Education

The Fred Martinez Project will make use of the documentary film as part of an outreach effort that includes study and discussion guides and additional content, commentaries, and other information for the media, educators, nonprofit partners, policy makers, at-risk youth, and the community-at-large.

Integral to the reach and impact of the project are media distribution via broadcast and cable television, screenings at numerous film festivals, the website, community events conducted by the nonprofit partners of the project, and distribution of outreach materials to libraries, high schools, and universities nationwide.

The project materials will underline the need for gender-neutral dress codes in schools, and in support of creating school protocols for protecting students who identify themselves as, or who are perceived to be LGBT and who are therefore at risk.

Grassroots Outreach

The outreach materials and the film will be presented to political leaders, and to local, state, and federal authorities in a position to respond to the legislative, public health, and criminal justice implications of hate crimes, and with the encouragement that these leaders speak out forcefully against anti-LGBT discrimination and violence. The Fred Martinez Project will also be used to sensitize law enforcement, the media, and business and religious communities about the prevalence of discrimination and violence, and the great harm it does our society.

The Fred Martinez Project will focus attention on the issues raised in the documentary film to expressly encourage people in every segment of society to commit themselves to the protection of fundamental human rights and policies that support personal liberties—moving people to first empathize and then to act to help eradicate anti-LGBT violence and an environment that feeds hatred and discrimination.

Outreach Partners:

Outreach Partner organizations are making specific commitments to screen Two Spirits, distribute educational materials, and build awareness through newsletters, special events, and e-mail blasts. Some will use the film as a fundraiser for their own programs, and all outreach partners will disseminate the film through their networks, making use of grassroots delivery systems that will reach many people for years to come.

GLAAD

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) works to change people's hearts and minds through what they see in the media. When media images of GLBT lives are fair, accurate and inclusive, all people are increasingly welcomed into a society that respects difference. When they're not--when stereotypes and misinformation pollute the well of cultural acceptance--GLBT people become vulnerable to anti-gay forces working to create a world in which they do not exist. True stories open the truth of GLBT lives, and when the media tell these stories well, people everywhere find a window on GLBT lives that broadens and deepens their understanding. Fair, accurate and inclusive media images shatter stereotypes and prove that all people are connected through common experiences. www.glaad.org.

PFLAG National and PFLAG Denver

Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) is a national non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and over 500 affiliates in the United States. This vast grassroots network is cultivated, resourced and serviced by the PFLAG national office, located in Washington, D.C. PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity. Locally, PFLAG activists work for change in their communities. Nationally, PFLAG staff and volunteer leaders lobby for fairness and acceptance. www.pflag.org

2SPR-Two Spirit Press Room

Two Spirit Press Room is a GLBT Native media and cultural literacy project that works to place Native GLBT people in the media—in front of the camera and microphone, as well as behind the scenes, to bring greater awareness to traditions that are being lost, advocate for religious freedom, and support a wide range of programs that serve the well-being of Native communities. 2SPR works to bridge the gap between the mainstream and GLBT media and native communities from both sides of the divide that at times separates them. Media entities need to become more culturally literate when dealing with Native peoples and subjects, and it is also true that Indigenous GLBT communities need support in order to successfully reach out to the media with their stories. This project is a communications nexus for supporting women in leadership, community building through the arts, and making more Native voices heard more powerfully in all media.

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Colorado

The Center is a statewide, nonprofit community center dedicated to providing support and advocacy for Colorado's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population. The Center serves as a catalyst for community organizing, support services, social activities, and cultural events with over 2,000 people taking part every month. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Colorado works to improve the lives of individuals who affiliate with the GLBT movement by: building a healthy, inclusive, and empowered GLBT community; providing opportunities for positive social interactions, community service and other personal development; promoting knowledge and appreciation of GLBT history, literature, art and culture; and advocating for social justice. www.glbtcolorado.org

Citizens Project

Citizens Project works to promote pluralism, religious liberties, and the separation of church and state by exposing extremism, while also encouraging tolerance and respect for diversity. Citizens Project began in Colorado Springs and is now supported throughout El Paso County and the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. Citizens Project publishes Freedom Watch, which presents news and views on issues relating to diversity, equality and freedom. The organization also monitors public policy issues at the local and state level, and works to create dialogue programs that bring people who have differing world views together for the kind of exploration that sustains a civil society and supports the respectful airing of diverse views. www.citizensproject.org

Colorado Anti-Violence Program

For eighteen years the Colorado Anti-Violence Program has been dedicated to eliminating violence within and against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities in Colorado, and providing the highest quality services to survivors. CAVP provides direct client services including crisis intervention, information, and referrals for LGBT victims of violence 24 hours a day.The CAVP also provides technical assistance, training, and education for community organizations, law enforcement, and mainstream service providers on violence issues affecting the LGBT community. www.coavp.org