SLIDE  PRESENTATIONS  and  INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS on ISSUES of DIVERSITY; HOMOPHOBIA; GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, and TRANSGENDER  STUDIES; and ANTI-SEMITISM (for schools, organizations, conferences, and the workplace)

by  WARREN J. BLUMENFELD

A.  Slide Presentations

  "HOMOPHOBIA: HOW WE ALL PAY THE PRICE"

Homophobia is the fear and sometimes the hatred of people
who are perceived as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.  On many
levels, however, heterosexuals are also hurt, and therefore,
it is in everyone's self interest to work to eliminate homophobia.

"Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price" is a unique slide
presentation that offers a non-threatening and non-judgmental
approach to issues surrounding sexual identity and homophobia/
heterosexism. Based on his book by the same name, Mr.
Blumenfeld discusses how the fight to end homophobia is
everyone's fight if we are to bring about a less oppressive and
more productive society for all.  He invites lesbians, gay males,
bisexuals, transgenderists, and heterosexual males and females
to become allies as they explore the cost of homophobia in
schools, family relationships, the media, religious institutions,
social policy, and many other aspects of our lives.

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       "RECOVERING THE PAST: A GAY, LESBIAN,
           BISEXUAL, & TRANSGENDER HISTORY"

The histories of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgenderism are
filled with incredible pain and enormous pride, of overwhelming
repression and victorious rejoicing, of stifling invisibility and dazzling
illumination. Throughout the ages, homosexuality, bisexuality, and
transgenderism have been called many things:  from "sins,"
"sicknesses," and "crimes," to "orientations," "identities," and
even as "gifts from God."

"Recovering the Past: A Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender
History" is a unique and informative slide presentation resurrecting a
history that has been hidden for so long.  Mr. Blumenfeld chronicles
this epic story beginning in ancient times before the construction of
sexual and gender identities as we now know them, to the beginning
of an emancipation movement in the 19th century, and into the
20th century with the "Homophile" and "Gay Liberation" movements,
and the impact of AIDS.

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 "MAKING  SCHOOLS  SAFE  FOR  GAY,  LESBIAN,
  BISEXUAL, & TRANSGENDER  STUDENTS & STAFF"

This slide presentation is designed for K-12 school faculty, staff,
and education and human service students, and discusses the risk
factors for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth who
grow up in a homophobic society, plus a discussion of the
"coming out" process, and strategies for making schools safe for
students and staff of all sexual and gender identities.

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                    "MAKING THE LINKS:
         HOMOPHOBIA AND ANTI-SEMITISM"

All of the many forms of oppression are linked in a number
of ways. For one, throughout history, agent or dominant groups
(sometimes called "majorities") have depicted or represented
target groups (sometimes called "minorities") through a variety
of negative myths and stereotypes in order to maintain control
or mastery.

"Making the Links: Homophobia and Anti-Semitism" is a
unique slide presentation highlighting the many clear and stunning
connections between historical representations and oppressions of
Jewish people and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
Warren J. Blumenfeld reveals these links between seemingly
disparate forms of oppression as a way of bringing people of
various social identities together.

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  "HOMOSEXUALS AND THE GERMAN HOLOCAUST"

The Nazis gained control of the German Reichstag (or Parliament)
in 1933, and soon thereafter, Adolph Hitler was named
chancellor of Germany. Less than one month later, all homosexual
organizations were banned, books were set ablaze, and suspected
homosexuals were rounded up, interrogated, and eventually
incarcerated--many mutilated and killed.

This unique and informative slide presentation places the Nazi atrocities
against homosexuals in historical perspective and in the context of a
concerted and violent campaign against other groups targeted by the
Nazi regime. It is a story of surveillance and interrogation, of
censorship, incarceration, brutilization, and murder. But also, it is
a story of resistance and of resiliency of the human spirit.

    **************************************************

   "THE GERMAN HOMOSEXUAL EMANCIPATION
                 MOVEMENT FROM 1860 TO 1933"

While many people today consider the beginning of the modern gay,
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights movement to have occurred
at the Stonewall Inn Riots in New York City of June 1969 when people
fought back again harassment, at least one hundred years prior, a vigorous
"homosexual emancipation movement," which was part of the growing
social reform movement, was underway in Germany. This slide
presentation details this German movement in the 1860s up until it
came to a crashing halt with the rise of the Nazi regime in 1933.

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    "CONVERSION, EXPULSION, EXTERMINATION:
                   A HISTORY OF ANTI-SEMITISM"

Throughout history, an ever-recurring cycle of persecution
directed against the Jewish people has emerged: Conversion
(You Can't Live Among Us As Jews), to Expulsion
(You Can't Live Among Us), and then ultimately to
Extermination (You Can't Live). "Conversion, Expulsion,
Extermination: A History of Anti-Semitism" is an informative
slide presentation relating the epic history of anti-Semitism —
what some have referred to as "the longest hatred" — by looking
at the many forms it has taken, including ancient, religious,
economic, political, and so-called "racial."

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B) Interactive Workshops

     "GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, & TRANSGENDER
        ISSUES IN SCHOOLS AND THE WORKPLACE"

This interactive workshop enables participants to see how we are
all hurt by homophobia/heterosexism/biphobia/transphobia (regardless
of our sexual and gender identities), and develop strategies, which
individuals and institutions can use to ensure a safe and supportive
educational and working environment for people of all sexual and
gender identities. Also included are ways to respond to resistance
when raising issue of homophobia in the schools and in the workplace.

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        "UNLEARNING INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA"

Lesbians, gay males, bisexuals, transgenderists, and heterosexual allies
have been brought up in a homophobic society, and therefore are not
immune to the effects of homophobia, heterosexism, biphobia, and
transphobia. This interactive workshop investigates the ways in which
we have internalized those subtle and not-so-subtle messages, how this
limits our ability to function to our full potential, and how we can
dismantle this internalization and move forward. This workshop also
provides an opportunity for our heterosexual allies to learn more about
the pressures on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people.

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  "CREATING DIVERSE SCHOOLS AND WORKPLACES"

Diversity in terms of "race," ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class,
sexual and gender identity, physical and mental ability, age, physical
appearance, and others in schools and in the workplace can be an
asset as well as a challenge. This interactive workshop enables
participants to continue a process of making the educational and
working environment more comfortable and productive for all
involved by looking at issues of diversity on a number of levels,
including the personal, interpersonal, and institutional. Activities
and ideas are presented in an interactive and discussion-centered
format with immediately transferable information for the schools
and the workplace.

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                   "DIVERSITY WITHIN IDENTITIES"

Most of us hold concurrent membership in a number of groups based
on "socially constructed" categories: for example, on our personal and
physical characteristics, on our ages, abilities, and class backgrounds,
and on our cultural, racial, gender, and religious identifications. We
may find ourselves simultaneously in groups targeted for oppression
and in those dominant groups granted relatively higher degrees of
privilege and power. This interactive workshop helps participants
examine their numerous social identities, and provides the opportunity
for them to share their diversity within identities.

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                    "GLBT/STRAIGHT  DIALOGUE"

Rarely are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and
heterosexuals given the space and safety to openly discuss issues
of sexual and gender identity. This interactive workshop draws
on the experiences, beliefs, and opinions of participants to create
a dialogue for these issues to be addressed, and assists participants
in developing strategies in continuing the dialogue process.

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                 "BECOMING EFFECTIVE ALLIES"

Allies are persons from "agent" or "majority" groups who support
and advocate for those who are oppressed based on their "target"
social identities. This interactive workshop will assist in helping
participants to develop the tools to become effective allies in
reducing oppression and increasing visibility of those targeted
for oppression on the individual, group, and institutional levels.

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 "SPEAKING OUT: TELLING OUR STORIES IN PUBLIC"

Telling our stories in public settings helps to eradicate the myths that
contribute to misunderstanding and helps to create a society free
from all the many forms of prejudice; it helps in reaching out to
people who are struggling to affirm their identity; and helps to
develop self-esteem and confidence. Warren J. Blumenfeld facilitates
speakers trainings focusing on public speaking techniques, and on
assisting participants in preparing and delivering their stories and in
fielding audience questions, and strategies to handle potential
resistance and hostility.

    ************************************************

Warren J. Blumenfeld is founder and first director of the National
Gay Student Center. (This organization exists today as the National
Queer Student Coalition of the United States Student Association.)
He is co-author of the book _Looking at Gay and Lesbian Life_,
editor of the book _Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price_,
author of _AIDS and Your Religious Community_,
and editor of the _International Journal of Sexuality and Gender
Studies_. He is the principle author of "Making Colleges and
Universities Safe for Gay and Lesbian Students," a report and
recommendations for the Massachusetts Governor's Commission
on Gay and Lesbian Youth, and he is coauthor of "Gay/Straight
Alliances: A Student Guide," for the Massachusetts Department
of Education, Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students.
He is also co-producer of the documentary film "Pink Triangles,"
on the topic of homophobia.

To arrange for him to come to your school or workplace, contact him
at:

   Address:  P.O. Box 929, Northampton, MA 01061
    Phone:    (413) 585-9121
    E-Mail:   blumenfeld@educ.umass.edu
    Website: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~blumenfe
 
 

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