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The National Association of Asian American Professionals Boston chapter (NAAAP Boston) is proud to announce Dan Minh Chu, Tuan Ho and Kasey Shen as the three recipients of the 2013 NAAAP Boston Future Leader Award. The three exceptional students will receive $15,000 of scholarships at the NAAAP Boston’s Scholarship Gala on May 15 at Hilton Boston Back Bay.
The NAAAP Boston Future Leader Award is the premier scholarship for Asian American high school students in the Greater Boston area. The purpose of the award is for aspiring leaders in the Asian American community. Candidates are evaluated on academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, community service, work experience, and financial circumstances. The award recipients are not necessarily the candidates who have received the highest academic scores but are those who exhibit the strongest leadership potential.
The highlight of this year’s Scholarship Gala will be the key note speech from Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, one of the youngest mayors to serve in Massachusetts and the first female Asian American Mayor in Massachusetts. Also, the three award recipients will give speeches during the event.
Since the inception of the Future Leader Award in 1987, the NAAAP Boston has given over $140,000 to 77 high school seniors. While members of the community continue to support the scholarship, the donor pool has expanded and now includes corporations and other institutions, including Liberty Mutual Insurance, The Richard T. N. Lee Scholarship Fund, and PSG (Professional Staffing Group).
The Scholarship Gala will be from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Hilton Boston Back Bay located at 40 Dalton St Boston. |
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This Thursday afternoon, on the eve of the ninth anniversary of the freedom to marry in Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Tom Menino will join gay couples and their families in calling for marriage equality nationwide. The event, co-sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), which won the historic Goodridge case in 2003, and the Respect for Marriage Coalition, will be held at 3 PM on Thursday, May 16th in the Boston Public Garden.
On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to allow loving, committed couples to enter into marriage. In addition to Mayor Menino, who on that day personally welcomed couples seeking their marriage licenses in Boston’s City Hall, plaintiffs from both the Goodridge case and ongoing litigation challenging the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) will be on hand.
Nearly a decade after the MA Supreme Judicial Court issued its landmark Goodridge ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court is now considering a pair of historic cases that will impact millions of same-sex couples nationwide. The two cases – one challenging California’s ban on the freedom to marry, and another seeking an end to DOMA – are fundamentally about whether gay and lesbian Americans are entitled to the same freedoms and Constitutional rights as everyone else.
DOMA denies legally married gay and lesbian couples federal recognition and equal treatment, preventing them from accessing the programs and benefits available to every other married couple. DOMA has been especially painful to Massachusetts couples, many of whom have endured nine years of additional costs in such areas as taxed health benefits, unavailable survivor’s benefits and income tax complications.
Although 12 states and Washington, D.C., have now passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage, 38 states still do not allow gay couples to marry.
In the event of inclement weather, a rain location will be announced. For more information and up to the minute event details, visit the event Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/547998088584517/ |
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The 4th annual Route for Kids 5K Run/Walk will take place on Saturday, May 18. Registration is at 8:30 am, Race at 9:30 am. Runners, walkers, and strollers welcome. Help raise funds and awareness to make a difference in the life of a homeless child.
The starting line is at Southwest Corridor Park, Jamaica Plain (start at Stony Brook T Station). To register as an individual and/or to become a Trailblazer and fundraise for Horizons’ programs, go to: horizonschildren.org/5k. |
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Since 1995, YWCA Boston has honored women who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and made significant contributions to their professions and communities.
Come see five inspirational women inducted into the Academy of Women Achievers and celebrate YW Boston's work to create gender, racial, and social equity.
The event takes place on Monday, June 24, 2013, from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m., at the Westin Copley Place. RSVP deadline is June 14. Program listing deadline is May 24.
Click here to purchase tickets. For more information, click here. |
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Join Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders on Wednesday, May 22 from 6:00-8:30pm at Rattlesnake Bar in Back Bay for our next GLADHour, a happy hour for fans of equal justice for all! Enjoy great food and drinks (and a brief program) in a relaxed and fun atmosphere while networking with fellow supporters of LGBTQ equality.
With the 10th anniversary of Goodridge - GLAD’s case that won marriage equality in Massachusetts in 2003 - and all eyes on DOMA and the U.S. Supreme Court, we’ve invited Gary Buseck, GLAD’s Legal Director to reflect on how far LGBTQ rights have advanced in the last decade.
Special thanks to our co-host: Mass LGBTQ Bar Association
Complimentary hors d'oeuvres · Cash bar
RSVP: https://www.glad.org/event/2013-gladhour-may
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Do you know an exceptionally dedicated City of Boston employee who has impressed you with his or her unusual competence and professional spirit?
The Research Bureau is soliciting nominations now for the 2013 Annual Shattuck Public Service Awards. Help us publicly recognize exceptional city employees for their outstanding service and commitment to Boston. Past Shattuck recipients have represented a diverse range of positions in all levels of city government from laborer to manager, from street sweeper to school principal.
To assist the Awards Committee in the selection process, it is necessary that you complete the nomination form and submit a statement explaining, in as much detail as possible, the reasons for your nomination. Additional supporting statements from other individuals can be included with your nomination. The Committee relies heavily on these statements in making its selections.
Click here to download a nomination form |
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New England School of Acupuncture (NESA), Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Society of Massachusetts (AOMSM), and Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) are collaborating to launch Boston Acupuncture Trauma Relief, providing treatment to anyone affected by the recent events connected to the Boston Marathon tragedy. All members of the Boston community are welcome to receive free, short duration (15-30 min) ear acupuncture treatments to help relieve emotional distress or physical pain in the wake of the bombing.
Our volunteer practitioners are available at the NESA Teaching Clinic, 150 California Street in Newton, MA, as well as over 70 other locations and private offices. To schedule an appointment, please call the NESA Teaching Clinic at 617-558-6372 or visit http://www.nesa.edu for more information or to find a location near you.
Acupuncture treatments are effective in helping people deal with stress, anger, frustration, depression, fatigue and other emotional and physical pain. Therapeutic effects occur quickly and can last for a week or more. Acupuncture treatments have a positive transformative effect without requiring the recipient to discuss their symptoms or emotions.
A specific acupuncture treatment protocol to relieve post-traumatic stress includes five thin, sterilized, disposable needles applied gently to points in each ear. We create a safe, quiet space that allows the calming effects to take place. These treatments are FAST, SAFE, EFFECTIVE and used by the United States military to treat PTSD. |
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The 26th Annual Beyond Shelter Benefit takes place on Thursday, May 2, from 7-10 PM at the House of Blues.
The evening will feature a selection of awesome music, amazing food, and a silent auction and raffle, all for a great cause.
Sample fare from 22+ of the Boston area's finest restaurants and their chefs:
Amarin of Thailand, Anthem, Ashmont Grill, Basho, City Table, Cocoa Pod Chocolates, Douzo, Eastern Standard, The Fireplace, Flour Bakery & Café, Hamersley’s Bistro, House of Blues Boston, Iggy’s Bread of the World, Narragansett Beer, Nordstrom Blue Stove, Rancatore’s Ice Cream, Salsa’s, The Sausage Guy, Serving Ourselves Culinary Arts Program, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Sweet Basil, Tavolo, Tresca, Union Bar & Grille
Dance the night away with a jazz by Jackie Berkley, rock by Howie Howie and little reggae performed by Berklee Bob Marley Ensemble Band
Tickets are $125. For more information, click HERE. |
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What is the future of food? Local organic vegetables? Genetically modified rice? Insect protein? Is paleo or vegan eating better for the environment? And how can we balance feeding the world with an urgent need to protect biodiversity?
Join this important community conversation at The Future of Food, the kickoff event in the Future of Nature lecture series that The Nature Conservancy will co-sponsor with WBUR, Boston’s NPR news station, this spring.
The Future of Food lecture takes place on Monday, April 22, from 5:30 to 9:30 pm at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter, 100 West 2nd Street, South Boston. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online at http://www.nature.org/mass/futureofnature.
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The Asian American Community Forum begins a series of Meet the Candidate events this week:
Saturday, April 13th, 12:30 – 2:30PM
Forum with Congressman Edward J. Markey - Candidate for United States Senate; U.S. Congressman (D – MA 5th District). Location: Asian American Civic Association, 87 Tyler Street - 4th floor, Boston
Questions/RSVP - Christina Chan:
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; Leverett Wing:
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, Teresa Cheong:
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Tuesday, April 23rd, 5:30 – 7:00pm
Town Meeting with Treasurer Steven Grossman - Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver General. Location: Asian American Civic Association, 87 Tyler Street - 4th floor, Boston
Questions/RSVP - Leverett Wing:
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, Teresa Cheong:
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Wednesday, May 1st, 5:30 - 7:30pm
Governor Deval Patrick's AAPI Heritage Month Kickoff Celebration, hosted by: The Governor's Asian American Commission/Advisory Council (Christina Chan, Chair)Location: Josiah Quincy School, 885 Washington St., Boston
Questions/RSVP: Christina Chan (AAC Chair):
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; Leverett Wing:
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How does race impact your health and the health of your community? What’s being done in Boston to eliminate health disparities? Find out answers to these questions and more at YWCA Boston’s Stand Against Racism event on April 23rd. Get ready for a unique panel discussion on issues of health inequities and social determinants of health in the city of Boston.
Panelists will include:
Thomas Kieffer, MPH, Executive Director of the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center
Linda Sprague Martinez, PhD, Assistant Director of Community Health Program at Tufts University, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine
Meghan Patterson, MPH, Director of the Office of Health Equity at Boston Public Health Commission’s Center for Health Equity and Social Justice
Moderated by Linda Hudson, ScD, MSPH; Assistant Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine
Light refreshments will be served. For more information on Stand Against Racism, please visit the national website. |
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Last week, several national LGBT groups and a cooperating attorney filed an administrative challenge to Medicare’s ban on medically necessary healthcare for transgender patients. Medicare, which provides healthcare to Americans ages 65 and older and younger people with certain qualifying disabilities, currently prohibits all forms of gender reassignment surgeries regardless of the individual patient’s diagnosis or serious medical needs.
The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and civil rights attorney Mary Lou Boelcke initiated the challenge on behalf of Denee Mallon, a transgender woman whose doctors have recommended surgery to alleviate her severe gender dysphoria.
Ms. Mallon joined the United States Army when she was 17 years old and worked as a forensics investigator for a city police department after she was honorably discharged from the Army. She was later diagnosed with gender identity disorder, a serious medical condition that is characterized by intense and persistent discomfort with one’s birth sex.
Medicare adopted the ban, which is codified as National Coverage Determination (NCD) 140.3, more than thirty years ago. Decades of extensive scientific and clinical research since that time have established that these surgeries are safe and effective.
As a result of the administrative challenge, the Department Appeals Board (DAB) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must review the ban, determine whether it is reasonable based on current standards of care, and reverse it if it is not. The DAB is staffed by career civil servants who have been tasked with providing an impartial independent review of disputes concerning Medicare and other HHS programs. Earlier last week, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its own initiative included a statement on its website that it would be reconsidering the ban. CMS subsequently withdrew its proposal to reconsider the ban and through a spokesperson explained that the ban would instead be reviewed through the independent DAB process.
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On Friday, April 26, 2013 Ethos AgeWell West Roxbury will hold its 3rd annual West Roxbury Rocks, a celebration to benefit seniors living healthy and independently. The event will feature great food, live music, dancing, a silent auction and raffles, while supporting AgeWell and making West Roxbury a community for all ages.
So far, nearly 40 organizations and local businesses have donated sports memorabilia, golf passes, hotel and restaurant gift certificates, theater and museum tickets and more, for the event's silent auction. More than a dozen businesses have placed ads in the program book or have purchased tables for the event.
Click here to order your tickets, reserve a table, place an advertisement, sponsor or donate to the event and help support seniors today. |
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The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in Hollingsworth v. Perry, challenging California’s Proposition 8 that revoked same-sex couples’ ability to marry in the state.
The following statement was made by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defender’s Executive Director Lee Swislow after oral arguments:
“We are confident this case got a fair hearing today in our nation’s highest court. Gay and lesbian couples have the same love and make the same commitment as all couples, and deserve the same recognition as full citizens.
These couples are simply asking for the government to honor their fundamental right to marry and to treat them with equal dignity and respect under the law.
Our country’s history is one of expanding the circle of constitutional rights and protections to include more citizens, and our nation is always the better for it.
We are hopeful that the court will seize this historic moment, and come down on the side of fairness, dignity and equality.”
GLAD has been a leader in the fight to secure the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, starting with its 1997 litigation in Vermont leading to civil unions in 2000 and the landmark 2003 victory in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health making Massachusetts the first state to legally marry same-sex couples, followed by wins in Connecticut’s Supreme Court in 2008, in the New Hampshire and Vermont legislatures in 2009, and at the ballot box in Maine in 2012.
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is New England’s leading legal organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression. |
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March is Women’s History Month, and International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission’s Asia Program is contributing by making LGBT history.
Breakthrough in the Philippines: The Philippines National Police (PNP) announced that it has entered into a partnership with IGLHRC and the LAD LAD LGBT Party to sensitize police officers on LGBT rights.
In October, IGLHRC partnered with 40 Filipino organizations to document police abuse -- including raids of LGBT bars, blackmail and extortion -- in a report to the UN. In response, the Human Rights Committee condemned the government’s conduct, a reaction we are now leveraging.
The new 3-day trainings of regional, precinct, and women’s desk officers will take place in 6 major Filipino provinces in the coming months. The best part? LGBT activists in each province will be the featured experts, ensuring that the police trainings meet the needs of local communities. |
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