The article, Our Differences Do Not Have To Become Our Divisions, was written by Jessica DeBruin and posted June 20, 2016 on Everyday Democracy‘s site. DeBruin wrote this article in memory of the 49 victims from the Orlando massacre at Pulse nightclub, an LGBTQIA club. In the article, DeBruin shares her experience as a queer person in the aftermath of the massacre and calls for the urgent need to improve the civic process by demanding the need to ensure the voices of marginalized folks are at […] (continue)

The 7-page article, Repairing the Breach: The Power of Dialogue to Heal Relationships and Communities (2014), by Robert Stains Jr was published in Journal of Public Deliberation: Vol. 10: Iss. 1. Dialogue has an incredible power to create a space for individuals to come together and work through difficult conversations that may have previously been felt by the participants as an insurmountable task. Public Conversations Project use of the Reflexive Structured Dialogue process creates an opportunity for a profound shift in conversations, as participants share their own personal stories, emotions […] (continue)

The 6-page article, The Compost of Disagreement: Creating Safe Spaces for Engagement and Action (2014), by Michele Holt-Shannon and Bruce Mallory, was published in Journal of Public Deliberation: Vol. 10: Iss. 1. The authors describe the experience coordinating the New Hampshire Listens campaign to address the growing concern around aggressive and combative many public events were becoming from mid-1990s and on. Over years of experience, they found that the more diverse and varied the participants and experiences, the richer the conversation that would emerge. And in order to do so, it […] (continue)

The article written by Jessica DeBruin, The Greatest History Lessons Are Those We Have Yet to Learn, was published August 2015 on Everyday Democracy‘s site. DeBruin shares some of her history, how it shaped her identity, and explores how our identities play out in our conversations and realities. She emphasizes the importance genuinely listening and participating in conversations where we explore the intersections of our own privilege and oppression. Below is an excerpt from the article and read it in full on Everyday Democracy’s site here. From […] (continue)

Jacob Z. Hess is a Mormon, a community psychologist, and a devoted conservative, while Phil Neisser is an atheist, a leftist, and a college professor. Yet in 2009, after meeting at an NCDD conference, they embarked on a two-year conversation about the issues that divide them. The result is “You’re not as Crazy as I Thought,” an entertaining dialogue about power, government, media, religion, morality, gender roles, sexual orientation, race, and more. Drawing on the latest debates in social and political theory, Hess and Neisser […] (continue)

This issue of Facilitator Interconnection focuses specifically on facilitating intergroup dialogue on 'Gay Marriage' at Everett Community College. This session focuses on students' perceptions, messages, and understanding of sexuality and legislation legalizing gay marriage. This session, as one of two that look at controversial and current issues about racism, aims to link structural-political issues to individual experiences and perspectives. Download the 12-page PDF directly from the NCDD website. (continue)

Every effort has been made to insure that this brochure, which was written by a transgendered person, is factually correct. It may be duplicated and distributed without license or fees as a public service or for private use. This is a printable 3-panel brochure for friends and family members of people struggling with their gender identify. The brochure helps explain what GID is (and defines Drag Kings/Queens, Transsexuals, etc.), how common it is, and what a friend or family member can do to help support a person who is struggling with their gender identity. (continue)

An excellent source for definitions of LBGT-related terms. Includes information detailing the use of gender neutral pronouns. Each of these definitions has been carefully researched and closely analyzed from theoretical and practical perspectives for cultural sensitivity, common usage, and general appropriateness. (continue)

This publication lists state and municipal laws that concern gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. These include hate crimes laws, sodomy statutes, domestic partnership laws and registries, anti-same-gender marriage statutes, and state, city and county ordinances which include coverage against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Wherever possible, gay rights laws that have been repealed have also been included. Download the 27-page PDF document directly from the NCDD website. (continue)

The APA is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the U.S. and is the largest association of psychologists worldwide. While a scientific organization, its attitude toward lesbians, gays and bisexuals can be described as fairly positive. Searching for a given topic on the APA's site is likely to produce a wide variety of types of results - anything from guidelines for psychotherapists dealing with a particular issue to research papers to APA-authored amicus briefs. (continue)