HerlandVoice-2009-12-v27-no12_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-2009-12-v27-no12_ocr.pdf
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Serving the womyn~s
community
Her/and Voicesince
volume twenty-seven number twelve , ;·· www.herlandsisters.org
Employment Non-Discrimination
Act of 2009 (ENDA)
Source: www.aclu.org
Over the years, Congress has responded when it found
that people were not being hired or promoted for unfair
or arbitrary reasons, such as race, gender, national origin,
or disability. When Congress has found such
discrimination, it passed laws to restore civil rights by
ensuring arbitrary considerations do not determine access
to employment. We believe such legislation continues to
be an essential part of equal protection under the law.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) offers
Congress the opportunity to ensure workplace equality by
protecting LGBT workers from employment discrimination.
ENDA is pending federal legislation that would ban
employment discrimination based on an individual's sexual
orientation. The bill protects workers from discriminatory
hiring, firing, promotion or compensation practices, as
well as retaliation for reporting such practices.
1983
december 2()09
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.December
Ii
Saturday Dec. 12th:
Herland
Supper Club - Potluck and 1~
Holiday Party at 5:30 at
Herland. Bring a potluck dish ~
and a white elephant gift and ~..':
join us for an evening of fun and ~
friends.
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Sunday Dec. 20th 4 pm: Herland
Board Meeting, all are welcome.
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Dinner at Gushers afterwards.
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Monday Dec. 21st: deadline for i
submission · of newsletter ;~
articles, poems, cartoons to the
·~
"Voice". Email submissions to !,~
herland@herlandsisters.org
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There are no federal laws outlawing employment
discrimination against LGBT Americans . In fact, it still
remains legal to discriminate against someone based on
sexual orientation in 30 states and based on gender
identity in 38 states. In these states, LGBT people are
still at risk of being harassed, fired, and denied
employment or promotion in the workplace.
The House and Senate have both introduced the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2009 (ENDA) that
would extend federal employment discrimination
January
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Friday Jan . 1st: Herland New
Year's Day Potluck from 1-4 pm
at Herland.
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Saturday Jan. 9th:
Herland
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Supper Club at 5:30 Cattleman's
Steakhouse, 1309 . S Agnew,
followed by games at Herland .
Continued on page 3
The Herland Voice is a publication of Herland Sister Resources, 2312 NW 39th, OKC, OK 73112. Our bookstore/lending library is
open Saturdays from 1-5 pm. Call us at (405) 521-9696 or email us at herland@herlandsisters.org. Visit us on the web at
www.herlandsisters.org.
At age three Jen Harris was running track against eight year olds -and winning .
Towards the end of 5th grade she received her first recruitment letter from a
college basketball program. By 9th grade she had received well over 250 recruitment letters from universities nation wide . In 2003 , Jen graduated from
Central Dauphin high school with academic honors . She is still the most decorated basketball player in the high school' s history. Out of all the universities
she could have chosen , she accepted an athletic scholarship from Pennsylvania
State University and began playing basketball for the Lady Lions. A year and a
half later, in March 2005 , she was summarily dismissed from the team. Had she
been allowed to move into her junior year, she would have been the team ' s
leading scorer.
When Jennifer entered Penn State Rene Portland, the Lady Lions basketball
coach , had already been coaching for 23 years . During that same 23 years she
made no secret of her training rules - no drugs , no drinking and no lesbians. Her
intention, as stated to the Chicago Sun Times in 1986 and the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1991, was to take the stigma of lesbianism out of women 's sports.
Portland used tactics that were deemed "intimidating, hostile and offensive"
against Jennifer when she was a Lady Lion . The indignities and ostracism that
followed her dismissal resulted in depression and thoughts of suicide. Jennifer
was resolute that this treatment would befall no other student athlete. In 2006
she decided to take legal action . The advocacy organization, The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) , determined that this case was emblematic of a
pervasive and stifling homophobic climate in women's collegiate sports and proceeded to file charges against Portland, athletic director Tim Curley, and Penn State University. The suit alleged discrimination based on perceived sexual orientation , racism and gender stereotyping . At the time, Jennifer had no idea
how many others would break their painful silence of decades tci share similar stories of abuse and discrimination.
"Training Rules" takes the disturbi ng facts of the Harris vs . Portland case and personalizes their impact by telling Jennifer's story as well as those of six other women who were victimized through the years . Together they unveil a litany
of betrayal, abuse, humiliation and bigotry. Softball coach Sue Rankin , whose activism cont ributed to passing the
1992 inclusion of sexual orientation into Penn State' s non-discrimination policy, was pressured by the athletic department to disengage from her activities. Her outspokenness precipitated a decline in her coaching evaluations. Each of
these young athletes was at the top of her game when she was dismissed. Sue Rankin ' s coaching evaluations had been
excellent.
Although Jen's story of harassment and dismissal repeats it self with remarkable consistency among other
basketball players at her school, this is a tale told not
just at Penn State, but also at universities and colleges across the country. Rene Portland may be a blatant example of homophobia in women ' s sports, but
she is NOT the only coach who discriminates based on
sexual orientation . Penn State is NOT the only university that disregards it ' s own code of ethics in order to
preserve its cash flow .
How was this allowed to happen? It is well known that Coach Portland , as well as certain other college coaches, discriminate. It is public information . Where were the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) , the Women 's
Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the university, when coach Portland ' s unfettered statements of bias were
made to the press? If these statements were being made in reference to race , i.e ., no drugs, no drinking , no Blacks,
Jews, Asians... , how silent would they have been? How has this culture of silence diminished women ' s sports? What are
the consequences to Coach Portland ' s basketball program at Penn State? Although Rene Portland ' s career demonstrates an impressive win loss record , she has never won a national title . Can a team living in fear really win it all?
When the last image of Training Rules fades from the screen , some of these questions are answered, others are raised
and a tangled web of discrimination is exposed .
Come to Herland on Saturday December 12 at 5:30 pm for a
potluck dinner then stay to celebrate the holiday spirit by
exchanging white elephant-or "dirty Santa" - gifts . This is a
game whe re everyone brings a wrapped gift and draws a
number. Then the fun really starts. The first person chooses
a gift from the gift pile, opens the gift for all to see, and
keeps it for the time being. The next person can either
choose to take an unopened gift from the gift pile or steal a
gift from any previous gift opener. If at any time a person's
gift is stolen, that person can immediately unwrap a new gift
or steal another person's gift. The game keeps going till you
get to the end . You can choose to bring something fun from
around the house and wrap it or buy a gift to bring, but
please spend no more than $5-$10 tops. This game is tons of
fun as people steal, trade, and barter for what they want.
Start the new year off right with a potluck dinner and games
at Herland on Friday, January 1, from 1 to 4 pm. We will
provide a pot of chili and the traditional dishes of cabbage
and black-eyed peas. Bring a dessert or another side and
help us ring in the ne'N year.
Community
Events
December
Thursday Dec. 1oth 7 pm: PF LAG
Norman at St. Stephen's United
Methodist Church 1801 W. Brooks
(McGee & Brooks) Norman, OK
Saturday Dec. 19th 2 and 7 pm:
Sisters of Swing Christmas Show
at Saint John's 5201 N BrookUne $5
Thursday Dec. 10th 12:30 pm:
Stringents Downtown OKC Library
(Christmas and rock music)
Continued from page 1
protections currently provided based on race, religion, sex,
national origin, age and disability to sexua l orientation and
gender identity.
·
For far too long, qualified, hard-working people in the
American workforce have been denied employment, fired, or
otherwise discriminated against because of their real or .perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
Visit www .aclu.org for more information.
The Herland Voice is published monthly by Herland Sister Resources, Inc. 2312
NW 39th, Oklahoma City, OK 73112. The Voice is offered as an open forum for
community discourse. Articles reflect the opinions of the author and not necessarily
those of Herland Sister Resources . Unsolicited articles and letters to the editor are
welcomed and must be signed by the writer with full name and address. Upon request, letters or articles may be printed under a pseudonym or anonymously. Herland reserves the right to edit or not publish any article. Subscriptions to The Voice
are free upon request although a donation is requested to meet publication and distribution costs.
Sunday Dec. 13th 2 pm:
Stringents at Belle Isle Library
(Christmas music)
Friday Dec. 1sth 7 pm:
Stringents at Full Circle Bookstore
(Rock music)
Sunday Dec. 20th 2 pm:
Stringents at Full Circle Bookstore
(Classical music)
Monday Dec. 21st 7 pm:
Stringents Christmas Show
at the Blue Door $5
(Christmas and rock music)
Herland Sister Resources
2312 NW 39th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Okla. City, OK
Permit No. 861
Return Service Requested
·
Support the ·Businesses that Support Herland!
Ginny Poindexter
Realtor
Direct
Office
Fax
E-mail
405.919.8443
405.948.7500
405.948.7502
ginnypoindexter@kw.com
Sandalwood & Sage
322 East I\·fain Street
Norman, OK 73069
KELLER WILLIAMS
5629 N. Classen Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Each office is independently owned and operated.
Sandy Ingraham, J.D., M.S.W.
Attorney-at-Law
Ingraham & Associates, PLLC
Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate, Adoption, Contracts
Dr. Dawn Singleton, Ph.D.
Licensed Professional Counselor
Licensed Marital & Family Therapist
5005 N. Pennsylvania #204 OKC, OK
405-232-3296
Route 2, Box 369-B
McLoud, OK 74851
Tel. (405) 964-2072
Ingraham@mcloudteleco.com
FREE HOUR CONSULTATION