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______________________________________________[Massachusetts News, May 2001]
Jennings was a founding member of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, and as co-chair of the education committee, he masterminded the DOE's "Safe Schools" program. He (and GLSEN) have had a long partnership with BAGLY, the Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Youth.
BAGLY was prominently included and recommended in the founding document of the Governor's Commission (1993). BAGLY's long-time director, Sterling Stowell (who later "transitioned" to become "Grace"), was a founding member of the Governor's Commission and co-chair of the its human services committee. At the time of the GLSEN Fistgate conference (2000), Stowell was a GLSEN-Boston board member and made sure a transsexual workshop was included in the conference. Stowell is now Vice Chair of the Massachusetts Commission on Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Youth. A very important player in Jennings' dream of GLBT-supportive schools.
Jennings' GLSEN funnels kids through its GSAs (gay straight alliance clubs) to GLSEN's conferences -- and to the BAGLY prom.
Entrance to BAGLY prom at Boston City Hall, 2007.
BAGLY holds its GLBT prom every May at Boston City Hall, wrapping up the festivities of Massachusetts Youth Pride day (which from the beginning has been sponsored by the Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth).
Kids waiting to enter the BAGLY prom (2007).
In a 2007 photo (above), Grace Sterling Stowell, the "male-to-female" transsexual director of BAGLY, greets kids at the prom, and keeps reporters (and MassResistance) out. The kids get warmed up before entering:
By 2009, BDSM (bondage and sadomasochism) had become an open theme of the BAGLY prom. (We're sure Jennings would approve of this legacy.) Mr. Boston Leather was all smiles as he greeted the kids on the dance floor:
Dance floor at BAGLY prom (2005):
The transgender message is a big focus at BAGLY events (2009):
At the national level, Kevin Jennings' GLSEN continues to draw kids in with dreams of revolutionary activism, for example their "JUMP START" program (encouraging students to start GSAs at their schools). Eventually, many of the high school activists will join up with the dangerous crowd at the BAGLY prom.
Strange adults (above and below) mingle with kids at the 2009 event.
