<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!-- generator="FeedCreator 1.7.2" -->
<rdf:RDF
    xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/"
    xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
    xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
    xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
    <channel rdf:about="http://ligaly.org">
        <title>Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders: News Archive</title>
        <description></description>
        <link>http://www.sageli.org/news.php</link>
       <dc:date>2012-01-04T16:11:57+01:00</dc:date>
        <items>
            <rdf:Seq>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=179"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=160"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=159"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=158"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=157"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=142"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=134"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=137"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=135"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=131"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=130"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=129"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=128"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=127"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=126"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=125"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=124"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=123"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=122"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=121"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=120"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=119"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=117"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=118"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=116"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=115"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=114"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=113"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=112"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=111"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=110"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=109"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=108"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=107"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=106"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=105"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=104"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=103"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=102"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=101"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=100"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=99"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=98"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=97"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=96"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=95"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=94"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=93"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=89"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=91"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=92"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=90"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=63"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=74"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=75"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=76"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=77"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=78"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=79"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=80"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=81"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=82"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=83"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=84"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=85"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=56"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=88"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=72"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=87"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=73"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=86"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=54"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=61"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=71"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=69"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=70"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=65"/>
                <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=64"/>
            </rdf:Seq>
        </items>
    </channel>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=179">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2011-06-16T21:23:07+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>On Eve of Same-Sex Marriage Vote,  Long Island GLBT Youth Have a Prom of Their Own</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=179</link>
        <description>&lt;style type=&quot;text/css&quot;&gt;
&lt;!--
 /* Font Definitions */
@font-face
	{font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-font-charset:78;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:&quot;Cambria Math&quot;;
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Cambria;
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:ArialMT;
	panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
	mso-font-alt:Arial;
	mso-font-charset:77;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-format:other;
	mso-font-pitch:auto;
	mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
 /* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
	{mso-style-unhide:no;
	mso-style-qformat:yes;
	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;
	margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
	{mso-style-type:export-only;
	mso-default-props:yes;
	font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
 /* Page Definitions */
@page
	{mso-footnote-numbering-restart:each-section;}
@page WordSection1
	{size:8.5in 11.0in;
	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
	mso-header-margin:.5in;
	mso-footer-margin:.5in;
	mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
	{page:WordSection1;}
--&gt; &lt;/style&gt;With the New York State Senate expected to vote on the Marriage Equality Act before the end of the legislative session, more than 150 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth will be in attendance at the 11th Annual Long Island GLBT Prom tonight, Thursday, June 16th, 2011 at 7:00pm at The Historical Thatched Cottage in Centerport.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>&lt;style type=&quot;text/css&quot;&gt;
&lt;!--
 /* Font Definitions */
@font-face
	{font-family:Arial;
	panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-font-charset:78;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:&quot;Cambria Math&quot;;
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Cambria;
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;
	panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
	mso-font-alt:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-font-charset:77;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-format:other;
	mso-font-pitch:auto;
	mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Arial-BoldMT;
	panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
	mso-font-alt:Arial;
	mso-font-charset:77;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-format:other;
	mso-font-pitch:auto;
	mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:ArialMT;
	panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
	mso-font-alt:Arial;
	mso-font-charset:77;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-format:other;
	mso-font-pitch:auto;
	mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
 /* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
	{mso-style-unhide:no;
	mso-style-qformat:yes;
	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;
	margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
	{mso-style-priority:99;
	color:blue;
	mso-themecolor:hyperlink;
	text-decoration:underline;
	text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
	{mso-style-noshow:yes;
	mso-style-priority:99;
	color:purple;
	mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
	text-decoration:underline;
	text-underline:single;}
p.NoParagraphStyle, li.NoParagraphStyle, div.NoParagraphStyle
	{mso-style-name:&quot;\[No Paragraph Style\]&quot;;
	mso-style-unhide:no;
	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;
	margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	line-height:120%;
	mso-pagination:none;
	mso-layout-grid-align:none;
	text-autospace:none;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-bidi-font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;
	color:black;}
.MsoChpDefault
	{mso-style-type:export-only;
	mso-default-props:yes;
	font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
 /* Page Definitions */
@page
	{mso-footnote-numbering-restart:each-section;}
@page WordSection1
	{size:8.5in 11.0in;
	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
	mso-header-margin:.5in;
	mso-footer-margin:.5in;
	mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
	{page:WordSection1;}
--&gt;
&lt;/style&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;NoParagraphStyle&quot; style=&quot;line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;             &lt;style type=&quot;text/css&quot;&gt;
&lt;!--
 /* Font Definitions */
@font-face
	{font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-font-charset:78;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:&quot;Cambria Math&quot;;
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:Cambria;
	panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
	mso-font-charset:0;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-pitch:variable;
	mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;
	panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
	mso-font-alt:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-font-charset:77;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-format:other;
	mso-font-pitch:auto;
	mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:HelveticaNeue-Bold;
	panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
	mso-font-alt:&quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;;
	mso-font-charset:77;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-format:other;
	mso-font-pitch:auto;
	mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
	{font-family:HelveticaNeue;
	panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
	mso-font-alt:&quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;;
	mso-font-charset:77;
	mso-generic-font-family:auto;
	mso-font-format:other;
	mso-font-pitch:auto;
	mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
 /* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
	{mso-style-unhide:no;
	mso-style-qformat:yes;
	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;
	margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p.NoParagraphStyle, li.NoParagraphStyle, div.NoParagraphStyle
	{mso-style-name:&quot;\[No Paragraph Style\]&quot;;
	mso-style-unhide:no;
	mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;
	margin:0in;
	margin-bottom:.0001pt;
	line-height:120%;
	mso-pagination:none;
	mso-layout-grid-align:none;
	text-autospace:none;
	font-size:12.0pt;
	font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-bidi-font-family:TimesNewRomanPSMT;
	color:black;}
.MsoChpDefault
	{mso-style-type:export-only;
	mso-default-props:yes;
	font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;&amp;#65325;&amp;#65331; &amp;#26126;&amp;#26397;&quot;;
	mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
	mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
	mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
	mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
	mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
 /* Page Definitions */
@page
	{mso-footnote-numbering-restart:each-section;}
@page WordSection1
	{size:8.5in 11.0in;
	margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
	mso-header-margin:.5in;
	mso-footer-margin:.5in;
	mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
	{page:WordSection1;}
--&gt;
&lt;/style&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; class=&quot;NoParagraphStyle&quot; style=&quot;line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;On Eve of Same-Sex Marriage Vote,&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
Long Island GLBT Youth Have a Prom of Their Own&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p align=&quot;center&quot; class=&quot;NoParagraphStyle&quot; style=&quot;line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;NoParagraphStyle&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal&quot;&gt;   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;NoParagraphStyle&quot; style=&quot;line-height: normal;&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;  Bay Shore, NY &amp;ndash; &lt;/strong&gt;With the New York State Senate expected to vote on the Marriage Equality Act before the end of the legislative session, more than 150 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth will be in attendance at the 11th Annual Long Island GLBT Prom tonight, Thursday, June 16th, 2011 at 7:00pm at The Historical Thatched Cottage in Centerport. &amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) held its first prom in 2001, receiving international media attention for being the first-of-its-kind event in the United States.&amp;nbsp; The Long Island GLBT Prom provides a unique opportunity for GLBT young people to participate in this important rite of passage without fear of harassment or bullying. &amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;table width=&quot;400&quot; cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;1&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; summary=&quot;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;iframe width=&quot;450&quot; height=&quot;256&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/embed/AErE_-8q4W0&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&amp;ldquo;This year&amp;rsquo;s prom takes on a particularly important meaning as lesbian and gay New Yorkers eagerly await the passage of Marriage Equality,&amp;rdquo; said David Kilmnick, Chief Executive Officer of LIGALY.&amp;nbsp; &amp;ldquo;The prom in and of itself is an event that helps gay youth to feel equal.&amp;nbsp; Marriage Equality will help to change the trajectory of their lives, knowing that their prom date could now be the person they marry.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A group of LIGALY youth leaders made a video this week expressing why Marriage Equality is important to them as young people.&amp;nbsp; The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AErE_-8q4W0.&amp;nbsp; Ryan, age 18 from Smithtown, is featured in the video and said that Marriage Equality means, &amp;ldquo;a future for me and a lifetime with someone that I care about.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;WHAT:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;strong&gt;11th Annual Long Island GLBT Prom&amp;#8232;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;WHEN: &lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Thursday, June 16th, 2011, 7:00-11:00pm&amp;#8232;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;WHERE:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The Historical Thatched Cottage&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 445 East Main Street&amp;#8232;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Centerport, NY 11721&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;###&amp;#8232;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;Founded in 1993, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) is one of the nation&amp;rsquo;s oldest and largest organizations solely dedicated to serving the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) students, their families and their support systems.&amp;nbsp; LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s innovative programs work to end homophobia on Long Island, provide a home and a safe space for GLBT youth, and advocate for equality.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;NoParagraphStyle&quot; style=&quot;line-height:normal;mso-hyphenate:none&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=160">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2010-10-14T18:47:20+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY Demands Hate Crimes Charges in Anti-Gay Attack in Nassau</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=160</link>
        <description>David Kilmnick, Chief Executive Officer of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) released this statement in response to the anti-gay attacks that took place on a BOCES bus in Hicksville yesterday afternoon and this morning:</description>
        <body>&amp;ldquo;This morning, 3 teens were arrested after a two-day anti-gay attack against a student on school bus in Hicksville.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Despite reports that homophobic language was used throughout the violent beatings, The Nassau County District Attorney has not brought hate crimes charges against the assailants.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) demands that the charges be upgraded to include a hate crimes charge.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the past month, we have seen massive media attention brought to the suicide deaths of at least 7 GLBT young people.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Events like these attacks contribute to the epidemic of GLBT youth suicide, and inadequate response by law enforcement and policy makers only further exacerbates the problem.&amp;nbsp; A clear message must be sent to the community that whether the attackers are students on a school bus or candidates for public office like Carl Paladino, homophobic language, harassment, and violence cannot, and will not be tolerated.&amp;nbsp; Those who continue to make the world unsafe for GLBT people will face legal and social consequences for their actions.&amp;nbsp; We demand the Nassau County District Attorney to do the right thing and send a message that bias-motivated attacks of any kind will be properly prosecuted in Nassau County.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More than 200 people will gather at The Long Island GLBT Community Center in Bay Shore tonight at 7:00pm for a Candlelight Vigil and Rally.&amp;nbsp; While our hearts will be with the victim of today&amp;rsquo;s attack and with those we have lost who couldn&amp;rsquo;t take the harassment anymore, our focus also be on taking action and making the world better now for GLBT young people.&amp;rdquo; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/div&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=159">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2010-10-14T17:42:38+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>TONIGHT:  Hundreds to Attend Vigil to Fight Homophobia</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=159</link>
        <description>More than 200 people are expected to attend a Candlelight Vigil and Rally in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) youth on Thursday, October 14th, 7:00pm at The Long Island GLBT Community Center in Bay Shore.</description>
        <body>&lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;BAY SHORE, NY - More than 200 people are expected to attend a Candlelight Vigil and Rally in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) youth on Thursday, October 14th, 7:00pm at The Long Island GLBT Community Center in Bay Shore.&amp;nbsp; The event is in response to the recent suicides of at least 7 gay young people who were the targets of anti-GLBT bullying and the recent homophobic statements made by Gubernatorial Candidate Carl Paladino. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
WHAT:&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; At the vigil and rally, LIGALY will unveil a new web-based reporting system for anti-GLBT bullying and violence on Long Island.&amp;nbsp; &amp;ldquo;This system will provide those who are the targets of bullying and violence with an immediate and efficient way to report the incident and get professional support,&amp;rdquo; said David Kilmnick, Chief Executive Officer of LIGALY.&amp;nbsp; &amp;ldquo;After a report is submitted, our staff will be able to quickly respond and connect the victim with advocacy and supportive services.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; By removing the barriers to reporting these incidents, we are working to ensure that suicides like we&amp;rsquo;ve seen over the last month never happen again and that students who are bullied get immediate assistance.&amp;rdquo; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The confidential reporting system will go live on Thursday evening, and can be accessed by visiting http://ligaly.convio.net/IncidentReporting.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
WHEN:&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Thursday, October 14, 2010, 7:00pm&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
WHERE:&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Long Island GLBT Community Center, 34 Park Ave, Bay Shore, NY 11706&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
WHO:&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The vigil and rally is being organized by Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth; one of the nation&amp;rsquo;s largest organizations solely dedicated to serving the needs of GLBT youth and families.&amp;nbsp; LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s groundbreaking work in schools and communities on Long Island seeks to eradicate homophobia and anti-GLBT bullying while providing a safe space for GLBT young people.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt; ###&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=158">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2010-10-05T19:48:37+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY CEO to appear News 12's 'Long Island Talks' on October 5th</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=158</link>
        <description>LIGALY CEO David Kilmnick and a youth leader from LIGALY's Safe Schools Team will discuss Cyberbullying and the recent media coverage of 6 GLBT youth suicides.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>David Kilmnick, CEO of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth and a youth member of LIGALY's Safe Schools Team will appear on News 12's Long Island Talks on Tuesday, October 5th at 7:00pm.&amp;nbsp; The show will explore the issue of Cyberbullying, and particularly the recent media coverage around 6 GLBT youth suicides nationally.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tune in tonight at 7:00 to News 12 and call-in to the show with your perspective on this very important issue.&amp;nbsp;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=157">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2010-09-15T17:44:44+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Senators Gillibrand and Udall Urge DOJ Not to Appeal </title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=157</link>
        <description>In Letter to AG Holder, Senators Ask DOJ to Withhold Appealing Federal Judge&amp;rsquo;s Ruling of DADT as Unconstitutional, Allow Congress to Repeal</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;100&quot; vspace=&quot;16&quot; hspace=&quot;16&quot; height=&quot;136&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/kirsten-gillibrand.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;Washington, D.C. &amp;ndash; After a federal judge in California last week ruled the &amp;ldquo;Don&amp;rsquo;t Ask, Don&amp;rsquo;t Tell&amp;rdquo; policy unconstitutional, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mark Udall (D-CO) today wrote to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) not to appeal the judge&amp;rsquo;s decision, and allow Congress to act to repeal the unconstitutional law that harms our national security.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;There is no legal or military justification and not one shred of credible evidence that supports continuing the discriminatory DADT law, and considering the guidance of the commander-in-chief and the nation&amp;rsquo;s top two defense officials, we urge you to refrain from seeking an appeal,&amp;rdquo; Senators Gillibrand and Udall wrote. &amp;ldquo;The federal court decision was a step in the right direction, and we are confident that the Senate will take the ultimate step by voting this fall on the fiscal year 2011 National Defense Authorization Act to permanently lift the ban on gays in the military.&amp;nbsp; Although we understand that only action by Congress can bring real finality to this issue, we believe an appeal of the recent federal court decision could set back those congressional efforts.&amp;nbsp; Therefore, we request your assistance in ensuring that we can eradicate this discriminatory law permanently and urge the Justice Department to choose not to appeal any court decision that would keep this law in place.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Government Accountability Office estimates that DADT costs the U.S. Armed Forces more than $95 million in recruiting costs and more than $95 million for training to replace the nearly 10,000 discharged troops from 1994 through 2003. For every servicemember discharged after 10 years of service, another six must be recruited to fill the loss of experience. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Senators Gillibrand and Udall&amp;rsquo;s full letter to Attorney General Holder:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
Dear Mr. Attorney General, &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
We are writing to bring to your attention the recently issued decision of Judge Virginia A. Phillips of the United States District Court of the Central District of California in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, which declared that the &amp;ldquo;Don&amp;rsquo;t Ask, Don&amp;rsquo;t Tell&amp;rdquo; (DADT) underlying law violates the U.S. Constitution&amp;rsquo;s guarantees of due process and free speech, thereby rendering DADT unconstitutional.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; In light of important national security concerns, we respectfully request that you, in your capacity at the Department of Justice, refrain from appealing this decision or any permanent injunction which may be granted against this law in the near future. &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
The following quote from the judge&amp;rsquo;s decision captures the overwhelming reason why the decision should stand:&amp;nbsp; &amp;ldquo;Among those discharged were many with critically needed skills &amp;hellip; Far from furthering the military's readiness, the discharge of these service men and women had a direct and deleterious effect on this governmental interest.&amp;rdquo;&amp;nbsp; As one of many criteria that the Justice Department will examine in deciding whether to appeal a potential permanent injunction to this policy, we ask that you examine whether or not an appeal furthers a legitimate governmental interest.&amp;nbsp; We would say any appeal does not. &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
Additionally, DADT harms military readiness, as well as the morale and the cohesiveness of our armed forces, at a time when our military&amp;rsquo;s resources are strained and unity is critically important.&amp;nbsp; For every person discharged after ten years of service, six new servicemembers would need to be recruited to recover the level of experience lost by that discharge. This not only weakens our military, but neither is it an effective use of our government resources or taxpayer monies.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, have all publicly advocated for the repeal of this harmful law.&amp;nbsp; There is no legal or military justification and not one shred of credible evidence that supports continuing the discriminatory DADT law, and considering the guidance of the commander-in-chief and the nation&amp;rsquo;s top two defense officials, we urge you to refrain from seeking an appeal.&amp;nbsp; The federal court decision was a step in the right direction, and we are confident that the Senate will take the ultimate step by voting this fall on the fiscal year 2011 National Defense Authorization Act to permanently lift the ban on gays in the military. Although we understand that only action by Congress can bring real finality to this issue, we believe an appeal of the recent federal court decision could set back those congressional efforts.&amp;nbsp; Therefore, we request your assistance in ensuring that we can eradicate this discriminatory law permanently and urge the Justice Department to choose not to appeal any court decision that would keep this law in place. &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.&amp;nbsp; We look forward to hearing from you. &lt;/em&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=142">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2010-08-20T22:21:38+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>David Kilmnick Invited to White House for President Obama's Pride Month Celebration</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=142</link>
        <description>LI GLBT Services Network CEO David Kilmnick was recently invited to the White House for a reception celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.</description>
        <body>LI GLBT Services Network CEO David Kilmnick was recently invited to the White House for a reception celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. President Obama recently declared June &amp;quot;LGBT Pride Month,&amp;quot; and urged Americans to &amp;quot;renew our commitment to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans and ending prejudice and injustice wherever it exists.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kilmnick received the invitation for the June 22nd event a few weeks ago and is ecstatic to be included in this special event. &amp;quot;It's an honor to be asked to attend this important event. We have worked real hard over the last 17 years building a strong community and movement on Long Island through LIGALY, The Center, SAGE-LI and Equality Long Island. By extending this invitation, President Obama is acknowledging the important role of LGBT youth, adults, families and seniors who live in the suburban and rural regions of the United States,&amp;rdquo; said Kilmnick,&amp;nbsp; &amp;ldquo;I am thrilled, humbled and honored to represent Long Island at this historic reception.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kilmnick will join approximately 100 other guests from around the country including celebrities, elected officials and movement leaders.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=134">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2010-04-06T20:19:05+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Be Counted in the 2010 Census</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=134</link>
        <description>Have you completed your census form yet?&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;185&quot; height=&quot;105&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/Census2010_Red(2).jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;The 2010 Census is currently underway, with many Americans sending in their completed survey over the past 3 weeks.&amp;nbsp; The Long Island GLBT Services Network is partnering with the US Census bureau to ensure that the GLBT Community is counted. We are encouraging all our members to complete the form and mail it back. The 10 questions on the Census provide important information about the US population and determines how funding for vital services (including those provided by LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI) are distributed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
There are a number of ways to ensure that LGBT people and families are included in the Census.&amp;nbsp; LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI are also working with the OUR FAMILIES COUNT partnership to promote the Census.&amp;nbsp; Their website has important information on how LGBT people can fill out the Census to ensure more accurate representation:&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;http://ourfamiliescount.org/&quot;&gt;http://www.ourfamiliescount.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you have questions about completing your Census form, call us at 631.665.2300 or visit www.2010.census.gov.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://2010.census.gov/2010census/&quot;&gt;http://2010.census.gov/2010census/&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=137">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2010-01-27T02:44:43+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY and The Center Launch Social Marketing Campaign</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=137</link>
        <description>LIGALY and The Center Launch 1st GLBT-focused Campaign on LIRR and Buses</description>
        <body>In recognition of Black Highstory month, LIGALY and The Center will launch a new, 8-week Social Marketing Campaign on Monday, February 1st designed to adddress homophobia in African American and Black Communities.&amp;nbsp; The &amp;quot;We Are Part of You&amp;quot; Campaign includes posters on Long Island Railroad trains and platforms, Long Island Buses, and a railroad trestle crossing Sunrise Highway in West Babylon.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The goal of the campaign is to address homophobia in African American and Black Communities on Long Island as a means of decreasing HIV infection among Black gay and biseuxal men.&amp;nbsp; The campaign was made through a grant from the New York State Department of Health and was designed by Better World Advertising.&amp;nbsp; You can see images of the campaign below:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;240&quot; height=&quot;375&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/LIGLY%2021x33%20Ball.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img width=&quot;240&quot; height=&quot;375&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/LIGLY%2021x33%20Church.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img width=&quot;240&quot; height=&quot;375&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/LIGLY%2021x33%20Din.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=135">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-12-04T20:38:42+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>NYS Senators to Attend 12/10 LI Town Hall Meeting on Marriage Equality</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=135</link>
        <description>NYS Senators Craig Johnson and Brian Foley to Attend Long Island Town Hall Meeting on Marriage Equality&lt;br /&gt;
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10th AT 7:00pm</description>
        <body>&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Turn your anger into action and attend the Long Island Town Hall Meeting on Marriage Equality on Thursday, December 10th at 7:00pm at The Long Island GLBT Community Center.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The purpose of this town hall meeting is to provide a forum for our community to come together and:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;EXPLORE what just took place and express how we feel about it.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;THANK&amp;nbsp; Senator Craig Johnson, Senator Brian Foley and members of the New York State Assembly, including Assemblyman Charles Lavine for their vote on Marriage Equality.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;HEAR from Senators Craig Johnson and Senator Brian Foley, Assemblyman Charles Lavine and others why they voted for Marriage Equality and some suggestions about what we can do to help them get enough votes to pass the bill. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;TALK about next steps, strategy and GET INVOLVED&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Please attend this important meeting on Thursday, December 10th at 7:00pm at The Center.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=131">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-22T17:09:43+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY To Launch NYS Safe Schools Coalition</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=131</link>
        <description>Historic $25,000 Grant from State Equality Fund awarded</description>
        <body>&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;This week, LIGALY recieved funding for it's first statewide project: &lt;strong&gt;The New York State Safe Schools Coalition.&lt;/strong&gt; The grant is from &lt;strong&gt;The State Equality Fund&lt;/strong&gt;, a collaboration of some of the countries largest funders of GLBT issues; The Gill Foundation, Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, and an anonymous donor, in conjunction with Tides Foundation. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The New York State Safe Schools Coalition is based on LIGALY's many successful years of work in Long Island's schools to decrease anti-GLBT harassment and bullying and being able to get inclusive GLBT policy changes implemented. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The New York State Safe Schools Coalition will bring together other GLBT groups from Rochester, Albany, Westchester and Rockland counties initially and will advocate for the creation and implementation of GLBT-inclusive safe schools policies through the New York State Department of Education.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This grant is the first ever to be received on Long Island from a GLBT national funder. With LIGALY launching its first statewide project, the role of suburban and rural communities will play a significant part in helping to shape policy and create safer schools and communities for all New York's GLBT young people, families, educators and school personnel.&lt;/font&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=130">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-13T16:09:30+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>New Long Islander Meet n Greet</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=130</link>
        <description>New to Long Island?&amp;nbsp; The Center can help you.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>If you just moved to Long Island, you might be wondering &amp;quot;how do I meet other people&amp;quot;,&amp;nbsp; &amp;quot;what is there to do&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;how can I get involved&amp;quot;? &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI will be helping you answer these questions and more with its new Community Meet N' Greets. The first meet n' greet will be held on Monday August 3rd at 7pm at The Center. Meet other folks new to Long Island, talk about what there is to do, and find out how you can get involved. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtnetwork.org/content.php?pgID=482&amp;amp;tr=y&amp;amp;auid=5056250&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Click here to learn more&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=129">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-13T16:07:04+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>July 15 Deadline for Business Directory!</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=129</link>
        <description>Only days remain to purchase your space in the Long Island GLBT Business Directory</description>
        <body>The 2009 Partners in Pride Long Island GLBT Business Directory goes to print soon, and your business can be part of this valuable resource, but only if you join by July 15th!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Long Island GLBT Business Directory is distributed all year long throughout Long Island and connects the GLBT consumers with businesses who support the community.&amp;nbsp; Purchase a Partners in Pride Membership today to ensure your business in included in the 2009 edition!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtnetwork.org/content.php?pgID=124&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Click here to learn more&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=128">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-13T16:05:22+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Parent Focus Group</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=128</link>
        <description>Are you the parent of a GLBT person?&amp;nbsp; We need your feedback!&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>LIGALY and The Center will be hosting a series of focus groups with parents of GLBT people in July. Come share with us what you would like to see us do to help and support you.&amp;nbsp; These open ended discussion groups will take place on:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;gt;&amp;gt;Monday, July 13th at 7:00pm&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;gt;&amp;gt;Thursday, July 23rd at 1:00pm&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;gt;&amp;gt;Thursday, July 30th at 7:00pm &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We invite you to join us as we explore support, social, advocacy and volunteer opportunities for parents. Call Eliscia at 631.665.2300 to RSVP. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ligaly.org/content.php?pgID=483&quot;&gt;Click here to learn more&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=127">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-08T20:44:25+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title> Steve Israel named &quot;One of the Most LGBT-Friendly Members of Congress&quot; </title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=127</link>
        <description></description>
        <body>On Friday, June 19th, Activist Blogger David Mixner described Long Island's very own US Congressman Steve Israel (NY-2) as &amp;quot;one of the most LGBT-friendly members of Congress&amp;quot; in a posting about Rep. Israel's advocacy for counting married same-sex couples in the 2010 census.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Congressman Israel has been a constant and long-time supporter and advocate of Long Island's GLBT Community and LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.davidmixner.com/2009/06/congressman-steve-israel-including-marriage-equality-in-the-2010-census.html?tr=y&amp;amp;auid=5001639&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Click here to read the blog post&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=126">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-08T20:43:38+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>The Center Goes Smoke Free</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=126</link>
        <description></description>
        <body>LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI are committed to creating a healthy and strong GLBT community on Long Island.&amp;nbsp; As part of that commitment, smoking will no longer be permitted on the premises as of Wednesday, July 1st. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you have been thinking about quitting smoking or cutting back, please call 631-665-2300 for smoking cessation resources.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=125">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-08T20:43:31+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>GLBT Vets Support Group</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=125</link>
        <description>Starts in July at The Center</description>
        <body>Beginning Thursday, July 2, from 7-8pm, The Center and SAGE-LI will begin providing a monthly support group for GLBT Vets and service members.&amp;nbsp; This safe and confidential space will allow participants to share and discuss their experiences and challenges without fear of jeopardizing their military status or benefits.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org/content.php?pgID=477&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Click here to learn more&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=124">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-07-08T20:43:20+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>An Inclusive ENDA Introduced!</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=124</link>
        <description>Learn how you can make this law a reality.</description>
        <body>LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI applaud lawmakers for introducing an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees from workplace discrimination.&amp;nbsp; The bill, which enjoys bi-partisan support in Congress, would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal employment non-discrimination laws.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The bill was introduced by a group of bi-partisan Representatives and it is important that you contact your legislator to become a co-sponsor as well. Becoming a co-sponsor shows that the Representative will stand firm with our community and helps build momentum for the bill's passage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;/content.php?pgID=481&quot;&gt;Click here to learn more&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;!</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=123">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-05-11T15:42:40+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>NEWSDAY:  LI's gay community honors 'homegrown heroes'</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=123</link>
        <description>The 2009 Long Island GLBT Equality Awards Gala in Newsday on April 19, 2009.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-limilk2012673127apr19,0,2780189.story&quot;&gt;Click here to read the full story.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=122">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-04-17T22:38:40+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>AP:  Gay Group honors LI Native Harvey Milk</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=122</link>
        <description>Coverage about The Network's Equality Awards Gala from the Associated Press</description>
        <body>&lt;iframe width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;2100&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-limilk0418,0,4444764.story&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=121">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-04-17T22:34:49+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>CNN:  New York Governor to Push Same-Sex Marriage Bill</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=121</link>
        <description>Network CEO David Kilmnick quoted in a story on CNN.com about Gov. David Paterson's introduction of same-sex marriage legislation in New York.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>&lt;iframe width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;2100&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/16/samesex.marriage.newyork/&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=120">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-03-14T16:48:27+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>SAGE-LI Featured in Newsday</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=120</link>
        <description>The Saturday, March 14, 2009 issue of Newsday featured GLBT seniors from SAGE-LI talking about their experiences coming out later in life</description>
        <body>&lt;iframe width=&quot;680&quot; height=&quot;700&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/business/custom/retirement/ny-bzcov1412531162mar14,0,5133772.story&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=119">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-03-05T16:41:02+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>AP:  Long Island gay rights group to honor native son Harvey Milk</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=119</link>
        <description>Slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk is being honored posthumously by a network of gay and lesbian organizations on his native Long Island.</description>
        <body>From the Associated Press.&amp;nbsp; Posted on 1010wins.com Wednesday, 04 March 2009 9:30PM&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Long Island Gay Rights Group to Honor Native Son Harvey Milk&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;NEW YORK (AP)&amp;nbsp; --&lt;/strong&gt; Slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk is being honored posthumously by a network of gay and lesbian organizations on his native Long Island.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Milk's nephew, L. Stuart Milk, will accept an award on his uncle's behalf April 18 at a gala held by the Long Island Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Services Network. The network is comprised of three groups: Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, the Long Island GLBT Community Center, and Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Milk was born in Woodmere in Nassau County and graduated from Bay Shore High School in Suffolk County, about half a mile from the network's offices. He came from a family of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants who owned a local department store.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Milk eventually moved to San Francisco, where he became the country's first openly gay man to hold public office when he was elected to the city's Board of Supervisors in 1977.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 1978, Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were fatally shot by Dan White, a disgruntled city supervisor. Milk was 48.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
David Kilmnick, who created the three organizations beginning in 1993, said he hoped that honoring Milk would encourage gays and lesbians from suburban and rural areas to feel comfortable and safe enough to remain in their hometowns and live their lives openly and freely. Still, he noted being openly gay remained easier in big cities than in smaller cities and towns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
``They don't have to leave the suburbs or rural areas they grew up in to live their lives,'' Kilmnick said. ``We need to keep some of that, a good portion of that incredible talent and passion, in suburban and rural America, if we truly want to see full equality.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Indeed, Milk remained closeted while living in Long Island, according to his nephew and biographer Randy Shilts.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
``As Harvey grew older, he learned how important it would be to keep his difference a secret not only from (his mother), but from everybody,'' Shilts wrote in ``The Mayor of Castro Street'' in 1982. ``Nobody knew in Woodmere or in'' Bay Shore.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
``I can't let it out _ it would kill my parents,'' Shilts quotes Milk telling his boyfriend in the 1960s.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
L. Stuart Milk, who lives in Wilton Manors, Fla., said he was delighted that his uncle was being honored by a network of organizations to help gays, lesbians and transgender people in the area where no such support system existed during his uncle's childhood and _ later _ during his own.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
``It's kinda like having Harvey's vision of the future almost come full circle,'' the 48-year-old said from California, where he was pressing for a holiday for his uncle and repeal of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
``Milk,'' the film based on Harvey Milk's life, won an Oscar for actor Sean Penn and the award for best screenplay last month.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtnetwork.org/content.php?pgID=184&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Click here to learn more about The Equality Awards Gala&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=117">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-02-12T18:12:11+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Media Coverage of Vandalism</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=117</link>
        <description></description>
        <body>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Below are links to media coverage of the vandalism of The Center, as well as government and community response (last updated 2/12/09 at 5:00pm):&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/images/uploads/File/Newsday020509.pdf&quot;&gt;Albany takes note of gay slam(PDF) &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(Newsday, 02/05/09)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/images/uploads/File/Newsday020609.pdf&quot;&gt;Israel talks up hate-crimes hotline(PDF)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (Newsday, 02/06/09)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/images/uploads/File/Newsday021109.pdf&quot;&gt;Four arrests in vandalism(PDF) &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(Newsday, 02/11/09)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-livand1212451979feb12,0,6782463.story&quot;&gt;Officials do not regret probing vandalism as hate crime &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(Newsday, 02/12/09)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VIDEO:&amp;nbsp; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org/videogallery.php?vid=14&quot;&gt;WNBC Channel 4, 11:00 News&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (02/02/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-livand0206,0,3330643.story&quot;&gt;Congressman visits vandalized youth center &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(Newsday, 02/05/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/news/local/crime/ny-ligay056024184feb05,0,1095700.story&quot;&gt;Paterson condemns vandalism at Bay Shore Center &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(Newsday, 02/05/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-ligov0205,0,2981351.story&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
    &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-ligov0205,0,2981351.story&quot;&gt;Human rights boss to visit Bay Shore&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;(Newsday, 02/04/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/images/uploads/File/Newsday020309.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gay youth center target of vandals(PDF)&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/a&gt;(Newsday, 02/03/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&amp;amp;id=6637485&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long Island gay center vandalized&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/a&gt;(WABC Eyewitness News, 02/02/08)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.365gay.com/news/vandalism-at-long-island-lgbt-center-probed-as-hate-crime/&quot;&gt;Vandalism at Long Island LGBT center probed as hate crime&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (365gay.com/LOGO, 02/03/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.towleroad.com/2009/02/long-island-lgb.html&quot;&gt;Long Island LGBT youth center hit by vandals in hate crime &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(towleroad.com, 02/02/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://joemygod.blogspot.com/search?q=Long+Island+Gay+Youth+Center+Vandalized&quot;&gt;Long Island gay youth center vandalized &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(joemygod.blogspot.com, 02/02/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.1010wins.com/Long-Island-Gay--Lesbian-Youth-Center-Vandalized/3772552&quot;&gt;Cops Investigate Hate Crime at Long Island Gay, Lesbian Youth Center&amp;nbsp; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(1010wins, 02/02/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=theithacajournal&amp;amp;sParam=30097623.story&quot;&gt;Police investigate vandalism at NY gay center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (USA Today/Ithaca Journal, 02/02/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/N/NY_ANTI_GAY_VANDALISM_BAOL-?SITE=NYNYP&amp;amp;SECTION=HOME&quot;&gt;NY commissioner to visit vandalized gay center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (New York Post, 02/04/09)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=118">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-02-10T14:54:41+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Arrests Made Today in Vandalism of The Center</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=118</link>
        <description>A message from David Kilmnick about the arrests made in the Vandalism of The Center.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>The Network is relieved to announce that arrests have been made in connection with the recent vandalism of our Center in Bay Shore. Late Monday, three men and one woman were arrested by the Suffolk County Police Department.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We are grateful to the Suffolk County Police Department for their efficient and serious dedication to the events that so viscerally affected our community and our allies. We are also grateful to the attention and heartfelt words of Governor David Paterson, Commissioner of the State Division of Human Rights Galen Kirkland, Congressman Steve Israel and Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy who quickly came out in support of our organization and Long Island&amp;rsquo;s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
Over three years ago, two of the four people arrested were former clients of LIGALY. The individuals regularly displayed inappropriate and disruptive behavior toward staff and other clients. This behavior made many of our clients feel unsafe, and the organization responded appropriately by discharging them from our services. We are saddened to hear that the individuals arrested continued to act out in hatred and violence, as these attacks illustrate.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While the vandalism is no longer being investigated as a bias crime, we feel that the investigation and the attention paid to these crimes by public officials and media was appropriate. Vandalism of this magnitude is intended to send a message of fear. The Center stands as the most public declaration of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender pride on Long Island. As the most visible symbol of GLBT presence and pride, the vandalism was indeed interpreted and felt as an attack on these already vulnerable communities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the presence and words of Commissioner Kirkland, and the visibility our community found in the media, we have been inundated with calls from community members voicing stories that eerily echo the attacks on our Center. Youth have detailed the intense bullying they endure in their schools and communities, families have spoken about attacks on their homes and seniors have called with stories of feeling unsafe in nursing homes. People across the ages have expressed the fear and intimidation that affect their lives daily. Clearly, the work of LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI is needed more than ever to create a safer Long Island for all GLBT people and families.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The staff, board, clients, and volunteers of LIGALY, the Center and SAGE-LI would all like to express our most heartfelt thanks to the Suffolk County Police Department, elected officials, and the many people who called and visited our Center with messages of concern and hope for a brighter future. In the face of these attacks, LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI will continue to be a visible presence on Long Island for years to come.&amp;nbsp;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=116">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-02-04T18:08:27+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Community Update:  Bias Crime at LI GLBT Center</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=116</link>
        <description>The community has shown an massive show of support for the bias-related vandalism of The Long Island GLBT Community Center.&amp;nbsp; The incident has also been reported by many in the media and the blogosphere.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;UPDATE:&amp;nbsp; GOVERNOR DAVID A. PATERSON RELEASED A STATEMENT TUESDAY ABOUT THE VANDALISM OF THE CENTER.&amp;nbsp; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtnetwork.org/news.php?i=115&quot;&gt;CLICK HERE TO VIEW.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;table width=&quot;200&quot; cellspacing=&quot;5&quot; cellpadding=&quot;1&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; summary=&quot;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;200&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/PoliceInvestigateDoor.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;200&quot; height=&quot;259&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/Newsday020309.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;200&quot; height=&quot;150&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/News12Van.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; Dear Friends,&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The last 24 hours have been a difficult, but also empowering time for the staff of the Long Island GLBT Services Network.&amp;nbsp; Since we first arrived at the office yesterday morning to discover the destruction waged on our community&amp;rsquo;s home, we, as I am sure many of you, have felt a range of emotions. The moment the word got out about what had happened, we received and have continued to receive an amazing outcry of support from the GLBT and Allied communities locally, statewide and nationally. Here's what has transpired since we last communicated yesterday:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Individuals and businesses have donated money or services to help us get the center up and running, our van on the road and ensure that this does not happen to our home or community again. If you have already donated, thank you. If you haven't yet, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org/content.php?pgID=166&quot;&gt;stand up to hate and make a donation to The Center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Emails and phone calls of support have poured in from all over the country. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Local and national media as well as the blogosphere have reported on the incident to help us raise awareness and bring the person or people who did this to justice.&amp;nbsp; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;#Media&quot;&gt;Click here to see the coverage.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
    &lt;/font&gt;     &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Messages of concern and support came from Governor David Patterson and many other local and statewide elected officials. Additionally, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy released an official statement&amp;nbsp; saying that &amp;quot;this type of attack against the gay community will not be tolerated in Suffolk County&amp;quot;. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;The Suffolk County Police Commissioner also stated that this will be treated as &amp;quot;Criminal Mischief as a Hate Crime&amp;quot; and are asking anyone with information to contact the Hate Crimes Unit at 631-852-6323 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;With your support, we were able to make sure that this crime was investigated for what it is:&amp;nbsp; A hate-motivated attack on our community.&amp;nbsp; As many of you have said to us, this attack underscores the continued need for LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
While the LIGALY van will be off the road for an undetermined amount of time, we remain committed to not allowing this terrible act to affect our ability to provide&amp;nbsp; important and vital programs and services to the GLBT community.&amp;nbsp; We have returned to our regular program schedule today and no further events will be canceled or postponed due to the vandalism. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Friday, February 6 at 3:00pm, The Commissioner of The New York State Division of Human Rights, Galen D. Kirkland will be visiting our Center to offer his support and facilitate a discussion with the community on hate crimes on Long Island. We are honored to host the Commissioner and hope you will join us.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We will continue to communicate with you as new information becomes available. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at 631-665-2300.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Once again, thank you for your support both during this difficult time and every day of the year. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With pride,&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
David Kilmnick, PhD, MSW&lt;br /&gt;
Chief Executive Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;       &lt;hr width=&quot;100%&quot; size=&quot;2&quot; /&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;a name=&quot;Media&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;In the Media:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;/images/uploads/File/Newsday020309.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gay youth center target of vandals(PDF)&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/a&gt;(Newsday, 02/03/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&amp;amp;id=6637485&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Long Island gay center vandalized&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/a&gt;(WABC Eyewitness News, 02/02/08)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.365gay.com/news/vandalism-at-long-island-lgbt-center-probed-as-hate-crime/&quot;&gt;Vandalism at Long Island LGBT center probed as hate crime&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (365gay.com/LOGO, 02/03/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.towleroad.com/2009/02/long-island-lgb.html&quot;&gt;Long Island LGBT youth center hit by vandals in hate crime &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(towleroad.com, 02/02/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://joemygod.blogspot.com/search?q=Long+Island+Gay+Youth+Center+Vandalized&quot;&gt;Long Island gay youth center vandalized &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(joemygod.blogspot.com, 02/02/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.1010wins.com/Long-Island-Gay--Lesbian-Youth-Center-Vandalized/3772552&quot;&gt;Cops Investigate Hate Crime at Long Island Gay, Lesbian Youth Center&amp;nbsp; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(1010wins, 02/02/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=theithacajournal&amp;amp;sParam=30097623.story&quot;&gt;Police investigate vandalism at NY gay center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (USA Today/Ithaca Journal, 02/02/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynamic/stories/N/NY_ANTI_GAY_VANDALISM_BAOL-?SITE=NYNYP&amp;amp;SECTION=HOME&quot;&gt;NY commissioner to visit vandalized gay center&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (New York Post, 02/04/09)&lt;/font&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=115">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-02-03T18:01:48+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Governor Paterson Releases Statement on Bias Crime at The Center</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=115</link>
        <description>Governor David A. Paterson released a statement Tuesday on the Bias-Motivated Vandalism of The Long Island GLBT Community Center</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;646&quot; height=&quot;97&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/C8260144.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
For Immediate Release:&lt;/strong&gt; February 3, 2009&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Contact: &lt;/strong&gt;Errol Cockfield | Errol.Cockfield@chamber.state.ny.us | 212.681.4640 | 518.474.8418&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR DAVID A. PATERSON&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Yesterday morning, counselors at the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Center came face to face with the ugly realities of intolerance when they arrived at work and discovered that the center had been vandalized. Thankfully, this despicable deed occurred while the center was closed and none of its employees or visitors were hurt. I condemn such acts of hatred and violence, and I assure you that law enforcement officials are hard at work to bring the perpetrators to justice. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;State Division of Human Rights Commissioner Galen D. Kirkland will be at the center on Friday to address the Division&amp;rsquo;s work in Suffolk County and to speak with representatives from the center about how to best counter violence against the LGBT community. I look forward to speaking with him after his visit.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;In the diverse world in which we live, where we find ourselves increasingly dependent on each other to advance the qualities of our own lives, we must learn to celebrate our differences and embrace our common condition. We must understand that an attack on any of us is an attack on all of us. Hate is unacceptable.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
###</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=114">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-02-03T17:43:46+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Vandalism of The Long Island GLBT Center Being Investigated as a Hate Crime</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=114</link>
        <description>Over the weekend of January 31st-February 1st The Long Island GLBT Community Center&amp;rsquo;s front door was smashed and our van&amp;rsquo;s windows were broken and tired slashed.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Suffolk County Police Department Bias Crimes Unit is currently investigating the incident as a hate crime</description>
        <body>&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Dear Long Island Community Member -&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;
&lt;table width=&quot;200&quot; cellspacing=&quot;5&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; summary=&quot;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;200&quot; height=&quot;267&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/BrokenDoor300px.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;225&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/Van400px.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; This morning, LIGALY, Center and SAGE-LI staff members arrived at work and were forced to face the terrible realities of homophobia and transphobia right here on Long Island. At some point between late Saturday and early Monday, The Center&amp;rsquo;s front door was smashed to pieces and our van&amp;rsquo;s windows were broken, mirrors mangled and all the tires were slashed.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; As soon as we encountered the damage, it was reported it to the Suffolk County Police Department and to the Suffolk County Bias Crimes Unit. We believe this was an act of bias and hope that The Police Department continues its investigation looking at this as a hate crime.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;This was not a simple case of vandalism, but an attack on our entire community.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; We are thankful that this act happened while The Center was closed and therefore no one was physically injured, but this was a clear attempt to instill fear in GLBT people throughout Long Island.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;I want all Long Islanders to know that we will not stand by and allow anyone to terrorize our community.&amp;nbsp; We will use this heinous act to raise awareness of the discrimination and hatred that GLBT people are all to often a target of.&amp;nbsp; The glass will be cleaned and the van will be back on the road soon, but ultimately it is my hope that we can make this a turning point for GLBT people.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Damage to the van, which transports more than 50 youth a week to The Center for support and leadership programs, is estimated at over $4,000, while additional damage to the front door is estimated at over $1,000. Please make a donation to The Center today and be part of our anti-violence effort to maintain The Center as a safe space for Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;Your donation will help The Center re-bound from this hateful vandalism and support the purchase and installation of a security surveillance system.&amp;nbsp; This system will not only help to prevent further vandalism, but will also help to identify those who do commit these hateful acts.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Your support will also help to get our van, that transports GLBT youth to and from programs three times a week, back on the road as soon as possible.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;javascript:void(0);/*1233629064096*/&quot;&gt;Please stand up to hate and make a donation to The Center today.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In Solidarity and With Pride,&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
David Kilmnick, PhD, MSW&lt;br /&gt;
Chief Executive Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;u&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In the Media:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/u&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;/images/uploads/File/Newsday020309.pdf&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gay youth center target of vandals(PDF)&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/a&gt;(Newsday, 02/03/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&amp;amp;id=6637485&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Long Island gay center vandalized&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/a&gt;(WABC Eyewitness News, 02/02/08)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.365gay.com/news/vandalism-at-long-island-lgbt-center-probed-as-hate-crime/&quot;&gt;Vandalism at Long Island LGBT center probed as hate crime&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (365gay.com/LOGO, 02/03/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.towleroad.com/2009/02/long-island-lgb.html&quot;&gt;Long Island LGBT youth center hit by vandals in hate crime &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(towleroad.com, 02/02/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://joemygod.blogspot.com/search?q=Long+Island+Gay+Youth+Center+Vandalized&quot;&gt;Long Island gay youth center vandalized &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(joemygod.blogspot.com, 02/02/09)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=113">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-01-06T11:55:31+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Join us on Facebook!</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=113</link>
        <description>Connect with LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI on the Facebook, the world's largest social networking site.</description>
        <body>The Network now has a home on Facebook, the world's largest social networking site.&amp;nbsp; If you have a Facebook account, there are a number of ways that you connect with LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI to keep up-to-date on events, help spread the word about the organizations and connect with other supporters.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
First, you can become a fan of LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI.&amp;nbsp; When a Facebook member becomes a fan, they will recieve regular updates about programs and events, as well as be able to view videos and pictures and join in online discussions.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Facebook Causes is popular adocacy tool where you can help support The Network by joining the cause and recruiting your friends to do the same.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Don't delay, become a fan of LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI and join The Network cause today!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Island-Gay-and-Lesbian-Youth/37891228760&quot;&gt;LIGALY's Facebook Page&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Island-Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-and-Transgender-Community-Center/33681482704&quot;&gt;The Center's Facebook Page&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.facebook.com/pages/Services-and-Advocacy-for-GLBT-Elders-Long-Island/25590784401&quot;&gt;SAGE-LI's Facebook Page&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.facebook.com/pages/Services-and-Advocacy-for-GLBT-Elders-Long-Island/25590784401&quot;&gt;The Network's Facebook Causes Page&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=112">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-01-06T11:53:08+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Partners in Pride's February Business Networking Event</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=112</link>
        <description>Hosted by member Kevin Leatherman, Coldwell Banker SURF on February 10</description>
        <body>Bring a friend or colleague to Partners in Pride's next business networking event on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm to network, develop leads, and keep a competitive edge in this ever-changing economy.&amp;nbsp; The event will be held at Coldwell Banker SURF in Oceanside and is FREE for Entreprenuer, Partner, and Corporate Partner members.&amp;nbsp; $10 for Colleague and Associate members.&amp;nbsp; $35 for non-members.&amp;nbsp; Please register in advance.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtnetwork.org/content.php?pgID=230&amp;amp;tr=y&amp;amp;auid=4376288&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Learn More&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=111">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-01-06T11:51:59+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>The Center Welcoms Mik Kinkead</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=111</link>
        <description>New Position will revolutionize services for the Transgender Community</description>
        <body>The Center is proud to announce the newest member of our staff, Mik Kinkead who will serve as Transgender Services Coordinator. Mik will be working to expand Long Island Trans Experience (LITE), The Center's programs and services that support transgender and gender non-conforming people through support groups, case management and referrals, community education and training along with policy and advocacy initiaitives.&amp;nbsp; LITE is Long Island's oldest trans-specific program and just one of a few programs of it's kind at a GLBT Community Center that has a full-time staff person focusing on the needs of the trans community. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mik joins The Center after serving as the first-ever Transgender Advocate at The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and brings a wide variety of experience to the agency including facilitating support groups and leading trainings on the intersections of race, class, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On Wednesday, January 21, at 7:00pm, meet Mik and discuss future LITE events when The Center will host a LITE Meet and Greet. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org/content.php?pgID=414&amp;amp;tr=y&amp;amp;auid=4378651&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
More About Mik&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=110">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2009-01-06T11:50:34+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Long Island GLBT Advocacy Day:  January 27, 2009</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=110</link>
        <description>Be a voice for Long Island's GLBT community by heading to Albany on January 27 for the 2nd Annual Long Island GLBT Advocacy Day.</description>
        <body>Be a voice for Long Island's GLBT community by heading to Albany on January 27 for the 2nd Annual Long Island GLBT Advocacy Day.&amp;nbsp; Over 200 GLBT and ally youth, adults, and seniors will join us for this important day when we will meet with our state senators and assembly members to let them know about needs of our community and our families. The Governor's Office along with other dignitaries will be welcoming Long Island's GLBT Community to Albany for the first GLBT advocacy day since the November elections. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Help by telling your story and those of your friends and families to those that represent us in the Assembly and Senate so that equality and resources are delivered to our region. Registration is only $20 and includes round trip coach bus transportation, breakfast, lunch, snacks and materials.&amp;nbsp; For more information, click the link below or call 631.665.2300.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtnetwork.org/content.php?pgID=409&amp;amp;tr=y&amp;amp;auid=4378543&quot;&gt;Learn More&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=109">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-10-14T17:37:28+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>The Center Welcomes Galen Hessemyer to its Staff.</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=109</link>
        <description>Galen Hessemyer joins The Center Staff as our new Center Manager.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>The Center welcomes Galen Hessemyer as our new Center Manager.&amp;nbsp; Galen recently moved to Long Island from Kansas City where he was a Graphic Designer.&amp;nbsp; As the Center Manager, Galen oversees the Center&amp;rsquo;s calendar of events,&amp;nbsp; acts as the liason for The Center and it&amp;rsquo;s tenants and manages many of the logistical needs of LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI programming. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtcenter.org/content.php?pgID=374&quot;&gt;Read Galen's Bio&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=108">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-10-14T17:31:28+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>A More Welcoming Center for You</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=108</link>
        <description>Renovations to The Center are Underway including a new reception area slated to be completed by the end of October.</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;224&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/P1010008.JPG.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;If you have been to The Center recently, you have seen some changes to the facade including new street and building signs and improved lighting in the parking lot.&amp;nbsp; Last week, The Center began what will be a series of interior renovations to update the physical space and better serve center visitors and our community.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Phase 1 of renovations, a new reception area and information desk, is scheduled to be complete by the end of October.&amp;nbsp; Additional projects will include a complete overhaul of all bathroom facilities, updating of the Multipurpose Room, replacement of flooring and reconfiguring of office space to meet the growing needs of the organization and the Long Island GLBT Community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Help us build a better Community Center for all of us.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;/content.php?pgID=373&quot;&gt;Click here &lt;/a&gt;to learn more about the renovations and how you can support The Center Renovation Fund.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=107">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-10-07T17:22:45+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Capell Vishnick LLP Becomes Corporate Partner</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=107</link>
        <description>Lake Success Law Firm Capell Vishnick, LLP has joined the Corportate Partner programs ot support LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI.&amp;nbsp;</description>
        <body>Capell Vishnick LLP, a Lake Success law firm, has joined the Corporate Partner program to support LIGALY, The Center, and SAGE-LI in providing high-quality services to Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community throughout the lifespan.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
Joseph Milizio, Manager Partner of Capell Vishnick LLP, recently launched a Gay and Lesbian Representation Practice Group at Capell Vishnick.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The practice group offers legal counsel and representation on key issues in the LGBT community, including domestic partnership agreements, co-owner agreements, adoptions, life and estate planning, health care proxies/living wills and employment law/discrimination. &amp;quot;People are extremely relieved,&amp;quot; says Milizio of East Northport, &amp;quot;to hear they do have the ability to work with an attorney who is familiar and comfortable with the gay and lesbian community - and who is aware of the various issues that need to be addressed.&amp;quot; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We thank Capell Vishnick LLP for their leadership, dedication, and support of our community,&amp;rdquo; says Chief Executive Officer David Kilmnick.&amp;nbsp; &amp;ldquo;It&amp;rsquo;s this type of community involvement that helps LIGALY, The Center, and SAGE-LI solve the problems of homophobia and transphobia on Long Island.&amp;rdquo;&amp;nbsp; Capell Vishnick joins a long list of Long Island companies supporting LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI through &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtnetwork.org/content.php?pgID=124&quot;&gt;Partners in Pride&lt;/a&gt;, The Network&amp;rsquo;s business networking and advertising program.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To learn more about Capell Vishnick LLP&amp;rsquo;s work, please contact Joseph Milizio at 516-437-4385 or jmilizio@capellvishnick.com, or visit the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.liglbtnetwork.org/directory.php?pgID=252&quot;&gt;Long Island GLBT Business Directory&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To learn more about becoming a Partners in Pride member to support the work of LIGALY, The Center, and SAGE-LI, contact Director of Development Robert Vitelli at 631-665-2300 or robert@liglbtnetwork.org.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=106">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-10-06T12:57:04+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY's National Coming Out Day School Awareness Campaign</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=106</link>
        <description>On Wednesday, October 15th, thousands of students on Long Island will participate in LIGALY's 6th Annual National Coming Out Day School Awareness Campaign</description>
        <body>LIGALY’s National Coming Out Day (NCOD) School Awareness Campaign is quickly approaching! The Campaign, now in its sixth year, helps create safer and more supportive learning environments for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth and their allies. LIGALY provides participating schools with rainbow ribbons, ally stickers, campaign posters, a guide to organizing the Campaign, and more.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to wear the ribbons or stickers to show their support for GLBT youth. Help us reach more schools, students, teachers and faculty by donating to the campaign today.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=105">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-10-06T12:35:38+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>On The Bay Raises $75,000 for LIGALY Programs and Services</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=105</link>
        <description>On August 16th, LIGALY's staff, board members, and volunteers welcomed hundreds of guests for On The Bay 2008, our fourth-annual summer benefit. Attendees enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and drinks, a silent auction of luxury items, and a beautiful setting in the Hamptons. </description>
        <body>On The Bay 2008 hit the Hamptons this summer to raise $75,000 for Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), for expanded services on the East End of Long Island. Hundreds gathered for a stunning sunny afternoon at the Diamond Ranch to enjoy food, drink, and a luxury silent auction featuring items from Drew Patrick Spa, Canyon Ranch, Polo Ralph Lauren, David Barton Gym, Calvin Klein, Bill Blass, and W Hotels among others.
 
CEO David Kilmnick spoke about the needs of GLBT youth who still face harassment in school, rejection from families, and discrimination in the community. The highlight of the day was 14-year old Sarah, who captured the crowd with her heart-felt coming out story.  Sarah shared that LIGALY has become a home for her to become empowered as an emerging young GLBT leader, and that LIGALY is the only place where she feels safe and comfortable to be herself.
 
A special thank you to the long list of On The Bay sponsors, including Corporate Platinum Partner Capell Vishnick Attorneys at Law, Corporate Media Partner Long Island Pulse Magazine, and Corporate Sponsors David Barton Gym, Oso at Southampton Inn, Passport Magazine, Dr. Shawn P. Cannon of hamptondoc.com, Briarcliff College, Arbonne International — Elyse Meistle &amp; Mary Guanti, The Hamptons Classic, The Furniture Garden, National Grid, and Drew Patrick Spa. Check out all of our sponsors here. 

Thank you to all who helped make On The Bay 2008 a great success!

Click the &quot;Photo Gallery&quot; Link on the left to see pictures from On The Bay.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=104">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-09-22T17:59:11+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Learn Ballroom Dance at the Center!</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=104</link>
        <description>Back by popular demand! Our four-week ballroom dance course was such a success that we are offering a ten-week course this fall. Experience couple dancing with no restrictions on who can lead or follow. Put on your dancing feet and join the fun!</description>
        <body>&lt;p class=&quot;title24&quot;&gt;Dances will include the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Rumba, Mambo, and Swing. No prior dance experience necessary and no partner needed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Taught by Hazel Wodehouse, dance instructor and advanced member of the Stony Brook Ballroom Dance Team.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When: Mondays, 7:00pm &amp;ndash; 8:30pm, Oct. 6-Dec 15 (no class on Nov. 24)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Cost: $90 per person for all ten classes or $50 for the first 5 classes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Open to ages 21 and older. Space is limited to 20 students, so &lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org/content.php?pgID=316&quot;&gt;sign up now&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class=&quot;title24&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=103">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-09-22T17:56:05+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Bloomingdale's Discount Coupon Promotion</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=103</link>
        <description>You love shopping and supporting a great cause, right? Well, now you can do both at the same time! LIGALY, The Center, and SAGE-LI are offering a 15% discount card to Bloomingdale&amp;rsquo;s for just $10!&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;mailto:shawn@ligaly.org&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;strong&gt;The Shopping Benefit&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Thursday, October 23rd&lt;br /&gt;
Bloomingdales in Roosevelt Field, Walt Whitman or The Furniture Gallery at Roosevelt Field $10 for 15% off (certain restrictions apply) or get the discount card for FREE when you &lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org/content.php?pgID=120&quot;&gt;join as a Member today&lt;/a&gt;!</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=102">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-07-09T17:00:05+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Biking for Safe Schools</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=102</link>
        <description>Each year, Bill Thierfelder, Associate Professor of English at Dowling College, undertakes a unique fundraiser for LIGALY: collecting pledges for a solo bike trek called the Journey for Safe Spaces.&amp;nbsp; Bill donates the money he raises to LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s Safe Schools Initiative, a comprehensive program that works to build a welcoming climate in our schools for GLBT students.&amp;nbsp; &amp;ldquo;As an educator, I feel the initiative is so vital,&amp;rdquo; Bill says.</description>
        <body>Bill cycled this year from Dowling College&amp;rsquo;s Brookhaven campus to the LIGALY headquarters in Bay Shore. His supporters once again donated generously. &amp;ldquo;I was very pleased&amp;mdash;there was a great outpouring of support,&amp;rdquo; he says. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bill encourages others to engage in grassroots fundraising to help keep programs like the Safe Schools Initiative alive and well. &amp;ldquo;The message is, if I can do it, anyone can do it!&amp;rdquo; he says.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=101">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-07-09T16:02:05+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>The Center and Long Island Community Honor Nazi Victims</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=101</link>
        <description>The Center welcomed a diverse audience at the July first Community Dedication Ceremony for the exhibition &amp;ldquo;Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals: 1933-1945.&amp;quot; The exhibition, on loan to The Center from the U.S. Holocaust Museum, honors a group whose stories are largely unknown to the public. &lt;br /&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;263&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;239&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;Philip Boyle&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/boyle2.jpg&quot; /&gt;&amp;ldquo;As a Jewish person, I learned a great deal about the Jewish victims of the Holocaust when I was growing up&amp;mdash;but nothing about the victims who were gay,&amp;rdquo; said David Kilmnick, CEO of The Center, in his remarks to the crowd. &amp;ldquo;The dedication ceremony commemorates this very important but untold story in our history.&amp;rdquo; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Attendees browsed the exhibition and heard remarks from Kilmnick and New York State Assembly member Philip Boyle, a long-time ally of the GLBT community. Representatives from the offices of State Assemblywoman Ginny Fields, Suffolk County Legislator Thomas Barraga, and Suffolk County Legislator John M. Kennedy also leant their support.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kilmnick stressed the relevance of the exhibition&amp;rsquo;s theme to the entire community: &amp;ldquo;The issues addressed by the exhibition include everyone&amp;mdash;they transcend color, age, gender, and sexual orientation.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The exhibit will be on display to the public through July 28.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org/videogallery.php?vid=6&quot;&gt;Watch the News 12 broadcast of the event&amp;gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=100">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-22T18:44:35+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>March with us in the Long Island Pride Parade!</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=100</link>
        <description>Register now for June 8th Event...</description>
        <body>June is right around the corner, and The Network is gearing up the 2008 Long Island Pride Parade on Sunday, June 8th.&amp;nbsp; Show your pride by marching with LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI, which boasts the largest marching contingent each year. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More than 300 community members are expected to march with The Network including youth,&amp;nbsp; gay-straight alliance (GSA) clubs, families, adults and seniors!&amp;nbsp; Everyone who marches with LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI will receive a free t-shirt and other pride gear. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=186&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Register to March with LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=99">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-22T18:40:53+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>MANGO Goes Camping</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=99</link>
        <description>Memorial Day Weekend Trip to GLBT Latino Weekend at Camp Oneida</description>
        <body>This memorial day, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=198&quot;&gt;MANGO&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, The Center&amp;rsquo;s community program for Long Island's GLBT Latino&amp;rsquo;s will kick-off the summer season by participating in a special Latino GLBT Camping Weekend! The weekend will be held at Camp Oneida in Milford. PA and will attract over 500 people from across the country for swimming, camp fires and the &amp;quot;Miss Colombia Oneida&amp;quot; Pageant.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Car pools will be leaving Long Island on the evening on Friday, May 23rd and the morning of Saturday, May 24th and returning on Monday, May 26th. Anyone 21 or over who is interested in attending should contact Wilson Montoya at the Center.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=242&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Read more&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=98">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-22T16:15:14+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>SAGE-LI Spotlight: David Boyd</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=98</link>
        <description>A lifelong Bay Shore resident, 69 year-old David Boyd waited a long time for something like SAGE-Long Island.&amp;nbsp; So when the organization started providing programs in 2007, it was no surprise that he was one ogf the first seniors to start attending programs.</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;250&quot; vspace=&quot;10&quot; hspace=&quot;10&quot; height=&quot;235&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/George-Boyd.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;David Boyd&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I like SAGE because it gets me out of the house,&amp;quot;&amp;nbsp; says Boyd. &amp;quot;Many of my friends have passed away, so coming here is important so i can get support and make new friends.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
David participates in a number of SAGE-Long Island's social and recreational programs, including &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=133&quot;&gt;The Monday Mingle&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=132&quot;&gt;Senior Computer Classes&lt;/a&gt;. He also attended Long Island GLBT Advocacy Day in February where he spoke to elected officials in Albany about the need for services for GLBT seniors.&amp;nbsp; And he wants to give back too. Working with his fellow seniors, David will be helping to create a outdoor program space at The Long Island GLBT Community Center this spring.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SAGE-Long Island is helping GLBT seniors like David find community and get the services they need. To learn more about SAGE-Long Island, its current programs and how you can get involved, call 631-665-2300.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://sageli.org&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;gt;&amp;gt; SAGE-LI&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=97">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-22T15:21:37+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Honoring Three Advocates - Gala Raises Over $80,000 for New Advocacy Project</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=97</link>
        <description>On Friday, April 11th, The Long Island GLBT Services Network held its &lt;strong&gt;2008 Equality Awards Gala&lt;/strong&gt; at The East Wind in Wading River. More than 150 attendees gathered for a night of great food, dancing and community building in support of The Network&amp;rsquo;s advocacy and public policy initiatives.</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;250&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;250&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;Matt Foreman&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/mattforeman250.jpg&quot; /&gt;The Gala honored three advocates who have been on the front lines working for the GLBT community for many years:&lt;strong&gt; Bank of &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;America, Governor David A. Patterson&lt;/strong&gt; and and former National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director &lt;strong&gt;Matt Foreman&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
Accepting the award on behalf of Bank of America was Long Island Market Development President Bob Isacksen. Mr. Isaksen spoke about the Bank's commitment in supporting the GLBT community.&amp;nbsp; Bank of America (then Fleet Bank) was one of the early corporate funders of LIGALY and continues to support the work of LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=75&quot;&gt;Safe Schools Initiative&lt;/a&gt; today.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
New York State Commissioner of Temporary and Disability Assistance David Hansell, who accepted the award on behalf of Governor Patterson provided the audience with the opportunity to hear how the new governor has been a pioneer in supporting pro-GLBT legislation throughout his political career.&amp;nbsp; As one of two openly gay New York State Commissioners, Mr. Hansell is part of one of the most supportive administrations of the GLBT community in the country. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Matt Foreman, who served as the Task Force's Executive Director for the last six years delivered a powerful speech about the state of GLBT equality and where our community goes from here. The Equality Awards Gala marked Mr. Foreman's final speech as a professional GLBT advocate. Following the Gala, Mr. Foreman moved on to head one of the largest programs that provides funding for GLBT people in the country.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The gala raised over $80,000 to support a new advocacy project at the Network.&amp;nbsp; Thanks to the dollars raised at this event, LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI will be able to continue their work building the power of Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community.&amp;nbsp; Over the coming months, the Network will not only increase its work on GLBT public policy and advocacy issues, but it will also work with partners in the region and state to advance other progressive social justice and civil rights causes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Network would like to thank the many sponsors of The Long Island GLBT Equality Awards Gala, especially Board President and Event Chairperson Andrew Stern and his partner Andrew Lane, The Roche Foundation, The Johnson Family Foundation, Bank of America, Network Platinum sponsor Capell Vishnick, LLP and Long Island Pulse Magazine who is a Media Partner of The Network.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;photogallery.php?cid=9&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; 2008 Equality Awards Gala Photo Gallery&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=96">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-09T12:14:55+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Only a Few Tickets Remain for 2008 Gala</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=96</link>
        <description>The Long Island GLBT Equality Awards Gala is only a few days away. On Friday, April 11th at The East Wind in Wading River, three outstanding advocates will be recognized for their tireless work and leadership on behalf of the GLBT Community:&amp;nbsp; New York State Governor David A. Paterson, NGLTF Executive Director Matt Foreman, and Bank of America.</description>
        <body>The Gala features a cocktail reception, open bar, sit-down dinner, awards ceremony, and dancing. Gala attendees can take advantage of a special room rate ($149) to stay the evening and enjoy The East Wind including their legendary spa.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Only a few tickets remain to this special celebration. For more information, contact Robert Vitelli, Director of Development, at 631-665-2300 or email &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:robert@liglbtnetwork.org&quot;&gt;robert@liglbtnetwork.org&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=192&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Purchase Tickets NOW&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=184&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Learn more about The Gala and Sponsors&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=95">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-09T12:10:46+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Speed Dating for Seniors: A SAGE-LI Event</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=95</link>
        <description>GLBT senior singles who are looking for new ways to meet potential mates can attend one of SAGE-LI's upcoming speed dating events this spring.&amp;nbsp; Speed Dating is a fun and quick way to meet new people in a safe and friendly atmosphere.</description>
        <body>The first speed dating event will be for women 50 and up on Saturday, May 17th. In June it's the men's turn on Saturday, June 14th.&amp;nbsp; Registration for speed dating is $20 and pre-registration is required.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Speed dating events for adults of other age groups will be happening throughout the year, so keep checking the eNews and The Center's website for more details.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=226&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &amp;nbsp; Register for Women 50+ Speed Dating&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=233&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &amp;nbsp; Register for Men 50+ Speed Dating&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=94">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-09T12:02:27+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>The Long Island GLBT Services Network Welcomes Aoifa O'Donnell</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=94</link>
        <description>The &lt;strong&gt;Long Island GLBT Services Network&lt;/strong&gt; is pleased to welcome the newest member of its staff, &lt;strong&gt;Aoifa O'Donnell, LCSW&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Aoifa &lt;em&gt;(pronounced e-fah)&lt;/em&gt; joined the staff as its Director of Programs recently.</description>
        <body>As Director of Programs, Aiofa will oversee the day to day program operations of the organization, including programs and services that &lt;strong&gt;LIGALY&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;The Center&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;SAGE-LI&lt;/strong&gt; provide to GLBT youth, adults, families and seniors. Prior to joining The Network, Aoifa was the Director of Training for a national company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Aoifa, who emigrated from Ireland in the early 1990's, is an alumnus of the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare where she received her Masters in Social Work in 2000.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=257&quot;&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Read more about Aoifa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=93">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-09T11:55:56+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title> Helping Bisexual People Find Community</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=93</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;Getting Bi&lt;/strong&gt; has been meeting twice monthly to provide bisexual people of all ages with a safe and bi-positive environment.</description>
        <body>Staff at &lt;strong&gt;LIGALY&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;The Center&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;SAGE-LI&lt;/strong&gt; are ensuring that all people in the Long Island GLBT Community are being supported and recognized for who they are. In 2006, Center Manager Rachel West started &lt;strong&gt;&amp;quot;Getting Bi&amp;quot;&lt;/strong&gt; as a project of her internship at the organization. Since that time, &lt;strong&gt;Getting Bi&lt;/strong&gt; has been meeting twice monthly to provide bisexual people of all ages with a safe and bi-positive environment.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Getting Bi&lt;/strong&gt; is the only social support group of it's kind on Long Island and members discuss a diverse range of topics at each meeting. &lt;strong&gt;Getting Bi&lt;/strong&gt; also hosts community events throughout the year.&amp;nbsp; Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month.&amp;nbsp; The next meeting of &lt;strong&gt;Getting Bi&lt;/strong&gt; is Monday, April 21st at 7:30pm.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=196&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; Getting Bi&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=89">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-02T18:24:00+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>David Kilmnick Responds to ABC News Viewers Questions</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=89</link>
        <description>Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) CEO David Kilmnick responds to ABC News 20/20 viewers questions about issues facing families of gay children.</description>
        <body>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=256&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Go to the ABC News page...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=91">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-01T18:22:49+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Mosaic: Communities of Color Initiative at The Center</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=91</link>
        <description>Mosaic, The Center's newest project, is providing new ways for GLBT people of color to find community.</description>
        <body>&lt;h2&gt;Mosaic: The Center's Communities of Color Initiative&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mosaic, The Center&amp;rsquo;s newest project, is providing new ways for GLBT people of color to find community. Currently, Mosaic provides two monthly gatherings, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=198&quot;&gt;MANGO (Moviemento Activista National Gay Organizado)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; which meets on the last Saturday of each month and is for Latino GLBT people. The second program, &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=219&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brother 2 Brother&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, is for Black and African American gay, bisexual and transgender men, and meets on the first Saturday of each month. Both programs meet at 6:00pm at The Center (&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=60&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;directions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;). &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Future programs coming this Spring will include &lt;strong&gt;Soul Sister&lt;/strong&gt; for Black and African American lesbian, bisexual and transgender women as well a program for people the Asian/Pacific Islander community.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=92">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-01T16:05:26+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI Return to Albany on April 29th</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=92</link>
        <description>LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI are working every day to ensure that the GLBT community on Long Island continues to grow and thrive. On April 29th, we will once again be boarding buses to Albany as we partner with The Empire State Pride Agenda for Equality and Justice Day.</description>
        <body>&lt;h2&gt;Register for Equality and Justice Day&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI Return to Albany on April 29th&lt;/h2&gt;
LIGALY, The Center and SAGE-LI are working every day to ensure that the GLBT community on Long Island continues to grow and thrive.&amp;nbsp; On &lt;strong&gt;April 29th&lt;/strong&gt;, we will once again be boarding buses to Albany as we partner with The Empire State Pride Agenda for &lt;strong&gt;Equality and Justice Day&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Equality and Justice Day brings together GLBT people and their allies from across New York to advocate for pro-GLBT policies and legislation. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you joined us for Long Island GLBT Advocacy Day on February 6th, you know what an important impact our community and we hope you will once again help us ensure that the Long Island GLBT community has a strong and visible presence in Albany. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Registration is $40 and includes roundtrip bus transportation as well as breakfast and lunch. Scholarships are available for youth and people with limited income.&amp;nbsp; If you are interested in attending or have any questions, contact James Fallarino at 631.665.2300 or &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:james@liglbtnetwork.org&quot;&gt;james@liglbtnetwork.org&lt;/a&gt;.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=90">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-04-01T15:43:35+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Auditions Now Being Held for Long Island OUT Season 6</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=90</link>
        <description>LIGALY's annual youth singing competition returns for another exciting season!&amp;nbsp; Season 6 of Long Island Out Idol will begin on April 25th, and auditions are already underway to find Long Island's next OUT star!</description>
        <body>&lt;h2&gt;Auditions for Season 6 of Long Island OUT Idol Going on Now!&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY's annual youth singing competition returns for another exciting season!&amp;nbsp; Season 6 of &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=87&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Long Island Out Idol&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; will begin on April 25th, and auditions are already underway to find Long Island's next OUT star!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Auditions will be held at The Center (&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=97&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;directions&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;) on &lt;strong&gt;Friday, March 28th at 9pm&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Friday, April 4th at 9pm&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Those auditioning will be asked to sing a brief song a capella.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Previous winners have performed at the Long Island Pride Parade, the New York City Heritage of Pride Pridefest and on Sirius OUTQ radio as well as receiving cash prizes, photo and PR packages and more. Don't miss out - &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=87&quot;&gt;sign up to audition&lt;/a&gt; today!&amp;nbsp;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=63">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:15:12+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Gay business group Partners in Pride forms on LI</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=63</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style20&quot;&gt;11/12/2007 - Newsday &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style20&quot;&gt;&amp;mdash;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style20&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Robert Vitelli had long considered establishing a              local business group for companies run by gays and lesbians or their              supporters.</description>
        <body>&lt;table width=&quot;100%&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;10&quot; border=&quot;0&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;276&quot; height=&quot;41&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/newsdayLOGO.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Newsday&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style4&quot;&gt;Gay business group Partners in Pride forms on LI&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            BY DANIEL WAGNER&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;285&quot; height=&quot;214&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/Newsday_11_12_2007_Photo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Newsday Article&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Robert Vitelli had long considered establishing a              local business group for companies run by gays and lesbians or their              supporters. &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;But it wasn't until this summer, when he sought input from local              business leaders, that the organization, Partners in Pride, assumed              its final, polished shape.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;They were outsiders - not total outsiders, but outsiders              enough to provide a fresh glance at what we were trying to do,&amp;quot; he              said. &amp;quot;It would have been very different if we hadn't done&amp;quot; the           focus groups.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Vitelli is director of development for The Long Island GLBT [gay,             lesbian, bisexual, transgender] Community Center, a Bay Shore-based             umbrella group that encompasses a number of community service and             support organizations.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Partners in Pride is the 14-year-old group's first attempt to reach             the business community. It will have its kickoff reception tomorrow             at the Four Food Studio in Melville and anticipates scheduling quarterly             networking events.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Coincidentally, a similar networking group, Out in Front, is unveiling             its &amp;quot;Vision for Success&amp;quot; the next day at KeySpan/National             Grid in Melville. Out in Front, which has been holding monthly mixers,             focuses on business development and education in addition to networking,             according to executive director Bridgette Nicolini, who also runs             a full-service marketing company.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Vitelli said collaborating with the business community required             him to adjust his entire approach to building the organization. He             said it became clear that he needed to have an independent, professional-looking             Web site - one that companies would be proud to be &amp;quot;co-branded             with because it represents a quality product.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;The business leaders also explained              the value of networking, not just one-to-one connections but also              providing access to one's entire network of associates.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Finally, he said, he got feedback on how to structure              membership fees for the group, which range from $2,500 for a Corporate              Partner designation (which includes extensive electronic and print              advertising) to $175 associate memberships that offer more modest              benefits.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;The initiative has a number of goals, according to              David Kilmnick, executive director of Long Island Gay and Lesbian              Youth, which is partnering with the community center to create Partners              in Pride. &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;For so long, that connection to the business community really              wasn't there,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;The idea of Partners in Pride              was to bring together gay and lesbian business owners and gay- and              lesbian-friendly business owners so we can make connections between              the business community and the general Long Island gay population.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Kilmnick said developing the group was &amp;quot;a delicate process              of reaching out to the business community and similar organizations              in other parts of the country, then adapting it to our particular              region.&amp;quot; That meant finding ways to bring together diverse              business leaders from a dispersed, suburban area - something existing              gay- and lesbian-focused business groups in urban areas don't have              to worry about.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;In addition to generating the revenue necessary to increase the              nonprofit's menu of services, Kilmnick said, he hopes Partners in              Pride will evolve into a &amp;quot;Long Island Gay and Lesbian Chamber              of Commerce.&amp;quot; He said that dream is not far off. So far, 27              business members have signed up.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;A day doesn't go by without dozens of calls coming in, asking              about the program, wanting to take the next step and joining,&amp;quot; Kilmnick              said.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;BIZ FACTS&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Networking group Partners in Pride is getting support from Long              Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, which offers services to more than           1,000 young people and families each year.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=74">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:14:13+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY Expresses Disappointment in Hesitation to Recognize Bias Crime</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=74</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;09/13/2007 &amp;mdash; LIGALY Expresses Disappointment in Hesitation to Recognize Bias Crime&lt;/strong&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;strong&gt;PRESS RELEASE&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;Contact: David Kilmnick, Executive Director&lt;br /&gt;
631/665-2300&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;LIGALY Expresses Disappointment in Hesitation to Recognize Bias Crime&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thursday, September 13, Bay Shore, NY -- Nearly a week has passed since the attack of the former &amp;quot;Top Chef&amp;quot; contestant, Josie Smith-Malave, at a Sea Cliff bar. While this is the second reported attack in Nassau County this year, crimes like these are happening all too often, and are significantly underreported. &amp;quot;We receive at least three dozen phone calls per year from victims of bias crimes. It's happening all too often, and the amount of homophobia and heterosexism that exists in these institutions deters people from reporting these crimes,&amp;quot; says David Kilmnick, Executive Director of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The police department's hesitation in classifying Smith-Malave's attack as a bias crime is unacceptable, and the Anti-Violence Project of Long Island (AVP-LI), a project of LIGALY, is calling upon the Nassau County Police Department to pursue and classify this horrendous attack on Smith-Malave as a bias crime and ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Failure to do so will justify the actions of Smith-Malave's attackers (and others like them), and will send a message of fear to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In November 2006, LIGALY launched an Anti-Violence Project (AVP-LI), which is the first of its kind on Long Island. AVP-LI was created to address the rapid-growing violence committed against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) youth and families. The Project serves GLBT and HIV-positive victims of violence, and others affected by violence, by providing free and confidential services enabling them to regain their sense of control, identify and evaluate their options, and assert their rights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;# # # &lt;/div&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=75">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:13:27+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>On The Bay Raises $80,000 for Long Island</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=75</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;09/06/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; The 3rd annual &lt;strong&gt;On The Bay Lawn Party and Auction&lt;/strong&gt; on Sunday, August 19th raised over $80,000 to support expanded services for Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community!</description>
        <body>&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;
&lt;table width=&quot;100%&quot; cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;&quot; summary=&quot;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;More than 400 attended the annual event in their summer whites to stroll the waterfront property of generous host Carl Jacobs, enjoying superb passed hors d&amp;rsquo;ouevres, fabulous cocktails and wine, tremendous silent auction of over 140 premium and luxury items, and the stunning view across the Great South Bay. &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt; This year&amp;rsquo;s event honored two individuals who had done much in raising awareness of GLBT concerns: the irrepressible &lt;strong&gt;Carson Kressley&lt;/strong&gt;, star of Bravo&amp;rsquo;s out of the box award winning series &lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;New York State Assemblywoman Pat Eddington&lt;/strong&gt; who presented a $75,000 check on behalf of the state to &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;support SAGE-LI for &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;first-ever services for Long Island GLBT seniors. KeySpan, Citibank, Dr. Shawn P. Cannon of hamptondoc.com, the Wedding and Event Studio, Long Island Pulse Magazine, bellport.com, and hamptons.com topped the list of more than 60 corporate and media sponsors who made the event possible.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;285&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;Carson Kreesley&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/OTB07_carsonkressley285.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;img width=&quot;285&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;197&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/otb07checks285.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=76">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:12:54+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>KeySpan Leads Growing List of Sponsors for On The Bay 2007</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=76</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;07/12/2007 &amp;mdash; KeySpan Major Sponsorship Marks 3rd Year of Support&lt;/strong&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;strong&gt;KeySpan&lt;/strong&gt;, the fifth largest distributor of natural gas in the U.S., has become an Event Sponsor of &lt;strong&gt;On The Bay 2007&lt;/strong&gt; benefiting LIGALY and The Center. This year's sponsorship marks the third year in-a-row that KeySpan has supported On The Bay lending its leadership and support along with a long and growing list of other sponsors. On The Bay will be held on Sunday, August 19, 2007 from 2:00 to 6:00 pm in Bellport overlooking the Great South Bay. The event features a reception, catered food, auction, and honoree presentation to Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;KeySpan has been a pioneer in the Long Island corporate community in its commitment to diversity, its LGBT employees and the greater LGBT community,&amp;quot; said Executive Director David Kilmnick referring to the company's support of LGBT Pride, the KeySpan affinity group for LGBT employees. KeySpan scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Index survey.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
KeySpan Corporation (NYSE:KSE) is the fifth largest distributor of natural gas in the United States and the largest in the Northeast. KeySpan is also the largest electric generator in NYS, generating electricity for 1.1 million customers of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and supplying approximately 25 percent of New York City's capacity needs. KeySpan provides natural gas home and commercial conversions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Learn more at &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://Learn more at www.keyspanenergy.com.&quot;&gt;www.keyspanenergy.com&lt;/a&gt;.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=77">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:12:37+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Former Long Island High-School Dropout Elected Board President of LIGALY</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=77</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;07/12/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; The Board of Directors of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) unanimously elected &lt;strong&gt;Andrew Stern&lt;/strong&gt; to serve as the organization's new Board President.</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;150&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;Andrew Stern&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/andrewstern150.jpg&quot; /&gt;Mr. Stern, who has served as the Chair of the LIGALY Board Development Committee for the last year and a half, was himself the victim of the same types of anti-gay bias and harassment the organization now works to prevent.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;After surviving years of verbal abuse and physical assault from fellow students, and faced with a school administration with neither the understanding of the issues I was dealing with nor the capacity to help me, I dropped out of high school at the age of 16,&amp;quot; said Mr. Stern, who has been openly gay for the last 18 years. A student of Plainedge High School in North Massapequa, Mr. Stern left the Long Island public school system in 1979. He later received his high school equivalency diploma, graduated summa cum laude from Nassau Community College and holds a B.A. in English from CUNY Hunter College.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to David Kilmnick, LIGALY's Executive Director, acts of discrimination and violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) teens continues to be a problem in our schools. &amp;quot;Sadly, Andy's experience is not yet a thing of the past. While we have made great strides in creating safer spaces and healthier school environments for our youth, we have a long way to go before every teen in every school is able to thrive in a supportive environment. We are fortunate to have found someone who brings both the expertise and vision to lead and the compassion and commitment that comes only from personal experience.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY is a bi-county (Nassau and Suffolk) not-for-profit agency which offers education, advocacy, and social support services to Long Island's GLBT youth and young adults, and all youth, young adults, and families for whom sexuality, sexual identity, gender identity, and HIV/AIDS are an issue. LIGALY's Community Education and Training Services provide sensitivity workshops to over 20,000 individuals annually including youth, educators, parents, health and human service providers, corporate professionals, and police departments. The organization also provides a broad base of services that help develop a school culture that fosters support, understanding, and respect for GLBT students. The organization implements these programs through collaborative partnerships with over 90 school districts throughout both Nassau and Suffolk counties.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The school district Mr. Stern attended is not currently one of them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;To return to my Long Island roots as a LIGALY Board member has been the single greatest gift I have ever received,&amp;quot; said Mr. Stern. &amp;quot;It has not only helped heal some deeply personal wounds, but has provided me with the opportunity to help ensure that none of our GLBT youth ever suffer the pain and indignities I went through again. It is an honor to work with the staff, volunteers, board and donors of this remarkable and vital organization.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mr. Stern currently lives in NYC with his partner of nine years. He is the Vice President for Politics, Institutional Development and Human Resources at NARAL Pro-Choice New York.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=78">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:12:21+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>SAGE-LI Receives Funding to Launch Programs</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=78</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;06/26/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; NYS Assemblywoman Pat Eddington Leads the Way for First-Ever Services for Long Island's GLBT Seniors</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;134&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;224&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/assemb_pat_eddington_caption.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;NYS Assemblywoman Pat Eddington&quot; /&gt;Long Island's GLBT seniors will finally be receiving much needed and critical social, recreational, educational, and support services through Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders - Long Island (SAGE-LI)! This summer, SAGE-LI will begin to offer services - the first of its kind on Long Island. New York State Assemblymembers &lt;strong&gt;Patricia Eddington&lt;/strong&gt; (D-Patchogue), &lt;strong&gt;Ginny Fields&lt;/strong&gt; (D-Oakdale), and &lt;strong&gt;Charles Lavine&lt;/strong&gt; (D-Glen Cove) have secured $80,000 to launch SAGE-LI and provide services to GLBT seniors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SAGE-LI will provide GLBT seniors with a safe space to socialize, learn about important health issues, receive information about ensuring their financial well-being, support for coming-out, and to connect with other GLBT seniors. SAGE-LI will also be providing educational workshops and trainings to human service providers about the needs of GLBT seniors and how to provide appropriate and sensitive services to them.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=79">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:11:51+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Citigroup Foundation Awards $2,500 for Youth Skills-Building Program</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=79</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;05/30/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; Citigroup Foundation awarded a $2,500 grant to LIGALY for &amp;quot;A Life of Pride,&amp;quot; an educational series of workshops to enhance health outcomes for GLBT youth.</description>
        <body>Citigroup Foundation awarded a $2,500 grant to LIGALY for &amp;quot;A Life of Pride,&amp;quot; an educational series of workshops to enhance health outcomes for GLBT youth. The educational series consists of 12 workshops during the Safe Choices &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=85&quot;&gt;Club LIGALY&lt;/a&gt;&amp;quot; program that uses a holistic approach to health by focusing on creating long-term health for three main parts of their lives: their personal mental and physical health, positive relationships, and a healthy and productive life and career.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Safe Choices &amp;quot;&lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=85&quot;&gt;Club LIGALY&amp;quot;&lt;/a&gt; program, in operation since 1997, provides GLBT youth and their friends ages 13-21 with a safe and substance-free space to socialize without fear of harassment every Friday night at LIGALY. More than 3,000 youth visit the program annually.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY thanks the Citigroup Foundation and &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.citibank.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Citibank&lt;/a&gt; for supporting GLBT youth!</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=80">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:11:41+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Newsday Charities Awards $10,000 Grant for LIGALY</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=80</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;05/16/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; LIGALY received a $10,000 grant from Newsday Charities, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, to support the Safe Schools Initiative.</description>
        <body>&lt;table width=&quot;100%&quot; cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;&quot; summary=&quot;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;60%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;LIGALY received a $10,000 grant from &lt;strong&gt;Newsday Charities&lt;/strong&gt;, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, to support the &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=75&quot;&gt;Safe Schools Initiative&lt;/a&gt;. The Safe Schools Initiative is comprised of seven programs that create safer and more supportive schools for GLBT students, educators, and families. &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            The generous grant from Newsday Charities will enable LIGALY to continue building youth leadership through LIGALY's Long Island Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Network comprised of 55 GSA school-based clubs. LIGALY's Long Island GSA Network helps students and school staff start, develop, and maintain GSA clubs as a way of creating a safe space for GLBT and straight/ally youth within schools, and to provide an avenue for youth to address and reduce GLBT-related harassment. GSA clubs are after-school programs at individual high schools that coordinate activities to increase awareness of GLBT issues and reduce GLBT-related harassment and discrimination. The Long Island GSA Network is the second largest program of its kind nationwide. &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            LIGALY extends its thanks to Newsday Charities for supporting safer and more supportive schools for GLBT youth!&lt;/font&gt;                          &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;40%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;282&quot; height=&quot;214&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/Newsday-Charities-Photo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;LIGALY is presented with $10,000 grant check from Newsday Charities at special reception: (L-R) Paul Fleishman, Vice-President of Marketing; Deidra Parrish Williams, Manager Community Affairs; David Kilmnick, LIGALY Executive Director; Robert Vitelli, LIGALY Director of Development; and Dale Cole, Community Programs Manager.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=81">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:10:51+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY Receives $5,000 Miracle Day Gift from CIBC World Markets</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=81</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;05/01/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; &lt;strong&gt;LIGALY announced today that it has received a $5,000 donation from CIBC World Markets Corp.&lt;/strong&gt;, through the firm&amp;rsquo;s CIBC World Markets Miracle Day campaign.</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;200&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;63&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;CIBC World Markets&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/CIBC_logo200.gif&quot; /&gt;LIGALY announced today that it has received a $5,000 donation from &lt;strong&gt;CIBC World Markets Corp&lt;/strong&gt;., through the firm&amp;rsquo;s CIBC World Markets Miracle Day campaign. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY is one of three hundred fifty-three Miracle Day charities approved by CIBC World Markets to receive a Miracle Day grant. CIBC World Markets marked its 10th annual Miracle Day event on December 6, 2006, raising over $7.8 million for charities serving children who are underserved, at risk or in need. On Miracle Day, 95% of CIBC World Markets' net commissions from trades made through the firm that day are donated to participating Miracle Day charities located throughout the United States.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Through Miracle Day, and in partnership with our clients, employees, and participating Miracle Day charities, we continue to build awareness of children's issues and improve the quality of life for children in need in the areas we serve,&amp;quot; says Charles Holmes, Managing Director of U.S. Equities and Chairman of the Miracle Day Committee. &amp;quot;Participating charities are active in the areas where CIBC World Markets has employees or clients and Miracle Day grants provide a direct connection to help in those local communities. Everyone involved has much to be proud of, and I want to personally congratulate all of our employees, clients and charity partners on this collaborative achievement.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s Executive Director, David Kilmnick, says that the funds from the Miracle Day campaign will support the organization&amp;rsquo;s expansion of services for Long Island&amp;rsquo;s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) youth, families, and seniors. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
CIBC World Markets is the wholesale and corporate banking arm of CIBC, providing a range of integrated credit and capital markets products, investment banking, and merchant banking to clients in key financial markets in North America and around the world. CIBC World Markets delivers innovative capital solutions to growth-oriented companies and is broadly active in capital markets. CIBC World Markets offers advisory expertise across a wide range of industries and provides top-ranked research for its corporate, government and institutional investor clients.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the previous six years alone, CIBC World Markets has donated $64 million in Miracle Day grants to U.S. charities supporting children&amp;rsquo;s causes. Visit &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.cibcwmmiracleday.com&quot;&gt;www.cibcwmmiracleday.com&lt;/a&gt; for more information.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=82">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:10:06+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Bank of America Awards $10,000 Grant for Long Island Gay-Straight Alliance Network</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=82</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;04/17/2007 &lt;/strong&gt;&amp;mdash; Bank of America awarded LIGALY a $10,000 grant to support the Long Island Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Network, a component of LIGALY's Safe Schools Initiative for 2007.</description>
        <body>&lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.bankofamerica.com&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;159&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;56&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/bankofamerica.gif&quot; /&gt;Bank of America&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; awarded LIGALY a $10,000 grant to support the &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=78&quot;&gt;Long Island Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Network&lt;/a&gt;, a component of LIGALY's Safe Schools Initiative for 2007. The grant enables LIGALY to continue its vital work in helping to create safer and more supportive schools by empowering GLBT youth and their friends to start and develop GSA clubs. Specifically, the grant will allow LIGALY to continue helping students start and develop GSA clubs, provide GSA clubs with additional support, and coordinate local networking events for GSA club members.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY's Long Island GSA Network is one component of the &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=75&quot;&gt;Safe Schools Initiative&lt;/a&gt;, and is comprised of more than 50 member GSA clubs from across Long Island. GSA clubs are after-school programs at individual high schools that coordinate activities to increase awareness of GLBT issues and reduce GLBT-related harassment and discrimination. The Long Island GSA Network is the second largest program of its kind nationwide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY extends its thanks to &lt;strong&gt;Bank of America&lt;/strong&gt; for the continued support of this important work!</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=83">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:09:43+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Gala Anniversary Event Raises $20,000 to Support Expansion of Services</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=83</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;04/05/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; More than 150 people gathered on Saturday, March 31st to celebrate the 13th Anniversary of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY).</description>
        <body>&lt;table width=&quot;100%&quot; cellspacing=&quot;1&quot; cellpadding=&quot;5&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;&quot; summary=&quot;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;60%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;More than 150 people gathered on Saturday, March 31st to celebrate the 13th Anniversary of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY). The event recalled the organization&amp;rsquo;s storied past, and announced its exciting future of expanding programs to serve Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community throughout the life span.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            A Heritage Gallery and video commemorated LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s past accomplishments. Event Chairperson Arlene Zucker led a Candle-lighting Ceremony honoring individuals, organizations, and corporations that have supported LIGALY over the years. Those recognized included dedicated volunteers, early allies, board members, former LIGALY youth, former Suffolk County Legislator Maxine Postal, Youth Enrichment Services, Stony Brook University, Nassau Community College, Allstate, and Keyspan.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            Honoree Robert O. Hawkins, Jr., PhD, LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s founding Board President, lit the 13th candle and was presented with an award. He gave an inspirational speech that drew a standing ovation. With raucous humor and touching vulnerability he spoke about growing up in the Deep South, the discrimination he faced in the U.S. Navy, and the role he played in LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s beginning years. Overcoming struggles both internal and external, Robert Hawkins represents dignity and integrity and embodies the uncompromising demand that society should respect GLBT people, not simply tolerate them. &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            Through the leadership of the event&amp;rsquo;s sponsors and the generosity of the event&amp;rsquo;s participants, the 13th Anniversary Celebration raised over $20,000. These much-needed funds will support the expansion of LIGALY&amp;rsquo;s services through an innovative model to provide health and human services for Long Island&amp;rsquo;s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community throughout the life span.&lt;/font&gt;   &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;40%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;285&quot; height=&quot;237&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/arlene-bob-david285.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;img width=&quot;285&quot; height=&quot;173&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/heritagegallery285.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;Heritage Gallery&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;img width=&quot;285&quot; height=&quot;266&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/bob-award285.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=84">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:09:32+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>LIGALY Expands to Serve Long Island's GLBT Community Throughout the Life Span</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=84</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;04/05/2007&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; After 13 years of providing education, advocacy, and social support services to GLBT youth, their families, and their support systems, LIGALY is expanding services.</description>
        <body>After 13 years of providing education, advocacy, and social support services to GLBT youth, their families, and their support systems, LIGALY is expanding services. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Three new organizations have been established to accomplish this:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;The Long Island GLBT Community Center (The Center);&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE Long Island); and&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;The Long Island GLBT Health and Human Services Network (The Network).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Together with LIGALY, these services provide a continuum of care for Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community throughout the lifespan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtcenter.org&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Long Island GLBT Community Center (The Center)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The Center will provide services for GLBT adults and families, including:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Center CARE (Counseling, Advocacy, Resources, and Education)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Anti-Violence Project &amp;ndash; Long Island (AVP-LI)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Crystal Methamphetamine Prevention Project&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Family Pride&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Long Island Trans Experience (LITE)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Long Island Coalition for Same-Sex Marriage (LICFSSM)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Community Center Space for events, meetings, and programs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://sageli.org&quot;&gt; Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders - Long Island (SAGE - Long Island)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
SAGE - Long Island will provide services for GLBT elders, including:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Center CARE (Counseling, Advocacy, Resources, and Education)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Anti-Violence Project &amp;ndash; Long Island (AVP-LI)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;SAGE Programming and Activities&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Senior Advocacy (for issues regarding health and long-term care)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://liglbtnetwork.org&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;The Long Island GLBT Health and Human Services Network (The Network)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
The Network is the administrative and fundraising umbrella for LIGALY, The Center, and SAGE. The Network ensures that health and human service programs for Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community is sustained for years to come.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href=&quot;http://ligaly.org&quot;&gt; Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY will continue to provide:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Education: Community Education and Training Services and Safe Schools Initiative&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Social and Recreational: Safe Choices &amp;quot;Club LIGALY,&amp;quot; Drop-In Center, David Bohnett CyberCenter, and Annual LIGALY Prom&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Health and Wellness: Counseling and Support Groups; Anti-Violence Project&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Arts and Culture: LIGALY Pride Dancers, Long Island OUT Idol &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Maxine Postal Institute for Social Justice: Anti-Violence Project&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Crystal Methamphetamine Prevention Project&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=85">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:07:23+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Anti-Violence Project Comes to Long Island</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=85</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;10/31/2006 &amp;mdash; Funding Secured to Provide Services for Victims of Violence&lt;/strong&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;178&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;56&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/AVPLI-logo2.jpg&quot; /&gt;Long Island will finally be receiving much needed and&amp;nbsp;critical anti-violence services targeted to&amp;nbsp;the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transdgender (GLBT)&amp;nbsp;community. On Wednesday, November 1st 2006,&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;LIGALY is launched an &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=21&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anti-Violence Project (AVP)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, the first of its kind on Long Island. New York State Senators John Flanagan (R-Smithtown), Michael Balboni (R-East Williston)&amp;nbsp;and Caesar Trunzo (R-Brentwood)&amp;nbsp;have secured more than $60,000 to enable LIGALY to bring this important project and&amp;nbsp;vital services&amp;nbsp;to Long Island's GLBT Community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
AVP-LI&amp;nbsp; will serve GLBT and HIV-positive victims of violence, and others affected by violence, by providing free and confidential services enabling them to regain their sense of control, identify and evaluate their options, and assert their rights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In particular, the Project will assist survivors of hate-motivated violence (including HIV-motivated violence), domestic violence, and sexual assault, by:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Providing therapeutic counseling and advocacy within the criminal justice system and victim support agencies,&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Providing information for self-help, &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Referrals to practicing professionals, and other sources of assistance. &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Specifically, the project will:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Create programs that increase awareness and visibility about the violence perpetrated against GLBT and HIV-positive people;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Empower individuals to speak widely about the violence committed against them and to take action to educate others;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Support partnerships and collaborations with other community-based organizations addressing violence to further building the anti-violence movement; and&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Facilitate support groups for survivors of violence, especially those who have been the victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=56">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:05:43+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Leading on Long Island</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=56</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;10/25/2005 - The Advocate&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; After coming out to family and friends at age 12, Nikki Weitheim kept a low profile at school and remained apathetic toward politics. That was until she found Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, the region's only LGBT-owned and -operated community center for gay teens.</description>
        <body>&lt;table width=&quot;100%&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;10&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; bgcolor=&quot;#ffffff&quot; align=&quot;center&quot; summary=&quot;&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td bgcolor=&quot;#015c89&quot; colspan=&quot;2&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;The Advocate&quot; src=&quot;https://www.kintera.com/AccountTempFiles/Account10808/images/_1010051617479023.gif&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;font color=&quot;#ffffff&quot;&gt;October 25, 2005&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;260&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;Leading on Long Island&quot; src=&quot;https://www.kintera.com/AccountTempFiles/Account10808/images/_610051533388923.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;229&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;LIGALY Protests Fred Phelps&quot; src=&quot;https://www.kintera.com/AccountTempFiles/Account10808/images/_610051539341348.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Members of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth protest a&lt;br /&gt;
            recent visit by Reverend Fred Phelps.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;7&quot;&gt;A&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;fter coming out to family and friends at age 12, Nikki Weitheim kept a low profile at school and remained apathetic toward politics. That was until she found Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, the region's only LGBT-owned and -operated community center for gay teens.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;Now Weitheim, a 17-year-old senior from the town of Miller Place, has decided to start a gay-straight alliance at her high school. &amp;quot;The center helped me get more involved,&amp;quot; the aspiring writer says. &amp;quot;It helped me think of myself as a leader and to realize there's no time to sit around doing nothing.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;The center was the brainchild of David Kilmnick, 38, who wrote a master's thesis on the subject of young queers and launched a youth support program with a single answering machine in his Levittown apartment in 1993. The project has since blossomed into a 4,300-square-foot multipurpose center in Bay Shore, offering a &amp;quot;safe space&amp;quot; to 1,000 queer youths each month. &amp;quot;If kids don't have a positive safe space to be themselves, many run the risk of turning to other things to help&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;them cope with the world,&amp;quot; such as drugs or even suicide, says Kilmnick, who serves as LIGALY's executive director.&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;The center has been gaining high-profile support from lawmakers and community leaders, including Long Island resident Bill Thierfelder. The 54-year-old English professor at Dowling College biked and walked 115 miles across Long Island August 22-27 to raise money and awareness for LIGALY. &amp;quot;It was so empowering to say that prejudice and bias against any kid is just not acceptable any longer,&amp;quot; Thierfelder said after completing his &amp;quot;Journey for Safe Spaces&amp;quot; from Valley Stream to Montauk Point, which raised $7,000 for the center. &amp;quot;No child should fear going to school-ever.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;For Weitheim, the fear is gone, but there are challenges ahead, and she plans to use what she has learned at the center to face them. &amp;quot;I know that once I leave Miller Place I'm going to have to deal with the real world,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;And things need to change.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Times New Roman, Times&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;-- Nick P. Divito&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=88">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:04:41+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Turning Anti-Gay Ways to Tolerance</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=88</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;03/08/2005 - Newsday&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; Youth conference gathers educators, students, gay rights advocates to explore teaching acceptance</description>
        <body>&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;276&quot; height=&quot;41&quot; alt=&quot;Newsday&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/newsdayLOGO.gif&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Turning Anti-Gay Ways to Tolerance&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Youth conference gathers educators, students, gay rights advocates to explore teaching acceptance &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
BY OLIVIA WINSLOW&lt;br /&gt;
STAFF WRITER&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
March 8, 2005 &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a gay student at Lindenhurst High School, Matt Cotty, 17, said he was &amp;quot;deeply offended&amp;quot; by the anti-gay language he heard in the hallways - comments such as &amp;quot;That's so gay&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;queer.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He decided to take action, and he formed a Gay-Straight Alliance at his school to raise awareness. So far 45 such alliances have been formed at schools on Long Island, and it's not just gay students who become involved.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;It must be stopped,&amp;quot; said Danielle Parpounas, 16, an 11th- grader at West Islip High, of intolerant speech. She and her friend Heather O'Gara, also a 16-year-old 11th-grader - they're straight - became active in the alliance at their high school because they found anti-gay comments unacceptable.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Along with their school's alliance adviser, school psychologist Robert Matuazzi and others, Parpounas and O'Gara attended a workshop, &amp;quot;Creating a Culture of Support&amp;quot; for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students in schools at the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth conference yesterday at Hofstra University.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The 10th annual conference, LIGALY's largest, drew more than 300 people. Most of them are high school students, along with some middle school students, college students, educators, school counselors and school psychologists, organizers said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;The goal is really to help give the youth the skills to go back and change their school environment and their community as well,&amp;quot; said David Kilmnick, LIGALY's executive director. &amp;quot;Change really happens at the local level.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For the past five years, the conference has been held at Hofstra, where the School of Education and Allied Human Services is a co-sponsor, said Jane Goldman, the education school's senior assistant dean. Goldman said the faculty and administrators were &amp;quot;committed to a social justice agenda. ... We feel a real sense of mission&amp;quot; with LIGALY.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
LIGALY's assistant director, Robert Vitelli, said most school districts wouldn't send students to the conference years ago, but now there was much more support from districts toward LIGALY's effort to make schools safer for gay students.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rachel Rosenberg, 18, a senior at Jericho High School and a workshop presenter who identified herself as a lesbian, said the conference provided information &amp;quot;on so many different levels, especially for people who aren't 'out' yet,&amp;quot; alluding to those who have not yet declared their sexual orientation publicly. &amp;quot;Some people are facing so much stuff.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The conference's keynote speaker, Alan Van Capelle, executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda, a statewide gay rights group, told the audience, &amp;quot;We are living in historical times. Change is happening all around us,&amp;quot; despite backlash from those opposed to what Van Capelle said was a quest to win full &amp;quot;civil rights&amp;quot; for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The conference, whose theme was &amp;quot;Vision, Action, Progress,&amp;quot; sought to empower young people to take action against homophobia. Teachers said they attended to support programs for gay students and also to learn how to instill tolerance among all students.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Said Sam Moxon, a Lindenhurst High teacher and adviser to the gay-straight group Cotty started: The goal is &amp;quot;accepting a person for who they are.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While some students at the conference talked of having difficulties being accepted at home, Cotty has support there.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;He's my son,&amp;quot; said his mother Arlene Cotty, contacted at work. &amp;quot;I love him, I support him and he's a good kid.&amp;quot;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=72">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:04:03+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS: Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=72</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;02/12/2005 - Newsday &amp;mdash; COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS: Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, Inc., &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;img width=&quot;270&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;235&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/Champions2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Local Nonprofit Serves Gay and Lesbian Youth and Advocates for Social Justice&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font&gt; In 1993, two Stony Brook graduate students brought their thesis to reality by providing educational programs in local schools about the challenges of growing up gay and lesbian on Long Island. From the effort was born a grassroots nonprofit named Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Inc. (LIGALY). Today, this organization represents one of 13 independent community centers in the country for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) youth.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font&gt; Headquartered in Bay Shore, LIGALY provides a wide range of programs and services for Long Island's young people and families for whom sexuality, sexual and gender identity and HIV/AIDS are an issue. &amp;quot;The &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=85&quot;&gt;Club LIGALY/Safe Choices&lt;/a&gt; program provides GLBT youth and their friends a safe space to socialize every Friday night,&amp;quot; explains Executive Director David Kilmnick, MSW, LCSW. An average of 80 to 100 young people attend to listen to music, watch movies, surf the Internet and play games in an alcohol and substance-free space. The organization also offers many other artistic, cultural and social programs including a dance troupe, chorus, Idol singing competition and web design projects. &amp;quot;Each year, LIGALY holds its annual prom where youth can attend with a same-sex date without the fear of harassment,&amp;quot; Kilmnick continues. Other services available at LIGALY include counseling and support groups, crisis intervention and health education.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font&gt; Community outreach efforts include numerous educational workshops for teachers, counselors, business professionals and government agencies. LIGALY's Maxine Postal Institute for Social Justice, named after the late Suffolk County public official and human rights advocate, seeks to put an end to violence and advance equal rights for the gay and lesbian community. &amp;quot;LIGALY's &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=75&quot;&gt;Safe Schools Initiative&lt;/a&gt; empowers students and school staff to create safer and more supportive schools free from homophobia,&amp;quot; Kilmnick says. LIGALY also mobilizes community members to speak out against discrimination, harassment and the mistreatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. According to Kilmnick, the organization's successes have &amp;quot;translated into the creation of safer and more supportive spaces and communities for tens of thousands of Long Islanders.&amp;quot;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font&gt; -Claire Curry&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=87">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:02:29+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Gay Prejudice Doesn't Belong in the Courtroom</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=87</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;12/08/2004&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;mdash; Stigmatizing and stereotyping gay people today has become commonplace to achieve one's goal, whether it is to be elected to public office, break down the separation of church and state, or win over a jury in a Riverhead courtroom.</description>
        <body>&lt;h2 align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;276&quot; height=&quot;41&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/newsdayLOGO.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Newsday&quot; /&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;h2&gt;Gay Prejudice Doesn't Belong in the Courtroom&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
BY DAVID KILMNICK&lt;br /&gt;
David Kilmnick is executive director of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, a nonprofit advocacy and service organization in Bay Shore.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Stigmatizing and stereotyping gay people today has become commonplace to achieve one's goal, whether it is to be elected to public office, break down the separation of church and state, or win over a jury in a Riverhead courtroom.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Recently Daniel Pelosi's defense attorney, Gerald Shargel, introduced the notion that Long Island millionaire Ted Ammon had had sex with other men and that some spurned gay man from a nearby East Hampton beach was Ammon's murderer, not Shargel's client. To think that this line of defense would resonate with Long Island residents is both shocking and frightening. Shargel's attempt to paint the gay community as both predators and criminals to help bolster the defense for his embattled client is a disgrace. It is deplorable that such a tactic would be used to get sympathy for the accused murderer and only serves to revictimize Ammon and his family.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But sadly we should not be surprised, given the present climate of our country. One thing that has trickled down from the hallowed halls of the White House is hate. Our previous leaders worked to assure rights for all Americans; we are being spoon-fed fear and lies.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead of promoting peace and respect for all in this time of uncertainty, our president has waged a cultural war against gay and lesbian Americans. The president has filled the minds of people with propaganda about the &amp;quot;gay agenda&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;protecting children&amp;quot; while some of his supporters attempt to amend the U.S. Constitution to deny same sex couples the right to marry. This re-election tactic to scare Americans was effective and swift. Not only was our president re-elected, but 11 states passed constitutional amendments defining marriage as only between a man and a woman, effectively banning same-sex marriage. Convincing a nation of the immorality of love is a shame.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Last month, the Texas Board of Education was successful in passing its own &amp;quot;textbook amendment&amp;quot; convincing Holt, Rinehart and Winston and Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, two major publishing companies, to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. Last week, CBS and NBC refused to air what they deemed as a controversial advertisement from the United Church of Christ that simply said it welcomes everyone into its place of worship. CBS said that it would not run the ad because its message conflicts with anti-gay legislation put forward by the Bush administration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many now see this strategy to foster a &amp;quot;gay panic&amp;quot; in our country as a useful tool to rewrite American civil rights history, prevent education to our children about gay and lesbian people, and silence anyone who has opposing views. Two weeks ago, ABC's &amp;quot;20/20&amp;quot; aired a show questioning whether the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard six years ago in Wyoming was a hate-crime. Although police records clearly show that this was a bias attack, the president has paved the way for convicted murderers to feel that now is a good time to change their testimony and vilify the victim instead.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Shargel has brought this strategy to Long Island in his defense of Pelosi. Shargel claims that his client didn't kill Ammon. Instead, it must have been some guy that Ammon had &amp;quot;gay sex&amp;quot; with, or some gay guy who approached Ammon and was rejected, thus igniting some crazy rage that led to Ammon's death. He brought in Sam Wagner, an East Hampton artist, to testify that he was &amp;quot;75 percent sure&amp;quot; that he had had sex with Ammon. Of course, it was early in the morning at the time but when the artist saw Ammon's face on TV, he apparently had an epiphany. While this argument certainly should be laughable, the administration has made this type of defense possible. When a jury hears the words &amp;quot;gay sex,&amp;quot; which was actually oral sex - and from what I hear heterosexual people practice that too - the goal is to scare the jury.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
By inflicting gay panic into the Riverhead courtroom, one may feel less sympathy for the murder victim and more pity for Pelosi. And questioning Ammon's sexuality and sexual behavior may just be the piece of &amp;quot;evidence&amp;quot; that the jury needs to acquit Shargel's client.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This deplorable type of defense relies on the stereotyping and scapegoating of an entire community. It can only fuel more hate and bias crimes against gay people.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Last weekend, we held a family day for gay parents and their children at our Bay Shore offices. Children were laughing, playing and making picture frames for their family photos. I suddenly thought, &amp;quot;What is the world going to be like for these innocent children?&amp;quot; I tried to imagine what people could be so afraid of. It is far too easy to cast an anonymous ballot for a faceless issue in the voting booth. The problem is this issue is not faceless - discrimination never is.</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=73">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:01:27+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Verizon Awards $38,000 Workforce Development Grant to LIGALY</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=73</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;07/17/2003 &amp;mdash; Verizon Foundation has awarded a $38,000 grant to Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY)&lt;/strong&gt;, a not-for-profit agency for gay and lesbian teens and families, to support a workforce development program. The program, based at the new David Bohnett CyberCenter at LIGALY's Community Services Center in Bay Shore, will provide technology and career skills to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.</description>
        <body>&lt;strong&gt;FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
Contact: &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; David Kilmnick, Executive Director &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 631.665.2300&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;VERIZON AWARDS&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;$38,000 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GRANT TO&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;LONG ISLAND GAY AND LESBIAN YOUTH&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;img width=&quot;224&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;184&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/verizoncheck_small.jpg&quot; /&gt; Bay Shore, NY, July 17, 2003 -- Verizon Foundation has awarded a $38,000 grant to Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY), a not-for-profit agency for gay and lesbian teens and families, to support a workforce development program. The program, based at the new David Bohnett CyberCenter at LIGALY's Community Services Center in Bay Shore, will provide technology and career skills to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Verizon's grant to LIGALY will help the GLBT community bridge the digital divide through computer and technology training, helping them keep pace in an ever-changing job market. &amp;nbsp;However, LIGALY's program is a unique service because it specifically targets the GLBT community and provides safety in obtaining computer and technology-related job skills and training in a time when homophobia and discrimination against gays still exits. &amp;nbsp;LIGALY's program not only offers job training and retention skills to GLBT people seeking employment, but also offers employers sensitivity training on how to create safer workplaces to ensure that GLBT people won't leave their jobs because they feel unsafe. &amp;nbsp;These services are complemented by job fairs, mentoring and shadowing programs, and a specialized internet-based employee-employer recruitment and matching program.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Verizon's funding helps the GLBT community, an underserved and underprivileged population that suffers from lower quality education and harassment in high school, disproportionately higher school drop-out rates, discrimination in the workplace, and homophobia in job-placement services. &amp;nbsp;&amp;quot;Verizon's grant helps LIGALY prepare GLBT people overcome life-long disadvantages through computer and technology training,&amp;quot; says David Kilmnick, LIGALY's Executive Director and co-founder.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Verizon's funding of LIGALY comes from a highly competitive, state-wide grant process of 330 applicants. &amp;nbsp;LIGALY is one of 14 organizations throughout the state, and the only one in Suffolk County, to receive the grant. &amp;nbsp;Judi Schillaci, Verizon's Director of Community Affairs for Long Island, says, &amp;quot;This grant will reach an underserved population in our region, and help them to obtain technology education and employment opportunities. Verizon is proud to be a partner in that effort.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;###&lt;/div&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=86">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T17:00:40+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>A Home of Our Own... The Long Island GLBT Community Center</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=86</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;08/2002&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;mdash; In the summer of 2002, LIGALY has taken a major step forward in the development of Long Island's GLBT Community. LIGALY has moved into a 4,300 square foot building that is owned and operated by LIGALY... A Home of Our Own.</description>
        <body>&lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;285&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;189&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/centerbuilding285.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;In the summer of 2002, LIGALY has taken a major step forward in the development of Long Island's GLBT Community. LIGALY has moved into a 4,300 square foot building that is owned and operated by LIGALY... &lt;em&gt;A Home of Our Own&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since the early 1990's, LIGALY has leased a space in Bay Shore that has been to thousands of youth and families, meetings, dances, speakers, and also to other GLBT organizations. Today, in addition to providing a full range of comprehensive programs and services, the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Long Island (GLSB-LI), and the Suffolk Project for AIDS Resource Coordination (SPARC), are also housed at LIGALY. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At our new location, LIGALY continues its support of other organizations, and expand its services for GLBT youth and their families. &lt;strong&gt;Robert O. Hawkins, Jr.&lt;/strong&gt; has pledged a $10,000 matching gift to kick off LIGALY's Capital Campaign. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2003, LIGALY began its second decade of service to the GLBT community. Please join us in helping LIGALY meet the challenges of this second decade and continue in making a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of GLBT youth, adults, and families. Support the Long Island GLBT community and consider making a gift to enhance the Center as LIGALY expands programs and services, gives the community a place to count on, build the future, and have &lt;em&gt;A Home of Our Own&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For more information on how can help LIGALY move into the Second Decade of Service and be part of the Capital Campaign, call 631/665-2300.&lt;/div&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=54">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T16:59:58+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Mardi Gras Comes to Long Island</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=54</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style13 style13&quot;&gt;02/04/2002 &amp;mdash; Long                    Island Community Konnection&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style20&quot;&gt; - &lt;/span&gt;David Kilmnick and Robert Vitelli Talk About LIGALY's Upcoming Event and LIGALY's Bright Prospects for 2002! &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;
&lt;table width=&quot;100%&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;10&quot; border=&quot;0&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style4&quot;&gt;Mardi Gras Comes to Long Island &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            BY JED RYAN&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;                 &lt;!-- #BeginEditable &quot;content&quot; --&gt;                    &lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;219&quot; vspace=&quot;8&quot; hspace=&quot;8&quot; height=&quot;215&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/events/mardigras/MardiGrasMasks.gif&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;3&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                      &lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;What is &amp;quot;Mardi Gras?&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                        (1) Historically: &amp;quot;Mardi Gras,&amp;quot; translated from French,                        means &amp;quot;Fat Tuesday.&amp;quot; The name came from the early Christian                        custom of parading a fat ox through the streets of town                        on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday-- which                        is the beginning of Lent. The celebration itself, which                        involves feasting, costumes, parades, and general merrymaking,                        takes place at the end of a long carnival season beginning                        January 6th, or the Feast of the Epiphany (&amp;quot;Little Christmas&amp;quot;),                        also called &amp;quot;Twelfth Night.&amp;quot; Mardi Gras is celebrated in                        many Catholic communities around the world, but some cities--                        most notably, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro-- take it &lt;strong&gt;VERY&lt;/strong&gt;                        seriously. Even though it's a Christian tradition, Mardi                        Gras actually has its roots in the ancient Roman custom                        of merrymaking before a period of fasting. Today, it has                        been integrated into modern American culture and is celebrated                        by people of all religious and spiritual orientation. One                        writer described Mardi Gras as an &amp;quot;attempt to satiate the                        desires of the flesh prior to the abstinence observed before                        Lent.&amp;quot; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;2) Simply put, an excuse to &lt;strong&gt;party&lt;/strong&gt;!&lt;/font&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;339&quot; height=&quot;179&quot; alt=&quot;Mardi Gras Comes to Long Island and benefits our community&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/events/mardigras/mg_silhouette.gif&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;But                      why simply party when you can party for an important cause?                      &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.ligaly.org/&quot;&gt;Long Island                      Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY)&lt;/a&gt; have taken February, a                      traditionally quiet month for the GLBT community (Sorry, Valentine's                      Day just doesn't cut it for single people!), and have organized                      a celebration for adults (21 and over) who support LIGALY.                      On February 16th, the Island Hills Golf and Country Club in                      Sayville will be the place to be, as LIGALY holds its first-ever                      &lt;strong&gt;Mardi Gras 2002 Party&lt;/strong&gt;. The event will benefit LIGALY,                      with all proceeds benefiting the programs and services provided                      by the organization. The event will be from 7 PM to 12 midnight,                      and will feature entertainment by the &amp;quot;Vox&amp;quot; that rocks-- Long                      Island's favorite all-girl group&lt;a href=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/articles/parade/vox.html&quot;&gt;                      Pandora's Vox&lt;/a&gt;. Tickets are a steal at $50.00 each.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;325&quot; height=&quot;124&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/people/local/pandoravox_2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;font size=&quot;1&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Pandora's                      Vox to Rock LIGALY's Mardi Gras 2002 Party!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                      &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.ligaly.com/events/mardigras/index.html&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;186&quot; hspace=&quot;4&quot; height=&quot;187&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; alt=&quot;Mardi Gras 2003 Party&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/events/mardigras/mardi_gras2002sm.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;This                      event will be LIGALY's first &amp;quot;adult&amp;quot; event in a long time.                      Why Mardi Gras? Part of the reason for organizing a celebration                      in February was to relieve some of the &amp;quot;winter doldrums.&amp;quot;                      Religious traditions aside, the staff of LIGALY also likes                      what Mardi Gras represents. According to Robert Vitelli, Coordinator                      of LIGALY's Education and Training Division, &amp;quot;The theme for                      this event will be 'Building Our Community's Future.' Mardi                      Gras symbolizes that very well. It's about looking ahead toward                      spring. It's about blooming and growth.&amp;quot; David Kilmnick, Executive                      Director of LIGALY, adds, &amp;quot;So many people give their time.                      This event will be giving back to the adults who have helped                      LIGALY. We want to build our community's future, 'brick by                      brick.'&amp;quot; Indeed, one of the future goals for LIGALY is owning                      their own building. (The organization currently rents their                      space in Bay Shore). The fact that David used to operate LIGALY                      from his former Levittown apartment years ago shows just how                      far LIGALY has come, particular in light of how many gay and                      lesbian organizations have unfortunately folded over the years.                      LIGALY continues to thrive, as well as serve as a role model                      for fledgling suburban GLBT youth agencies across the country.                      Why?&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;169&quot; vspace=&quot;4&quot; hspace=&quot;4&quot; height=&quot;181&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; name=&quot;davidkilmnick&quot; alt=&quot;David Kilmnick, Executive Director of LIGALY&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/people/local/davidkilmnick.jpg&quot; /&gt;David                      Kilmnick has been a gay activist since 1991, with one of his                      earliest achievements being to co-found and help organize                      Long Island's first Pride Parade in Huntington. At that time,                      issues of gay youth-- including gay youth substance abuse,                      suicide, and rejection from family-- were were at best unexplored                      and at worst, shoved under the carpet by mainstream America.                      In 1993, David co-created LIGALY, which was an outgrowth of                      a speakers' bureau on gay issues performed as a Masters Project                      at SUNY at Stony Brook. Nine years later, LIGALY has stayed                      true to its mission, despite the challenges over the years.                      &amp;quot;Our goals are to educate, provide support, and advocate for                      GLBT youth and their families. We help to create awareness.                      Gay youth, their families, and their supporters need to talk                      about certain issues-- in a safe, nonjudgmental way. We can't                      change people's minds. No one has the power to do that. But                      we do provide accurate information and education. And we do                      that extremely well.&amp;quot; LIGALY receives surprisingly little                      opposition. &amp;quot;It's very rarely oppositional,&amp;quot; adds David.                      &amp;quot;But when we &lt;strong&gt;DO&lt;/strong&gt; find opposition, we enter into a friendly,                      courteous dialogue. We educate many teachers (Since 1993,                      LIGALY has trained thousands of teachers on Long Island.),                      superintendents, principals, and students. Even people who                      oppose LIGALY will agree that safety of youth, gay or straight,                      should be an issue. Opposition has been rare because of the                      bridges that we build. LIGALY's reputation is stellar. What                      people don't see is that we are out there 365 days a year                      building bridges so that our kids can walk over them. Some                      people are uneducable (sic) and that's fine. People have the                      right to their opinion.. However, people do not have the right                      to harass and otherwise treat GLBT youth unfairly. No one                      should be harassed or treated differently because of who they                      are. LIGALY has grown and thrived because we have made gay                      youth a universal issue. It's not just relegated to GLBT people                      themselves-- it's about their families and communities. There                      are gay youth in &lt;strong&gt;EVERY&lt;/strong&gt; family, and &lt;strong&gt;EVERY&lt;/strong&gt; community.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;David                      adds, &amp;quot;We look towards the future. We push leadership development.                      We look at who will take over when we (today's gay activists)                      retire. We want our youth to stay on Long Island, to get involved                      with the &lt;a href=&quot;http://liprideparade.com/&quot;&gt;Parade&lt;/a&gt; and                      &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.galfoli.org/&quot;&gt;GALFOLI&lt;/a&gt;                      and other groups, to make schools and the rest of the community                      safe.&amp;quot; Part of that, states David, is reinforcing to younger                      gays that there's far more things about being gay than drinking,                      drugs, and partying. &amp;quot;That's not the message at LIGALY. We                      offer choices and other options on the path to being gay and                      also being happy, healthy, and having a career.&amp;quot; Both David                      and Robert dismiss the notion that young gay men and lesbians                      tend to be more apathetic about political/cultural issues                      than their older counterparts. &amp;quot;After all, kids are kids.                      They want to do kid things,&amp;quot; responds David. Indeed, one of                      the simplest roles which LIGALY had served was providing a                      safe space for Long Island gay youth to socialize, something                      which we take for granted now. &amp;quot;But we see a lot of kids out                      there making a difference-- starting Gay/Straight Alliances                      and building our community's future. We have a lot to look                      forward to if our kids stay here.&amp;quot; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Robert adds, &amp;quot;There's a                      different mindset with gay youth as opposed to gays in their                      20's, 30's, and 40's. It's not necessarily easier (than older                      gays) for them to come out, but gay youth today are more astute                      and more aware of the importance of coming out for their own                      health.&amp;quot; LIGALY's Pride Gala last year, widely referred to                      as the first GLBT youth prom in the suburbs, received international                      attention, including coverage on all the major TV stations.                      &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;After the Pride Gala, the number of adults interested in volunteering                      for LIGALY increased greatly. So many adults stated that they                      wished that something like the GLBT youth prom existed when                      &lt;strong&gt;THEY&lt;/strong&gt; were in high school. LIGALY's plans for a prom                      for GLBT adults, the Pride Benefit Prom, was scheduled for                      November 3, 2001. However, the event suffered from the wave                      of post-September 11th decline in ticket sales that affected                      many cultural/fundraising events. The Pride Benefit Prom was                      thus postponed.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt; &lt;/font&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt; &lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;266&quot; height=&quot;594&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; alt=&quot;Youth Benefiting from LIGALY&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/people/local/clubligaly.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;We                      don't give advice,&amp;quot; states Robert. &amp;quot;We give information.&amp;quot;                      According to David, this also extends to sex and sexuality                      issues. &amp;quot;We talk about sexual safety and dating safety. LIGALY                      is the only place where many of these kids can talk about                      this. We aim to build a positive sense about sex and to build                      self-confidence.&amp;quot; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                      David Kilmnick, 34, came out at age 17 and became involved                      with gay activism in 1991. Since then, he has been interviewed,                      photographed, quoted, praised, criticized, and profiled by                      both the gay press and the mainstream press. With a Bachelor's                      degree in Public Relations and Masters in Social Work (He                      is a Certified Social Worker.), David has offered an educational                      and enlightened viewpoint to advocate for the rights of GLBT                      community, with emphasis on gay youth. Barry Jones, writer                      for &lt;a href=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/&quot;&gt;LicktheWeb.com&lt;/a&gt; and                      President of &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.galfoli.org/&quot;&gt;GALFOLI&lt;/a&gt;,                      said of his friend, &amp;quot;David Kilmnick is a perfect role model                      for those kids. His drive and energy keep it all going.&amp;quot; David's                      written opinions have appeared in Newsday, the Village Voice,                      and other publications. In 1994 he was honored as Citizen                      of the Year by CERF-PAC (Citizens for Equal Rights Fund Political                      Action Committee). That same year, David made news when he                      and a group of 74 other gay activists demonstrated against                      a virulently anti-gay propaganda film being shown at the Port                      Washington Public Library. In 1997, Newsday printed an extensive,                      astonishingly personal profile of David entitled &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;Testing                      Tolerance&lt;/em&gt;,&amp;quot; which called David &amp;quot;perhaps the most visible                      gay on Long Island&amp;quot; and stated that &amp;quot;David Kilmnick's style                      and&amp;nbsp;                      &lt;!-- fwtable fwsrc=&quot;dkilmnick_newsday.png&quot; fwbase=&quot;dkilmnick_newsday&quot; fwstyle=&quot;Dreamweaver&quot; fwdocid = &quot;742308039&quot; fwnested=&quot;0&quot; --&gt;                     ambitions can anger straights and gays alike. What matters,                      he says, is 'getting things done.'&amp;quot; David also teaches a Human                      Sexuality class at Nassau Community College, and uses this                      expertise to offer his take, via Newsday columns, on subjects                      ranging &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;Sex and the City&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot; to the societal taboo of                      adult men showing their emotions.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;183&quot; vspace=&quot;2&quot; hspace=&quot;2&quot; height=&quot;174&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;Cover of Newsday&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/people/local/dkilmnick_newsday.jpg&quot; name=&quot;dkilmnick_newsday&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                      Has David sacrificed anything with his unyielding dedication                      to LIGALY and the GLBT community at large? David doesn't believe                      so. &amp;quot;I've always wanted to see things get better here. I didn't                      want to move out of Long Island. I believe that if you want                      to see something happen, make it happen. But I also wanted                      to establish my own private life as well, not lose my individuality.                      I realized halfway through that I can't be at every single                      event and be everything to everyone.&amp;quot; David leaves off with                      some reflections on the GLBT community: &amp;quot;We have a strange                      amnesia in regard to history. As adults we forget what it                      was like growing up-- the fear of being outted. We're all                      marked with a 'scar of secrecy', that 'scar of silence It                      doesn't have to be that way. We have to heal that scar.&amp;quot; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                      &lt;img width=&quot;175&quot; height=&quot;188&quot; align=&quot;right&quot; alt=&quot;Robert Vitelli of LIGALY holding a LI-GSA Conference&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/people/local/rvitelli_conference.jpg&quot; /&gt;Robert                      and David reinforce that there's no official dress code for                      this very special event (&amp;quot;Casual, formal, whatever! Come as                      you are!&amp;quot;), but costumes are encouraged. Here's some ideas:                      the traditional Mardi Gras colors are purple (which symbolizes                      Justice-- Tinky Winky would be proud!), green (symbolizing                      Faith), and gold (symbolizing Power). Beads, masks, feather                      boas, wigs, ornaments, and/or sequins are all looked upon                      positively. Cocktail Hour, with piano music, will be at 7                      PM sharp, so don't be &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;fashionably late&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot; or use &amp;quot;&lt;em&gt;Gay                      Time&lt;/em&gt;.&amp;quot; There will be buffet dinner which, as David describes,                      &amp;quot;phenomenal&amp;quot; food; followed by a DJ and dancing to music from                      all eras. Plus, there will be raffles, an open bar, and LIGALY                      alumni. &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                      For more information about LIGALY, check out &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.ligaly.org/&quot;&gt;www.ligaly.org&lt;/a&gt;.                      &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;                      See you there! &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;258&quot; height=&quot;225&quot; alt=&quot;David with LIGALY Alumni&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/people/local/davidjedalumni.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;right&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;Photos                      by Louis Trapani and Jed Ryan&lt;br /&gt;
            Pandora's Vox photo courtesy of Pandora's Vox&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot; face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;300&quot; height=&quot;14&quot; src=&quot;http://licktheweb.com/images/design/cc_rule2.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=61">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-11T16:59:49+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Rite of Passage Takes New Twist</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=61</link>
        <description>&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style13 style13&quot;&gt;06/07/2001 &amp;mdash; South                    Coast Today&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style20&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt; - &lt;/span&gt;Robert Vitelli had long considered establishing a local business group for companies run by gays and lesbians or their supporters.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;</description>
        <body>&lt;p&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;
&lt;table width=&quot;100%&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; cellpadding=&quot;10&quot; border=&quot;0&quot;&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td colspan=&quot;2&quot;&gt;
            &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;style4&quot;&gt;Rite of Passage Takes New Twist&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
            BY KAREN MATTHEWS, ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/div&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td width=&quot;50%&quot; valign=&quot;top&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;file:///C:/DOCUME~1/sal/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.jpg&quot; /&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;file:///C:/DOCUME~1/sal/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.jpg&quot; /&gt;BAY SHORE, N.Y. -- Janet Sosnicki and Rachele Pellegrino hardly touched when they started dancing at Sosnicki's senior prom last month.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &amp;quot;It was a little uncomfortable,&amp;quot; recalled the 18-year-old Sosnicki. After all, a lot of the other prom-goers were staring at the only same-sex couple there.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            Things will be different tomorrow when Sosnicki, Pellegrino and an expected 200 other young people attend Pride Gala, Long Island's first full-fledged gay prom.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            Twenty-one years after the nation's first gay prom was held in Boston, such events are growing increasingly common in large cities and small towns around the country. But Pride Gala has received a flurry of publicity, perhaps because it is taking place on Long Island, prototypical postwar suburbia.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;It's a great way to let people know that we do exist and everybody's equal,&amp;quot; said Jamel Liverman, 15, a sophomore at Bay Shore High School and one of the Long Island prom's planners.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            Sponsored by the group Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, the prom will take place at a catering hall in picturesque Sayville, about 50 miles from Manhattan.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            Sosnicki, a senior at Walter G. O'Connell High School in Copiague, said the prom is designed to provide support for teens who are not yet &amp;quot;out&amp;quot; about their sexuality.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            Despite the strides made by the gay rights movement, she and other organizers said, gay teenagers still endure intolerance and harassment.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font face=&quot;Arial&quot;&gt;Liverman, who is slender and soft-spoken, said he was repeatedly attacked during his freshman year. &amp;quot;I was pushed into lockers,&amp;quot; he said. &amp;quot;I was pushed down flights of stairs.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            At the prom, the teenagers will see displays featuring figures from gay history and from an imagined gay-friendly future, including an openly gay Boy Scout leader and a lesbian president of the United States.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            &amp;quot;What we really set out to do was to have an event at which the kids feel special,&amp;quot; said David Kilmnick, executive director of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth.&lt;br /&gt;
            &lt;br /&gt;
            During the past few years, proms for gay, lesbian and bisexual young people have taken place in St. Petersburg, Fla., Kansas City, Mo., Cleveland and Dallas, among other locations.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=71">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-06T17:31:25+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Get The Latest Happenings</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=71</link>
        <description>Keep up with all the latest news and happenings from Long Island's GLBT Community. &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=164&quot;&gt;Sign-up for your free e-Newsletter.&lt;/a&gt;</description>
        <body></body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=69">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-05T18:30:22+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Program Spotlight: CenterCARE</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=69</link>
        <description>Mental Health / Support Services for GLBT Long Islanders&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/font&gt;For GLBT people in need of mental health services, there is often a concern about finding a therapist or counselor who will be supportive of their lives.&amp;nbsp; Fortunately, GLBT Long Islanders can access these services in a safe and supportive environment through The Long Island GLBT Community Center's CenterCARE program.</description>
        <body>CenterCARE, which stands for Counseling, Advocacy, Resources and Education, provides mental health and supportive services for all three organizations of the Long Island GLBT Services Network.&amp;nbsp; Short-term counseling and crisis intervention is available for individuals, couples and families in addition to a number of support groups.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
CenterCARE also operates a HELP-line that receives over 300 calls per month. Counselors are available over the phone from 9am - 10pm Monday to Friday and 12pm - 8pm on Saturdays. For individuals in need of additional support and referrals, CenterCARE has an extensive list of GLBT-supportive therapists and human service agencies. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=20&quot;&gt;CenterCARE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=70">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-03-05T16:52:35+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Partners in Pride: Long Island GLBT Business Directory in Print</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=70</link>
        <description>The Long Island GLBT Business Directory is expanding to offer a print version of this one-of-a-kind resource for the Long Island GLBT community.</description>
        <body>Distribution of the Directory in print format will begin during Pride Month in June 2008 reaching thousands of GLBT people. The Directory will be available at The Center for over 10,000 members and visitors each year and distributed widely at other community events. This complements the unparalleled reach of the web-based business directory version that reached more than 50,000+ visitors annually.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you're interested in advertising your business to Long Island&amp;rsquo;s GLBT community and to be included in the Long Island GLBT Business Directory in both print and online formats, join Partners in Pride, Long Island&amp;rsquo;s only GLBT advertising and networking program. Join by May 15th to be included in the print version. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Remember &amp;ndash; proceeds benefit LIGALY, The Center, and SAGE-LI, and your advertising dollars are tax-deductible! &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=156&quot;&gt;The Long Island GLBT Business Directory Online&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=124&quot;&gt;Learn more about Partners in Pride&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &lt;a href=&quot;content.php?pgID=124&quot;&gt;Join Partners in Pride Now&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=65">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-02-01T19:16:58+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>A community for aging suburban gays (Newsday - February 1, 2008)</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=65</link>
        <description>I can only identify her as KL, from Huntington, a 67-year-old lesbian, for she is of an older generation and still living in the shadows.</description>
        <body>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;276&quot; vspace=&quot;0&quot; hspace=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;41&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/newsdayLOGO.gif&quot; alt=&quot;Newsday&quot; /&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;A community for aging suburban gays&lt;/h1&gt;
Saul Friedman | Gray Matters&lt;br /&gt;
10:21 AM EST, February 1, 2008&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I can only identify her as KL, from Huntington, a 67-year-old lesbian, for she is of an older generation and still living in the shadows.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She's been isolated from her family and adult children since she acknowledged her sexuality 15 years ago. And she's been alone and in and out of therapy since losing her partner to cancer two years ago.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Like thousands of gays, lesbians and transgender older adults, KL, who is still grieving her loss, is facing one of the costs of sexual liberation. Now that they've emerged from the dubious security of the closet, many without their families, who is to care for them as they age? To whom do they turn for counseling and comfort?&lt;br /&gt;
One important answer is a new organization, SAGE-LI, for Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders on Long Island, which opened a center in Bay Shore last October to see to the needs of this growing population -- which despite its size has been invisible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As the executive director, David Kilmnick, a veteran social worker, told me in an e-mail, SAGE-LI is the only organization to provide extensive social services to Long Island's elderly population of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders (GLBT). And this Wednesday, Feb. 6, is Advocacy Day, when busloads of the Island's LGBT community are scheduled to travel to Albany to talk with legislators and state officials about their needs and problems.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has estimated that there are about 3.5 million Americans over 50 who identify themselves as gay or lesbians.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As I pointed out the last time I wrote about this issue (June 3, 2006), the problems they have faced include explicit discrimination, on the job and in seeking social services and medical help. Unfortunately, too many of the straight elderly are still ignorant throwbacks. And it has not helped that President George W. Bush and other leading politicians perpetuate the notion that homosexuality is a matter of choice. As I noted in 2006, many gays run into hostility in nursing homes and are all but barred from some senior centers. Many older gays, who lived though the closet years, remain reluctant to come &amp;quot;out&amp;quot; among their straight friends, fearing they would be the butt of jokes or worse.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While younger gays and lesbians take pride in their sexual orientation and have their own activist social and political groups, older GLBTs have more quietly organized themselves, including in New York City and around the state. SAGE-LI is the newest comprehensive organization, with its center at 34 Park Ave. in Bay Shore. It is open most days for social gatherings, counseling, computer classes and other activities.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
To prepare for the center's opening, SAGE-LI conducted focus sessions with a number of GLBT seniors to probe their fears and needs. They complained they felt left out by members of straight groups, political and social. They asked for health care and bereavement counseling. They wanted to know about potential legal and insurance problems in a same-sex partnership.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kilmnick told me, &amp;quot;We're seeing the first generation of GLBT people that has been willing to take advantage of services target especially for them. Seventy-five years ago, most GLBT people got married to opposite sex spouses and they had their kids. ... Now we're dealing with the first large groups of GLBT seniors who did not get married and who, by and large, do not have children. The question is who will be their caretakers?&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several studies have found that more than two-thirds of older GLBTs live alone, and many have no one to turn to for help. And the law is often in their way. Because the Family and Medical Leave Act doesn't cover non-married partners, elderly GLBT people can't get time off when a partner is ill or dies. Health care proxies designating a same sex partner may be challenged by a blood relation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The many issues confronting GLBT people and the rapid growth of their numbers has attracted the attention of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, which, along with the American Society on Aging, has published a list of tips to help them prepare for retirement and long-term care. While most of the tips are obvious, the MetLife Study, &amp;quot;Out and Aging,&amp;quot; is an indication that the generally affluent GLBT community is of great interest to insurers and advocates for the elderly.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;This group reports a great deal of worry about who will care for them,&amp;quot; said Sandra Timmermann, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. &amp;quot;Financial concerns are also an issue, for women slightly more than men. Planning for financial, legal and emotional support should be a high priority.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The tips include some important Web sites, such as that of the advocacy organization Lambda Legal, lambda.org, which offers specific advice on wills at: lambdalegal.org. Many gays and lesbians have complained they cannot find physicians who understand their needs and aren't unreasonably fearful of AIDS. A good resource is the Web site of the Gay &amp;amp; Lesbian Medical Association, which has a directory of friendly doctors: glma.org.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But the relatively new Web site for the Long Island GLBT network can be of great help to gays and lesbians, young and older.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For it is part of a unique network, financed by grants, which includes SAGE-LI, the Long Island GLBT Community Center, the Long Island GLBT Health Services Network and the umbrella group, Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It's worth browsing the new Web sites, ligaly.org, or sageli.org, to learn what's available.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/business/custom/retirement/ny-bzsaul0202,0,7915286.column&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Newsday: A community for aging suburban gays&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
    <item rdf:about="http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=64">
        <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
        <dc:date>2008-02-01T19:01:05+01:00</dc:date>
        <dc:source>http://ligaly.org/</dc:source>
        <title>Gays and lesbians: Out of isolation (Newsday - February 1, 2008)</title>
        <link>http://ligaly.org/news.php?i=64</link>
        <description>Many who remained hidden in the past to protect jobs and relationships stay that way to avoid discrimination in later life, only adding to the sense of isolation experts say is common among gay seniors.</description>
        <body>&lt;h1&gt;&lt;img width=&quot;276&quot; vspace=&quot;5&quot; hspace=&quot;5&quot; height=&quot;41&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;Newsday&quot; src=&quot;/images/uploads/Image/newsdayLOGO.gif&quot; /&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;h1&gt;Gays and lesbians: Out of isolation&lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;By Jonathan Starkey | Special to Newsday&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;font color=&quot;#808080&quot;&gt;10:23 AM EST, February 1, 2008&lt;/font&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Arlene Zucker says she is one of the lucky ones.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Members of the congregation and her colleagues at the Bay Shore Jewish Center, where she is the part-time cantor, know she is a lesbian and are supportive. Zucker, 57, of Babylon, is also open at her other job as the controller at Temple Sinai, a reform congregation in Roslyn Heights where she was ceremonially married on June 4, 2006.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And despite glares and whispers in public, Zucker, who expects equal treatment, says she refuses to hide her affection for her partner to avoid uncomfortable situations. &amp;quot;I'm just an ordinary person who happens to love a woman,&amp;quot; Zucker says. &amp;quot;My feeling is, get over it, this is who I am.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Zucker is one of the gay baby boomers in their 50s on Long Island unwilling to hide their sexual orientation to protect against prejudice.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Unfortunately, experts and advocates say, many gays, especially among those older than Zucker, are not anywhere near as comfortable. These older gays live with fear, isolation and feelings of inequality and discrimination.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Richard Ryan, 72, lives alone in a small studio apartment in Long Beach, comforted by a new big-screen TV and a view of the water when he wakes up each morning. Ryan says he is supported by a group of friends and nieces and nephews he could call in a bind. But, he admitted to often wondering what it would be like to have children who could keep him company and help care for him as he ages..&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryan says he keeps his neighbors at a safe distance. As most seniors grew up in the same less-accepting times as he did, Ryan says he believes they don't understand his lifestyle. He says he treated co-workers the same way before retiring as a supply room manager, never revealing that he is gay. &amp;quot;It's still that secret,&amp;quot; says Ryan, who says he has battled alcoholism and severe anxiety. &amp;quot;In the era I was brought up, you didn't come out and say, 'I'm gay.'&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Staying in the closet.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many who remained hidden in the past to protect jobs and relationships stay that way to avoid discrimination in later life, only adding to the sense of isolation experts say is common among gay seniors.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Some who grew up earlier never even come out to friends or family members. Even others who are out publicly admit they may be forced to re-closet if dependent on care in nursing homes or hospitals, where homophobia, or at least &amp;quot;heterosexism,&amp;quot; can be commonplace, experts say.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Psychiatrists note that the pressures of such closeting put gay people at a higher risk for substance abuse and depression.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
But as vocal boomers like Zucker age, the growing gay senior demographic continues to gain visibility, locally and nationwide. On Long Island, SAGE-LI, a Bay Shore-based services and advocacy group for gay elders, opened in October to serve the thousands living with similar struggles in Nassau and Suffolk -- an opening that came 30 years after SAGE debuted in Manhattan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
SAGE-LI, the only organization of its kind on Long Island, already serves 50 to 60 seniors monthly, says David Kilmnick, chief executive of the Long Island GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Services Network, the umbrella organization that provides administration and funding for SAGE-LI. Workers at SAGE-LI counsel gay elders on choices, such as whether to come out or to grieve the loss of a loved partner in secret. It hosts social gatherings and educates health care providers and politicians on the issues.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Kilmnick says he initiated focus groups in 2004 to address the issues facing gay elders.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;People really didn't feel a sense of community and they felt pretty much alone and isolated,&amp;quot; Kilmnick says. &amp;quot;When you are in your senior years, you should celebrate your life, not hide.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Problems with discrimination and isolation exist in every age group of gays today, experts say. But many gay seniors find it hard to shed the stigma of a more prejudicial era, when homosexuality was widely considered a mental illness and adoption was unthinkable. Many still feel stigmatized, saying they have been the subject of jokes while lying vulnerable in hospital beds and shunned at home. Others say they have even feared for their lives in public and while seeking care in hospitals.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Experts say that many gay elders fear that type of discrimination and are less likely to seek care at a time when they need it most. Adding to the problem, reports show, gay seniors are more likely to live alone and without support systems that straight seniors count on in later life to take them to doctor's appointments, care for them at home and even keep them company, making them ultimately more dependent on the institutions many fear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
More sources of help&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nationally, the last five years have seen an explosion in support and services for gay seniors like Ryan, says Gerard Koskovich, staff liaison for GLBT seniors at the American Society on Aging in San Francisco.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Centers like SAGE-LI serving older gays have opened everywhere from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Boulder, Colo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Leaders in suburban areas and smaller cities across the country are recognizing that large cities are not the only places where groups of gay elders reside, Koskovich says. &amp;quot;We are continuing to see organizations and regions address this issue,&amp;quot; he says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Expansion is needed to serve large groups of gay elders who remain hidden, experts say. In a recent study of gay and lesbian baby boomers, the MetLife Mature Market Institute and the American Society on Aging's Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network found that nearly 24 percent of responders said they were not at all, a little or somewhat out of the closet. And those numbers are likely higher in older age brackets, experts say.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Forty-four percent of the study's respondents said they were completely out, and 31.7 percent identified as mostly out. It is the last two groups that have mainstream senior care providers beginning to take notice, says Amber Hollibaugh, 61, a senior strategist for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Now people are going to be coming in as open LGBT people. That's the difference. People are not going to be willing to hide their identities and these places are scrambling to try to figure out how to deal with it,&amp;quot; Hollibaugh says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Holly Rhodes-Teague, director of the Suffolk County Office for the Aging, has attended focus group meetings at SAGE-LI and says she hopes to partner with the organization to train medical providers and identify gay seniors who need assistance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We are a suburban area,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;It doesn't always come to light that we have a large gay population. I think you're going to see a population that is there that hasn't come to the surface because they didn't feel they could.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Numbers for the gay population on Long Island are hard to come by. But Gary Gates, co-author of &amp;quot;The Gay and Lesbian Atlas&amp;quot; and research fellow at the UCLA School of Law, estimates -- using census data and other federal surveys -- there are at least 23,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual seniors age 55 and older living in Nassau and Suffolk and 2.4 million nationwide. But he says he thinks those numbers could be low and will grow as boomers reach senior years.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dr. Lory Bright-Long, a geriatric psychiatrist and medical director at Maria Regina Residence, a nursing home in Brentwood, says gays on Long Island do not yet have much visibility inside senior care facilities. As an example, Bright-Long says entrance forms at Maria Regina ask only if seniors are married, single, divorced or widowed -- leaving no place for gay relationships, a common complaint among gay seniors and advocates who call many such facilities &amp;quot;heterosexist.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;We've got to acknowledge that it exists, that we need to be open to it,&amp;quot; says Bright-Long. &amp;quot;With the baby boomers coming on, I think we're going to expect and need openness in all areas.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Denny Meyer, 61, of Kew Gardens, is an openly gay man who edits the gaymilitarytimes.com. An Army and Navy veteran, he is also the national spokesman for American Veterans for Equal Rights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many are without support&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Like many other gay seniors, Meyer lives alone.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He doesn't have kids, and many of his friends and his partner of nearly 20 years died during the AIDS crisis, leaving him largely by himself to deal with health issues as he ages. Meyer has suffered from spinal degeneration, a heart condition and bladder cancer. And his breathing problems from smoking have gotten so bad that he has to take frequent breaks while walking the two blocks from his apartment building to the grocery store.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With cancer reinfecting his bladder about four years ago, Meyer says he was mistreated by health-care workers because he is gay and he became the subject of jokes while lying vulnerable in a hospital. One doctor, he says, jumped back in horror when Meyer revealed his sexual orientation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Meyer says he dreads the day he will become fully dependent on strangers. He says, despite his openness now, he may retreat into the closet to avoid discrimination. &amp;quot;It's one thing to be openly out walking around on my own two feet,&amp;quot; Meyer says. &amp;quot;But when you're very vulnerable and you know that there is a prejudiced world, it can be very terrifying.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Many refer to closeting as a &amp;quot;survival tactic&amp;quot; for gay and lesbian elders who grew up in less-accepting times. Among that group locally is Ryan of Long Beach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryan, a Brooklyn native and the youngest of seven children, says family members ostracized him as it became clear that he was homosexual.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ryan blames his battles with alcoholism and anxiety attacks that have landed him in the hospital at least partly from hiding his sexual orientation and his painful past at home. Dr. Joan Rubinstein, a Port Jefferson-based psychiatrist who has treated gay elders, says such problems happen often among gay people, especially for those who remain hidden.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Many wind up for some period of time with some kind of substance abuse and some kind of anxiety or depressive disorder that's related to the homophobia around them,&amp;quot; says Rubinstein. &amp;quot;People that remain hidden for their whole lives are subject to additional anxiety of trying to live a life like a fugitive.&amp;quot; Dawn Shedrick, director of community services for Long Island GLBT Services Network, says she has counseled seniors at SAGE-LI who show similar problems. &amp;quot;A lot of SAGE members are still not out, so they're dealing with the lifelong pressures of being in the closet,&amp;quot; she says.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lingering stigma&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is common for seniors to remain closeted with friends, family members and co-workers for most of their lives, says Karen Taylor, the former director of SAGE Queens. Explaining this pattern, Taylor says that many were well into their adult lives before homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association's list of mental disorders in 1973 and still feel stigmatized. A 75-year-old lesbian, for example, was 69 when New York state legislators enacted a law in 2002 making it illegal to discriminate against gay people in jobs and housing, Taylor pointed out. Taylor says it is still difficult to apply that law in private, owner-tenant housing.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;I have absolutely no doubt that being out is a much more mentally healthy place to be,&amp;quot; says Taylor, now the director of advocacy and training for SAGE USA in Manhattan, a job that requires she help train providers and build service organizations nationally. &amp;quot;But if the choice is between fighting and, in that process, losing where you are currently living, people tend to be quiet.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And some problems only mount, as was the case with a 59-year-old man receiving counseling at SAGE-LI who felt forced to tell co-workers he was burying his brother when his partner died. Many gay elders seek counseling to help deal with the loss of a loved one, Shedrick says. In another case, a 68-year-old woman, who visited Shedrick after losing her partner of 40 years, suffered through a bitter battle with her partner's family after she died. Her partner's estranged family members contested the will and even long-standing burial arrangements, Shedrick says. Experts say such situations are common for gay couples who are not afforded the same rights extended to traditional married couples.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Forced to pretend&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Central Islip resident Linda Beinhauer, 59, and her partner, Terry, who did not want her last name disclosed, says they have filed necessary paperwork to protect each other's inheritances and avoid such a situation. But they still worry about what will happen if one of them dies. &amp;quot;You can't know how people are,&amp;quot; says Beinhauer, who says she fears discrimination because she is a lesbian, even from members of her partner's family.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Beinhauer, who married and had a son before coming out in her mid-30s, says she often chooses to hide her sexual orientation to avoid prejudice. She once pretended to be Terry's sister when visiting her at the hospital and still does not feel comfortable holding hands in public, citing even the possibility of physical harm. &amp;quot;I can't go out and say I can enjoy myself because I got to worry,&amp;quot; says Beinhauer, who was among several gay seniors at a computer class at SAGE-LI in Bay Shore last month. &amp;quot;I guess that fear is still there.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;gt;&amp;gt; &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.newsday.com/business/custom/retirement/ny-bzcov0202,0,7837073.story?page=2&quot;&gt;Newsday: Gays and lesbians: Out of isolation&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;</body>
    </item>
</rdf:RDF>

