Blog Hiatus

For those of you who have not heard yet, this is my last week at Vassar College. I have recently accepted a job at Bard College as Director of Student Activities and Campus Center. It has been a fantastic 2 years at Vassar, and I have especially enjoyed working with the queer community here. Details about my replacement are still being determined, so this blog will be going on hiatus during this time of transition. Hopefully it will continue once my replacement is hired.

In the meantime, please contact Ed Pittman, Associate Dean of the College for Campus Life with any questions you might have about the LGBTQ Center. Ed can be reached at 845.437.5426 or edpittman@vassar.edu.

My Vassar e-mail will be disconnected soon, so feel free to reach me at julie.silverstein@gmail.com for any reason. Thanks!

-Julie

Same-Sex Marriage Law Passes in New Hampshire!

After going back and forth with 3 different versions of the bill, the governor of New Hampshire finally signed a same-sex marriage law yesterday that will go into effect in January 2010. The revised bill added a sentence specifying that all religious organizations, associations or societies have exclusive control over their religious doctrines, policies, teachings and beliefs on marriage. It also clarified that church-related organizations that serve charitable or educational purposes are exempt from having to provide insurance and other benefits to same-sex spouses of employees.

This now leaves Rhode Island as the only state in New England that does not allow same-sex marriages yet. However, opponents hope to overturn the law in Maine through a public vote, much like what happened in California with Prop 8.

Read more here.

California Supreme Court Upholds Same-Sex Marriage Ban

The California Supreme Court announced their ruling today about the controversial Proposition 8 - a constitutional amendment passed during the November elections that banned same-sex marriage in California even though legal marriages were currently being granted to same-sex couples.

Unfortunately, the court upheld this same-sex marriage ban that had passed with only 52% of the vote. However, they have also ruled to allow existing same-sex marriages to stand. An estimated 18,000 same-sex couples will remain legally married.

This is breaking news from the California Supreme Court, but read more here as the story develops.

Fall 2009 Course Offering

Still looking for courses to add for the Fall 2009 semester? Check out this interesting option:

Transnational Queer: Genders, Sexualities, Identities
(crosslisted with WMST and INST)

Course Description:
This course examines, critiques and interrogates notions of what is Queer as constructed in, and through, France and North America. In what ways do different societies engage with discourses on gender and sexuality? Can/should our understanding of queerness change depending on the cultural context? This course will feature guest speakers specializing in queer cultural production from fiction to cinema and performance. Topics include the body, sexual politics, citizenship, legal and aesthetic discourses. Through examination of these questions, this course aims to expose students to differing kinds of otherness and cross-cultural understandings of specific forms of identity constructions through a broad range of queer theoretical and cultural productions including fiction, cinema, and performance. All readings and discussions will be in English.

This course is the result of a collaborative project and was designed collectively by faculty from five different institutions (Bucknell University, College of the Holy Cross, Union College, Vassar College, and Williams College) and will be offered simultaneously at Bucknell University and Vassar College. This unique opportunity will enable students to engage in dialogue not only with their classmates, but also with peers at Bucknell University. This course is organized into five units framed by an introductory module and a conclusion. Within each unit, one of the participating faculty members will give an evening lecture and lead an in-class discussion the following day.

Given the structure of this course, students are expected to fully engage in all its components by participating actively in class discussions and attending evening lectures and film screenings. Readings in this course will guide class discussions as well as inform your final project.

Tentative Lecture Schedule:
9/21 -- Thibaut Schilt, College of the Holy Cross (on the work of French film director François Ozon)
10/5 -- Brian Martin, Williams College (on Homosexuality and the Military)
10/12 -- Philippe Dubois, Bucknell University (on Food and Homosexuality)
11/2 -- Vinay Swamy, Vassar College (Gay "Marriage" and the French Republic)
11/16 -- Charles Batson, Union College (Queer Quebec)

This course is possible thanks to generous grants from the Andrew Mellon Faculty conversation grant at Vassar, the Dean of Faculty's office and Bucknell University. Contact Vinay Swamy (viswamy@vassar.edu) with any further questions about the course.

Senior Showcase has been Filled!

Thanks to everyone who contacted Megan Habermann about performing at the Senior Showcase this Friday! I have heard that all slots have been filled, so be sure to go watch the acts and support your fellow classmates:

Senior Showcase
Friday, May 22
9:00-10:30pm @ Aula

Senior Showcase

Are you a senior with a talent you would like to showcase one last time before graduating? If so, you have one last chance!

On Friday, May 22, Campus Activities and ViCE After Hours will be sponsoring a Senior Showcase in the Aula from 9:00-10:30pm, and they still have spots available for performers!


E-mail Megan at mehabermann@vassar.edu if you are interested in performing.

Lavender Grad Reception

We made the Misc again! Check out this article about our upcoming Lavender Grad Reception for LGBTQ and ally graduating seniors. For more details about this event, e-mail me directly at jusilverstein@vassar.edu.