LGBTQ Programs at Vassar College

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

2011-10-24T13:52:00.000-04:00

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Meet the Staff

2011-10-10T12:53:00.001-04:00

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Autumn Reception

2011-09-27T17:24:00.002-04:00

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Body Image

2011-09-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

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Class of 2011

2011-05-22T09:34:00.001-04:00

Study Breaks

2011-05-10T13:29:00.002-04:00

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Lavender Graduation Reception

2011-05-10T13:07:00.005-04:00

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Where Our Bodies Meet - Launch Event

2011-05-03T16:08:00.002-04:00

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New Texts at the Sex & Gender Library

2011-04-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

Just in are these exciting additions. Is there a text that you would like to see in the Sex & Gender library? Maybe one that always seems to be checked-out it at the Main Library, just when you need it? Let us know. Haven't been to the Sex and Gender Library? It's in the LGBTQ Center (CC235). Stop by and check it out. It's home to hundreds of titles, across dozens of subjects.

Porn: How to Think With Kink (Philosophy for Everyone Series)
Dave Monroe
Love it or loathe it, pornography is as old as human civilization itself. Ancient humans were drawing porn on their cave walls long before it flourished under the Greeks and Romans. With the age of the Internet, it has now reached epic proportions. This anthology takes the ever-controversial discussion of pornography out of solely academic circles; it expands the questions about porn that academics might tackle and opens the conversation to those who know it best – the creators and users of porn. Together, they address issues such as: Is a porn actor’s life “worse off” by virtue of his or her profession? Why are men more willing to accept the authenticity of “porngasms”? What is the voyeuristic appeal of watching celebrity sex tapes? And, what is wrong with pornography? Entertaining and scholarly, Porn – Philosophy for Everyone offers a titillating, tantalizing glimpse into the world of porn.

The Slave Journals and Other Tales of the Old Guard
Thom Magister
Thom Magister’s memoir of being trained as a leather Master in the 1950s, “One Among Many,” was published in Mark Thompson’s groundbreaking 1991 "Leatherfolk" anthology. Ever since then it has been widely cited as one of the few firsthand accounts we have about the fabled “Old Guard,” though the men at the time never thought of themselves in those terms. Now, based on his decades of experience, Magister offers a novella, “The Slave Journals,” that depicts an ideal community of Masters and slaves, and 17 erotic stories written from the perspectives of different Old Guard Masters from the 1950s to 1980. He has fictionalized his adventures and those of his friends and partners, but the genuine Old Guard values of responsibility, humility, respect, and gratitude are evident throughout.

Gender Nonconformity, Race, and Sexuality: Charting the Connections
Toni Lester
How are culturally constructed stereotypes about appropriate sex-based behavior formed? If a person who is biologically female behaves in a stereotypically masculine manner, what are the social, political, and cultural forces that may police her behavior? And how will she manage her gendered image in response to that policing? Finally, how do race, ethnicity, or sexuality inform the way that sex-based roles are constructed, policed, or managed? The chapters in this book address such questions from social science perspectives and then examine personal stories of reinvention and transformation, including discussions of the lives of dancers Isadora Duncan and Bill T. Jones, playwright Lorraine Hansberry, and surrealist artist Claude Cahun. Writers from fields as diverse as history, art, psychology, law, literature, sociology, and the activist community look at gender nonconformity from conceptual, theoretical, and empirical perspectives. They emphasize that gender nonconformists can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or anyone else who does not fit a model of Caucasian heterosexual behavior characterized by binary masculine and feminine roles.

Art Objects: Essays on Ecstasy and Effrontery
Jeanette Winterson
One suspects that the title of this essay collection is not meant to be a noun. What, then, does Winterson think art objects to? The answer surfaces readily in her first essay, a probing piece about learning to look, to really look, at paintings. Art objects, she imagines, to our propensity for doomsaying, for seeing the glass as half-empty rather than half-full. Winterson continues to develop this notion as she shifts her focus from the visual arts to various aspects of literature, her true metier. In the course of invigorating discussions on Woolf, Lawrence, and others, Winterson offers a thoroughly convincing argument for keeping writer's lives (especially their sexuality) separate from their work, but then she executes one of her adept pirouettes and grants us a glimpse of her past. In a flash, we understand just how profound her involvement with art is, and our appreciation for her superb essays deepens.

Mr. Benson (A Novel)
John Preston
A classic of modern gay S/M fiction, Mr. Benson is the compelling story of a young man's quest for the perfect master. In a West Village leather bar, he finds wealthy, sophisticated, exacting Aristotle Benson, who leads him down the path of erotic enlightenment, teaching him to accept cruelty as love, anguish as affection, and ultimately, Mr. Benson as his master. If John Preston, the masterly, handsome author of more than 30 books, was himself a gay icon, his character Mr. Benson defined the culture of gay sex for an entire generation. When Mr. Benson first appeared in the pre-AIDS early 1980s, its unabashed celebration of male sexuality made it a cult favorite among gay men, many of whom wore T-shirts declaring that they were "looking for Mr. Benson." The novel's fresh voice and insights into identity, desire, power, and love influenced a generation of writers and editors, including Anne Rice, Samuel Delany, Michael Lowenthal, Laura Antoniou, and Joan Nestle

College Sex: Philosophers With Benefits (Philosophy for Everyone Series)
Michael Bruce
Philosophy has a history of expanding wisdom to include more worldly affairs. Continuing this tradition, College Sex – Philosophy for Everyone investigates a broad array of philosophical and moral issues relating to the sexual practices of students. Within the unique social setting of college comes a varied assortment of sexual relations and experiments, ranging from the mutually respectful, to the inebriated, meaningless, and the degrading. So lay back and ponder: Do students’ sexual acts need to involve love in order to have value? Should college students avoid a “friends with benefits” relationship? Should we condone relationships between students and teachers? Why is college a socially acceptable space for experimentation? Written with insight and humor, the essays shed light on sexual relations in college and examine a range of ethical issues, including: dating, cheating, courtship, homosexual experimentation, and drug and alcohol use, within the college setting.

1001 Beds: Performances, Essays, and TravelsTim Miller
For a quarter century, Tim Miller has worked at the intersection of performance, politics, and identity, using his personal experiences to create entertaining but pointed explorations of life as a gay American man—from the perils and joys of sex and relationships to the struggles of political disenfranchisement and artistic censorship. This intimate autobiographical collage of Miller's professional and personal life reveals one of the celebrated creators of a crucial contemporary art form and a tireless advocate for the American dream of political equality for all citizens. Here we have the most complete Miller yet—a raucous collection of his performance scripts, essays, interviews, journal entries, and photographs, as well as his most recent stage piece Us. This volume brings together the personal, communal, and national political strands that interweave through his work from its beginnings and ultimately define Miller's place as a contemporary artist, activist, and gay man

Big Gay Night @ the LehmanLoeb

2011-04-13T17:25:00.000-04:00

From biggayhudsonvalley.com
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Join BGHV as we spend a night “out” at the recently renovated and reopened Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center on the campus of Vassar College from 5pm to 10pm on Thursday, April 14th.

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center has a permanent collection that spans antiquity to the present, including works by O’Keeffe, Dürer, Cole, Church, Rembrandt, Pollock, Warhol, Calder, Matisse, Rothko, Steiglitz, Munch, Inness and many more well known artists – both gay and straight! Vassar students will be providing the entertainment through a variety of their campus a capella groups.

In addition to enjoying the art, we’ll be signing up walkers for the Hudson Valley AIDS Walk on Saturday, May 7th. You’ll also be able to pick up your fundraising kits right there on site.

Following the event, join the party at Babycakes starting at 9:30pm where Gay Night will be making a One-Night-Only move from Wednesday to Thursday! Ryan and Josh will be serving up the beats, and Gary will be mixing-up the cocktails – so come on out and have a drink with your friends!

"Laramie Project" Performance

2011-04-12T09:18:00.001-04:00

Friday, April 15, 8 PM
Saturday, April 16, 1 PM & 5 PM
Sunday, April 17, 3 PM

Streep Studio, Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film

Reservations can be made at the Info Desk, located in the College Center. Seating for each performance is limited.

The production is an Independent Project, in association with Campus Life LGBTQ Programs, the Drama Department and ActOut.

About the Laramie Project

In October 1998 Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. Five weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, and over the course of the next year, conducted more than 200 interviews with people of the town. The play draws these interviews, company members' own journal entries and published news reports. It is divided into three acts, and eight actors portray more than sixty characters in a series of short scenes. THE LARAMIE PROJECT is one of the most performed plays in America today.

New LGBTQ Publication

2011-04-04T11:53:00.001-04:00

The LGBTQ Center is launching a brand-new publication at the end of this semester. Entitled Where Our Bodies Meet, the publication will feature a range of material (prose, poetry, art, photography, and essays) dedicated to the theme of inter-bodily communication. We are currently accepting submissions and encourage everyone to contribute something. Submissions need not be LGBTQ in theme, though they should deal with sex/gender topics broadly. A cash prize of $100 will be awarded to the best written work -- determined by blind review.

Send your submissions to curious@vassar.edu by April 22nd.

For more information contact Steve Lavoie, Assistant Director of Campus Life at stlavoie@vassar.edu

Coming Home

2011-03-29T08:19:00.002-04:00

Anne MacKay '49
Wednesday, April 13
5:30pm, Villard Room
Reception to follow in the Gold Parlor

"For many lesbians and some gay men, Vassar was a lovely home that would not accept our difference. Fortunately times change. WOLF GIRLS AT VASSAR: LESBIAN AND GAY EXPERIENCES, 1930-1990 (1992) and our Lesbian & Gay conference for LAGAVC that same year provided a first, and wonderful homecoming." In addition to WOLF GIRLS AT VASSAR, Anne MacKay has edited SHE WENT A-WHALING: THE JOURNAL OF MARTHA SMITH BREWER BROWN (1993) and written several books of poetry, including FIELD NOTES OF A LESBIAN NATURALIST (2009). She will speak on Vassar's rich lesbian and gay history.

Carl and Libbie and Bert and Ida: Re-defining Family

2011-03-29T08:15:00.000-04:00

Robert Pounder, Professor Emeritus of Classics

Thursday, March 31

5:30 Villard Room

Reception to follow in the Gold Parlor

Long before the current national discussion over gay marriage, Vassar faculty and alumnae were redefining marriage, partnership, and the family in unexpectedly rich and radical ways. In a world where gay and lesbian history has often been lost or even consciously erased, it is especially important to recover LGBTQI narratives and personal histories; and Vassar College as a leading progressive institution in the early 20th century often provided an origin or home to lesbian academics, both faculty and students. One of these narratives continues to have a presence on campus even today – in the Blegen House, up until recently the home for the LGBTQ Center, and in the Blegen Fellow, housed yearly in the Greek and Roman Studies Department.

Drawing on deeply engaging personal letters and journals, Robert Pounder, Emeritus Professor of Classics, will speak on his fascinating research into the lives of four of the most important Americans working in Greek Archaeology in the early 20th century. The two women were Vassar alumnae: Ida Thallon Hill (VC 1897) and Elizabeth Pierce Blegen (VC 1910). Their marriages to Bert Hodge Hill and Carl Blegen, respectively, created a menage that solved difficult personal problems even as it affirmed an abiding love. The marriages brought into being an unconventional yet strong family that endured for the rest of their lives.

Professor Pounder's talk is part of a series in honor of the Sesquicentennial celebrating Vassar's LGBTQI history, sponsored by the Women's Studies Program, the Department of English, the Department of Greek and Roman Studies, and the Department of History, with support from the C. Mildred Thompson Fund, Campus Life LGBTQ Programs, Act Out!, QCVC, TransMission, and the Office of the Dean of the Faculty.

Unhitched: Love, Marriage, and Family from West Hollywood to Western China

2011-03-18T16:36:00.001-04:00

Wednesday March 23rd, 5:00pm, Taylor Hall 203

A leading expert on the family, Judith Stacey is known for her provocative research on mainstream issues. Finding herself impatient with increasingly calcified positions taken in the interminable wars over same-sex marriage, divorce, fatherlessness, marital fidelity, and the like, she struck out to profile unfamiliar cultures of contemporary love, marriage, and family values from around the world. Built on over a decade of bracing original research that spans gay men’s intimacies and parenting in this country to plural and non-marital forms of family in South Africa and China, Unhitched decouples the taken for granted relationships between love, marriage, and parenthood. Countering the one-size-fits-all vision of family values, Stacey offers readers a lively, in-person introduction to these less familiar varieties of intimacy and family and to the social, political, and economic conditions that buttress and batter them.

Judith Stacey, is Professor of Sociology, and Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University

Sponsored by Campus Life LGBTQ Programs, the departments of Anthropology and Sociology, and the Women’s Studies program

Gender Variance: Legal and Medical Perspectives on Policy and Law

2011-02-22T11:22:00.002-05:00

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Beautiful Thing

2011-02-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

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Campus LGBTQ Culture Complicated by Outreach Efforts

2011-02-18T10:26:00.003-05:00

"Between published material, traveling shows and the general celebration surrounding the celebration of Vassar's 150th birthday, offices that used to exist on the outskirts of student life are taking a more prominent role in the campus consciousness..."Vassar considers image, The Miscellany News

"Queer" Representations in the Popular Media

2011-02-18T10:16:00.002-05:00

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International Queerness

2011-02-10T11:03:00.001-05:00

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A Home at the End of the World

2011-02-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

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Study Breaks

2010-12-07T11:58:00.000-05:00

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Still Here

2010-11-30T10:59:00.001-05:00

In honor of World AIDS Day, the will be a screening of the Cannes award-winning documentary film Still Here by Alex Camilleri '10. This 20-minute filim profiles New York City native Randy Baron, who has been living with HIV for 30 years, and through a rare genetic mutation, has had the gift of continued health, making him an inadvertent witness to the AIDS epidemic.

A discussion with Messrs. Camilleri and Baron will follow

5:30 p.m.
December 1, 2010
The Rosenwald Theater
Volgelstein Center for Drama and Film

This event is free and open to the public

Sponsored by:
the Office of Health Education, Counseling Service, Heath Services, Pro-Health, the Department of Film, Alumnae/i Affairs and Development, and the Campus Life Office

Gay is the new Black?

2010-11-16T11:00:00.006-05:00

a lecture by Kenyon Farrow

Since the passage of Prop 8, the idea that Gay Is The New Black has become a new slogan used by same-sex marriage advocates. But has sexual orientation replaced race as the new barometer of social justice in America? Kenyon Farrow will trace the roots of this rhetoric and chart a new course for an LGBT agenda that includes racial and economic justice.

Kenyon is the Executive Director of Queers for Economic Justice, an organization dedicated to organizing, research, and advocacy for and with low-income and working-class lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Kenyon previously served as the National Public Education Director. He is the co-editor of “Letters From Young Activists: Today’s Rebels Speak Out” (Nation Books 2005) and the upcoming “A New Queer Agenda” and Stand Up! The Politics of Racial Uplift (South End Press).

This lecture is free and open to the public

Intersex at Intersection of Queer and Disability Theory

2010-11-13T13:29:00.000-05:00

a lecture by Emi Koyama

Emi Koyama is a multi-issue social justice activist and author synthesizing feminist, Asian, survivor, dyke, queer, sex worker, intersex, genderqueer, and crip politics, as these factors, while not a complete descriptor of who she is, all impacted her life. Emi is currently the director of Intersex Initiative based in Portland, Oregon.

Generational Sexualities

2010-11-13T11:39:00.002-05:00

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Bringing Out Tropic Spells

2010-11-09T14:06:00.000-05:00

The English Department Lecture Committee Presents

Bringing Out Tropic Spells:

Performing Queer Encounters in the Asias

A Colloquium with Eng-Beng Lim

Assistant Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies, Brown University

Friday, November 12 at Noon, Rockefeller Hall 200

Sponsored by Africana Studies, Asian Studies, and CampusLife LGBTQ Programs

Prof. Lim will circulate a paper beforehand. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please contact Hiram Perez at hiperez@vassar.edu. For more details, call X5658.

is Gay the new Black?

2010-11-09T14:02:00.003-05:00

Queer Soup

2010-11-08T13:46:00.003-05:00

ACT OUT!, in collaboration with Idlewild, FWA and Campus Life LGBTQ Programs, is bringing Queer Soup to Vassar! Queer Soup is a queer theater organization and will be doing their show called "We All Will Be Received" as well as facilitating a discussion after the show.

November 12th at 7:00pm

Students' Building, 2nd Floor

“In We All Will Be Received Queer Soup expertly weaves together three unique stories about coming to know and understand ones sex and gender as defiantly, differently, deliberately queer. The splendor of outrageously performed gender found at Graceland and Dollywood provides the perfect back drop for Malvis, Frankie Cocktail and Kathy to each explore, inhabit and perform gender. This important theater piece resonates with me and perhaps with so many of us because it tells the repeatedly omitted story of queerly gendered identities, and expressions there of, that are never easily come by. Bravo/a!!”
- Jessica Flaherty, Director of Programs, The Boston Alliance of GLBT Youth

Autumn Reception

2010-10-30T17:04:00.001-04:00

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Paris Is Burning

2010-10-11T16:55:00.000-04:00

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What's In a Name: Power Dynamics of Language

2010-10-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

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Zerophilia

2010-10-04T16:55:00.000-04:00

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To Wong Foo...

2010-09-26T17:16:00.001-04:00

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Identity Politics, or, Identity Or Politics

2010-09-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

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The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love

2010-09-20T17:17:00.000-04:00

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'Queer' Life @ Vassar

2010-09-16T15:02:00.000-04:00

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Meet Our New Student Staff

2010-09-14T17:28:00.001-04:00

Please welcome our Fall2010 student staff. The student staff members are integral to the work of CampusLife LGBTQ Programs. In addition to assisting with program development, they hold open office hours in the LGBTQ Center (CC235) during the evenings and on weekends so that the center and its resources are available to the campus community when the administrative staff are not present. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the center during these extended hours.

STUDENT STAFF HOURS

Sunday, 6:00pm-11:00pm

Monday, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Tuesday, 6:00pm-10:00pm

Wednesday, 10:00am-1:00pm; 3:00pm-7:00pm

Thursday, 2:00pm-8:00pm; 10:00pm-12:00am

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Gays of Our Lives

2010-09-02T23:19:00.000-04:00

Noted by Advocate magazine as one of Vassar's most distinct LGBT friendly social events, Gays of Our Lives has been a centerpiece of student culture at Vassar for over a decade. Presented by the Queer Coalition of Vassar College (QCVC) this outlandish interactive quiz show investigates the realities of gender and sexuality. With regular attendance well over 500, we suggest you get there early.

LGBTQ Center OPEN HOUSE

2010-08-26T09:10:00.002-04:00

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Lavender Graduation Reception

2010-05-10T22:42:00.001-04:00

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HIV Testing

2010-04-28T14:59:00.001-04:00

Free HIV Rapid Testing

Thursday, April 29 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm

Baldwin Building, Second Floor

Each of us has an HIV status. It is vital that you know yours. Testing will be available tomorrow afternoon -- results in 20 minutes with no needles.

Testing services provided by Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley

Sponsored by Campus Life LGBTQ Programs and the Office of Health Services

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Gender-Free Orgasm

2010-04-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

Could it really be possible to have an orgasm with your clothes on, without touching yourself or being touched by anyone else? Can you really reach ecstasy simply by breathing? Barbara Carralles, renowned sex educator and author, will lead a workshop exploring the unlimited possibilities of orgasm, particularly the vast range of orgasms that lie beyond those achieved by genital stimulation. Although this is a participatory workshop, here will be NO nudity and you will NOT be asked to work with a partner. Barbara is the author of Urban Tantra: Sacred Sex for the Twenty-First Century and Luxurious Loving: Tantric Inspirations for Passion and Pleasure. Her work is centered on a holistic, metaphysical, practical, humorous, entertaining and gender-fluid approach to conscious sexuality. Barbara currently lives in New York with her partner Kate Bornstein.

Q?

2010-04-21T00:36:00.002-04:00

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Maggots and Men

2010-04-16T15:57:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, April 20, 7:00pm, Spitzer Auditorium, Sanders 212

Filmmaker Cary Cronenwett will present a screening of "Maggots and Men," an experimental historical narrative, set in a mythologized, post-revolutionary Russia that re-imagines the story of the 1921 uprising of the Kronstadt sailors with a subtext of gender anarchy. In addition to being a thoughtful homage to Soviet silent era directors and artists of the Russian avant-garde, the film explores themes of re-invention, revolution, community, and corruption. A discussion with the filmmaker will follow. Maggots and Men was made possible by The Film Arts Foundation.

This event is free and open to the public. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations at Vassar should contact the Office of Campus Activities at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Living within the Borderlands of Gender

2010-04-14T16:12:00.004-04:00

Monday, April 19, 5:30pm, Taylor 203

"From M/F boxes on identity forms, to sex segregated facilities, to everyday social interactions, the premise that there are only two immutable genders shapes virtually every aspect of our social world." Reese Kelly, doctoral candidate from the Sociology department at SUNY Albany, and recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship in Women’s Studies, will give a lecture on the ways trans people are relegated to the borderlands of gender, and obliged to create physical embodiments that cohere to normative standards of “maleness” and “femaleness” in order to fully participate in society. Reese's work seeks to expand queer theories of sex, gender and sexuality by providing a more nuanced analysis of gender performativity and gender policing.

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Party Monster

2010-04-12T16:26:00.002-04:00

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Silent Service: Don't Ask. Don't Tell.

2010-04-12T11:44:00.002-04:00

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Hidden Voices: Lives of LGBTQ Muslims

2010-04-10T11:39:00.001-04:00

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All Over Me

2010-04-07T22:47:00.001-04:00

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Too Wong Foo...

2010-03-30T11:51:00.000-04:00

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FIGHT! Annual Breast Cancer Walk

2010-03-30T11:04:00.002-04:00

The Women’s Center and Strong House are collaborating to sponsor a Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, April 11 (Parents Weekend) from 10:00am – 1:00pm. All proceeds from this walk will go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a nonprofit organization that supports breast cancer research, treatment, and education, and two local organizations. The walk is a leisurely 2-3mile stroll of Vassar’s campus. It will begin and end at Strong House and is baby carriage and pet friendly.

To participate in the walk we are asking for a donation of $5.00 or more, which comes with a pink wristband and a T-shirt. (Wristbands and T-shirts are limited to the first 75 to give donations.) Participants can also sign up under their house and the house that has the most participants will receive an Ice Cream Party.

Sign-up for the walk doesn’t have to be done ahead of time, but please consider signing up in advance. To pre-register for the walk, the Women’s Center and Strong House will table in the College Center the week of April 5. Cash or checks are acceptable. Checks should be made out to: Susan G. Komen for the Cure. If you’d like to make a contribution, but are unable to attend the walk, donations and sponsorships are welcomed. 100% of your donation will be sent to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and local organizations such as Sisters Network and Miles of Hope.

You can also pre-register yourself and/or parents by emailing Sarah Muenzinger ’10 and Jaleesa Johnston ‘11, Campus Life/Women’s Center Interns, at womenscenter@vassar.edu. Please include the number of people you are registering, the names of the walkers, and specify the donation amount for each walker. For more information contact the Campus Life Office at 845-437-5426.

Registration and distribution of T-shirts and wristbands will be held the day of the walk in the lobby of Strong House, beginning at 10:00am.

The Women’s Center is a resource center of the Campus Life Office.

Hostile High

2010-03-30T10:47:00.000-04:00

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GaymeTyme

2010-03-24T16:04:00.001-04:00

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Citizen Ruth

2010-03-24T16:02:00.001-04:00

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Sunny Days

2010-03-23T16:06:00.000-04:00

Spring has sprung! And the sun is shining warmly. Welcome back from break. I hope that everyone found a way to enjoy the time off. While you all were away we were busy here in the Campus Life office organizing the events for the rest of the semester. We will be posting more information about the programming in the coming weeks. So be sure to check back frequently.

Plus! We have made some exciting changes here in the LGBTQ Center to make the space more inviting and spacious. It will also allow our extensive lending library to be moved to the center -- down from the 3rd floor of Main -- making it more accessible to browsing and casual reading.

Forbidden Fables

2010-02-25T11:35:00.001-05:00

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

2010-02-25T11:31:00.000-05:00

Do I Look Fat?

2010-02-16T22:46:00.003-05:00

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Mysterious Skin

2010-02-16T13:17:00.002-05:00

Watch Your Language

2010-02-15T11:03:00.002-05:00

Paris Is Burning

2010-02-08T10:59:00.001-05:00

Gay Marriage: A Critical Reflection

2010-02-03T11:01:00.001-05:00

Before Night Falls

2010-02-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

Welcome Back

2010-01-28T11:41:00.002-05:00

And so starts the spring semester 2010. By the looks of things, however, spring is hardly upon us. Nevertheless, we here in the LGBTQ Center are springing forward with plans for a most exciting semester. Expect to see each of our recurring event series returning this semester, with a couple of additions, such as a semester-long series of faculty led symposiums as well as a set of events later in the semester that will give students an opportunity to present their scholarship to the community. This semester will also bring the next event in the LGBTQ history series that we launched last year, to great success, with "Interrogating Mythologies." We are also very excited to announce that the LGBTQ Center will be producing a publication this semester. So if you or anyone you know would be interested in being involved, please send us an email (curious@vassar.edu). There will also be performance events throughout the semester -- not to be missed.

Spring at Vassar would not be complete without All College Day -- now in its 10th year! This year the theme is "Bridging the Gaps: knowing the past, living the present, shaping the future." I'm so excited, and I'm not the only one. Campus response has been incredible; we already have dozens of organizations signed-up to be a part. Of course every All College Day since its inception has been met with campus-wide enthusiasm -- after all, its not called All College Day for nothing -- but I think this one is going to be really big! Now I know you are eager to know more, and posters will be going up soon, but if you are like me and simply cannot wait, then point your browser to the Campus Life Office website (campuslife.vassar.edu), or call 845-437-5462 to learn more.

Now if that is not enough to get you jumping up and down, I have one more BIG item to announce. The LGBTQ Center is getting new furniture! Thats right, a new sofa plus a new big comfy chair -- all in hot pink. Just kidding. Actually they were out of hot pink, so we went with red instead. It's all coming next week. So stop on by and check it out. And in case you still don't know where we are, the center is located in the College Center, room 235, which is, as QCVC puts so well, "in Main, right above the Retreat, in a lovely little corner."

Looking forward to seeing you.

-Steve

Special Guest Reading “Within the Clouds”

2010-01-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

The Drama Department presents: A Special Guest Reading. “Within the Clouds.” Based on the novel, "Sea of Tranquillity." Written by Paul Russell, Professor of English at Vassar College. Directed by Jonathan Tilley. "Within the Clouds" is a stage adaption of the first part of Paul Russell's third novel "Sea of Tranquillity." In 1970, astronaut Allen Cloud is about to begin training for an Apollo moon mission when his personal life crumbles. He separates from his wife, Joan, and discovers that his son Jonathan is gay. Joan and Jonathan depart Houston for Tennessee, where Joan slips deeper into alcoholism and Jonathan meets Stayton Voegli, a shy preacher's son who becomes his lover. The play follows these four characters through what critics have called "a compelling chronicle of the fracturing of an American family" which is likely to "leave indelible tracks on the surface of your mind."

February 6, 2010. Martel Theater. 7pm.

No Reservations Required. Seating is first come first serve.

Contact the box office at (845) 437-5599 for more information.

Kinsey

2010-01-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

Queer Music at Cubbyhole

2010-01-27T10:20:00.000-05:00

New York musician sean desiree will be performing at the Cubbyhole (Poughkeepsie) on Friday, February 12th. Her music talks about issues affecting LGTBQ community, communities of color, and women. sean's solo project, bell's roar is a project of love, resistance, dedication and against homophobia, sexism and racism. bell's roar features melodic guitars, lusty beats, intense vocal stylings and a desire for some brass. The tone of the project is best described by the source of its name, feminist writer bell hooks.

If you would like more information, or would like to hear samples of Sean's music, visit www.myspace.com/bellsroar

T

2009-12-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

Tristan Feldman '12

A recent post on Joe My God, a prominent gay blog, concerning the suicide of LA Times Sports Columnist Mike Penner, sparked some interesting discussion via the comment section. In 2007 Mike Penner announced that he was transitioning and wished to be called Christine Daniels. Last February he announced that he was no longer transitioning and wished to be referred to as Mike Penner again. While ignoring the obvious trolls and blatantly unrelated posts, I found an interesting sentiment in the comments. One person wrote,

“This post and the first two comments are typical of the ultra-PC, head-in-the-sand approach to this issue. No problem here, nothing to see, T's are all perfectly fine and it is transphobia that is to blame for all ills.

This person got support from his colleagues. There were no reports of harassment or discrimination. This person decided he was a woman and had the freedom and resources to follow through, then decided he was a man, and then decided to kill himself. That is not healthy, normal, or sane and it is ridiculous to minimize it or suggest that it is "society" that is mentally ill or that unnamed others were responsible for his demise. More to the point, none of this sad drama has anything to do with gay people.

It was a titanic mistake to allow unelected activists to equate T with LGB. They are not the same thing. They are very different phenomena. And there is absolutely no political benefit to LGBs in maintaining this forced marriage with Ts. We should wish them well and chart our own course.”

Another person added on:

I have sympathy for all people who face discrimination. At the same time though, I totally agree that transgender should have never been in the same group with LGB's. It's almost as bad as putting Muslim-Americans who face discrimination in our group. We are not the same. Transgender is transgender, gay is gay, and Muslim is Muslim.

These comments struck me because the relationship between the LGB and the T community is something that has been on the back of my mind lately. I do agree that including trans people with gay people does lead to some confusion over the differences between sexuality and gender, but at the same time, the two are so inextricably linked it is hard to define them separately. In fact, it is impossible to define sexuality without getting into the realm of someone’s sex and gender identity.

I don’t really know what to say to people who say that the issues that trans people face have nothing to do with gay people. Our histories are intertwined, our needs are similar, our communities have overlaps, and if you are truly fighting for gay rights because they are civil rights what are you saying if you leave part of your community behind?

I think the problem actually lies in people who add the T to LGB without really meaning it. I have read countless brochures that are for “LGBT” individuals that don’t even address the concerns of trans people, or only mention them as a side note. This kind of treatment can lead people to conflating gender identity with sexual orientation. I think that more serious consideration of the trans community needs to take place within the queer community. Everyone should look critically at the categories of sex and gender, for no other reason then to have a better understanding of yourself and your identity. This is one of the many factors that separate the queer community from the gay community and why I’m much more proud to say I’m queer than to say I’m gay.

Marriage as Heedless Pursuit

2009-11-25T16:09:00.001-05:00

By Dominic Schuler '11

"In the past, I opposed gay marriage while supporting the idea of civil unions. I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage."

This was said by Maine Governor John E. Baldacci when he signed LD 1020, An Act to End Discrimination in Civil marriage and Affirm Religious Freedom, last spring. He also noted in an interview that his decision to sign the legislation, a decision he firmly backs as the “right decision”, may not be final. Governor Baldacci signed a measure allowing a referendum in November, after voters mustered enough signatures to put the measure through. As we saw in California, the Maine gay marriage law is now in the hands of voters.

Next week, we may find out if this story plays out differently. I think there is something to be said for learning from Proposition 8 in California, and it seems that this is exactly what the community has done. Counter- ads to the opposition began in September and were well-received- check one out here! First TV Ad Spot: "Sam Putnam"

I thought that this was an interesting and important issue to blog about, but I also want to note that I believe there is an overemphasis in the queer community today concerning marriage. Yes- equality is important. No- denying people basic rights based on any identity isn't right.

But considering the numerous other structures in which access is still denied queer people, marriage should not necessarily be our first concern.

The good people fighting this struggle are necessary- this struggle is necessary. But marriage is an inherently sexist, racist, and classist institution and I, for one, have some difficulty placing it at the top of my priority list. Furthermore, marriage is still highly focused on an idea of a nuclear family unit that risks alienating members of the queer community who marriage does not serve, or who have little interest in the institution. Simply changing the idea from one of a mother, a father, 2.5 kids and a dog to one in which the 2.5 kids can have two mommies or two daddies? Not that big of a switch. The working structure of marriage cannot be solved by granting access to an institution that is still riddled with problems- that is merely a 'quick fix' and I urge caution against mistaking victory in the fight for gay marriage as the signal to 'lay down our arms'. Rather, we should see the problems inherent in marriage as a call to arms, and we should remember that with every such victory, someone is silenced.

Humorous Interlude

2009-11-25T15:59:00.001-05:00

By Logan Rimel '10

Because I tend to talk about serious, heavy topics when writing blog posts, I figured there was room for a bit of levity. How best to inspire laughs on a queer blog? Why, Eddie Izzard, of course!

Eddie Izzard is a British actor and comedian who is also well known for being a transvestite. (An “executive transvestite,” to be more precise.) I love that he’s out there, talking about his identity and experiences in a way that is palatable to mainstream America.

Here’s a clip of Izzard talking about his identity, growing up, and considering a military career: Eddie Izzard Transvestite

The Miscellany News - Panel discusses evolution of Vassar queer life

2009-11-18T20:06:00.003-05:00

Vassar Miscellany News covers Interrogating Mythologies: Queer Life at Vassar since '69

Unpacking Gay History Within the Black Community

2009-11-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

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Mormon Missionaries

2009-11-17T11:45:00.002-05:00

By Logan Rimel '10

Recently, while checking the queer and political blogs I regularly read, I clicked on a banner ad for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormons) offering a free Book of Mormon. As a religion major conspicuously lacking said holy text, I decided that this opportunity was too good to pass up. I filled out the information and promptly forgot about it.

About a week later, I received a call from two young missionaries working here in Poughkeepsie. They wanted to schedule an appointment with me so that they could drop by, give me the book, and discuss their faith. I’ve now met with them on two separate occasions, discussing everything from the validity of the Bible to the testimony of Joseph Smith to (my personal favorite) queer identities, particularly within the Church.

For anyone not familiar with LDS doctrine (and I must confess, I am not nearly as well-versed as I should be. That was part of the reason behind requesting a Book of Mormon in the first place), the family is considered the central unit. It is through our relationships with our families that we learn how to love God and, eventually, to become like Him. From this position – the family not only as God’s prescribed plan, but as how one attains salvation – the LDS Church can be very difficult for queer members.

In my most recent meeting with the missionaries (two very kind, amiable, and intelligent women about my age), I brought up the fact that I was queer and did my best to explain my identity – how I view relationships, the people I date, the way orientation and gender identity combine to give me my perceptions of the world. At the end of my brief exposition, one of the women said, “So…like, homosexuality?” It was then that I realized we were speaking different languages.

Sometimes I forget, you know? I forget that the terms “gender binary,” “genderqueer,” “nonmonogamous,” and a thousand others are ones I use freely here, but sound like Greek to many others. I am privileged to be at Vassar, a privilege few others experience. As we discussed in the last Fruit Salad put on in the LGBTQ Center, the language that we have access to in institutions such as Vassar is not language that others necessarily are familiar with. The nuances of my identity are a result of my privilege.

The missionaries didn’t know exactly how to answer my questions, so they promised to do some research and meet with me again next week. I greatly appreciate the honesty in that answer and I’m looking forward to learning more about their perspective as they learn more about mine.

Gay Marriage: Cross-Cultural Concerns

2009-11-17T11:42:00.004-05:00

By Dominic Schuler '11

It's no secret that in our country, the (mainstream) gay community is very focused around the struggle for marriage equality, hate crime legislature, and rights within the military. I think it is important sometimes to step back and look at what struggles queer communities internationally are facing.

While we featured the first gay couple on the 'Newlywed Game' last month, debate raged over the marriage of two Kenyan men in London (the first gay marriage in London) under the Civil Partnership Act. Religious leaders in Kenya described the union as “unacceptable and unnatural” and “un-African”, and expressed a sense of shame in their shared heritage with the two men. They also cited China's intolerance for queer issues.

Currently, Kenya is drafting a new constitution, which intends to invest in the interests of both majority and minority groups. Although British MP's urge for gay rights to be recognized and protected, religious groups have a large say in the matter and will shoot down the draft if it includes gay rights. Leaders stated that “the majority of Kenyans are against...anything to do with homosexuals and lesbians” and asked “How can a Kenyan marry another man when there are many women out there looking for men to marry them?"

I don't claim to know very much about Kenyan society, but I know that, growing up, I heard many statements similar to those in the paragraphs which precede this one in the American media (Fox news, for example), and it is interesting and, I think, important for us to recognize the similarities and differences in the struggle of queer communities for recognition in our society and others.

SexGames: Sexuality and Athletics

2009-11-12T09:39:00.003-05:00

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Interrogating Mythologies: Queer Life at Vassar since '69

2009-11-11T10:09:00.000-05:00

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Promises Deferred

2009-11-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

By Logan Rimel '10

I’m on the email list for OneNewsNow, a conservative Christian new website. Today in my inbox I received an email with the subject “Christians on high alert over hate crimes passage.” Intrigued, (but also aware that my blood pressure was probably going to be on the rise soon), I decided to read on.

Putting aside the blatant lies, half-truths, and mental gymnastics that one would expect from such an email (The hate crimes bill will NOT mean that pastors who speak about homosexuality in an ill light go to prison. That’s a bald-faced lie.), I focused instead on one line from Matt Barber of Liberty Council. Barber says that President Obama will likely sign the bill since he desires to, “throw a bone to homosexual activists because they have been breathing down his neck...and this is a way to hold them off."

It was sort of disturbingly funny to find myself agreeing with Mr. Barber. President Obama has made promise after promise to the LGBTQ community during his campaign and first several months in office, yet does nothing to ensure that these promises are fulfilled. His administration has castigated and promised to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act while simultaneously defending them in court.

I, for one, am disgusted by this lack of leadership, but not exactly surprised. I just don’t like agreeing with Matt Barber.

The text of this email can be found here:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=736154

For an explanation of the hate crimes bill, go here:
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/13712/how-the-new-hate-crimes-prevention-act-works

Sexual Mafia

2009-11-06T10:55:00.001-05:00

By Dominic Schuler '11

The Mafia (Cosa Nostra) is as an institution one of the top subscribers to ideals of 'machismo'. In a nutshell- organized crime is a go, but gay is a deal breaker. I found this interesting because of Robert Mormando, a Gambino family gunman, who broke the mafia code of silence-- omertà and confessed to acting as a government informer in his court hearing this week (regarding a shooting in 2003), but that isn't all he confessed to. He also outed himself in court, in an attempt to stress to the judge the higher-than-usual degree of danger he was putting himself in acting as a government informer.

I didn't find this case interesting because of a slightly self-interested court-mediated outing, nor because I was surprised to hear about a 'gay' in the Mafia (I'm sure there are more), but because of the Mafia's history in interacting with the queer world.

Before queer communities 'came out' from underground, laws prevented queer people from living easily in the mainstream world. For instance, throughout the 1950's and 60's, the FBI kept a list of known homosexuals (due to the 'Lavender Scare'- we all know those gays are right up there at the top of the list of risks to national security) so that bartenders could avoid breaking the law by having more than three homosexuals in their building at the same time- and this law seems almost sane and non-arbitrary in comparison with others!

During that time period, the Mafia ran a host of gay bars and night clubs, including the Stonewall Inn, interacting profitably with what at the time, was another underground, highly controversial community. Although queer culture has run more into the mainstream these days (I'm glad that law is off the books, because I've probably broken it more times than I can count!), the Mafia still interacts with many openly gay lawyers and businessmen.

I think that these seemingly opposed ideals stem from the divide between what is 'business' and what is 'personal'. In any event, the Mafia (and the military, for that matter) would probably do well to leave sexual preference out of their membership criteria.

Hate Crimes

2009-10-29T16:55:00.001-04:00

By Dominic Schuler '11

On Thursday (October 22), Congress approved extending protections from hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, and disability. Conservatives have opposed what they say is “controversial language” in the hate crimes legislation, which is “unrelated to our national defense”, and Republicans comprised all of the 'no' votes but one.

It bothers me that one of the main lines of opposition to basic protection from violence is based in untruth. Opponents claim that hate crimes legislature for the queer community will not do what previous hate crimes legislature for other groups has, but will instead create a 'special class' of victim, or lead to the silencing of those affiliated with religious institutions which are opposed to homosexuality. Lobbyists apply a malicious intent to laws only intending to protect the basic rights of other human beings.

When I went looking for news about this topic to write this post, I found a problem that I expected less than I expected the bastardization of the intent of the laws passed in Congress this week. Major news sources, including mainstream queer news sources, are reporting more often than not that legislature for sexual orientation and only sexual orientation passed, leaving out gender, gender identity, and disability.

First of all- gender wasn't already included in hate crimes legislature? I don't even have words.

Second- gender identity and disability are often 'silenced' or 'invisible' categories already. In the case of gender identity specifically, it shocks me that we cannot come together as a queer community to celebrate new protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, that we must still compartmentalize into smaller communities and silence one another rather than recognizing our common aims and joining the fight for social justice and equality together.

Events for the Week of October 26

2009-10-26T17:15:00.000-04:00

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Vassar students join the National Equality March

2009-10-26T17:10:00.000-04:00

By Casey Katims, '10

On October 11th, over a hundred Vassar students trekked from Poughkeepsie to Washington, D.C., to join the National Equality March for LGBTQ civil rights. As one of the presidents of ACT OUT, I can easily say that organizing this exhilarating (and exhausting) 14-hour trip was the most amazing experience of my college career. But even more importantly, I can say that marching side-by-side with this group of 103 individuals has made me prouder than ever of the Vassar student body.

Although most of the Vassar LGBTQ community would agree that our college is extremely progressive, a number of factors have often limited student participation in campus activism. Extracurricular activities, coupled with heavy workloads and busy schedules, make each of us weary of taking on new responsibilities. Yet the outpour of support that ACT OUT received for this trip—from individuals, administrators, dorm houses and VSA, among others—allowed us to organize a truly special event.

In many ways, the trip to the National Equality March defied logic. On the Sunday immediately preceding midterms, why would 103 students be willing to wake up at 3:00 a.m., spend 14 hours on a bus, and march through Washington, D.C.?

To answer this question is simply to recognize that Vassar students care a lot—much more than I realized—about ensuring the LGBTQ movement's continued progress. It continues to fill me with pride that so many students wanted to join us, regardless of their workload, stress, and other obligations. Yet for Leslie (ACT OUT's other president) and myself, nothing can replace the memory of 103 students standing around Main Circle at 3:00 a.m., with pillows and homework in hand, to march on Washington for LGBTQ equality.

These students spent week after week attending meetings, getting to know one another, discussing rules, and painting signs (with phrases like "Equality is SO Gay" and "Legalize Love"). Many of them helped us fundraise, allowing us to pay for the second bus and bring 50 additional students. And each of them added a different shade of the LGBTQ rainbow to the ACT OUT trip—from straight to queer, transgender to gay, intersex to bisexual, and every color inbetween. I have learned so much from this group of people, whom I now consider part of the ACT OUT family, and whom I plead to continue fighting for LGBTQ equality.

The Equality March was a significant moment in the LGBTQ movement and in all of our lives. But all Vassar students need to remember that it was only one step toward full citizenship for LGBTQ Americans. The United States still needs federal non-discrimination laws, hate crimes protections, marriage equality, gender-neutral facilities, and more. Achieving these goals won't be easy. So, after we've caught up on sleep and done all our homework, let's pick ourselves up and keep fighting for what we know is right. Because, as Cleve Jones said at the march, “If you believe that you are equal, then it is time to act like it.

Reflections on the National Equality March

2009-10-13T09:32:00.008-04:00

By Tristan Feldman '12

Last Sunday’s March On Washington was amazing! A great day with perfect weather was topped off by an amazing speech by Staceyann Chin and then running into her at the rest stop on the way back to Vassar (even though I saw her just as she was getting back onto the bus and didn’t get a chance to speak to her, even that small glimpse made my day. Who cares about Lady Gaga, Staceyann Chin really stole the show). The march was all I expected and more, but it was not all that I hoped for.

Like at most LGBTQ events, the L (lesbian), the G (gay), and for once the B (bisexual) dominated. There were side references to the T (transgender), including some speakers, but no reference to intersex people, pansexuals, and to those who defy labels. Yes, there were trans speakers, yes they did speak about the strides they are taking to represent an underrepresented community, but this was just a formality. Looking at the signs people were carrying, the words they were chanting, the general sentiment of the march, I would have to label it a gay event, not a queer event.

All this happened as I am trying to find my place in a community that I so much want to be apart of, a community upon which I define my identity, but a community that so often ignores me or treats me as a side note. Events like these really make me question what holds our community together? Are we really a LGBTQAI… community? What is it that we share?

We share a history. Drag queens and trans women were the ones who fought back at Stonewall. They took the lead and fought back against the police. We share discrimination. We share high runaway and homeless youth rates. We share high suicide rates. We share class and race issues. We are groups fighting for equality. The thing about equality is that it can’t come in small bits for some people. We need social justice for all, the ending of all inequality, all hierarchy, and all privilege. But this won’t happen in a gay movement that side notes those who originally took the lead, those that have even fewer rights and are in even greater danger. We need a truly queer movement and a truly queer community.

Autumn Reception

2009-09-30T14:02:00.003-04:00

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New Beginings

2009-09-14T11:17:00.006-04:00

Hello!

The start of the Fall semester has brought a new addition to the Campus Life Office, specifically me. My name is Steve Lavoie, and I am the new Assistant Director for Campus Life LGBTQ Programs. For those who may be curious as to who I am, here are a few words: I am a member of the class of '08, and I was previously Assistant Director for Vassar's Exploring Transfer program. My undergraduate concentrations at Vassar were in economics, philosophy and gender theory. I am a currently pursuing a graduate degree in philosophy at Stony Brook, and my research interests include hermeneutics, critical theory, psychoanalysis, queer theory, and the relationship between community and violence.

I am most excited to be taking on this new position, and I want to thank Julie for her excellent work over the past two years. We have many exciting programs planned for this semester, and I encourage all the members of the Vassar community to be part of each one. As before, upcoming events will be posted here on the blog. I also encourage everyone to submit essays, stories, comments, or just random musings for posting. This has been a locus for rich and textured dialogues and I hope that will continue.

My office hours for this semester are as follows:

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays and Fridays 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
or by appointment

Please feel free to stop in at your convenience.

I look forward to working with all of you.

-Steve

Blog Hiatus

2009-06-09T14:58:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-06-04T10:46:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-26T13:14:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-21T11:11:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-05-19T11:33:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-18T11:16:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-15T14:41:00.002-04:00

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.

Same-Sex Marriage Legal in Maine!

2009-05-06T14:46:00.002-04:00

Today, Maine became the 5th state to legalize same-sex marriage, and the 2nd to do so legislatively rather than by court order. Read more here.

Come on New York...hopefully we will get our act together here soon enough!

What's between YOUR ears?

2009-05-05T15:18:00.002-04:00

Where is gender in your life?

What does it actually mean to act female, male, trans, or gender neutral? Where do we intersect and overlap? What separates and unites us?

Join us for a discussion over tea, cookies, and other refreshments to share how you perform gender at Vassar, in your mind, and in the world at large.

TONIGHT - May 5th
8-9pm @ Jade Parlor

Sponsored by the Campus Life Women's and LGBTQ Centers

Study Hours at LGBTQ Center!

2009-05-05T10:21:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again....

Today is the last day of classes, and reading week/finals period begins tomorrow! We know that this is the busiest time of the semester at the Library, so we would like to invite you to use the LGBTQ Center as an alternative study space during the next couple weeks. Join us during the following extended drop-in hours for some light refreshments and some great study space:

Wednesday, 5/6: 2-6pm
Thursday, 5/7: 12-4pm
Friday, 5/8: 10am - 2pm
Saturday, 5/9: 12-4pm
Monday, 5/11: 2-6pm
Tuesday, 5/12: 1:30-4pm
Wednesday, 5/13: 12-4pm

Good luck everyone!

Want to be a 'Gays of Our Lives' Star??

2009-05-04T11:22:00.002-04:00

As you may recall, "Gays of Our Lives" is a popular program geared towards new students during orientation week in the Fall. The event seeks to introduce new students to the queer community at Vassar, while breaking down stereotypes about the community. A large part of this program is a Q&A with panel members where the audience asks questions in order to determine the sexual orientation/gender identity of each panel member. We are looking for some volunteers to participate in this program, so please come to our next planning meeting if you are interested in any of the following:

Being a panel member for the Q&A part of the program
OR
Co-hosting the event with our very own "Miss Rey" (Raymon Azcona)

The meeting will be on Friday, May 8 at 2pm @ the LGBTQ Center (CC 235). At this meeting, we will explain more about the program, will select final panel members based on the variety of identities we can get, and select a co-host for the event based on talent, humor, comfort level, and chemistry with Miss Rey.
YOU MUST BE PRESENT AT THIS MEETING IN ORDER TO BE SELECTED FOR THE EVENT!

**Please note: In order to participate in "Gays of Our Lives," you will need to come back to Vassar early at the end of the summer. The program will be on Friday, August 28 at 9:30pm, so if you are not already back for other reasons by then, you will need to come back either Thursday, 8/27 or Friday, 8/28. Julie Silverstein (Assistant Director for Campus Life/LGBTQ Programs) will make arrangements with Res Life for this.**

If you have any further questions about this before Friday, May 8th, feel free to contact Julie at jusilverstein@vassar.edu.

Another Week of Progress!

2009-05-01T13:27:00.003-04:00

(Posted by Nick, '11)
HAPPY MAY!

It has been another hugely progressive week in the fight for equal marriage rights!

On Monday, a new NY Times/CBS poll was released. It found that 42% of those polled believe queer couples should be able to legally marry; 25% think that they should be granted civil unions. This figure is up NINE points from just last month, when 33% of those polled thought gay people should be allowed to marry. Personally, I think this is largely because of the momentum that’s been building with states all over the country either passing or considering gay marriage statutes.

On Wednesday, the New Hampshire Senate voted 13 to 11 to legalize same-sex marriage. The law goes into effect on January 1st, assuming the governor does not veto it. In the past, he has spoken out against gay marriage, though has not indicated what he would do should such a bill cross his desk. Read more here.

Also this week, there was a very interesting article in the NY Times about how the GOP is considering changing its stance on gay marriage because they’re bleeding support. The article also delves into the age divide when it comes to this issue—in a poll, 31% of respondents over 40 were in favor of same-sex marriage, whereas 57% under 40 supported it. Read the article here.

On Thursday, the Maine Senate passed by a vote of 21 to 14 a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state, making it the sixth to do so. It appears to have broader support in the state House of Representatives. Read more here.

Finally, on Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Matthew Shepard Act. If it passes in the Senate, President Obama has indicated that he would sign it into law. This would be a huge victory for equal rights – the bill is an anti-hate crimes act that defines such crimes as “those motivated by prejudice and based on a victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.” This would make it the first bill to protect people by virtue of their sexual orientation AND gender identity. Read more here.

Tonight at the LGBTQ Center!

2009-05-01T09:48:00.004-04:00

Tonight - Friday, May 1st - Founder's Day Eve

Last LGBTV of the semester! Tonight at 7pm - come watch a queer movie in the LGBTQ Center. We provide the snacks, bring your friends!

Followed by...

GAYME NIGHT!

DDR
Guitar Hero
Wii
Apples to Apples
Scrabble
And More!

Safer-Sex Workshop for Gay Men

2009-04-29T10:25:00.003-04:00

CHOICE invites you to a safer-sex workshop from the Gay Men's Health Education Center in ARCS:

Be the first to experience our cutting edge safer-sex presentation for gay men. Come learn today's newest and most effective techniques to keep yourself safe while still having fun!

Thursday, April 30
7:30-9:30pm @ Rocky 210

Check out the website for the program here

CHOICE will be providing tea and cookies and safer sex supplies for everyone!

**CHOICE will also be having an open house on Friday, May 1st from 1-5pm. Stop by during this time to stock up on FREE safer sex supplies before Founder's Day, Graduation, and the summer!**

Same-Sex Couples Married in Iowa Today

2009-04-27T14:52:00.003-04:00

Today is the first day that same-sex marriage is legal in Iowa. Lesbian couple Shelley Wolfe and Melisa Keeton (see picture) became the very first same-sex couple to exchange wedding vows this morning. Read more here!