FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Cathy Renna, Renna Communications, 917-757-6123, cathy@rennacommunications.com
Sue Fulton, 908-256-6727, sue.fulton@outserve.org

The following statement can be attributed to JD Smith (a pseudonym), an active-duty member of OutServe, the underground network of gay and lesbian actively serving military members:
“OutServe salutes the courage and leadership of Congressman Patrick Murphy, an Iraq veteran who has stood up for all troops every day since he joined the House. It is an honor to have a veteran in Congress so dedicated to working on behalf of those of us who currently serve under the burden of this policy.
We salute as well the invaluable and tenacious support of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Steny Hoyer. Our ability to live and work with integrity and honesty is on the line. It now falls to the Senate to follow the House’s example and the Pentagon report’s recommendations, and right the wrong that is being done to thousands of us currently serving.”
OutServe is a network of actively serving members of the United States Armed Services who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender. The organization launched publicly on July 26, 2010. The organization is led by an active-duty member who goes by the pseudonym of JD Smith and civilian Co-Director Ty Walrod. OutServe currently has more than 1,200 members and 27 chapters worldwide.
For more information, go to www.outserve.org.
CONTACT: Cathy Renna, cathy@rennacommunications.com, 917-757-6123
SAN FRANCISCO – May 9, 2012 – With media reports of suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth becoming increasingly common, communities are grappling with the urgent need to identify interventions to prevent suicide and suicidal behavior among LGBT youth. However, until today, no “Best Practices” have been identified or designated to help reduce vulnerability and risk among LGBT children, youth or adults.
Although recent media attention has focused primarily on the impact of bullying on self-harm behavior. suicide is typically the result of many interacting factors including depression, substance use and despair, in addition to environmental stressors. These complex interactions underscore the need for comprehensive suicide prevention strategies and interventions to change the environment at the systems level. For LGBT youth, family systems are especially important.

CONTACTO: Cathy Renna, cathy@rennacommunications.com , 917-757-6123
MATERIALES EDUCACIONALES DESAROLLADOS POR EL PROYECTO DE ACEPTACIÓN FAMILIAR, PARA PREVENIR EL SUICIDIO DE JÓVENES GAYS Y TRANGENEROS, HAN SIDO DESIGNADOS COMO LA PRIMERA “MEJOR PRÁCTICA” POR EL REGISTRO NACIONAL
SAN FRANCISCO – 9 de mayo de 2012 – Informes en los medios de comunicación sobre suicidio entre personas que se identifican como lesbiana, gay, bisexual o transgénero (LGBT) son cada vez más común, comunidades enfrentan una urgente necesidad de identificar intervenciones para evitar el suicidio y los comportamientos suicidas entre los jóvenes LGBT. Sin embargo, hasta ahora, no se han identificado o designado “Mejores Prácticas” para ayudar a reducir la vulnerabilidad y el riesgo entre los niños, jóvenes o adultos LGBT.
Aunque la atención reciente de los medios de comunicación se ha concentrado principalmente en el impacto que la intimidación tiene en conductas auto-destructivas, el suicidio es generalmente el resultado de muchos factores que interactúan, incluyendo el uso de sustancias, depresión y la desesperación, además de factores de estrés ambiental. Estas interacciones complejas enfatizan la necesidad de estrategias integrales para la prevención del suicidio e intervenciones para cambiar este ambiente a niveles estructurales. Para los jóvenes LGBT, los sistemas relacionados a familias son especialmente importantes.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Cathy Renna, 917-757-6123, cathy@rennacommunications.com
ACCLAIMED HIP-HOP ARTIST Y-LOVE COMES OUT,
SPEAKS OUT ON BEING OPENLY GAY, HASIDIC JEW
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AT: http://www.out.com/entertainment/music/2012/05/15/y-love-yitz-jordan-hip-hop-jewish-gay
NEW SINGLE, VIDEO “FOCUS ON THE FLAIR” AVAILABLE AT: http://bit.ly/KYSACO
HI RES PRESS PHOTOS AT: http://shemspeed.com/ylovepresskit/photos.html
FULL PRESS KIT AT: http://wearebancs.com/ylovepresskit/index.html
NEW YORK, NY – May 15, 2012 – Crossover hip-hop artist Yitz “Y-Love” Jordan is speaking out for the first time about his life as a gay man of color, while straddling the worlds of hip-hop and Hasidic Judaism – two communities not known for supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. On May 15th his latest release, “Focus on the Flair,” will bring a new, authentic voice to the hip-hop world and the LGBT community.
Said Jordan, explaining his decision to publicly identify as a gay man for the first time: “I want mine to be the last generation of LGBT Americans that remembers what a closet is. I want kids in 20 years to sit annoyed through LGBT history class to learn about that long ago time ‘when gay people used to have to lie,’ much like segregation is a far-off time to many of today’s middle-class black youth.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eleanor Moonier
212-255-6012 ×321
emoonier@itlmedia.org
New York, May 13, 2012 – In The Life Media celebrates Mother’s Day with “My Two Moms,” a web short video featuring Zack Wahls, the son of lesbian moms whose passionate speech to the Iowa House of Representatives in support of marriage equality went viral on YouTube, capturing the attention of the country.
Wahls joins In The Life Media to discuss his experience as a child of two moms, how he’s adjusting to life in the spotlight, and his new book, “My Two Moms: Lessons of Love, Strength and What Makes a Family.”
“My hope for the book is to show people that this is just a portrait of another American family,” says Wahls, “that is just as valid as any other American family.”
WATCH My Two Moms with Zach Wahls here:
http://www.itlmedia.org/clips/entry/zach-wahls-my-two-moms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: For inquiries about Above All Things or to arrange an interview with author Shari Johnson, contact Cathy Renna at 917-757-6123 or cathy@rennacommunications.com.
Now available for pre-order at:
http://www.amazon.com/Above-All-Things-Shari-Johnson/dp/0985024801/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335869641&sr=8-1
Odessa, TX. May 2, 2012 – Shari Johnson’s new book Above All Things: The Journey of an Evangelical Christian Mother and Her Gay Daughter, about Johnson’s crisis of faith after her daughter, Cholene, came out as a lesbian and her struggle to accept it, will be released on May 21, 2012, published by Changing Lives Press. In its call for compassion and love, Above All Things aims to help family members and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to understand the difficulties that their loved ones face, as well as to help LGBT individuals cope with the challenges of coming out.
