, Gay and Proud. Boston: Alyson Publications, 1991.
- Robin Bernstein editor, Seth Clark Silberman, editor. Generation Q : Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals Born Around 1969's Stonewall Riots Tell Their Stories of Growing Up in the Age of Information. Alyson Publications, 1996.
- Susan and Daniel Cohen. When Someone You Know is Gay. Dell, 1989
- Thomas Cowen. Gay Men and Women Who Enriched the World. William Mulvey, Inc.: New Canaan, Conn, 1988.
- Marion Dane Bauer, editor. Am I Blue? Coming Out From Silence. Harper Collins, 1994.
- Aaron Fricke. Reflections of a Rock Lobster: A Story About Growing Up Gay. Alyson Publications, 1983.
- Gilbert Herdt, Ed. Gay And Lesbian Youth. New York: Harrington Park Press, 1988.
- Gilbert Herdt and Andrew Boxer. Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens are Leading the Way Out. Beacon Press, 1993.
- Ann Heron, editor. One Teenager in Ten: Writtings by Gay and Lesbian Youth. Warner Books, 1983.
- Ann Heron, editor. Two in Twenty Alyson Publications, 1994.
- Kevin Jennings, editor. Becoming Visible: A Reader in Gay and Lesbian History for High School and College Students. Alyson Publications, 1994.
- Janice Rench. Understanding Sexual Identity: A Book for Gay and Lesbian Teens. Lerner, 1990.
- Bennett L. Singer, editor. Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian: A Literary Anthology. The New Press, 1993.
- Kate Walker. Peter. Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
- Kay Whitlock. Bridges of Respect (2nd Edition), Philidelphia: American Friends Service Committee, 1989.
For Parents of Gays & Lesbians
- Leroy Aarons. Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms With the Suicide of Her Gay Son. San Francisco: Harper, 1995.
- Nancy Andrews. Family: A Portrait of Gay and Lesbian America. San Francisco: Harper, 1994.
- Robert A. Bernstein. Straight Parents, Gay Children: Keeping Families Together. Thunder's Mouth Press, 1995.
- Gloria Guss Bock. Are you Still My Mother? Warner Books, 1985.
- Mary V. Borhek. My Son Eric. New York: Pilgrim Press, 1979.
- Beverly Cole. Cleaning Closets: A Mother's Story. St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1995.
- Rob Forman Dew. The Family Heart: A Memoir of When our Son Came Out. Addison-Wesley, 1994.
- Betty Fairchild, Nancy Hayward. Now That You Know: What Every Parent Should Know About Homosexuality Rev. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1989.
- Ann Muller. Parents Matter. Tallahassee, FL: Naiad Press, 1987.
- Louise Rafkin. Different Daughters: A Book by Mothers of Lesbians Cleis Press, 1987.
- Carolyn Welch Griffin, Marian J. and Arthur Wirth. Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians and Gays Talk About Their Experiences. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986.
Religion and Sexual Orientation
- John Boswell. Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1980.
- Malcolm Boyd, Nancy L. Wilson.Amazing Grace: Stories of Lesbian and Gay Faith. Crossing Press, 1991.
- Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza. In Memory of Her. New York: Crossroads Publishing Company, 1988.
- Chris Glasser. Uncommon Calling: A Gay Man's Struggle To Serve The Church. San Fransisco: Harper & Row, 1988.
- Chris Glasser. Come Home!. San Fransisco: Harper & Row, 1990.
- Jeannine Gramick, Robert Nugent (Eds.). The Vatican and Homosexuality. New york: Crossroad, 1988.
- Jeannine Gramick. Homosexuality and the Catholic Church. Chicago: Thomas More Press, 1983.
- Richard Hansbany, editor. Homosexuality and Religion. Haworth Press, 1990.
- Bruce Hilton. Can Homophobia Be Cured? Wrestling with Questions that Challenge the Chruch. Albington Press, 1992.
- Raymond Holtz. Listen To The Stories: Gay Men and Lesbian Catholics Talk About Their Lives and the Church. New York: Garland Publishing Inc., 1991.
- Reverend Howard H. Bess. Pastor I Am Gay. Palmer, 1995.
- John J. McNeil. The Church and the Homosexual Boston: Beacon Press, 1988. Orig.pub.1976.
- Robert Nugent, Jeannine Gramick. Building Bridges: Gay and Lesbian Reality and the Catholic Church Mystic, CT: Twenty Third Publications, 1992.
- Letha Scanzoni, Virginia Ramey Mollenkott. Is the Homosexual my Neighbor? Another Christian View. San Francisco: Harper, 1980/1994.
- Robin Scroggs. The New Testament and Homosexuality. Philidelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.
- John Shelby Spong. Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism. San Francisco: Harper, 1991.
- Mel White. Stranger At The Gate: To Be Gay And Christian In America. New York: Plume, 1994.
For Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual People
- Betty Berzon, Ph.D. Setting Them Straight: You can do something about bigotry and homophobia in your life. Plume/Penguin, 1996.
- Betty Berzon, Ph.D. (Editor). Positively Gay: New Approches to Gay and Lesbian Life. CelestialArts, Berkeley, 1992.
- Betty Berzon, Ph.D. Permanent Partners: Building Gay and Lesbian Relationships That Last. Dutton, 1988.
- Mary Borhek. Coming Out to Parents. Pilgrim, 1993.
- Loraine Hutchins and Lani Kaahumanu, editors. Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out. Alyson, 1991.
- Paul Monette. Becoming A Man: Half a Life Story. Harper Collins, 1992.
- John Preston, editor. Hometowns: Gay Men Write About Where They Belong. Penguin, 1991.
- Diane Raymond. Looking at Gay and Lesbian Life. Beacon Press, 1985.
- Phillip Sherman. Uncommon Heroes: A Celebration of Heroes and Role Models for Gay and Lesbian Americans. New York: Fletcher Press, 1994.
- Michelangelo Signorile. Outing Yourself: How to Come Out as Lesbian or Gay to Your Family, Friends, and Coworkers. Random House, 1995.
Hey DID YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE WERE/ARE GAY/LESBIAN/BISEXUAL/TRANSGENDER/or OPEN MINDED HETEROSEXUALS?????? Did U Know ............... that ......
Oscar Wilde writer,
Andy Warhol artist,
Lily Tomlin actress & comedian,
Randy Shilts Journalist,
Tennessee Williams playwright,
Dick Sargent actor "2nd Darren on Bewitched",
Sappho poet,
May Sargent writer,
Rep. Glen Maxey,
Patria Jimenez 1st openly gay congress woman in Mexico,
Gore Vidal writer,
Raymond Burr actor,
Amanda Bearse actress "Marcia",
Ellen DeGenereas actress & comedian,
Melissa Etheridge musician,
Harvey Fierstein playwright,
Rita Mae Brown author,
Sir Francis Bacon writer,
George Cuker film director,
Rev. Malcolm Boyd Episcopal priest,
Glenn Burke pro baseball player,
Frank Buttino FBI agent,
Lord Byron poet,
Sasha Alyson publisher,
Ruth Benedict anthropologist,
Tammy Baldwin Wisconsin state legislator,
Elton John musician,
k.d. Lang musician,
Harvey Milk politician,
Dave Pallone former baseball umpire,
Kenneth Reeves mayor of Cambridge, Mass.,
Cole Porter composer,
Bayard Rustin civil rights activist,
Greg Louganis olympic diver,
Sir Ian McKellen actor,
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt,
Martina Navratilova tennis champion,
Marvin Leibman conservative activist,
David Kopay pro football player,
John McNeill religious scholar,
Sheila James Kuehl attorney, Assemblymember & former TV actress playing
"Zelda Gilroy",
Sherry Harris Seattle city council,
Bruce Hayes olympic swimmer,
Yukio Mishima writer, Indigo Girls musicians,
Barney Frank congressman,
David Geffen music producer,
Sir John Gielgud playwright,
Gertrude Stein writer,
Peter Tchaikovsky composer,
Babe Didrikson Zaharias pro golfer,
Tom Waddell olympic decathelete,
Deborah Batts federal judge,
Will Fitzpatrick Rode Island state senator,
Chad Allen actor on "Dr. Quinn",
Dan Butler actor on "Frasier",
Langston Hughes writer,
Johnny Mathis singer,
Richard 1, the lionhearted,
Maria Louise Pool writer,
Pete Townsend musician,
Rev. Mel White former ghost writer for Jerry Falwell & Pat Robertson,
Rudy Galindo olympic skater,
Michael Stipe musician,
Congressman Jim Kolbe,
Edward Carpenter English writer & poet,
Lorraine Hansbury writer,
B.D. Wong actor,
Dr. S. Josephine Baker physician,
Janis Ian musician,
Deb Price newspaper columnist,
Keith Meinhold navy officer,
Joseph Steffan navy officer,
Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep The ancient Egyptian tomb of this male couple was
discovered in the 1960's.,
Nathan Lane actor,
John Bartlett designer,
Robert Bauman former Republican congressman from Maryland,
Chasity Bono daughter of Sonny Bono & Cher,
JM J Bullock comic actor,
Samuel R. Delany science-fiction-writer,
Rev. Johannes Willem DiMaria-Kuiper Dutch minister,
Denise Eger Reform Jewish Rabbi,
Richard Failla New York state judge,
Tim Gill millionaire software entrepreneur,
Candace Ginrich activist; sister of Newt Ginrich,
Rev. Peter Gomes chaplain of Havard University,
Daniel Guerin French journalist,
Matthew Hall Canadian figure skater,
Rev. Carter Heyward lesbian Episcopal priest & writer,
Joe Hinson former Republican Congressman from Mississippi,
Rev. Renee McCoy minister & activist,
Neil Meron TV producer, Jeff Miller Country singer,
David Mixner millionaire & activist,
Rev. Troy Perry founder Metropolitan Community Church,
Rosa Von Praunheim German filmmaker,
Donna Red Wing activist,
Svend Robinson member of Canadian Parliament,
Rev. Dusty Pruitt
Gail Shibley Oregon state legislator,
Christopher Smith member of British Parliment,
Allan Spear president of Minnesota State Senate,
Doug Stevens Country Singer,
Mutsuo Takahashi Japanese poet,
Valerie Terrigno 1st mayor of West Hollywood,
Rev. Herman Verbeek Catholic priest,
Tim Van Zandt Missouri state legislator,
Linda Villarosa editor of Essence Magazine,
Sgt. Perry Watkins (ret.) army,
Jose Zuniga U.S. Army sergeant,
Aldo Busi Italian novelist,
Allan Gurganus novelist,
Jeff Horton member Los Angels School Board,
Armistead Maupin writer,
Alexis Arquette actor,
Billie Jean King tennis player,
Leonardo da Vinci artist,
Peter the Great tsar of Russia ............
and many many more individuals....
all these individuals were and are either bi,gay or lesbian. They
are part of everyones past, present and future.
