Podcasts about straight education network glsen

Join Chloe Corcoran as she interviews experts Drs. Kimberly Balsam and Clark Ausloos on their career paths in LGBTQ Psychology & the Evolving Field of Counseling. "Career Paths in LGBTQ Psychology & the Evolving Field of Counseling" explores the intricate and fascinating journeys of our esteemed guests, Dr. Balsam and Dr. Ausloos. Both have taken unique paths in their careers, focusing on the significant issues within LGBTQ psychology. In this episode, we'll delve into their research, the critical importance of diversity in the field, and the alarming effects of anti-LGBTQ legislation. We will uncover the vital role of intersectionality, understanding relationships between minoritized identities, and the challenges faced by LGBTQ and trans communities. Furthermore, we'll explore the immediate need for counseling in support of LGBTQ populations. Join us as we navigate through these essential topics, revealing insights and wisdom from the forefront of counseling and LGBTQ mental health. Check out our Host: Chloe Corcoran (She/Her) serves as the inaugural Director of Alumni Relations for Palo Alto University. Recently, she was cast in the first of its kind audio reality show, “BEING: Trans” which explores the lives of a group of transgender people living in Los Angeles. Articles about this project have appeared in the New York Times, among other media outlets, and she has appeared on a billboard in Times Square along with being honored by the LA Dodgers for her activism. Check out our Guests: Dr. Clark D. Ausloos earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and Dance from the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point (2008). He traveled across the US, performing, teaching, and educating. It was then he realized his passion for working with people in a deeper way, through counseling. Dr. Ausloos received his MA in Counseling, with both school and clinical counseling foci (2017), and later his PhD in Counselor Education from the University of Toledo (2020). Dr. Ausloos is a licensed school and clinical counselor, as well as a national certified counselor. Dr. Ausloos has worked in elementary, intermediate, and junior high school settings, as well as private practice, and in higher education. Kimberly F. Balsam, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Psychology Department at Palo Alto University, where she is the Director of the Center for LGBTQ Evidence-Based Applied Research (CLEAR) and of the LGBTQ Area of Emphasis in the Clinical Psychology PhD program.  She received her M.S. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Oregon in 1994 and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont in 2003.  She has a 20-year history of clinical practice in a range of settings including community mental health and private practice and has worked extensively with LGBTQ+ clients across the lifespan.  She has been conducting and publishing innovative research on LGBTQ+ psychology since the 1990s, on topics including trauma, minority stress, mental health, and LGBTQ+ families and intimate relationships.  She has led and collaborated on numerous projects to develop and test culturally relevant assessment tools for LGBTQ+ specific constructs.   Episode Resources:  Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE): https://saigecounseling.org/ Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN): https://www.glsen.org/ Human Rights Campaign (HRC): https://www.hrc.org/ National Center for Transgender Equality: https://transequality.org/ World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH): https://www.wpath.org/

Spring is here and the purportedly silenced “LGBTQQAP” students are once again hijacking instructional time in middle and high schools for their political stunt called the Day of Silence (DOS), which this year takes place tomorrow, April 22, 2022. On this day, students are urged to refuse to speak all day, including during instructional time. This political protest was created by two students at the University of Virginia in 1996. In 2002, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) took over the Day of Silence. GLSEN continues to call this a “student-led” event even though GLSEN provides instructions to students and teachers as well as sells t-shirts, temporary tattoos, bookmarks, pins, pronoun buttons, lanyards, “zines,” “LGBTQ” history cards, stickers, masks, and “I [heart] Inclusive Schools” composition books. You name it, they sell it—well, except truth. Read more...

Spring is here and the purportedly silenced “LGBTQQAP” students are once again hijacking instructional time in middle and high schools for their political stunt called the Day of Silence (DOS), which this year takes place tomorrow, April 22, 2022. On this day, students are urged to refuse to speak all day, including during instructional time. This political protest was created by two students at the University of Virginia in 1996. In 2002, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) took over the Day of Silence. GLSEN continues to call this a “student-led” event even though GLSEN provides instructions to students and teachers as well as sells t-shirts, temporary tattoos, bookmarks, pins, pronoun buttons, lanyards, “zines,” “LGBTQ” history cards, stickers, masks, and “I [heart] Inclusive Schools” composition books. You name it, they sell it—well, except truth. Read more...

Train up a child in the way in which the child should go. What kind of a training as a child did you have? Were you trained with a quality education, a good school and high school, and college or university, were you? You learn the classics, the three R's, reading, writing and arithmetic? Were you trained in American history, Western civilization, geometry and chemistry, all the things which are the fundamental basic, necessary for life studies?  I was. There was discipline, real discipline. In those good old days, the rod was used and never spared so that the child would not be spoiled. There were standards, high but fair. You went to the next phase of your life prepared. A degree really meant something. Faculty from kindergarten to graduate school were trained, committed, genuinely educated themselves and would teach and grade a student on realities only, real performance. They were dedicated to their work product. So much of that qualitative education seems long lost today in a world of BLACK LIVES MATTER, THE 1619 PROJECT AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY, does it not? I am eternally grateful that I received a good, qualitative, real education in all things secular and Christian, and I do hope and pray that you did as well. By the way, your children or grandchildren: have they received an education like that, have they?  Perhaps the best education is that which is a Christian education which fully educates and allows the graduate to:          STAND STRONG!         FIGHT THE FIGHT OF CHRISTIAN FAITH         FASTENED WITH THE BELT OF TRUTH. And of course that life – sustaining belt is Christianity, producing a graduate who enters society with a deep, real, loving relationship with Jesus Christ. That kind of education, REAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION is mocked, frowned upon, ignored with every attempt to eliminate it. So many so called Christian universities and colleges have compromised, given into the rabid secularism of our day. For some reason, many have become WOKE, watering down and reinterpreting the precious BIBLE, THE BELT OF TRUTH and for them Christian Education is not what it used to be. That was of course education BIBLICALLY BASED and unashamedly so. A graduate was a real believer, ready to live and work in society as sons and daughters of the Living God. Today, there are less such Christian educational institutions and consequently less young graduates ready to live and defend the Christian faith. That same Bible, that BELT OF TRUTH tells us to:          STUDY TO SHOW OURSELVES APPROVED          RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH         WORK MEN AND WOMEN WHO NEED NOT BE ASHAMED OF THEIR FAITH. Those truly Christian are anxious to testify to and defend their faith, to show themselves as fully intellectually capable, ready apologetically or otherwise to protect and defend their precious faith. They have studied and CONTINUE TO STUDY the inspired word of God so that they can RIGHTLY DIVIDE, that is interpret and understand the truth of scriptures, intellectually formulate them and communicate them to the world. In many cases, much of that is lost as so much of Christian education goes the secular way. Those truths start with the 39 Books of the Old Testament and the first and greatest commandment therein:          THOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD THY GOD         WITH ALL THY HEART, SOUL, MIND AND STRENGTH          AND THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.  There it is, the most powerful word in all of scripture, Old and New Testaments:           LOVE. Unfortunately, as hate builds on the secular side, little of that biblical love, THE BELT OF TRUTH is taught and learned. As a result, there is little respect for the biblical admonition that:          THE FEAR OF THE LORD          IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. So that, standing before the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, we stand in awe, and amazement, and lovingly so, with the deepest possible human respect for this God of Wonder. Gone from education is so much of that amazement, respect and LOVE in this radical, woke, progressive and angrily secular day and age in which we live. Mankind, to his and her everlasting detriment has replaced the great God Jehovah, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ with:          HIMSELF AND HERSELF!  J. Gresham Machen, a Christian apologist, theologian and educator, a highly respected Christian student and President of theological seminary Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia was deeply concerned with Christian Education. Machen, appalled at the growth of ignorance in the church said the following: “If (Christian ignorance) must be remedied primarily by the renewal of Christian Education in the FAMILY. Otherwise, people cannot know what Christianity really is.” And there, my fellow Christians is the first principle, the key to Christian Education. That is, the training up of the child in the:          HOME. When you decide to become a parent, it is your responsibility, your Christian duty to provide for that child a:          CHRISTIAN HOME. That home, scriptures clearly state must have a man, a biological male, a loving husband and father provider and a Christian woman, loving, educated and capable in the things of the Lord as the head of that HOME. That Christian home should be centered upon the:          LORD JESUS CHRIST. Without that, the radical, aggressive forces of secularism have an unbelievable advantage as the child grows. I thank God I was fortunate enough to come from such an environment and family, where THE BELT OF TRUTH, the Christ was first and foremost. Every human being has intellectual and spiritual difficulties, and doubts, and without that Christian foundation, life can be so difficult, problematic and uncertain. The home where Christ lives, where the Christian heart prevails is absolutely indispensable. If you are a parent, again, scriptures clearly state that your first priority, your DUTY is to train up that child in the way in which he or she should go in the nurture and admonition of Jesus Christ.  In the year 1972, things in education began to change. There came in that year:          TITLE IX – CIVIL RIGHTS.  That legislation banned discrimination of any kind, primarily sex–based discrimination, some of which was contrary to Christian faith. But, there was an EXEMPTION provided which allowed Christian colleges which operate in accordance with the principles of their faith to continue doing so even if their policies and practices conflicted with Title IX. Without that, faith based educational institutions could not receive any federal funding, whether for the college or the student which could well be the financial ruination of those good institutions. That exemption allowed good universities like Cedarville to operate according to Christian principles. Cedarville college, its President Thomas White boldly states, continues to have separate resident halls for male and female, men's restrooms can only be used by biological males and women's restrooms can only be used by biological females, there can be no same sex displays of affection on campus and sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage is forbidden including the use of pornography. White goes on to say that this aggressive Christian stand by the university must be agreed to by its staff and faculty and abide by the principles laid out in the Bible and the Christ of Glory. President Thomas White of Cedarville college goes on to state that: “Years of careless and casual hiring has led some schools to experience internal rebellion (rebellious faculty) against these principles.” In short, these more progressive so called Christian faculty members have become WOKE and do not teach or believe the fundamental tenets of Christianity as of old. Cedarville university is willing to run the risk of even the loss of federal funding including grants to students rather than compromise any part of their mission statement or faith. Good for you President White and Cedarville, good for you and we congratulate you on your aggressive Christian stand. Would that more so called Christian colleges and universities would be like you.  And then there is President Jerry C. Davis, President of COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS, a college which The Wall Street Journal dubbed:          HARD WORK U.  Here the words of President Davis: “We (College of the Ozarks) offer a distinctively Christian education to students with financial need. All students work on campus to defray the cost of their education, graduating debt free!” Davis indicates that the college has a deep and rich historic Christian commitment, guided by a very consistent and uncompromising biblical world view. The college dares to state that human sexuality is a gift from God not to be changed or biologically ignored by mankind. It states unabashedly that there is nothing else in marriage but a strong heterosexual relationship, with sex assigned at birth no matter how the mission statements of the college are challenged, President Davis states boldly:          “WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN!” One of the few remaining Christian colleges and universities with backbone and no backdown. The college presents seminars and courses on the significant issues and questions of the day including Critical Race Theory, the LGBTQ agenda, all things Woke and more. The prospective student knows up front what the college stands for, its mission statement and makes a decision to attend or not on the basis thereof. As a true Christian college offering truly biblical and Christ based education, it makes no apologies for its beliefs and it will not backdown or compromise, one of the remaining few. And then there is Columbia International University. This good university has a ten-point mission statement which is most reassuring.  The university confirms its uncompromising commitment to “teach biblical truth.”  It is called to hire Godly faculty, set apart for God's service. Columbia International University teaches God's design of humanity as male and female (biological). It now begins the arduous task of developing alternative revenue streams for funding and student loans, anticipating the possibility that government will restrict religious liberty especially in Christian education. It is committed to growing the scholarship fund so that it can have finances in reserve should the government cut off current funding. It seeks to cultivate donors who will support such education from a Christian worldview. How reassuring to know that Columbia International University is one of the several uncompromising, biblically based, strong Christian education institutions yet functioning in our beloved America. And then there is SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY and its President R. Albert Mohler Jr. Mohler was elected President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary some 30 years ago. The institution was large, well respected and in the words of Mohler “very liberal.” He stated emphatically that the Seminary: “Was wildly out of step with the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention, and it had been shifting to the left for decades.” It was his God given mission to change that.  Mohler mobilized the conservative churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to recapture and redirect that good Seminary and “pull them back to conservative biblical doctrine” where they once belonged. Mohler boldly and aggressively adopts for this good Seminary the statement of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:14:          STAND THEREFORE HAVING FASTENED ON THE BELT OF TRUTH. Family Research Council is one good organization with which you should be familiar. It is a Christian based, strongly legal organization which exists to preserve, protect and defend Christian and American values. Meg Kilganno is senior fellow for Education Studies at FRC. She reminds us that the world turns WOKE which world view sweeps across American colleges and universities and which will produce the next generation of teachers, principals and administrators. She identifies the following national organizations that have for so long injected progressive ideology in classrooms: National Education Association (NEA) American Federation of Teachers (AFT)National Association of School Boards (NASB)Chiefs for Change Southern Poverty Law Center The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  among others. They are intent on having all education, public, private, charter, parochial, completely dominated by the new progressive thinking, including Critical Race Theory, the LGTBQ agenda, the deconstruction of American history and Western civilization, the 1619 Project and so much more. There is also the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and she rather sardonically states:          “Things go from Woke to worse.” Christians, she says, must oppose these destructive ideologies. Gender identity, for example, posits that biological sex is a “social construct” and that gender is an inherent sense of the “true self.” These radical ideas subvert and reject the Christian view that every human is biologically male or female and that cannot be changed. Adopting all such WOKE assertions results in an aggressive attack against anything Christian and targets Christian education at any level as the enemy to be eradicated and eliminated. So that, in Christian education, it raises the question:          WHO SHALL STAND? That is, which universities and colleges, and high schools for that matter, will not compromise and will stand true to Christian convictions and true and real Christian education in every way. We believers must stand, and support, and protect and defend all such educational institutions who stand for a real Christian, biblically based education no matter the cost. The fight is on and we God's people must:          FIGHT THE FIGHT OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. Start in the home. Father and mother, husband and wife, son and daughter, male and female. We must emphasize Christian principles with regard to sexuality, true biological sexual orientation, the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, one man and one woman, and above all, a total life, and world view, and educational principles which are based upon and total respective of:          THE BIBLE. Make sure, no matter the cost, that you, your children and grandchildren get the most important thing in life:          A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. If that kind of training exists in the home and in all education, that is the real hope for mankind. Let us be proud of being:          UNWOKE. WOKE IS WRONG. It will, if victorious, end so much of the Christian Church. It will radically change America and only for the worse. We will in the words of Meg Kilganno, go from:          WOKE TO WORSE. Stand tall my fellow Christians in the strength and love of Jesus Christ. It is the only hope for Christian education, for America, for families and especially children and for YOU. When all else fails, remember the words of our precious Lord Jesus Christ:          I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. No man or woman comes unto the father but by me!  And that in sum is the bottom line mission statement of every true, real and committed CHRISTIAN EDUCATION INSTITUTION. 

Train up a child in the way in which the child should go. What kind of a training as a child did you have? Were you trained with a quality education, a good school and high school, and college or university, were you? You learn the classics, the three R's, reading, writing and arithmetic? Were you trained in American history, Western civilization, geometry and chemistry, all the things which are the fundamental basic, necessary for life studies?  I was. There was discipline, real discipline. In those good old days, the rod was used and never spared so that the child would not be spoiled. There were standards, high but fair. You went to the next phase of your life prepared. A degree really meant something. Faculty from kindergarten to graduate school were trained, committed, genuinely educated themselves and would teach and grade a student on realities only, real performance. They were dedicated to their work product. So much of that qualitative education seems long lost today in a world of BLACK LIVES MATTER, THE 1619 PROJECT AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY, does it not? I am eternally grateful that I received a good, qualitative, real education in all things secular and Christian, and I do hope and pray that you did as well. By the way, your children or grandchildren: have they received an education like that, have they?  Perhaps the best education is that which is a Christian education which fully educates and allows the graduate to:          STAND STRONG!         FIGHT THE FIGHT OF CHRISTIAN FAITH         FASTENED WITH THE BELT OF TRUTH. And of course that life – sustaining belt is Christianity, producing a graduate who enters society with a deep, real, loving relationship with Jesus Christ. That kind of education, REAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION is mocked, frowned upon, ignored with every attempt to eliminate it. So many so called Christian universities and colleges have compromised, given into the rabid secularism of our day. For some reason, many have become WOKE, watering down and reinterpreting the precious BIBLE, THE BELT OF TRUTH and for them Christian Education is not what it used to be. That was of course education BIBLICALLY BASED and unashamedly so. A graduate was a real believer, ready to live and work in society as sons and daughters of the Living God. Today, there are less such Christian educational institutions and consequently less young graduates ready to live and defend the Christian faith. That same Bible, that BELT OF TRUTH tells us to:          STUDY TO SHOW OURSELVES APPROVED          RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH         WORK MEN AND WOMEN WHO NEED NOT BE ASHAMED OF THEIR FAITH. Those truly Christian are anxious to testify to and defend their faith, to show themselves as fully intellectually capable, ready apologetically or otherwise to protect and defend their precious faith. They have studied and CONTINUE TO STUDY the inspired word of God so that they can RIGHTLY DIVIDE, that is interpret and understand the truth of scriptures, intellectually formulate them and communicate them to the world. In many cases, much of that is lost as so much of Christian education goes the secular way. Those truths start with the 39 Books of the Old Testament and the first and greatest commandment therein:          THOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD THY GOD         WITH ALL THY HEART, SOUL, MIND AND STRENGTH          AND THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.  There it is, the most powerful word in all of scripture, Old and New Testaments:           LOVE. Unfortunately, as hate builds on the secular side, little of that biblical love, THE BELT OF TRUTH is taught and learned. As a result, there is little respect for the biblical admonition that:          THE FEAR OF THE LORD          IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE. So that, standing before the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, we stand in awe, and amazement, and lovingly so, with the deepest possible human respect for this God of Wonder. Gone from education is so much of that amazement, respect and LOVE in this radical, woke, progressive and angrily secular day and age in which we live. Mankind, to his and her everlasting detriment has replaced the great God Jehovah, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ with:          HIMSELF AND HERSELF!  J. Gresham Machen, a Christian apologist, theologian and educator, a highly respected Christian student and President of theological seminary Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia was deeply concerned with Christian Education. Machen, appalled at the growth of ignorance in the church said the following: “If (Christian ignorance) must be remedied primarily by the renewal of Christian Education in the FAMILY. Otherwise, people cannot know what Christianity really is.” And there, my fellow Christians is the first principle, the key to Christian Education. That is, the training up of the child in the:          HOME. When you decide to become a parent, it is your responsibility, your Christian duty to provide for that child a:          CHRISTIAN HOME. That home, scriptures clearly state must have a man, a biological male, a loving husband and father provider and a Christian woman, loving, educated and capable in the things of the Lord as the head of that HOME. That Christian home should be centered upon the:          LORD JESUS CHRIST. Without that, the radical, aggressive forces of secularism have an unbelievable advantage as the child grows. I thank God I was fortunate enough to come from such an environment and family, where THE BELT OF TRUTH, the Christ was first and foremost. Every human being has intellectual and spiritual difficulties, and doubts, and without that Christian foundation, life can be so difficult, problematic and uncertain. The home where Christ lives, where the Christian heart prevails is absolutely indispensable. If you are a parent, again, scriptures clearly state that your first priority, your DUTY is to train up that child in the way in which he or she should go in the nurture and admonition of Jesus Christ.  In the year 1972, things in education began to change. There came in that year:          TITLE IX – CIVIL RIGHTS.  That legislation banned discrimination of any kind, primarily sex–based discrimination, some of which was contrary to Christian faith. But, there was an EXEMPTION provided which allowed Christian colleges which operate in accordance with the principles of their faith to continue doing so even if their policies and practices conflicted with Title IX. Without that, faith based educational institutions could not receive any federal funding, whether for the college or the student which could well be the financial ruination of those good institutions. That exemption allowed good universities like Cedarville to operate according to Christian principles. Cedarville college, its President Thomas White boldly states, continues to have separate resident halls for male and female, men's restrooms can only be used by biological males and women's restrooms can only be used by biological females, there can be no same sex displays of affection on campus and sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage is forbidden including the use of pornography. White goes on to say that this aggressive Christian stand by the university must be agreed to by its staff and faculty and abide by the principles laid out in the Bible and the Christ of Glory. President Thomas White of Cedarville college goes on to state that: “Years of careless and casual hiring has led some schools to experience internal rebellion (rebellious faculty) against these principles.” In short, these more progressive so called Christian faculty members have become WOKE and do not teach or believe the fundamental tenets of Christianity as of old. Cedarville university is willing to run the risk of even the loss of federal funding including grants to students rather than compromise any part of their mission statement or faith. Good for you President White and Cedarville, good for you and we congratulate you on your aggressive Christian stand. Would that more so called Christian colleges and universities would be like you.  And then there is President Jerry C. Davis, President of COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS, a college which The Wall Street Journal dubbed:          HARD WORK U.  Here the words of President Davis: “We (College of the Ozarks) offer a distinctively Christian education to students with financial need. All students work on campus to defray the cost of their education, graduating debt free!” Davis indicates that the college has a deep and rich historic Christian commitment, guided by a very consistent and uncompromising biblical world view. The college dares to state that human sexuality is a gift from God not to be changed or biologically ignored by mankind. It states unabashedly that there is nothing else in marriage but a strong heterosexual relationship, with sex assigned at birth no matter how the mission statements of the college are challenged, President Davis states boldly:          “WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN!” One of the few remaining Christian colleges and universities with backbone and no backdown. The college presents seminars and courses on the significant issues and questions of the day including Critical Race Theory, the LGBTQ agenda, all things Woke and more. The prospective student knows up front what the college stands for, its mission statement and makes a decision to attend or not on the basis thereof. As a true Christian college offering truly biblical and Christ based education, it makes no apologies for its beliefs and it will not backdown or compromise, one of the remaining few. And then there is Columbia International University. This good university has a ten-point mission statement which is most reassuring.  The university confirms its uncompromising commitment to “teach biblical truth.”  It is called to hire Godly faculty, set apart for God's service. Columbia International University teaches God's design of humanity as male and female (biological). It now begins the arduous task of developing alternative revenue streams for funding and student loans, anticipating the possibility that government will restrict religious liberty especially in Christian education. It is committed to growing the scholarship fund so that it can have finances in reserve should the government cut off current funding. It seeks to cultivate donors who will support such education from a Christian worldview. How reassuring to know that Columbia International University is one of the several uncompromising, biblically based, strong Christian education institutions yet functioning in our beloved America. And then there is SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY and its President R. Albert Mohler Jr. Mohler was elected President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary some 30 years ago. The institution was large, well respected and in the words of Mohler “very liberal.” He stated emphatically that the Seminary: “Was wildly out of step with the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention, and it had been shifting to the left for decades.” It was his God given mission to change that.  Mohler mobilized the conservative churches of the Southern Baptist Convention to recapture and redirect that good Seminary and “pull them back to conservative biblical doctrine” where they once belonged. Mohler boldly and aggressively adopts for this good Seminary the statement of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:14:          STAND THEREFORE HAVING FASTENED ON THE BELT OF TRUTH. Family Research Council is one good organization with which you should be familiar. It is a Christian based, strongly legal organization which exists to preserve, protect and defend Christian and American values. Meg Kilganno is senior fellow for Education Studies at FRC. She reminds us that the world turns WOKE which world view sweeps across American colleges and universities and which will produce the next generation of teachers, principals and administrators. She identifies the following national organizations that have for so long injected progressive ideology in classrooms: National Education Association (NEA) American Federation of Teachers (AFT)National Association of School Boards (NASB)Chiefs for Change Southern Poverty Law Center The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)  among others. They are intent on having all education, public, private, charter, parochial, completely dominated by the new progressive thinking, including Critical Race Theory, the LGTBQ agenda, the deconstruction of American history and Western civilization, the 1619 Project and so much more. There is also the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and she rather sardonically states:          “Things go from Woke to worse.” Christians, she says, must oppose these destructive ideologies. Gender identity, for example, posits that biological sex is a “social construct” and that gender is an inherent sense of the “true self.” These radical ideas subvert and reject the Christian view that every human is biologically male or female and that cannot be changed. Adopting all such WOKE assertions results in an aggressive attack against anything Christian and targets Christian education at any level as the enemy to be eradicated and eliminated. So that, in Christian education, it raises the question:          WHO SHALL STAND? That is, which universities and colleges, and high schools for that matter, will not compromise and will stand true to Christian convictions and true and real Christian education in every way. We believers must stand, and support, and protect and defend all such educational institutions who stand for a real Christian, biblically based education no matter the cost. The fight is on and we God's people must:          FIGHT THE FIGHT OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. Start in the home. Father and mother, husband and wife, son and daughter, male and female. We must emphasize Christian principles with regard to sexuality, true biological sexual orientation, the sanctity of heterosexual marriage, one man and one woman, and above all, a total life, and world view, and educational principles which are based upon and total respective of:          THE BIBLE. Make sure, no matter the cost, that you, your children and grandchildren get the most important thing in life:          A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. If that kind of training exists in the home and in all education, that is the real hope for mankind. Let us be proud of being:          UNWOKE. WOKE IS WRONG. It will, if victorious, end so much of the Christian Church. It will radically change America and only for the worse. We will in the words of Meg Kilganno, go from:          WOKE TO WORSE. Stand tall my fellow Christians in the strength and love of Jesus Christ. It is the only hope for Christian education, for America, for families and especially children and for YOU. When all else fails, remember the words of our precious Lord Jesus Christ:          I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. No man or woman comes unto the father but by me!  And that in sum is the bottom line mission statement of every true, real and committed CHRISTIAN EDUCATION INSTITUTION. 

SFC Kristina Manookin Equal Opportunity Advisor currently serving at Fort Sill, OK shares how families and educators can build trusting relationships with LGBTQ+ students as they transition into and out of schools and communities. This podcast has been made possible thanks to the Fort Riley Spouses' Club https://www.fortrileyspousesclub.org/. Show Notes: Transgender Law Center https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ National Equality Map “This map shows the overall policy tallies (as distinct from sexual orientation or gender identity tallies) for each state, the District of Columbia, and the five populated U.S. territories. A state's “policy tally” counts the number of laws and policies within the state that help drive equality for LGBTQ people. The major categories of laws covered by the policy tally include: Relationship & Parental Recognition, Nondiscrimination, Religious Exemptions, LGBTQ Youth, Health Care, Criminal Justice, and Identity Documents.” https://transgenderlawcenter.org/equalitymap Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) believes every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.  We are a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to make this a reality. https://www.glsen.org/ PFLAF  It's incumbent upon parents, families, friends, and allies to make schools safer for ALL students. PFLAG chapters work directly with schools and stakeholders in their communities, providing support, resources, training, creative programs, and even model policy to create an environment of respect.  https://pflag.org/cultivating-respect-safe-schools-all Trevor Project  You are not alone!  If you're looking for a place where LGBTQ youth and their allies can find answers to frequently asked questions or explore resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity and more please go to the Trevor Support Center at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/ If you or someone you know are thinking about suicide, you deserve immediate help - please call the Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386 or by Text START to 678-678 y Trevor Project Trainings for Professionals include in-person Ally and CARE trainings designed for adults who work with youth. These trainings help counselors, educators, administrators, school nurses, and social workers discuss LGBTQ-competent suicide prevention.  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/education/ GSA Network is a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities.  https://gsanetwork.org/ The It Gets Better Project's mission is to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe.  https://itgetsbetter.org/

MCEC is an original cosponsor of the Armed Forces Transgender Dependent Act and aims to support ALL military-connected children.  In this three-part podcast series, Brooke walks us through their family's approach to parenting, supporting and becoming an LGBTQ ally in a military community.  We discuss specific challenges related to the military lifestyle, parental concern, building a trusting and safe family environment, and the unique advantages of being an LGBTQ military child during times of transition.           This podcast has been made possible thanks to the Air Force Officers' Spouses' Club of Washington, DC. Show Notes and Resources: (see attachment) You can read more about legislation at: House Democrats introduce bill to protect transgender military dependents | TheHill   Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) believes every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.  We are a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to make this a reality. https://www.glsen.org/    PFLAG It's incumbent upon parents, families, friends, and allies to make schools safer for ALL students. PFLAG chapters work directly with schools and stakeholders in their communities, providing support, resources, training, creative programs, and even model policy to create an environment of respect.  https://pflag.org/cultivating-respect-safe-schools-all    Trevor Project You are not alone!  If you're looking for a place where LGBTQ youth and their allies can find answers to frequently asked questions or explore resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity and more please go to the Trevor Support Center at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/  If you or someone you know are thinking about suicide, you deserve immediate help - please call the Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386 or by Text START to 678-678 y  Trevor Project Trainings for Professionals include in-person Ally and CARE trainings designed for adults who work with youth. These trainings help counselors, educators, administrators, school nurses, and social workers discuss LGBTQ-competent suicide prevention.  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/education/  GSA Network is a next-generation LGBTQ racial and gender justice organization that empowers and trains queer, trans and allied youth leaders to advocate, organize, and mobilize an intersectional movement for safer schools and healthier communities.  https://gsanetwork.org/  The It Gets Better Project's mission is to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth around the globe.  https://itgetsbetter.org/   

Courntey Snowden is a lot of things to a lot of people. Smart, sassy, incredibly articulate, and well versed in the art of getting shit done in Washington DC. Here, she says it better than I could: DC native, seasoned government relations professional, boy mom of Malik and Maxwell, Peloton enthusiast, and Founder of Black Girl Magic: The Peloton Edition Courtney R. Snowden is the founder and president of The Blueprint Strategy Group, a boutique government and public affairs shop in Washington, DC. She served her hometown as the Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity in Washington, DC, appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser in April 2015. A sixth-generation Washingtonian, Courtney was charged with rebuilding and revitalizing the District's overlooked and underserved communities, with a focus on workforce and economic development and small businesses. Formerly a Principal at The Raben Group, Courtney relied upon a wealth of grassroots organizing, electoral, and policy experience to work for her clients. An accomplished political strategist, Courtney lobbied for the firm's corporate and nonprofit clients, including Google, Mastercard, Airbnb, the National Urban League, the National Education Association, and Time Warner Cable. Prior to joining The Raben Group, Courtney served as the Senior Lobbyist for the National PTA, directing its advocacy efforts on a variety of legislative issues, including budget and appropriations, vouchers, and No Child Left Behind. In addition, she led the effort to mobilize the National PTA's 6 million members and effectively prepare them to serve as competent citizen activists on behalf of “Every Child, With One Voice.” During her tenure at the National PTA, Courtney chaired the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE), a coalition comprised of more than 50 education, civic, civil rights, and religious organizations devoted to defeating state and federal efforts to create publicly funded private school vouchers. Ms. Snowden served as the Federal and National Policy Manager for the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), where she strongly advocated for policies to prevent discrimination and bullying of LGBTQ students in our nation's schools. Courtney's hallmark achievement was expanding the Safe Drug-Free Schools programs that focused on anti-bullying efforts across the country. Courtney started her career in the Office of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), where she served as a staff assistant and a legislative associate. Immediately following her time on Capitol Hill, Courtney was the Political Assistant at the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBT political organization. Hopefully listening to Courtney will inspire you to do an be more. If so, here are some of the ways to contact her and the organizations she works with: Website: https://theblueprintstrategygroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneysnowden/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRSnowden52 Hey! I Want Your Job is sponsored by the resume and career experts at O&H Consulting. Find out more about O&H's services at: https://www.oandhconsulting.com/. This week's episode is hosted by Michele Olivier. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/heyiwantyourjob/support

040 - This episode is a fascinating, eye-opening, and much-needed educational interview with Dr. David Huebner. Dr. Huebner is a clinical psychologist by training, and currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health at George Washington University (GWU), as well as the Co-Director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Core at the Washington, DC Center for AIDS Research.  His research examines how discrimination from families, schools, and communities impacts HIV risk and other health outcomes among sexual minority adolescents and young adults. Recently he has been working to design and evaluate interventions to support parents of LGBT youth, with the goal of helping parents improve their children’s health and well-being. Dr. Huebner is also committed to supporting community organizations’ efforts to engage in evidence-based practices – he has served on several local and regional HIV prevention community planning groups and was the Chair of the National Board of Directors for the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN."They are learning about sex every day. Do you want to be one of the voices in that conversation?" This is just one of the powerful questions Heather and Dr. Huebner discuss. He also shares:* An in-depth education about HIV and how to prevent it.* The four "buckets" of sexual information parents should discuss with all of their kids regardless of sexual orientation.* What we need to share with our gay and bisexual boys specifically.* Why we need to strike "THE TALK" from our parenting repertoire.This interview is a very open discussion with LOTS of details! In fact, a portion was so detailed that Heather and Dr. Huebner decided to save it for bonus education. Stay tuned for how you can access it!Click HERE for Heather's Coming Out Process Cheat Sheet!Contact Heather directly at hh@chrysalismama.com Do you LOVE Just Breathe? Receive new episodes as soon as they launch, as well as Heather's monthly newsletter Small Exhales and other fabulous resources by:Signing up for her email list HERESharing your feedback HERERemember you can review Just Breathe on your listening app of choice OR you can Review Just Breathe HERERefer friends and family for awesome rewards HERENEW!! Do you want to help spread awareness and let others know they are not alone? Order Heather's new t-shirt HERE!Connecting through Instagram and Facebook (@chrysalismama) and Twitter (@chrysalismama1)Bookmarking her website as your go-to for LGBTQ education!Remember that you are not alone on this journey!  Support the show (https://paypal.me/ChrysalisMama?locale.x=en_US)

Matthew Wilson, the Executive Director of Oasis Youth Center, talks about how this center and others like it across the country transform the lives of queer youth by creating a safe place ​to ​learn, connect, and thrive.  Envisioning a world where queer youth are valued in the community, they are committed to creating an affirming space for LGBTQ youth to be proud of who they are.  http://www.oasisyouthcenter.org/ Oasis produces activities, programming and advocacy that: Supports and empowers youth Creates healthy community Provides essential resources Promotes cultural diversity Advocates for civil rights Oasis Crisis and Victim Support Services 24-hr Crisis Hotline: 1.800.346.7555 This podcast has been made possible thanks to the generous support provided by the Military & Civilian Spouses' Club of Fort Irwin. Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) believes every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education.  We are a national network of educators, students, and local GLSEN Chapters working to make this a reality. https://www.glsen.org/ PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) offers direct support to people It’s incumbent upon parents, families, friends, and allies to make schools safer for ALL students. PFLAG chapters work directly with schools and stakeholders in their communities, providing support, resources, training, creative programs, and even model policy to create an environment of respect.  https://pflag.org/cultivating-respect-safe-schools-all   You are not alone!  If you’re looking for a place where LGBTQ youth and their allies can find answers to frequently asked questions or explore resources related to sexual orientation, gender identity and more please go to the Trevor Support Center at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/ If you or someone you know are thinking about suicide, you deserve immediate help - please call the Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386 or by Text START to 678-678  Trevor Project Trainings for Professionals include in-person Ally and CARE trainings designed for adults who work with youth. These trainings help counselors, educators, administrators, school nurses, and social workers discuss LGBTQ-competent suicide prevention.  https://www.thetrevorproject.org/education/ The Human Rights Campaign has resources to help you come out and live openly at home, at work and in your community. https://www.hrc.org/resources/coming-out   CentreLink develops strong, sustainable LGBT community centers and builds a thriving center network that creates healthy, vibrant communities. Serving over 250 LGBTQ community centers across the country in 45 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. https://www.lgbtcenters.org/ The Jason Foundation is dedicated to the prevention of the “Silent Epidemic” of youth suicide through educational and awareness programs that equip young people, educators’/youth workers and parents with the tools and resources to help identify and assist at-risk youth.  https://jasonfoundation.com/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm

Schools just endured a disruptive, Leftist anti-gun protest, and soon they will have to endure the disruptive, Leftist Day of Silence. For those who don’t know, the Day of Silence is a purportedly “student-led” political effort sponsored and organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to exploit government schools and captive audiences for the purpose of advancing the “LGBT” sexuality ideology. Instead of walking out of classes like students did last week, GLSEN urges students in middle and high schools to refuse to speak all day—including during class. It’s important to note that the ACLU has …

In just six weeks, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) will again attempt to ram their sexuality ideology down the throats and into the hearts and minds of other people’s children via the hijacking of government schools for the political protest called the Day of Silence. On Friday, April 21, 2017 at thousands of middle and high schools around the country, GLSEN will ask students to refuse to speak all day in support of the promotion of Leftist assumptions about homosexuality and gender dysphoria. Read more HERE……

Glimmers of light shimmer in the darkness that has been spreading within public schools.  The darkness is caused by a fog of science-denying ignorance imposed on school districts from within by teachers and administrators who view themselves as agents of social, political, and moral change and from without by “trans” activists from organizations like the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the ACLU, and Lambda Legal. The newest battle is taking place in Pine-Richland High School in western Pennsylvania where on September 12, 2016,  five courageous school board members voted to establish policy requiring students to use either the …

THE ATTACK FROM THE LEFT This is how the left engages in its assault on the fabric of the civil society.  They look for the "soft spots" and then pick a fight.  Men have been dressing as women and passing for them since dirt was new.  It's hardly an issue for a male passing himself off as a woman in dress and demeanor, to use a woman's rest room.  Who would even notice? In their effort to undermine the civil society, the Left chooses its targets wisely.  The question is first posed to the public narrowly: Should transgender people be permitted to use public restroom facilities they identify with, rather than be limited to the restroom of the gender they were born to?   THE TYRANNY OF THE MINORITY It seems almost ridiculous to be having the conversation for a number of reasons.  To begin with, what is the legal definition of transgender?  Is the controlling factor in this definition, the gender the individual identifies with or the one they were born to?  Is no consideration to be given to their anatomical and genetic circumstance?  Is transgender, at least for some, really more of a behavioral, rather than a physical condition?  Moreover, how many people are we really talking about here?  This is an important consideration, given the fact that 99.7% of all Americans who don't identify as transgender will be compelled to accommodate 3 out of every 1,000 people who at least call themselves, "transgender." The most recent data from surveys including the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth, the 2009 California Health Interview Survey and federal data such as the Decennial Census or the American Community Survey were analyzed by Gary Gates, a distinguished scholar at the Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law.  Those surveys state that about 0.3% of the American population "identifies as transgender".  Here's the problem with that:  it's a subjective determination and the number of people who truly are transgender is likely to be much lower. Without a clear, legal definition of what is transgender, how could we possibly know who is transgender?  In its efforts to dictate federal policy to the states regarding so called transgender people, the Obama Administration has not only politicized the use of bathrooms, but they have issued rules that will now place school children at risk.  The risk is not necessarily with a person who is genuinely transgender.  Rather, the risk derives from the consequence of not having an objective definition of what a transgender person actually is.  Until now, all the discussions have centered on how the individual identifies themselves, leaving that definition entirely in their hands. SEXUALIZING SCHOOLCHILDREN As a practical matter, public school officials will have no way to prevent a male high school senior from showering with a 14 year old freshman female, provided the male declares himself as "identifying as a female."  On what basis could that ever be challenged?  It also creates conditions where rape and statutory rape are more likely.  How will school administrators and faculty police the school showers when they know the blunt instrumentalities of the federal government are arrayed against them?  The likely outcome is that school officials will not risk a legal battle that results in the draining of resources from the school system.  This will create even more chaos in the school system than already exists. HOMOSEXUALIZING SCHOOLCHILDREN The current controversy over rest rooms and showers in public facilities and schools should come as no surprise.  Since he was first elected in 2008, Barack Obama has unleashed the most militant and radical pro-homosexual agenda on Americans.  It began surreptitiously in the school system. Early in his first administration, Barack Obama appointed a "Safe Schools Czar" named Kevin Jennings.  The title "Safe Schools Czar" is very misleading.  Most would look at the term and feel comforted that the President cares about making schools safe for children.  But that isn't what the Safe Schools Czar was tasked to do.  His job was to make schools safe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenders.  It was part of Obama's pro-homosexual agenda that was hiding in plain sight and ignored by the mainstream media. Kevin Jennings himself has quite an "interesting" background.  A transcript from a 1997 speech shows Office of Safe Schools chief Kevin Jennings in the U.S. Department of Education expressed his admiration for Harry Hay, one of the nation’s first homosexual activists who launched the Mattachine Society in 1948, founded the Radical Faeries and was a longtime advocate for the North American Man-Boy Love Association, NAMBLA. Obama appointed the most radical person anyone could have ever imagined into a position, the Congress wasn't required to approve.  Kevin Jennings had a past that was so completely off the charts radical, it's almost impossible to overstate.  Kevin Jennings was outspoken in his support of NAMBLA and the repeal of laws governing the age of sexual consent. In 2002, after the death of Harry Hay, Jennings said, "NAMBLA’s record as a responsible gay organization is well known. NAMBLA was spawned by the gay community and has been in every major gay and lesbian march. … NAMBLA’s call for the abolition of age of consent is not the issue. NAMBLA is a bona fide participant in the gay and lesbian movement. NAMBLA deserves strong support in its rights of free speech and association and its members’ protection from discrimination and bashing,” he said. Remember, this was Obama's first appointee for "Safe Schools Czar." Kevin Jennings was the founder of  the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) organization of Massachusetts.  GLSEN held its 10 Year Anniversary conference at Tufts University in 2000. This conference was fully supported by the Massachusetts Department of Education, the Safe Schools Program, the Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, and some of the presenters even received federal money. During the 2000 conference, workshop leaders led a “youth only, ages 14-21” session that offered lessons in “fisting” a dangerous sexual practice, where the hand is forced into another person's anus.  Fisting kits were distributed to children by Planned Parenthood, another participant in the event (pictured here). There was a heightened sense of security with many Tufts campus police being highly visible in order to stop parents from seeing what occurred at the conference.   All  of this was the handiwork of Kevin Jennings, the man Barack Obama appointed.  Fury erupted in Congress and eventually Jennings was forced to resign his position, but today's actions by the Obama Justice Department and Department of Education are clear indications that Obama's agenda to promote homosexuality in American society has not abated. OBAMA'S RADICAL HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA   The Obama administration will send a letter to every public school district in the country telling them to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity as opposed to their birth certificate. The letter, first obtained by The New York Times, is signed by officials at the Justice Department and Department of Education. It will be sent out to the districts on Friday. While the letter does not have the force of law, it does warn that schools that do not abide by the administration’s interpretation of civil rights law may face lawsuits or a loss of federal aid, The Times reported. "There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in a statement. “No student should ever have to go through the experience of feeling unwelcome at school or on a college campus,” Education Secretary John B. King Jr., said in his own statement. “We must ensure that our young people know that whoever they are or wherever they come from, they have the opportunity to get a great education in an environment free from discrimination, harassment and violence.” Under the guidance, schools are told that they must treat transgender students according to their chosen gender identity as soon as a parent or guardian notifies the district that that identity "differs from previous representations or records." There is no obligation for a student to present a specific medical diagnosis or identification documents that reflect his or her gender identity, and equal access must be given to transgender students even in instances when it makes others uncomfortable, according to the directive. Status of "Bathroom Bill" Legislation | InsideGov "As is consistently recognized in civil rights cases, the desire to accommodate others' discomfort cannot justify a policy that singles out and disadvantages a particular class of students," the guidance says. The administration is also releasing a separate 25-page document of questions and answers about best practices, including ways schools can make transgender students comfortable in the classroom and protect the privacy rights of all students in restrooms or locker rooms. The move was cheered by Human Rights Campaign, a gay, lesbian and transgender civil rights organization, which called the guidelines "groundbreaking." "This is a truly significant moment not only for transgender young people but for all young people, sending a message that every student deserves to be treated fairly and supported by their teachers and schools," HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement. Earlier this week, the Justice Department and the state of North Carolina filed dueling lawsuits over the state’s controversial “bathroom” law, with the Obama administration answering an early-morning lawsuit filed by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory with legal action of its own. In their suit, the DOJ alleged a “pattern or practice of employment discrimination on the basis of sex” against the state over the law requiring transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond with the sex on their birth certificate. McCrory, in his lawsuit, accused the administration of a “baseless and blatant overreach” in trying to get the policy scrapped. "This is an attempt to unilaterally rewrite long-established federal civil rights laws in a manner that is wholly inconsistent with the intent of Congress and disregards decades of statutory interpretation by the Courts," the state’s suit, filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chely Wright -BIOChely Wright rose to fame as a commercial country singer in the 90’s, having released eight studio albums selling more than 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. and charted more than 15 singles on the Billboard charts.  On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music named Chely Top New Female Vocalist of 1995.  Her first hit came in 1997 with “Shut Up and Drive” followed two years later by her first number one single, “Single White Female” and in 2005, the zeitgeist – capturing hit “The Bumper of My S.U.V.”In 2010, Chely Wright released her eighth album, “Lifted Off the Ground” produced by Rodney Crowell, revealing a dramatic artistic transformation and emerging as a singer songwriter of the first order.  The album would never have come to be were it not for an equally dramatic personal transformation which she candidly and painstakingly documented in a memoir entitled “Like Me” published by Random House the same day.  Chely made history by being the first country music star to come out publicly as gay. Wright has cited among her reasons for coming out a concern with bullying and hate crimes toward LGBT people, particularly LGBT youth, and the damage to her life caused by “hiding”. In the midst of a tumultuous political climate about the civil rights of the LGBT community, the 2011 award-winning documentary “Wish Me Away” was released. The critically acclaimed film chronicles Chely Wright’s journey growing up and then moving to Nashville to become a country singer.  It portrays her preparing for the day she comes out publically and then depicts the aftermath of her decision.Chely Wright’s soul-searching has led to many rewards. The LGBT role model serves as the national spokesperson for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and speaks out against school bullying. Wright founded The LIKEME® Organization, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance, resources and education to LGBT individuals and their family & friends. Wright also founded The LIKEME® Lighthouse, an education and community center for gay youth in Kansas City, MO. The Lighthouse recently celebrated its fourth anniversary with a sold out fundraising gala at the Folly Theater featuring Wanda Sykes, Judy Gold, Wendy Liebman and Steve Grand.Chely Wright is married to activist and author Lauren Blitzer-Wright, who is currently Director of Marketing for Sony Entertainment. As of 2013, the two became parents to twin boys. In December 2014, Wright performed an original Christmas carol at the annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on the White House lawn in Washington, DC with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.Lifted off the Ground may be Chely Wright’s seventh album, but on a number of levels it feels and sounds like her first, revealing an artist who has undergone a dramatic artistic transformation, emerging as a singer/songwriter of the first order. But the new album would never have come to be were it not for an equally dramatic personal transformation, which she has candidly and painstakingly documented. Lifted Off the Ground will be released on Vanguard Records May 4, the same day Random House publishes Wright’s autobiography, Like Me.Though she made her name as a commercial country singer, recording songs from some of Nashville’s top writers—including modern-day classics like “Single White Female,” “Shut Up and Drive” and “Jezebel”—Wright had been honing her craft as a songwriter since her teenage years in rural Kansas. She was signed as a writer in 1993 and wrote half of her first and second albums before realizing she still had a ways to go before she was ready to bang ’em out with the big boys. But she kept working at her craft, placing a handful of original songs on each of her subsequent records, and coming up with a Top 10 hit for Clay Walker before penning eight songs on her most recent album, 2005’s Metropolitan Hotel, including the zeitgeist-capturing hit “The Bumper of My S.U.V.” That release followed on the heels of the rarities collection Everything, containing previously unreleased originals.Through Wright views Everything as a heartening if relatively unsophisticated stab at finding her voice, she now regards Metropolitan Hotel as “a half-assed attempt to step forward as an artist. I chickened out and went back to my old golf swing,” she says with a rueful laugh. Despite her reservations, those two LPs earned Wright widespread critical acclaim—but nothing in her ample body of work hints at the extraordinarily personal and powerful material she pulled out of her innermost being for the new record.While it’s fair to say that Lifted Off the Ground was five years in the making, the process began with an unmaking—a breakup leading to what she describes as a breakdown on the way to her ultimate breakthrough. The resulting songs required an acutely sensitive producer to blossom into life, and Wright considers herself extremely fortunate to have had Rodney Crowell come into her life at the critical moment. It’s little wonder she calls him “Shep,” short for “Song Shepherd” (in turn, he calls her Richell, her given name, just as a big brother might), because he was with her every step of the way during the course of those five years, prodding her, encouraging her, pulling her back from the edge of the abyss more than once.The result is a remarkable song cycle of a woman climbing inch by inch out of a deep hole into the sunlight, from the one-two gut punch of the opening tandem of “Broken” and “Heavenly Days,” the latter co-written with Crowell, through the rocking, wicked-clever black comedy “Notes to the Coroner” the crystalline dreamscape “Snow Globe” and the revelatory “Like Me,” to the closing “Shadows of Doubt,” which could serve as Wright’s credo. “Those songs and my bicycle saved my life,” she says, without a trace of hyperbole.The story begins in the winter of 2006, with a heartbroken Chely self-exiled to her bedroom, living in her pajamas, songs flooding out of her. “I didn’t have any choice,” she says. “It was no longer about decision making,” she recalls. “So I can’t really take credit for ‘taking that bold step’ and writing a whole record. Cognitively speaking, I didn’t have all that much to do with it. These songs were annoying me, every single day—I had to let them out. They felt different as they came out. There was no formula; there was no Nashville Music Row template. Quite frankly, I just wanted to sleep.”Seized by emotions she neither understood nor had any control over, Chely obsessively strummed her treasured Gibson guitar till her fingers were as raw as her psyche. “I didn’t really play guitar until my breakdown,” she explains, “but it was a cold winter, and I couldn’t stand to be downstairs where my piano is, so I just stayed in bed with my J200 and literally played till my fingers bled. I put Super-Glue on the ends every morning and kept sticking fake nails on my fingers so I could keep strumming—just really primal.”By the end of February 2006, Chely had managed to shape this emotional torrent into a batch of songs, which by then were no longer annoying her but intriguing her. At this “Now what?” moment, she immediately thought of Crowell, who was one of her musical heroes. She barely knew him, but she’d somehow captured his number in her cell phone, so she called him cold and asked if she could come see him. Minutes later, she was standing on Rodney’s porch, guitar in hand, heart beating out of her chest. He welcomed her in and led her up to his studio, whereupon she played him some of the new songs, including “Wish Me Away,” “Hang Out in Your Heart” and “Object of Your Rejection,” tears streaming down her perfect cheekbones all the while. They talked about the songs, and how different they were from anything she’d done before, and they talked about the raw state she was in. To Chely’s great relief, Rodney then offered his musical and personal support.Though their bond was forged that day, Chely was a long way from acting on it. He emailed her, told her he couldn’t stop thinking about the songs and asked if she had them on tape. She replied that she’d laid down the songs on her hard-disc recorder as she wrote them. “He said, ‘Bring them to me—let’s get together,’” Chely remembers. “And I wrote back, ‘I don’t want to get together.’ Embarrassment had set in that I had called Rodney Crowell in such a state. He said, ‘All right. Then drop the songs in my mailbox.’ So I did, and a month later he sent me another email that just read, ‘Songs, please.’”Thus began a rather unconventional mentoring process during which Chely would drop off her home recordings in Rodney’s mailbox, and he’d email his comments on the material, prompting the next round of recordings to be made and left at the designated drop point. As she describes it, “I’d wait till he’d email me, and I’d say, ‘OK, I’ve got four more.’ It was like he was my sensei: ‘Richell, songs, please.’” This email dialogue went on for nine months, until she was finally ready for a face-to-face conversation.When they got together, Rodney told Chely over dinner that he was emotionally invested in the material she’d been working on. “You need to let me make a record with you.” To which Chely replied, “Record? That never even crossed my mind.” He then said, “Richell, this is your next record, and I need to produce it.” “But I’m not ready to make a record. These songs are still coming at me.” “That’s fine. Just call me when you’re ready.” “I will.”Eventually, Chely was ready, and she made the call, by then with “That Train” and “Notes to the Coroner” in hand, the latter at Rodney’s instigation. They tracked six songs, with Rodney’s go-to guys forming the studio band lineup. Hitting the road for some tour dates, she kept writing, knocking off “Snow Globe,” among others. Near the end of this elongated project, Chely called Rodney and asked him to come over. When he arrived, they had an extended heart-to-heart talk during which she told him about a song she’d been sitting on since the first month of her breakdown. Fittingly, rather than playing it for him, she emailed an MP3 of the song to him soon after he left her house. She then opened a new document on her laptop, typed the words “Like Me” and started writing her book. That evening, she enjoyed her first good night’s sleep in three years…There’s quite a bit more to this story, and it will be told in full when the record and book arrive on May 4th.Hal Sparks - Hal Sparks currently stars as ‘Donald Davenport’, on the hit Disney XD live-action comedy series “Lab Rats.” Since the show’s premiere in 2012, ‘Lab Rats” has been the network’s most watched program. The show has been added to the Disney Channel’s regular line-up garnering more fans and ratings than ever projected.Sparks, who was born and raised in Kentucky, began his career in comedy as a member of the famed Second City Troupe in Chicago, where he was named “Funniest Teenager in Chicago” by the Chicago Sun Times. It wasn’t long before he was selected as to host E!’s Emmy Award-winning “Talk Soup” which led to his starring role as Michael Novotny on the groundbreaking Showtime series “Queer as Folk” (2000-2005).Hal’s feature film credits include “The A-List,” “Extract,” “Spiderman 2” and “Dude, Where’s My Car?” In addition to TV, Hal’s popular “Politishock” radio program airs weekly on Sirius/XM. In addition to acting Hal tours the country headlining local comedy clubs and performing with his rock band Zero 1.WEBSITE: halsparks.comFacebook: /HalSparksTwitter: @HalSparksInstagram: @HalSparks

The Day of Silence, which is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), fast approaches. This year it will take place in most public schools on April 19. On this day, thousands of public high schools and increasing numbers of middle schools will allow students to remain silent throughout an entire day-even during instructional time-to promote GLSEN's socio-political goals. Therefore, Christians are uniting together a Walkout! Christian parents are keeping their children home on April 19 if their school is permitting students to join the Day of Silence

In this edition of the Harvard EdCast, Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) discusses LGBT issues in K-12 education.

Kevin Jennings is the founder and former executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an organization that works to make schools safe for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Jennings has authored six books including Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son: A Memoir which was named a 2007 Book of Honor by the American Library Association and Telling Tales Out of School which was the winner of the 1998 Lambda Literary Award.