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FLASH MOB: Come Break Your Silence @ 5pm in Rosa Parks Plaza 04.16.10

Trey — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:29:39 +0000

04.16.10 is the National Day of Silence, and this year we are organizing a Flash Mob for the first time ever!

On the National Day of Silence, hundreds of thousands of students from all over the country take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools. Each year the event has grown, and now hundreds of thousands of students participate to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior. Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Find out more about the Day of Silence by clicking on these topics:

This year, WE WANT YOU to participate!

Here are the instructions for the Flash Mob on Friday, April 16th:

1. We will meet at the Rosa Parks Plaza located in Downtown Dallas at 5 pm sharp! The Flash Mob will only last from 5 to 10 minutes max so it is very important that everyone shows up on time. By the way, you can arrive earlier if you want (we’ll be there by 4:30pm), but the Flash Mob will not start until 5 pm.

2. At 5 pm, we will cover our mouths with either duct tape, dusk masks, surgical masks, gas masks, bandanas, or whatever you would like to use to make a statement.

3. We will then FREEZE! Meaning, we will NOT move for at least 5 minutes.

4. After the Flash Mob is over, we will head to the West End station with our tape, masks, bandanas, ect. covering our mouths, and we will ride the train all the way to Mockingbird Station.

5. After we arrive to Mockingbird Station, we will all walk together to SMU (which is about 20 minutes), where the Breaking the Silence Party will be held.

6. We will have a blast watching the youth performers, sharing our NDOS experiences at school and work, and dancing the night away, celebrating our bad selves until 9pm at SMU.

Keep in mind that this whole time we will cover our mouths, making an oath of silence, to make a statement about hate speech in our culture. Once we arrive to SMU, we can remove uncover our mouths.

Please try to avoid making signs for the Flash Mob to carry with you that day, this is a FLASH MOB, not a protest. Do, however, feel free to bring National Day of Silence Cards with you to give to people or wear your National Day of Silence Shirts.

Also, on April 15th, which is the day before, at Youth First Texas during BIG GROUP, The Youth Board will be passing out surgical masks that you can bedazzle and decorate for the Flash Mob. We will also be selling National Day of Silence T-shirts that you can wear at the Flash Mob.

We hope everyone can make it to the Flash Mob! Tell your friends, family, the media…heck, tell everyone!

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to contact Vic at v.r.rodriguez@live.com

YFT Hosts the GSA Summit!

Trey — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:43:43 +0000

The Texas GSA Network and Youth First Texas are hosting a free GSA Summit on Saturday, March 6 from 10am to 4pm. The GSA Summit is an opportunity for those who are starting a GSA, involved in a GSA, and/or leading a GSA to come together and engage in a day long institute of training that will ensure your GSA (existing or budding) is functioning at its ultimate capacity.

Session topics include:

Assessing the Culture of YOUR GSA
Strategizing an Action Plan
Resolving Conflict through Team Building
Promoting Visibility via Events, Fundraising, & Community Service.

Gay Straight Alliances work to create safe environments in schools for students to support each other and learn about homophobia and other oppresisions. They also work to educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues while fighting discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools.

The GSA Summit will also have display tables for organizations, schools, and causes that also work to provide safer space on and within schools and universities. WE invite all to partcipate!

If you would like to RSVP for the event or learn how to partcipate, please contact:

Judith Dumont, M.Ed

Director of Youth Services

Judithd@youthfirsttexas.org

YFT CLOSED: 02.12.10

Trey — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:59:01 +0000

Staff has made the decision to close YFT tonight due to pending inclement weather and dangerously low temperatures.

As you know, many youth drive from the surrounding areas and/or use TRE and DART to make it to group. For these reasons, we are protecting the safety of ALL youth who travel across north Texas for programming, and we are closing our doors for the night.

We will resume center hours and activities on Friday at 4pm on 02/12/2010.

Have a safe and warm evening!

Lady GaGa Would Go, So Should You!

Trey — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:45:46 +0000

It’s time to dust off your dancing shoes, because we have an AMAZING event lined up for YOU.

The Creating Change Youth hospitality Subcommittee Presents…

The Mas-Queer-Ade Ball!

Headlining Vidur Kapur and Kit Yan
Join OUTmedia’s comedy sensation Vidur Kapur and renowned trans slam poet Kit Yan for an evening of spoken word and humor. Vidur’s credits include MTV LOGO, and NBC’s Stand Up for Diversity. Kit is a Curve Magazine favorite, OUTmusician of the Year nominee. Kit will premiere OUTmedia’s “Be Queer Buy Queer!” national video contest. Bring you cameras and be the first to enter! The event also features local queer youth artists, singers, and dancers. This is an alcohol and drug free event for all ages. A dance party for guests under age 24 will follow the performance.

Help Create Change on Jan. 31st!

Trey — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:03:10 +0000

The Creating Change Conference is less than a few weeks away. The host committee is calling on us to help pull off this conference–it cannot happen without the help of volunteers! If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, please come on Sunday, January 31st, from 12pm-6pm for Volunteer Orientation at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel at 400 North Olive Street, Dallas, TX 75201.

Everyone who is on the host committee should attend this orientation to familiarize themselves with the conference hotel, the Task Force staff, the registration process, the conference program and there will be a tour every hour on the hour you will need to attend.

Afterward we ask that you help stuff at least 3,000 conference packets. We understand if you can’t stay till 6pm, we are asking for whatever time you can offer.This orientation is for our host committee members and volunteers. If you are on the host committee and haven’t been able to lend your time to a committee, this is a chance for you to sign up to volunteer at the conference and you will gain admission for free for every 4 hours you volunteer in a day.

Attached is a map of parking lots around the hotel for you to use for this event and for the conference. We highly suggest using the DART system since there are plenty of park and rides through out the city to utilize.

What we need help with:

Exhibitors: 30 we should have at least 50 if not more exhibitors, this is a large metroplex and not only organizations can exhibit but those who are merchants selling items such as books, clothes, jewerly, pet stuff, etc. click here for more information on being an exhibitor or click here to register to become an exhibitor

Volunteers registered: 123 we need at least 250-300 volunteers. Tell your friends, co workers and family not to miss this opportunity to attend the nations largest LGBT conference and they can do so by volunteering 4 hours of their time to enter the conference for free on that day. click here to register to volunteer

Community Housing Hosts registered: 8 (sad little number) we really need help, if you are interested or know someone who is interested in hosting please click here Community Housing Registration

Community Housing Guests registered: 44 (hosts needed should match this number)

We want to thank everyone for their hard work. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD THIS EMAIL ON TO ANY GROUPS OR EMAIL LISTS YOU HAVE.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this email and a co-chair will answer promptly.

Thank you again, and see you on January 31 at Volunteer Orientation!

Summer Internship Opportunity

Trey — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:47:21 +0000

We know how competitive the job market is in this economy. For this reason, we are excited to share this internship opportunity for high school juniors and seniors brought to us by the Volunteer Center of North Texas. Check it out:

Want to make $2,100 AND make a difference this summer? Apply today to be part of the ExxonMobil Green Team program. All applications are due January 14. Please see attached for application and guidelines.

ExxonMobil Green Team is an eight-week summer youth initiative that provides paid internships for high school students. Programs vary from city to city, but all Ambassadors (interns) involved in this program work on a project to better the community in which they live. In Dallas, up to 50 Ambassador positions are available and students will be involved in a variety of activities. Throughout the summer, Ambassadors work in teams of three to five to develop environmentally-focused projects for local nonprofit organizations with the goal of increasing awareness of conservation and environmentalism.

Throughout the summer, Green Team Ambassadors attend classes at Southern Methodist University related to environmental issues and professional and academic development. Ambassadors also participate in weekly environmentally-focused field trips and sessions centered on leadership, teamwork and critical thinking skills. In addition, Ambassadors will develop and implement an environmentally-focused service project as a group.

In 2009, Ambassadors interned with a variety of nonprofits including Central Dallas Ministries, Trinity River Audubon Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dallas and Texas Discovery Gardens. Ambassadors have planned and coordinated environmental-education days for summer camp participants; taught children living in apartment communities how to incorporate conservation practices as well as conducted research on water conservation ordinances and residential recycling habits.

Since its launch in 1981, ExxonMobil has invested $6.3 million in the Dallas program. With the completion of the 2009 program, the ExxonMobil Green Team has reached more than 3,400 students, impacting the community through work with various local nonprofits.

Ambassador Criteria

Students interested in applying for the 2010 summer program must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Must be a U.S. citizen
Enrolled as a high school junior or senior in Dallas County (as of the 2009-10 school year)
Available to participate in the eight-week program from June 11 – August 6
Provide/arrange daily transportation to and from all Green Team activities

Application Guidelines

The application is attached (or can be downloaded from the following link: http://www.vcnt.org/vcnt_programs_student_programs_green_team.html). Please read the document entitled “2010 Ambassador Application Guidelines” before submitting the application and for additional information.

Each application must include:

Personal essay (maximum of 500 words)
Letter of Recommendation

Ambassador applications and supporting documentation must be mailed to the Volunteer Center of North Texas and postmarked no later than Thursday, January 14, 2010. NO EXCEPTIONS! Faxed and/or e-mailed applications will not be accepted.

If you have any questions, please contact Christian Yazdanpanah, Student Programs Manager, at 214-826-6767 ext. 236 or cyazdanpanah@vcnt.org.

YFT CLOSED: 01/07/2010

Trey — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:41:47 +0000

Staff has made the decision to close YFT tonight due to pending inclement weather and dangerously low temperatures.

We will resume center hours and activities on Friday at 4pm on 01/08/2010.

Have a safe and warm evening!

The Truth About Cutting

Trey — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:08:33 +0000

Dallas Voice contributing writer and former YFT Board of Director, Renee Baker, published a fascinating article about young LGBT people who have overcome being “cutters.” Two members of YFT were brave enough to share thier stories. Please click here to read this insightful and important article.

At YFT, we have many resources if any of you are struggling with self mutilation. Not only do we have the Survivors Group which breaks out every Thursday evening during BIG Group at 7:30pm, but we also have free individual counseling.

If you would like information on either, please do not hesitate to contact us: judithd@youthfirsttexas.org; 214-879-0400.

YFT Talks Back Thanks to NOH8 Campaign

Trey — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:15:03 +0000

By David Negrete

I think we can all agree that Proposition 8 has greatly affected the LGBTQ community, and it is because of strong and courageous people like photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley that we are beginning to let people know how we feel.

The NOH8 campaign is a photo project and silent protest that was started after the passing of Proposition 8. It began with everyday California residents, and expanded to celebrities and political figures, including Kathy Griffin, Dr. Drew, Ashlee Simpson, Andy Dick, and more. If you have seen any of these photos you know that they are not your ordinary photographs; each one speaks volumes. Each has a message that conveys a sense of oppression, a message that we are not being heard. A single piece of duct tape is placed over the model’s mouth, and the NOH8 logo is painted on the side of the face, creating a clear image that we are being kept silent.

The week before the Alan Ross Pride Parade, the NOH8 campaign made their way to Dallas. We later found out that Dallas is the third city that has had the opportunity to be a part of this campaign. 75 members of the community were chosen to take part in the photo shoot and from those 75, 12 were from Youth First Texas. Hai Duong, a Youth Board member at YFT, said “being a part of the campaign cements our efforts as volunteers…”

After the shoot, several youth, along with Judith Dumont, Director of Youth Services, went to brunch and discussed the importance of the campaign. The overall consensus was that it was great to be part of something that will hopefully make a difference for our lives and community. Youth Will Mason Brown said “it’s inspiring to know people are looking up to us.” Added David Degrete, “It will be due to our combined efforts, that we will see change.” The NOH8 campaign definitely brought a sense of excitement leading up to the Pride Parade. It was an opportunity that does not come by very often, and the youth seemed thrilled to be a part of it.

On October 10th, 6 youth, accompanied by Judith Dumont and Johnny Cooper, made a trip to Washington D.C. for the National Equality March. They took part in the march and also seized opportunities to learn about our community and history. The NOH8 campaign was also there, ensuring our voices were heard yet again. It is because of events like these that the youth are beginning to take leadership roles in the community. We are experiencing the battles head on. We are making our voices heard. We are the future leaders of tomorrow, and we are making sure to fight the silence.

Celebrate Pride Week: Sept 15-20th

Trey — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:56:03 +0000

Pride Week is suddenly approaching (so soon, right?), and we want everybody to join us for the fun festivities we have planned to help launch YOUR RIGHTS, OUR RIGHTS, and HUMAN RIGHTS!

Here’s a breakdown of the week’s activities:

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Gay Epic Movie Night

We’re going to kick off pride week by popping some corn and watching some classic films of the LGBT genre. Take your shoes off, sit back, and watch the movie on the “Big Screen” (you know which one).

Showtime are:

5pm: “To Wung Fu Thanks for Everything”

7:30pm: “Priscella Queen of the Desert”

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Queer BOWLING Night

If you’ve had trouble scoring lately, then come join us for free bowling night where you’re sure to collect a few cool points. This evening will be a blast as youth, volunteers, and staff strike a pose at the alley. All bowling fees will be picked up by Youth First Texas. We’ll carpool, so meet at the center at 7!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

THE GAY GAYMES AT YFT

During Pride Week, Big Group will be hosting the Gay GAYMES of 2009. Starting at 7:30pm, teams will compete for the official title of “LGBT Pride Champions.” The games will include: “Drag” Race, Lipstick Darts, and Queer Trivia. LET THE GAYMES BEGIN!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

A Good Ole Cookout!!!

On Fridays, we have dinner at YFT but on this Friday, it’ll be a cookOUT. Come eat some grub and socialize with people from YFT’s extended family. Please bring friends, family, parents, or an y other person who wants to celebrate PRIDE. (Don’t judge us if we talk with food in our mouths.)

Dinner will be served from 7pm to 9pm at Reverchon Park

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

The 26^th Annual ALAN ROSS GAY FREEDOM PARADE!!!!

On the biggest day of the year for LGBT youth in north Texas, we will serve as the beneficiary for the parade! What an honor. We will march in the parade with an awesome float that celebrates YOUR RIGHTS, OUR RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS, thanks to Hotel Palomar.

On Sunday, we will need some volunteers to help set up and break down the parade route. For more information, please contact Victor at v.r.rodriguez@live.com.

We will also have a marketing booth in Lee Park, selling the Queer Subtext (The Second Annual Youth Anthology) as well as other YFT swag.

Come celebrate Pride, Youth First Texas style!

XOXO,

Team YFT