VSA Elections are coming soon and I’d like to encourage the readers of this blog to consider running for a position on VSA Council. I’m currently a senior and the President of Strong House (yes I know a dyke in Strong House go figure). But, you have to realize that at firs
t I was scared that I would be too stereotypical to win. When I was considering whether I should run, I was in the closet, and I was scared that by running for office I would be outed. I worried that the residents of my dorm would think twice before electing me because of the stereotype of Strong House being full of lesbians (and although the house has several, we also have genderqueer identifying, trans identifying and straight residents). I decided to give it a go anyway, and I was so comforted to know that when I came out to my house team they were very supportive and now I can’t believe I worried about it. Unfortunately, when I feel silly that I ever worried, I am also reminded of why I was scared in the first place: the first semester when Strong was hosting our first all campus party, the Misc BackPage calendar noted the partygoers should wear flannel!Council deals with issues that impact all students, but recently several of the actions taken were related to LGBT issues, and that’s why I’m proud to be on Council. Two of the largest of these were gender-neutral housing and gender-neutral bathrooms, and since Council is seen by the administration as the voice of student opinion, Council advocated for these popular changes. Although Council knew they had the support of the entire VSA body, another challenge was tackled by Council when the letter to the Trustees was drafted and worrying about whether the terms used concerning gender would be interpreted as intended by a much older audience. Even though Vassar is a queer friendly space, we can do more to make it accepting—and there is more to do.
Currently, Transmission is seeking certification. Council approves organization certifications, and Transmission is being held up because of budget concerns. When the issue comes out of committee for approval by Council, I plan to voice strong support for the group because I believe it fills a void at Vassar and that the college should be doing more for trans issues.
So, basically, what I’m asking of all of you is to consider running for a Council position (VSA Exec, House President, Senior Housing President, or Class President) because the issues brought to Council affect all students, but LGBT students especially.
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4 comments:
"the stereotype of Strong House being full of lesbians (and although the house has several, we also have genderqueer identifying, trans identifying and straight residents)"
So much diversity, very sweet. Now if we all just get the wording right such that we don't imply that being genderqueer or trans is a substitute for a sexual orientation, we'll have actually made some progress in the diversity department.
P.S. And no, I've tried to read the excerpt in question so that it doesn't imply that lesbian/genderqueer/trans/straight belong in the same category -- to no avail.
P.P.S. Why do I have to point these things out on an LGBTQ blog, of all things?! Not cool.
-- Lea
Lea,
I did switch between gender and orientation and for that I apologize to you personally and also as a general sentiment. I was attempting to dispel myths about Strong house as being gay and as being female based on biology only. My wording needs adjusting and I think part of the reason I ended up using that wording was that the myths about Strong put me on the defensive and I was trying to show that many different people live in the house. It's unfortunate that the myths surround mainly issue of gender and sexuality and I felt compelled to only respond inside the same box. Again my massing on these differences should not have occurred and I thank you for pointing it out.
--Sincerely
Mary Catherine
Haha, no problem. Just figured I'd point it out. :) I see your point about Strong being stereotyped. *nods*
To clarify, when you say you were trying to dispel myths about Strong "as being female based on biology only", towards which group are you trying to be inclusive?
Best way to explain in this case is with an example- In the dorm emails I don't address the email to: The Lovely Ladies of Strong. After speaking to several students about the address used by my predecessor I knew that in regards to gender addressing everyone by the "F" on the residences form could be hurtful. I've made a conscious effort to address the dorm without assumption of sex or gender.
--Mary Catherine
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