Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer, board member Brian Sims, non-profit partner Ben Cohen and others will be on-deck tonight as Atlanta Pride, Out on Film and the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation team up to present the Atlanta premiere of "Legalize Gay: The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation," a new documentary film by Christopher Hines.

Campus Pride has worked closely with the documentary's filmmaker, Christopher Hines, in order to raise awareness about the film and the important topics it discusses. The film sheds new light on the continued movement for LGBT equality and justice, highlighting the courage and conviction of a new generation of activists determined to close the deal on full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Windmeyer, Cohen and Sims are also featured in the film. They will participate in a panel discussion following the film screening.

Campus Pride's annual summer leadership development program for student leaders, Camp Pride, is featured in the film, along with five student leaders from across the country, including Amy Sanders (Vanderbilt University), Mark Rivera (William Paterson University), Kelly Neufell (Bridgewater State University), Kevin Cruz (University of Rhode Island) and Karl Abad (University of Notre Dame).

The film will screen tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive NE, Atlanta, GA, United States, 30308. For more information, visit atlantapride.org/single-event/legalize-gay-screening.

Sundays to many of us represent a day for worship, a day for family, and a day for love. Since May 18, 2003, every Sunday has meant something different for me and my family. The nine-year anniversary this May 18 marked the day when I heard my father was killed.

My dad, Fred Windmeyer, was walking the family dog in our north Topeka, Kan. neighborhood that Sunday afternoon. He was just around the corner from our home by an elementary school when a drunk driver hit him in a Chevrolet pickup truck. The drunk driver was 21 years old and four times over the legal limit of alcohol. Witnesses estimate that the driver was going 70 miles per hour on a residential road when he topped the hill, crossed over the median, and struck my father. The young man did not stop the vehicle and instead ran off to hide at his home in the woods.

Read the rest of this commentary from Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer at The Huffington Post...

Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer to be managed by OUTmedia with portion of proceeds reinvested back into LGBT youth services

Campus Pride and OUTmedia are broadening their efforts to bring greater awareness to and to raise necessary funds for programs that serve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. OUTmedia, the nation’s foremost speaking agency representing LGBT and ally speakers and artists, has added to their roster Shane Windmeyer, executive director and co-founder of Campus Pride, the nation’s leading educational organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for LGBT students.

As a leading advocate for LGBT issues on college campuses, Windmeyer has spoken at hundreds of colleges and universities across the country since 1997. His pioneering work has brought much-needed attention to the importance of LGBT campus safety and inclusion. Windmeyer is a best-selling national author of several books on LGBT inclusion and safety in colleges and universities, including “The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students,” released Fall 2006 by AlysonBooks, the first-ever college guide profiling the “100 Best LGBT-Friendly Campuses.”

“OUTmedia has long been an ardent supporter of our work at Campus Pride,” said Windmeyer. “It makes perfect sense that we would team up to broaden the message of LGBT safety and inclusion to more campuses with this new partnership. I am thrilled to be represented by an agency that believes in what we do and that is willing to give back to the LGBT youth with proceeds raised.”

Unlike other speaking agencies, OUTmedia is driven by mission over profit. OUTmedia is committed to working as agents of social change by creating more tolerant and accepting campus communities. Every dollar spent on programming supports and sustains community empowerment.

“OUTmedia has long been a voice for queer arts and artists on college campuses, and we work hand-in-hand with campus activists to further support Campus Pride’s mission,” said Shelly Weiss, founder and president of OUTmedia. “Windmeyer’s and Campus Pride’s presence on college campuses across the country ensure that communities will continue to be transformed at this historic juncture in LGBT equality, ignited by President Barack Obama’s support of marriage equality.”

Bookings available through OUTmedia will include a special “Scholar-in-Residence” package, enabling colleges and universities to bring Windmeyer for several days of programming, including class lectures, formal strategy sessions, trainings, institutional planning, talk-backs and more.

Campus Pride and OUTmedia have partnered on several education and activism projects since 2009, including a “Queer It Up!” awareness campaign and a “Be Queer, Buy Queer” campaign to encourage LGBT-friendly consumer habits. Additionally, OUTmedia partners annually with Campus Pride’s Voice & Action National Leadership Award, the only national honor recognizing LGBT and ally college and university student leaders. OUTmedia also sponsors Camp Pride, Campus Pride’s one-of-a-kind summer leadership development program for LGBT and ally student leaders.

For more information on Windmeyer’s available speaking dates, booking fees or other general questions, contact OUTmedia via www.outmedia.org/contact.asp, at 718-789-1776 or email [email protected]. You can also visit Windmeyer's speaker bio at outmedia.org/ShaneWindmeyer.htm.

Campus Pride is the leading national nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) for student leaders and campus organizations working to create safer, more LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. It exists to give "voice and action" in building future LGBT and ally leaders.

OUTmedia is a leading queer cultural activist organization and social enterprise. Our mission is to increase the positive visibility of LGBTQQIA people and promote inclusive multiculturalism through the arts.To support that mission, OUTmedia has become a leading global source for LGBTQQIA and queer-affirmative national acts and celebrity talent.

Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer wrote on The Huffington Post yesterday, following the passage of North Carolina's anti-LGBT constitutional amendment...

I will not give up on you, North Carolina. None of us will. Conversations have begun, and visibility is greater than ever. The progressive coalitions built by this battle against Amendment 1 will only strengthen our chances for LGBT wins in the future.

No vote will change whom I love or whom I call my family. I will still be here regardless, living my life openly and honestly. My husband and I are still your neighbors. We are still taxpayers. One day, very soon, the margin of victory will shift in the favor of equality for my family.

Together we will find justice. Love will always endure -- and prevail.

Read the full commentary at HuffingtonPost.com...

Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer was at Texas Tech University in Lubbick, Texas, on Tuesday, delivering a message of inclusion, safety and respect for LGBT students.

An excerpt from a report by Texas Tech's student newspaper, The Daily Toreador:

Steven Lara, a junior political science major from Tahoka, said he saw an advertisement for the event and thought it would be interesting.

“It was a lot better than what I thought when I came here,” he said. “I didn’t know what he was going to talk about or what he was going to do, but it was a very honest about what gay guys or LGBT community goes through.”

Lara said he has more respect for people who are willing to admit they are gay.
“I think that’s probably the hardest part about it all,” he said.

Bill Gustafson, director for the Tech Center for Financial Responsibility, said Windmeyer’s lecture intrigued him.

Same-sex marriages face problems legally because they are not allowed to marry, he said.

“I can remember a couple of years ago we had a debate with two guys about the idea of gay marriage,” Gustafson said. “It’s just an issue that’s going on in our society and universities have diverse people, and it just gave me a chance to expand my view.”

Read the full The Daily Toreador's report...

Today, Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer and Pennsylvania State University researcher Sue Rankin, Ph.D., an author of our 2010 "The State of Higher Education for LGBT People," are attending the annual conference of the American College Personnel Association in Louisville, Ken.

The two are presenting, "To Ask or Not to Ask: LGBT Identity Questions on National Research and College Forms."

It's a hot topic these days. Last year, the Illinois' Elmhurst College became the first American institution of higher education to include optional demographic questions on LGBT identity in its admissions application. Recently, The University of California announced it was considering similar questions on their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) forms.

It's an important development on LGBT issues in higher education and one that Campus Pride believes will further efforts to create safer and more inclusive campuses for LGBT students.

As our executive director noted in our statement on the University of California news: "Colleges and universities are responsible for the education and safety of their LGBT students -- a school cannot provide necessary services or maintain proper safety and campus climate without first knowing who are the out LGBT students attending their school. Demographic questions asking students about their sexual orientation and gender identity will give university administrators the data they need to properly implement LGBT-inclusive policies and practices. Institutions should be held responsible for student safety, retention and academic success of every student -- the addition of identity questions finally make this possible for LGBT students."

If you're a faculty or staff member and unable to make it to the ACPA conference this week or if you're there but will miss Shane's and Sue's presentation, we hope you'll join us for our April 19 webinar on the same topic. Learn more about the webinar and others in our spring webinar series and register today.

Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer on LGBT-identity questions and college admissions forms at The Huffington Post today:

In order to best serve the needs of out LGBT college students, it is imperative that colleges and universities give these students the option to self-identify on the college admission form. This way the campus can take responsibility for the LGBT student experience, their academic retention, safety, and success from the beginning. For a long time, colleges have done this in regard to race/ethnicity, religion, and other optional demographics on college admission forms.

Be sure to catch Shane's entire commentary at HuffPo...

And... Don't miss out on our upcoming webinar on college admissions and LGBT inclusion on April 19. Click here to learn more about the webinar and others in our Spring 2012 Webinar Series.

On Saturday, Feb. 11, Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer will be a featured speaker at the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values Central Region Conference in St. Louis, Mo., the largest of the AFLV's regional gatherings across the country.

How does your school stack up?
Visit Campus Pride's unique Campus Climate Index to search over 300 colleges' and universities' assessments on campus safety and inclusion. Learn more at campusclimateindex.org.

Shane is just one of more than a dozen speakers who will discuss leadership, teamwork, diversity, organizing, fraternity and sorority life, health and sexuality.

If you're in the area or near St. Louis and have never seen Shane's Gay Point Average™ presentation, hop on over to the AFLV's conference site to learn more and see if you can stop by.

About 'What's your Gay Point Average™?'
It is time to take the ultimate test - what's your Gay Point Average? Learning about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues does not have to be divisive or difficult on campus. In fact, college students today need to understand why having a high Gay Point Average is an important aspect of diversity and preparation for success in life - at home, the workplace, and places of worship. And, believe it or not, sometimes straight people actually have a higher Gay Point Average than a Grade Point Average... and that's okay. Shane shares in a personal way the challenges confronting LGBT youth and challenges every person to play an active role in creating safe communities where everyone can thrive.

Powerful new film, ‘Legalize Gay: The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation,’ documents stories of LGBT young adult leaders fighting for equality and change

A special hometown premiere...

Campus Pride is proud to present a special "Legalize Gay" screening in Charlotte, where the organization is proudly based. Join us for two special screenings in Charlotte:

Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
Petra’s
1919 Commonwealth Ave.
Charlotte, NC, 28205

Feb. 11, 2 p.m.
LGBT Community Center
820 Hamilton St., Suite B11
Charlotte, NC, 28206

At both screenings, local LGBT community leaders, including newly-elected Charlotte City Councilmember LaWana Mayfield, will participate in a panel discussion and Q&A following the film.

“Legalize Gay: The Civil Rights Movement of a Generation,” a documentary film set to debut in May on the national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) TV network LOGO, is currently making special, advanced screenings to LGBT and ally audiences across the country.

Campus Pride and its student and young leaders are featured in the documentary, an incredibly inspiring film that captures the courage and conviction of a new generation of activists determined to close the deal on full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The film’s director, Christopher Hines, has partnered with Campus Pride to provide special preview screenings of the films, including upcoming screenings at the Midwest LGBT College Conference at Iowa State University in Aimes, Iowa, on Feb. 10, and at the Campus Pride Carolinas Young Adult Leadership Summit at the Human Rights Campaign Carolina Gala in Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 24.

“Campus Pride is already doing so much in the struggle for LGBT equality at universities and colleges across the country. I hope ‘Legalize Gay’ can help in that effort,” Hines said. “The young people in the film are so inspiring.”

“’Legalize Gay’ is not only thought-provoking and inspirational, but very entertaining,” said Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer.

Featured in the film is “Camp Pride,” an annual event sponsored by Campus Pride, aimed at giving a new generation of LGBT activists the skills and support they need to flourish at their universities and colleges.

“It was so much fun and impressive to film such a diverse group of young people working together for a common cause – equality,” Hines said. “I hope we can get hundreds of students attending Camp Pride every year.”

A portion of each of the preview screening booking fees will help to provide scholarships for students to attend Camp Pride, held July 17-22, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Students can apply for Camp Pride scholarships at www.CampusPride.org/CampPride.

Current National Screening Dates:
Sun., Jan. 29 -- Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Thurs., Feb. 9 & Sat, Feb 11-- Community Screening, Charlotte, NC
Fri., Feb. 10 -- Midwest LGBT College Conference, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Fri., Feb. 24 -- Carolinas LGBT College Summit, Charlotte, NC
Fri., Feb. 24 -- Western LGBT College Conference, Univ Pacific, Stockton, CA
Sat., Feb. 25 -- University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
Thurs., March 8 -- Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
Fri., March 30 -- NorthEast LGBT College Conference, Sage College, Troy, NY
Wed., April 4 -- Lock Haven University of PA, Lockhaven, PA
Tues., April 17 -- CSU Chico, Chico, CA

For more information on booking a special advance screening of the film, visit www.CampusPride.org/LegalizeGay. Advance screenings cost $500.

Next Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, you're invited to join Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer and Campus Pride's Queer Research Institute for Higher Education scholar and 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People co-author Sue Rankin, associate professor in education policy studies/college student affairs at The Pennsylvania State University, for a special webinar exploring critical issues for LGBT student safety and inclusion on college campuses.

From PaperClip Communications: "This fall, Elmhurst College (IL) became the first college in the nation to ask applicants about sexual orientation. Other colleges are considering this move as well as other ways that they can create a more welcoming environment for their LGBT population on campus. While there have been strides in understanding concerns relevant to the LGBT population, it is essential that academia address the emerging issues and concerns impacting LGBT people within institutions of higher education. The Campus Pride "2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People" revealed an alarming degree of harassment and discrimination toward LGBT people."

Learn more about the webinar and sign up...