On the 26th of January, we went to the Housing Works thrift shop to volunteer and learn more about what they do. Housing works is an organizations that raises money through bookstores and thrift shops for HIV prevention. They also give free medical attention, a place to stay for LGBTQ people and more. We volunteered…
On January 9th we had an interview with Randi Reynolds a transgender man that works in the after school programs at LREI. We used the same questions that we asked Chap because we wanted two different viewpoints. Randi had the same ideas at Chap about educating kids about these issues and more. Randi was also…
Monday, the 23rd we had an exclusive interview with Chap, the director of diversity at LREI. We asked her questions about the school’s opinions on LGBTQ issues and her own. She even showed us a video on an open community that has different genders. She also told us about her story being a lesbian, and…
On Thursday the 19th, we went to an assembly at the high school about LGBTQ equality at our school, and others. There was a panel of LGBTQ students from our school and the assembly run by a lower school transgender teacher; Joel. There were two high schoolers from Elizabeth Irwin, and three high schoolers from…
On Thursday, January 26th, our LGBTQ Social Justice group took a trip to Housing Works. It is an organization that has fought to end AIDS and support LGBTQ people for many years. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to work there for four hours that day. Since we were required to go with an…
On Thursday, the 12th my Social Justice group went to Staten Island for an interview with a worker at the Staten Island Pride Center. First we made sure we would have plenty of time to get there, so we left early from school. We went to take the 1 train to the ferry station to…
On Thursday, January 19th, our LGBTQ Social Justice group went to a high school assembly to see students from LREI and other schools around the city talk about their experiences with gender. There were kids who were transgender and gender non-conforming. A few kids were also gay, bisexual, and pansexual. It was amazing to learn…
On Thursday, January 26th, my group volunteered at Housing Works. Housing Works is an organizations who’s proceeds go to AIDS/HIV prevention. They give free medical attention, housing to homeless LGBTQ people, just to name a few. We volunteered at their Thrift Store. Instead of just using the money that is donated, they have two store…
On Thursday, January 12th, our LGBTQ Social Justice group had an interview with Elysa Fein Cunningham at the Staten Island Pride Center. It is the only center for LGBTQ youth in Staten Island. In our interview we learned about the center and what they do. They have clubs for people of all ages, and anyone…
On January 19th, my group had a really great oppertunity. We got to go to an assembly being held at the high school called The Transgender and Non-Gender Conforming Assembly. We knew there would be high schoolers who fit in that category speaking, but we didn’t know much else to expect other than that. When…
On January 9th, my group met with Randi Reynolds, some of our past 2nd grade teacher. Randi is a transgender man, which means after transitioning, he identifies as a man. We interviewed him using similar questions to our interview with Chap. We wanted to get two different perspectives on these topics. We learned from comparing…
On January 8th, we interviewed Chap, the director of diversity. We asked her mostly about what her views on some modern topics were, as well as what the school is doing to incorporate LGBTQ issues into curriculum, and how we are teaching kids about LGBTQ rights and issues. We asked her want she thought about…
On Thursday, January 12th, we went to the Pride Center of Staten Island. This is the only community center in Staten Island that is completely for the LGBTQ community and allies. This center is a really important place to many people on Staten Island. It is really important that kids and teens of the LGBTQ…
On Tuesday, January 10th we had an interview with Suzanne Cohen about her experience being a gay woman, and about LGBTQ topics today. We asked her the questions about her life, and her opinion on LGBTQ issues in our school. Suzanne answered all of our questions diligently and she gave us a lot of very useful…
After reading the book, Being Jazz: My Life as a Transgender Teen, we emailed the organization that Jazz co-founded; Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation. In return Jazz’s mom emailed us back asking if we had any specific questions for Jazz. She would then email Jazz our questions for her to answer and get back to us.…
On Tuesday, January 10th, 2017, my group interviewed one of our former humanities teachers, Suzanne Cohen. We asked her about her experience, and what it is like today to be a gay woman. We asked her about what it was like when she came out ot her family and friends. One really good point she…
On a rather ordinary early January day we took a train to the Staten Island Ferry then got on the boat to take us to staten island and a twenty minute walk later we arrived. The building is nice, with a colorful interior. Another elevator ride later we arrived. We sat down with the woman…
My group and I are in the GSA club in our school. The GSA club is a group for people of the LGBTQ community and allies of the LGBTQ community. One of the teachers named Suzanne made this club and allowed us to interview her on the discrimination she dealt with because she is…
My group wanted to watch a film called Trevor, which is about a boy named Trevor that discovers he is gay. Trevor is a 13 year old that starts to develop feelings towards his best friend Pinky. His whole school thinks he is gay since he is depicted as a stereotypical gay kid. After we…
We traveled up the great escape to the seventh grade classrooms where we sat down with seventh grade teacher Suzanne Cohen to talk about being gay in today’s harsh environments and political crisis, as well as what she wishes kids knew and were taught from an early age. She told us that she wishes words…
On Tuesday, January 10th, our LGBTQ Social Justice group had an interview with Suzanne Cohen, my former-Humanities teacher. We asked her questions about being a gay woman in today’s society. We asked her about experiences she had, how people reacted to her coming out, and how we can help kids at our school feel more…
This wasn’t a fieldwork, but I felt like I had to make a post about it. Over winter break, each group had to choose a book about our topic. My group chose “Being Jazz” written by Jazz Jennings. Jazz is a 16 year old transgender girl. She has been recognized by President Obama, and The…
On Friday, December 2nd, my Social Justice group showed the whole 8th grade a short film called, “Trevor”. We made an introduction explaining why we were showing them the film, and what the plot was. There were a few technical difficulties, but it mainly went smoothly. We planned questions in advance that we would ask…
My group and I decided to go to a see Jodie Patterson speak about her transgender child and what it is like to be a mother with a trans kid. When her then son was very little he was usually very happy and energetic. But then there was a sudden change in behavior. Jodie noticed…
Small spoiler warning! On Friday, December 2nd, my group showed the grade a film called Trevor. It is a 20 minute film about a boy named Trevor. He is a 14 year old gay kid in the 1970’s. He loves listening to Diana Ross and he loves the theater. Trevor goes to school like a…
On Tuesday, November 22, my group went to a speaking with Jodie Patterson. Jodie is a mother of an eight year old transgender son. She explained her experience along with her initial reaction. It was really interesting to hear the story from a parent’s point of view. I feel like perspective plays a big role…
On Tuesday, November 22, we went to the cafeteria in the middle school to observe a talk hosted by a mother of 5, Jodie Patterson. She is a transgender ally and speaks at many events and places like she did at LREI. She gives advice to people going through the same things, and is happy…
On Wednesday, November 16th we went to a lecture and Q&A with Moisés Kaufman, the writer of “The Laramie Project.” The lecture was at the high school on Charlton Street, after school. Moisés Kaufman talked about his inspiration with the play, and the how and why of him going to Laramie, Wyoming to conduct the…
Thursday November 10th, we went to a play at the high school called “The Laramie Project”. It’s about a boy named Matthew Shepard who was brutally murdered by two men because he was gay. The play written by Moises Kaufman and it was made up from interviews made by Moises and his team. They went…
On Friday, December 2nd, our LGBTQ Social Justice group showed our grade a short film called Trevor. The film is about a thirteen year old boy named Trevor who realizes he’s gay when he falls in love with his best friend, Pinkie. With his love for Musical performance and Diana Ross, Trevor is quite the…
On Tuesday, November 22nd, our LGBTQ Social Justice group went to a lecture from a mother of a transgender child. Jodie Patterson is the mother of five children, one of them being transgender. Penelope, who is nine years old was born in the body of a girl, but with the mind of a boy. Jodie…
Our group is studying LGBTQ rights. We are specifically focusing on kids and teens. We think it is really important for everyone to be more aware about the problems with our country and people not accepting the LGBTQ community. Everyone deserves to be treated equally in the world. Often people are misjudged just because they…
On Thursday November 10th, our group went up to the Bronx on the D train for an hour to get to an organization called FIERCE. They help with LGBTQ youth and kids of color with helping them be more adaptable and comfortable in their own skin. We met Mustafa Sullivan, the executive director, to learn…
On Wednesday, November 16th, my group went to the Speaker Series at the EI High School. We were very excited when we first heard about it because Moisés Kaufman was going to be the one speaking. He is the writer of The Laramie Project. He talked about theatres’ roll in the modern day. He talked…
On Thursday, November 10th, (the same day we went to FIERCE. We had a long day.) my group went to see the EI High School Play, The Laramie Project together. The Laramie Project (written by Moises Kaufman) is based on the true story of what happened in Laramie, Wyoming. A twenty-year-old man named Matthew Shepard…
My group went to the Laramie Project play in the high school. The Laramie project was about a kid who had been brutally murdered because he was gay. It had many monologues of the people who knew Matthew speaking about who he was and what happened. The play was very knowledgeable and the acting was…
On Thursday, November 10th, our LGBTQ Social Justice group took a trip to see The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman. It was performed by LREI’s high school students. The play is about a young man in college named Matthew Shepard living in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998. Matthew was brutally beaten by two men. They beat…
We asked if we could volunteer with Fierce, an organization that helps LGBTQ youth feel confident and encourages people to come out, and learn more about what they do to help. The Executive Director, Mustafa, said he would love to have us. On November 10th, my group and I went to the Bronx to go…
On Thursday, November 10th, our LGBTQ Social Justice group took a trip to the Bronx to meet up with a small organization called FIERCE. It is made for children of the LGBTQ community, specifically children of color. We agreed to do volunteer work from 1-4pm. After taking the train we met up with Mustafa Sullivan,…
FIERCE NYC, LGBTQ 11/10/16 On Thursday, November 10th, 2016, my group went on our first fieldwork. We went up to an organization called FIERCE in the Bronx. What FIERCE does is they focus on children of color in the LGBTQ community. They help them feel more comfortable in their skin. They do that by having…
