Center Blog

The Center is pleased to announce that four young people from our Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program are featured in the new “Amplify Your Voice!” anti-LGBT bullying public service announcement campaign created by The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

The campaign includes dozens of celebrities speaking out about the harms of bullying and each PSA is introduced with a personal bullying story from our YES participants, who have all found strength and empowerment through our program. The young people featured are 18-year-old Antonio Fernandez, 20-year-old Dillon Seebalack, 22 year old DeEbonie Swindell,  and 22 year old Devin Greene.

The campaign coincides with National Bullying Prevention Month and Spirit Day on October 20. You can read much more here in GLAAD’s official press release:

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today announced an initial list of participants in Spirit Day as well as the launch of its “Amplify Your Voice!” public service announcement (PSA) campaign featuring celebrity talent and young people speaking out against anti-LGBT bullying.The PSAs urge viewers to take a stand against anti-LGBT bullying and direct viewers to GLAAD.org for resource kits offering best practices to parents, teachers and students. The free kits feature resources from the American Federation of Teachers, GLSEN, the National Center for Transgender Equality and The Trevor Project, among others.

Celebrity participants in GLAAD’s ‘Amplify Your Voice’ campaign — a project developed with the American Federation of Teachers — include: Chaz Bono, Kristin Chenoweth, Vinny Guadaginino, Rashida Jones, Dustin Lance Black, Sandra Lee, Mario Lopez, Shaquille O’Neal, Amy Poehler, Naya Rivera, Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott, Ariel Winter, and the cast of ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars. The campaign also features the personal stories of young people from New York’s LGBT Community Center (the Center). The Center’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Program is open to LGBT and questioning people between the ages of 13 and 22, and provides them with community support to foster healthy development in a safe, affirming and drug-free environment.

Videos and resource kits are available here: www.glaad.org/amplifyyourvoice. Media interested in posted the videos can find instructions here. Comcast will serve as a leading media partner for the PSA campaign, contributing $3 million in national airtime and bringing this important message to more than 20 million homes over the next year. Additional videos to be released in coming weeks.

GLAAD also announced initial participants who will join millions of Americans by wearing purple on October 20, 2011, to take a stand against anti-LGBT bullying and show support for LGBT youth on Spirit Day. GLAAD is working with organizations including GLSEN, GSA Network and the Trevor Project as part of National Bullying Prevention Month to inspire individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, media professionals and celebrities to wear purple.

For a list of celebrity participants, media outlets, TV networks, organizations and corporations visit www.glaad.org/spiritday. Additional participants will be announced in coming days.

Hosts from the CNBC, CNN, E!, the Dr. Drew Show, MSNBC and The View will be wearing purple on-air.

MTV will be turning the on-air logo purple along with their Facebook, Twitter, MTV.com and MTV Act logos.

Celebrity participants include: Tamra Barney (Bravo, Real Housewives of Orange County), Laura Bruce (WE, Downsized), Andy Cohen (Bravo), Aisha Dee (Fox, I Hate My Teenage Daughter), Drew Ginsburg (Bravo, Most Eligible Dallas), Carson Kressley (ABC, Dancing With The Stars), Padma Lakshmi (Bravo, Top Chef), Kristi Lauren (I Hate My Teenage Daughter), Katie Leclerc (ABC Family, Switched at Birth), Vanessa Marano (ABC Family, Switched at Birth), Shay Mitchell (ABC Family, Pretty Little Liars), Mary Murphy (So You Think You Can Dance), David Nadelberg (Sundance Channel, The Mortified Sessions), Matt Nordgren (Bravo, Most Eligible Dallas), Rosie Pope (Bravo, Pregnant in Heels), Garo Sparo (Sundance Channel, Unleashed by Garo), Steve-O, TJ Thyne (Bones), Diann Valentine (WE, I Do Over), Kathy Wakile (Bravo, Real Housewives of New Jersey), Joe Zee (Sundance Channel, All on the Line with Joe Zee), and the cast of Sundance Channel’s Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys are among celebrities who will participate by wearing purple or changing Twitter and Facebook photos for the day. Participants in 2010 included Cyndi Lauper, Ricky Martin, Khloe Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest, Perez Hilton, Kristin Chenoweth, the Dixie Chicks, cast members from of Glee, Joan Rivers, among dozens of others.

Companies including American Airlines, AT&T, B|W|R Public Relations, Comcast, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, McGraw-Hill, NBCUniversal, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Verizon, Yahoo! and Yahoo! Pride will participate in 2011. Participating companies will be distributing information to employees about wearing purple. Some have also pledged to turn logos purple for the day. For more information on specific plans visit: http://www.glaad.org/spiritday/corporate.

The Sundance Channel employees will be participating and the Sundance Channel social media logos will turn to purple on Spirit Day.

LOGO will air a Spirit day purple ribbon on the channel to drive viewers to NewNowNext.com to increase awareness against bullying. Additionally, their Twitter (@LogoTV) and Facebook photos will ‘go purple’ and pictures of staff, fans and talent will be posted to Tumblr throughout the day.

Here Media will turn logos on Advocate.com, Out.com and SheWired purple for the day.

Spirit Day coincides with GLSEN’s ‘Ally Week’ (October 17-21), a week for students to organize events that serve to identify, support and celebrate Allies against anti-LGBT language, bullying and harassment in America’s schools and communities. GLSEN has partnered with GLAAD to promote Spirit Day as an event for students to participate in during ‘Ally Week.’ For more information about ‘Ally Week’ visit www.allyweek.org.

In addition to GLSEN, GSA Network and The Trevor Project, dozens of local and faith-based organization are also participating in Spirit Day including: Basic Rights Oregon, COLAGE, Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, Pacific School of Religion, Coalition of Welcoming Congregations of the Bay Area, DignityUSA, Equality Hawaii, Equality Michigan, Equality Utah, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), Human Rights Campaign’s Religion & Faith Program, Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Keshet, Lutherans Concerned/North America, More Light Presbyterians, Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality, PROMO, Religious Institute: Faithful Voices on Sexuality and Religion, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER), United Church of Christ Office for LGBT Ministries, Straight But Not Narrow.

Spirit Day was started in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan as a way to show support for LGBT youth and remember those lives lost to suicide. Millions of teachers, workplaces, media personalities and students wore purple, which symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag.

“From Hollywood to corporate America, it’s clear that an overwhelming number of Americans today support LGBT youth and believe that no one should be bullied for being who they are,” said GLAAD Acting President Mike Thompson.  

“On Spirit Day and with our new ‘Amplify Your Voice!’ campaign, some of the greatest Hollywood, news and sports voices will be brought into America’s living rooms, reminding millions that no matter who you are, you have the power to make a difference.”

You can read more here in a blog post by GLAAD and view the videos featuring YES youth.  You can also learn more about their individual bullying stories in GLAAD’s “Amplify your Voice” Resource Kit.

The Center is honored to be a part of this vital campaign and sends a heartfelt thank you to GLAAD for including our inspirational youth voices!

Post by Kaden Freeman, Center Communications Intern

As New York City rejoiced the passage of the Marriage Equality Act, the Center, along with nearly 300 supporters and community members, took to the streets to march in one of most vibrant and energetic Pride parades the city has ever seen. The marchers were a diverse group of people representing many of the Center’s life-changing programs, including the Gender Identity Project, the Immigration Social Action Group, the Youth Enrichment Service (YES) Program, and individuals and families who support the Center and our mission.

Along the parade route marchers danced and waved pom-pons to music from the Center’s float , handed out safe sex kits and greeted enthusiastic crowds from midtown down to the Village. Center Recovery Program participants held a sign which read: “Sober is Better,” and our dynamic group of marchers was rounded out by LGBT families with strollers at the end of the Center’s contingent.

According to Cultural Programs Officer Yojani Hernandez, who helped staff the march, “It was great to see young people in that moment be proud of who they are, part of the legacy that was left by those who marched before us.” The Center would like to thank Anthony Shimek, Volunteer Coordinator, who organized and executed the Center’s presence in the parade, and all who supported the Center and came out to march on such a momentous occasion. We are already looking forward to next year’s Pride, but in the meantime we hope to see you at the Center!

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicole Avallone as the Center’s new Director of Youth Services. In this capacity, she will oversee our Youth Enrichment Services (YES) program staff and the coordination, implementation and delivery of the spectrum of educational, developmental, prevention and support interventions offered by YES.

Avallone is a social worker with an extensive history of providing support and advocacy to the LGBT community. Most recently she served as Director of Member Services & Outreach at the Rainbow Heights Club, the only government funded psychosocial club specifically geared toward serving LGBT adults living with mental illness.

Avallone’s professional career included a year-long internship with the Center’s Adult Services Department in 2003-2004. Since that time she has continued to facilitate groups for the Center’s Gender Identity Project, primarily focusing on support for partners of transgender people. She began her career in social services as an advocate for young people living on the streets and in shelters in Seattle, Washington. 

“Avallone brings a powerful history, enormous energy and commitment to the mission of the Center,” said Carrie Davis, Director of Community Services. “She will be a genuine resource in the work we continue to do.”

This change comes in the context of the development of the new Community Services Department that began in the fall of 2010. The new Community Services Department is working to improve participant services through freer internal transfers of talents and resources, and expanding program reach and infrastructure to better serve our communities. The department is also developing new services designed to address the needs of underserved or “gap” populations and enhance our focus on the Center’s mission and strategic plan.

The New York City Department of Education has designated February 14 -18 as “Respect For All Week” in all NYC public schools. As part of that effort the Youth Enrichment Services (YES) program of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center is offering special programming to engage high school students on the importance of respecting each other and raising awareness about bullying and harassment.  The (YES) Program will lead tours of the Center and highlight its role in the LGBT movement. Students will learn about the resources we provide, including leadership programming and opportunities for youth to create safer school environments.

We also invite teachers to bring their students to our monthly Safe School Network Meetings. These meetings, facilitated by our Safe Schools interns, bring together high school students from across the city to exchange ideas about school safety and learn to start Gay and Straight Alliances. The next Safe School Meeting Dates are March 11 and April 1 from 5:30 PM-7:30 PM at the Center.

Tonight, February 17, the Center is also dedicating our newest permanent art installation. Titled “First Impressions,” this mural was conceived and created by (YES) participants under the theme of equality and diversity and in partnership with the Groundswell Community Mural Project and Farrow & Ball Paint. The mural is located in our Family Services Room.  

If you are interested in learning more about our youth leadership programming and the Safe Schools Internship, please contact The Center’s Youth Enrichment Services program at 212-620-7310.