Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

GLSEN Pgh is working with On The Nose Events to redefine their fundraising and it worked! At least – this event caught my eye amidst the barrage of Facebook notifications I receive daily. So much that I asked GLSEN to tell me more about it. Brainstorm! is a trivia night – the type of event I haven’t participated in since college. These are the folks who came up with “GLSEN and Tinsel” which is one of the best event names I’ve read in recent years. 

GLSEN & Brainstorm! is Saturday, March 30th at the Union Project in Highland Park. The doors open at 7 and trivia start at 7:30. RSVP to the Facebook event. Admission is $10 per person and $35 for a team of four. What a great way to support local LGBTQ youth and a terrific organization.

What inspired this concept?

Everyone loves trivia! This past few GLSEN mini-fundraisers have all been very fun and very successful, so we know this one will be as well. With an established crowd and a great venue in place, we were inspired to invent a way to get GLSEN’s core message in on the fun. Adding some GLSEN trivia into the mix along with the general questions and brain teasers seemed like a great idea!

Describe the format

Guests will compete for prizes donated by local businesses. Some of our past donations include free hair cuts, a half case of wine, gift cards, and cash. Games include traditional hosted trivia, written quizzes and brain teasers, and a few put-you-on-the-spot puzzlers to make things fun.

Is the event for adults only? 

Everyone is welcome at this event.  We just finished hosting our first youth trivia night at the GLCC last Friday and would love to see some of the youth come out for this event as well!

Will you make teams up from attendees?

Guests are free to compete solo, with a partner, come as a team of 4, or make a team up on the fly. When you purchase 4 tickets, you do get a discount! The best part of any trivia night coming up with a team name, so have some ideas ready!

Will alcohol be served? Other refreshments? 

With your admission, you get two drink tickets. Enjoy a non-alcoholic drink, beer, wine, or our signature cocktail, ‘the Brainstorm!’  Drinks will be for sale and light fare will be available. A local caterer, Michelle Mitchell, is providing her delicious cupcakes and hors d’oeuvres.

How would I study up on GLSEN facts? 

The best way to study up on GLSEN facts is to review the 2011 National School Climate Survey.  Don’t worry, there’s anExecutive Summary that you can look through; this is much shorter than the entire report.  I would focus on the disparities as well as the things that are working!  Don’t forget to check out the GLSEN Pittsburgh & GLSEN website too!

What are the three most important facts to know about LGBTQ youth and the education system?

1.  LGBT students who experience high rates of bullying (both verbal and physical) have lower gpa, miss more school, report less feelings of school belonging and are less likely to express interest in pursuing higher education.
2.  99% of LGBT students report being verbally bullied at school.  Verbal bullying consists of phrases like “that’s so gay” as well as derogatory words such as fag or dyke.
3.  GLSEN has found that increases in inclusive curriculum, comprehensive policies, educated teachers and the presence of GSAs in schools results in lower levels of bullying for LGBT students.

What else has GLSEN planned for the spring months? 

GLSEN Pittsburgh is gearing up for a very busy spring and summer.  In March we are partnering with Assemble Gallery to host a community outreach event in conjunction with their March exhibit, Idea.  We will also host our first Training of the Trainer at the end of March (21-23) in order to build a cadre of well trained volunteer facilitators to offer professional development trainings to K-12 educators, administrators, staff and students in our service area.

April 19th is Day of Silence and GLSEN Pgh’s PASS program youth are planning something special for Night of Noise.  In May, GLSEN Pgh will host its Annual Meeting, open to the public with more details to come.  Finally, as Pride gets started in Pittsburgh, GLSEN Pgh will co-host this year’s Pittsburgh’s Youth Pride Prom with the GLCC on Saturday June 8th; another youth planned event!

What types of volunteer opportunities do you have?  

GLSEN Pittsburgh offers a unique volunteer experience for those interested in honing their professional skills through a combination of virtual volunteerism and committee work.  As an all volunteer organization we rely on individuals to help with everything from administrative needs to marketing & communications to creation and implementation of youth leadership and school education programming.  Some of our more immediate needs are in the area of fundraising and development along with a volunteer coordinator and committee chairs for our P2P & G&G committees.  We are also actively seeking new board members.  If you have any interest in volunteering with GLSEN Pgh, we encourage you to email us:volunteer@glsenpgh.org

***