This and That

The last couple days have been so hectic. It is funny how life has a tendency of just dumping everything on you at once.

On Monday evening (my birthday) my old Cadillac broke down. One of the transmission lines burst and had to be fixed the next day (we also had to get a new battery). On my way over to my uncle’s house (I was driving my aunt’s car), I was pulled over and given a warning ticket because her license plates had expired. I was stopped probably less than 1000 feet from my uncle’s home. That morning we were also going to try to get her tags renewed and new tags for a Ford Explorer I’m buying from another uncle. The latter didn’t work out and we’ll have to get the Ford Explorer at a later date.

For now, though, here’s a bit of news.

CMS Bullying policy news
A young person in Charlotte takes issue with how The Rhinoceros Times reports on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System bullying policy. She especially takes issue with the alleged “outing” of a Providence High School student. I made a comment there, but I hope to speak to the student in question and the issue may be the subject of my next editorial in Q-Notes (March 8 issue). Read more of the young person’s thoughts here.

N.C. Lawrence King memorial
Students at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are planning a memorial and vigil for openly gay 15-year-old hate crime victim Lawrence King. They’ll meet in “The Pit” on Chapel Hill’s campus on Feb. 22, 2008, at 3 p.m. For more information contact the school’s LGBTQ Center.

Triad Gay social networking
A gentleman in Greensboro, N.C., has started an online social networking group he hopes to turn into a full-fledged social organization. Learn more and register at www.mytriguy.com.

HRC Trans Educational Initiative
Transgender activist and founder of Transgender American Veterans Association Monica Helms reports on the educational initiative at the HRC Carolinas Gala on Sat., Feb. 16, 2008. She writes, “Overall, I would say it was a successful event.  There is one thing I would have done different.  I would have not given people a comprehensive sheet of paper with a lot of information on it.  It overwhelmed them and they didn’t read all of it to see the room number to come up and speak with us.  Instead, I would have given people a small piece of paper with an invitation to come up to the suite for refreshments and conversation.  The heavy duty information would have been given to the people who came to the room.” Read more.

Posted in Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Civil Rights, Employment Discrimination, High School, LGBT, LGBT Youth, North Carolina, Politics, United States |