Virginia Uribe

Last updated

Dr. Virginia Uribe (December 20, 1933 - March 30, 2019) [1] was an American educator, counselor and LGBT youth education outreach advocate. She was best known for founding the Los Angeles Unified School District's Project 10 program, an educational support and drop-out prevention program for LGBT youth, and the nonprofit arm of the Project 10 program, Friends of Project 10 Inc.

Contents

Personal life

Uribe was born in Los Angeles, and lived her entire life in Pasadena, California. She grew up in an Italian family, living with parents and her grandparents in the same household. She went to Catholic school throughout elementary school, high school, and college. [2]

Her grandparents were immigrants and "intensely" patriotic and believed the United States to be a land of opportunity. Their sense of fairness, working class sensibilities, and liberal ideals shaped her world view. Uribe felt that her family was supportive of her throughout her childhood, which gave her the mindset and strength needed to advocate for youth. [2]

Uribe felt her deepest attractions towards women. During her time as a student, she found herself sexually attracted to nuns at the Catholic schools she attended. While these desires remained mostly hidden, Uribe believed that some of the other female Catholic students had similar desires towards nuns, based on their behavior while in their presence. [2] She eventually married a man, as that was the expectation in those days, but the marriage ultimately ended in divorce. [3] She was the mother to two children and a grandmother to two children. Later in life, she met Gail Rolf in 1988, and they were later married in October 2008, and remained together until her death.

Occupational choices for women were limited in her youth. Uribe felt she needed to choose among social work, nursing, and teaching. She chose education. During her career as a science teacher and counselor at Fairfax High School, Uribe became interested in youth LGBT outreach. She decided to form the program after hearing student concerns about a gay African-American male who had been kicked out of his family's home and dropped out of four high schools due to being sexually harassed. She founded Project 10 in 1984, as a drop-out prevention program for students who were LGBT. [4] The program gained notoriety in the media following attacks on the program by Rev. Lou Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition, and people from around the country began sending money to Project 10. With that, she formed the nonprofit arm in 1986, Friends of Project 10 Inc.

Project 10 and Friends of Project 10 Inc.

Uribe founded Project 10 in 1984 to help schools curtail harassment of homosexual students, therefore reducing the LGBT dropout rate. [5] Project 10, Los Angeles Unified School District program, provides support services and education for gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and questioning students. Project 10's main goal is to establish voluntary, confidential, peer support groups led by trained facilitators. The support groups provide a safe environment for discussing the coming out process, family relationships, harassment, and health. [6]

The organization also works to educate young people, educators, and parents on important issues such as HIV/AIDS, STDs, teenage pregnancy prevention, school dropout, depression, and substance abuse. Services are provided to elementary and secondary advisers and district staff for at-risk youth. According to the organization's mission statement, "[Project 10] works to assure that public schools are in compliance with state and federal laws regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, and that academic achievement should not be limited by being part of a marginalized social group." [7]

Project 10 received backlash from conservative politician Marian La Follette in March 1988, who led the GOP caucus in voting to withhold new funds from the Los Angeles Unified School District until it stopped supporting the program. Despite this, then District Supt. Leonard Britton and school board members voiced strong support for Uribe, the program, and homosexual students. [8] On September 24, 1990, a session to teach some San Diego Unified School District staffers how to help students with the "curiosity, depression and fear that can surround homosexuality" drew a crowd outside of about 25 people, many of whom protested the program. [9]

Friends of Project 10 Inc., became a resource for educators, students, parents, and community groups throughout the country. The organization contributed to the ultimate passage of AB 537, the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act 2000, which prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in California public schools. Friends of Project 10 Inc., produced Youth Lobby Days, the Make It Real Conference, the LGBTQ Youth Prom, the Models of Excellence Scholarship competition, and the annual Models of Pride Conference.

Awards and honors

Uribe has received recognition for her work from the California State Assembly and State Senate, the Mayor's office of the City of Los Angeles, National Education Association, [10] the LA Gay & Lesbian Center, GLADD, the Stonewall Scholarship Committee of United Teachers Los Angeles, [11] 1999 Liberty Award from Lambda Legal Defense, [12] Southern California Women for Understanding, [13] the LA Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the City of West Hollywood, [14] Long Beach Pride, the LA County Human Relations Commission, the Los Angeles Unified School District, Vox Femina LA. [15] Uribe was awarded the NOGLSTP GLBT Educator of the Year Award in 2009. [16] One of her proudest moments was when she was informed by the White House, during President Obama's tenure, that she was a finalist for the Presidential Citizens Medal.

In June 2019, Uribe was one of the inaugural fifty American “pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes” inducted on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument (SNM) in New York City’s Stonewall Inn. [17] [18] The SNM is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history, [19] and the wall's unveiling was timed to take place during the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. [20]

Sources

  1. "Dr. Virginia Uribe, Project 10 Founder, pioneer for LGBT youth, dies at 85". Los Angeles Blade: LGBT News, Rights, Politics, Entertainment. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Dr. Virginia Uribe". The Lavender Effect. 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  3. Connell, Catherine (2014-11-14). School's Out: Gay and Lesbian Teachers in the Classroom. Univ of California Press. ISBN   9780520278226.
  4. "Virginia Uribe | LGBTHistoryMonth.com". lgbthistorymonth.com. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  5. Yarber, Mary (1991-03-28). "Project 10 Gives Gay Students Help When They Need It Most". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  6. "Project 10 and Friends of Project 10, Inc". Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved May 21, 2017.
  7. "Welcome to Friends of Project 10 Inc.!". friendsofproject10.org. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  8. "Local News in Brief : Counselor of Gays Backed". Los Angeles Times. 1988-03-22. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  9. Bellandi, Deanna (1990-09-25). "Workshop on Gay Pupils Draws Protest". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  10. "Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights". NEA. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  11. "Stonewall Scholarship" (PDF). UTLA Stonewall Scholarship Program. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  12. "West Coast Liberty Awards". Lambda Legal. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  13. "The Collections of The June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives - Southern California Women for Understanding Collection" (PDF). UCLA.edu. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  14. "Women In Leadership". West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  15. BWW News Desk. "Photo Flash: Creative Planet School of Arts & VOX Femina's Stage Show/Concert". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-05-21.
  16. "Nowick, Gingiss, and Uribe to Receive 2009 NOGLSTP GLBT Awards Recognizing Their Contributions to the Fields of Science and Technology". NOGLSTP. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
  17. Glasses-Baker, Becca (June 27, 2019). "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor unveiled at Stonewall Inn". www.metro.us. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
  18. Rawles, Timothy (2019-06-19). "National LGBTQ Wall of Honor to be unveiled at historic Stonewall Inn". San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  19. "Groups seek names for Stonewall 50 honor wall". The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  20. "Stonewall 50". San Francisco Bay Times. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-05-25.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon</span> American feminists and gay-rights activists

Dorothy Louise Taliaferro "Del" Martin and Phyllis Ann Lyon were an American lesbian couple known as feminist and gay-rights activists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gay–straight alliance</span> Student groups supporting LGBT youth

A Gay–Straight Alliance, Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) or Queer–Straight Alliance (QSA) is a student-led or community-based organisation, found in middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities. These are primarily in the United States and Canada. Gay–straight alliance is intended to provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and all (LGBTQ+) sometimes being referred to as "alphabet soup", children, teenagers, and youth as well as their cisgender heterosexual allies. In middle schools and high schools, GSAs are overseen by a responsible teacher. The first GSAs were established in the 1980s. Scientific studies show that GSAs have positive academic, health, and social impacts on schoolchildren of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Numerous judicial decisions in United States federal and state court jurisdictions have upheld the establishment of GSAs in schools, and the right to use that name for them.

Patricia Nell Warren, also known by her pen name Patricia Kilina, was an American novelist, poet, editor and journalist. Her second novel, The Front Runner (1974), was the first work of contemporary gay fiction to make the New York Times Best Seller list. Her third novel, The Fancy Dancer (1976), was the first bestseller to portray a gay priest and to explore gay life in a small town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brenda Howard</span> Bisexual rights activist (1946–2005)

Brenda Howard was an American bisexual rights activist and sex-positive feminist. The Brenda Howard Memorial Award is named for her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles LGBT Center</span> Community center in Los Angeles, California

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is a provider of programs and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The organization's work spans four categories, including health, social services, housing, and leadership and advocacy. The center is the largest facility in the world providing services to LGBT people.

Eric Rofes was a gay activist, educator, and author. He was a director of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center in the 1980s. In 1989, he became executive director of the Shanti Project, a nonprofit AIDS service organization. He was a professor of Education at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, and served on the board of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. He wrote or edited twelve books. One of his last projects was co-creating "Gay Men's Health Leadership Academies" to combat what he saw as a "pathology-focused understanding of gay men" in safe-sex education.

Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival, the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Film Festival, and the Inside Out Film and Video Festival, in launching the North American Queer Festival Alliance, an initiative to further publicize and promote LGBT film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Cat Tavern</span> LGBT historic site in Los Angeles, California

The Black Cat Tavern is an LGBT historic site located in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In 1967, it was the site of one of the first demonstrations in the United States protesting police brutality against LGBT people, preceding the Stonewall riots by over two years.

Wanda Alston was an American feminist, LGBT activist, and a government official. She was born in Newport News, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanne Córdova</span> German writer

Jeanne Córdova was an American trailblazer of the lesbian and gay rights movement, founder of The Lesbian Tide, and a founder of the West Coast LGBT movement. Córdova was a second-wave feminist lesbian activist and proud butch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Bohnett Foundation</span>

The David Bohnett Foundation is a private foundation that gives grants to organizations that focus on its core giving areas – primarily Los Angeles area programs and LGBT rights in the United States, as well as leadership initiatives and voter education, gun violence prevention, and animal language research. As of 2022, the foundation has donated $125 million to nonprofit organizations and initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT culture in Los Angeles</span>

Although often characterized as apolitical, “Los Angeles has provided the setting for many important chapters in the struggle for gay and lesbian community, visibility, and civil rights." Moreover, Los Angeles' LGBT community has historically played a significant role in the development of the entertainment industry.

Ronni Lebman Sanlo is the Director Emeritus of the UCLA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center and an authority on matters relating to LGBT students, faculty and staff in higher education. She recognized at an early age that she was a lesbian, but was too afraid to tell anybody. Sanlo went to college then married and had two children. At the age of 31, Ronni came out and lost custody of her young children. The treatment toward the LBGT community and her rights as a mother are what gave Sanlo the drive to get involved in activism and LGBT politics.

Out to Innovate, previously the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP), is a professional society for professionals in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering. Each year, Out to Innovate gives the Walt Westman Award to members who helped make significant contributions to the association's mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT people in science</span> Overview of LGBT people in science

LGBT people in science are students, professionals, hobbyists, and anyone else who is LGBT and interested in science. The sexuality of many people in science remains up for debate by historians, largely due to the unaccepting cultures in which many of these people lived. For the most part, we do not know for certain how people in the past would have labelled their sexuality or gender because many individuals lived radically different private lives outside of the accepted gender and sexual norms of their time. One such example of a historical person in science that was arguably part of the LGBT community is Leonardo da Vinci, whose sexuality was later the subject of Sigmund Freud's study.

EAGLES Academy Central High School was a public high school located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, with the target group of but not limited to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people, as well as those questioning their sexuality and educational dropouts. It was founded and opened in 1992 along with the "Educational Options" program by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD); it closed down in 2004. It was the first public high school designed for LGBT youth from grade 7 onwards in the United States.

The National LGBTQ Wall of Honor is an American memorial wall in Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan, New York City, dedicated to LGBTQ "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes". The wall is located inside of the Stonewall Inn and is a part of the Stonewall National Monument, the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights and history. The first fifty nominees were announced in June 2019, and the wall was unveiled on June 27, 2019, as a part of the Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019 events. Each year five additional names will be added.

Rochelle (Shelley) Diamond is a research biologist, queer activist, and chair emeritus of Out to Innovate, formerly known as National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. She is the Director of California Institute of Technology's Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Shared Resource Laboratory and the Lab Manager for Ellen Rothenberg (scientist)'s research lab.

Ellen Broidy is an American gay rights activist. She was one of the proposers and a co-organizer of the first gay pride march.