I’m absolutely positive that you have heard of, in some way or some form, of the tragedy of multiple suicides by youth who were the victims of anti-LGBTQ bullying. Notice I don’t say the “gay suicides” — regardless of gender or orientation, NO ONE should have to deal with being bullied. Who are [...]]]> Hello all,

I’m absolutely positive that you have heard of, in some way or some form, of the tragedy of multiple suicides by youth who were the victims of anti-LGBTQ bullying. Notice I don’t say the “gay suicides” — regardless of gender or orientation, NO ONE should have to deal with being bullied. Who are we to assume their identities? And when we say gay or LGBTQ in front of suicides, it depersonalizes them, puts them in a grouping, and takes the blame away from the bullies.

Below is a video from me. It’s part of both the It Gets Better project, as well as the Make It Better Project (LGBTQ youth empowerment). I think it is incredibly important to also give these youth the power to educate, find allies, build communities, and stop the bullying, in addition to reminding them that it almost always gets better, and that we need them to survive in order to beat the homophobia and transphobia, and create a better world for the entire community.

I’m not very erudite in this clip. I didn’t have a script, I messed up a few times, I’m awkward and the angle is off, and I mess up what I meant to say at one point. However, it is 100% from the heart. I hope that it touches at least one person, or at the very least, touches you enough to make your own video, or to volunteer in your community, or donate money, or support these projects that help support and empower youth. It is high time that the climate changed, and I’m not talking about global warming.

-Shanna

Other resources:
Scarleteen
Trevor Project

This post, My It Gets Better and Make It Better Video, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on October 8, 2010.

However, I think that it is also important to create change in the schools now, rather than just put a band [...]]]> Many people are talking about the It Gets Better campaign. I myself am filming a video for it. I think that it is a fine project, and support all of those contributing to it.

However, I think that it is also important to create change in the schools now, rather than just put a band aid on it until they grow up. BOTH are important messages. There is another organization now called the Make It Better Project, which is using social media, videos, the web and more to empower youth to create change in their own communities right now.

Please check it out and pass it on to any you feel might find it relevant.

-Shanna

This post, The Make It Better Project: Empower Queer Youth, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on October 7, 2010.

And I cried. A lot. It hit so close to home, to my experiences, to my partners (past and present), to my invisibility, to my having to repeatedly out [...]]]> I’ve been seeing this video pop up on various blogs and social networking sites all week, but I just now had the time to watch it.

And I cried. A lot. It hit so close to home, to my experiences, to my partners (past and present), to my invisibility, to my having to repeatedly out myself, to everything that I have been, am and will be as a Femme (minus the 5 inch heels, thanks to the arthritis and surgeries). I cried because everything he had to say is so true, so real, and because no one has ever said that out loud where I could hear it.

So thank you Ivan Coyote, who I don’t know, for warming the cockles of this little Femme’s heart, for loving my gender, and for supporting all of us. Thank you.

This post, A Thank You To Femmes, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on April 21, 2010.

However, Sarah Silverman said something that I think is important to talk [...]]]> I’m not going to lie. I’m not usually much of a Sarah Silverman fan. In fact, I don’t like most “main stream” comedians.  Give me good ol’ British wit (Monty Python, Are You Being Served, Red Dwarf, Fawlty Towers, Eddie Izzard) any day.

However, Sarah Silverman said something that I think is important to talk about.  She talked about marriage equality, and compared it to the racial exclusive country clubs. Why would you want to belong to such an organizations that promotes inequality and hate?

So I take my hat off to Sarah Silverman. Whether I like her jokes her not, I do like her stand and the way she’s gone about speaking on this issue.

This post, Hats Off to Sarah Silverman, originally appeared on Shanna Katz M.Ed, ACS -- Board Certified Sexologist and Sexuality Educator on February 9, 2010.