Job Opportunity for Fall 2009!

The Campus Life LGBTQ Center is looking for
a work-study student to be an LGBTQ Center Intern!

Job Description: This person will attend all LGBTQ Center staff meetings, work a weekly 4-hour shift welcoming whoever comes to the center, plan one program a semester, respond to community needs as necessary, and work on special projects as assigned. (8-10 hours a week total)

Required Skills: Willingness to collaborate on programs to address issues of equity and pluralism across the campus.

Qualifications: Reliable, comfortable, and interested in working with LGBT and Queer communities, able to greet and welcome everyone, willing to do hard work according to center rules, respecting the needs and limits of all the groups who use the center, including CARES – the student group addressing sexual assault and violence.

Contact: Julie Silverstein at jusilverstein@vassar.edu or x3521 by Wednesday, April 15 to schedule an interview!

Marriage Equality Overview

(Posted by Nick, '11)
Happy Friday!

This week, for my post I’d just like to review what a truly historic week it was in the fight for equal marriage rights for queer people!

Friday, April 3
Iowa Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage, deeming unconstitutional a 1998 ruling that defined marriage as strictly between a man and a woman. Read about it here.

Tuesday, April 7
Vermont legislature overrides the governor’s veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. Read about it here.
AND
D.C. Council unanimously votes to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. Read about it here.

Wednesday, April 8
New York governor says that he plans to re-introduce a bill to legalize gay marriage. Read about it here.

With all this happening in just ONE WEEK, it looks like 2009 will truly be a banner year in the fight for equal rights!
~Nick

ACT OUT Lobby Day for Marriage Equality in New York

(Posted by Tristan, '12)
First Iowa, Now Vermont… What about New York?

Iowa and Vermont have both legalized same-sex marriage in the past week, but New York still doesn’t have marriage equality. You can help change this!

ActOut is participating in the Empire State Pride Agenda’s Equality and Justice Day in Albany. We will be meeting with senators and doing lobbying as well has holding a rally and displaying our photo campaign for all to see (remember taking a picture with the “I Support Marriage Equality” sign?).

We will be going to Albany on Tuesday April 28th. The trip is completely free; lunch is even provided! The only thing is, we need to know for sure who’s going by Friday April 17th. So e-mail Clare at clciervo@vassar.edu for more info and a registration form or come see ActOut in the College Center Circle on Wednesday April 15th for food, fun, and more info!

Vermont Becomes First State to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage Legislatively!

*Breaking News*
The Vermont Senate voted this morning to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of the same-sex legislation that was passed within the past few weeks. This means Vermont will become the FOURTH state to legalize marriage (after MA, CT, and IA) and the FIRST to do so through the legislative process, rather than a decision by the state supreme court. This law will go into effect beginning September 1, 2009.

See the whole voting process that took place here:

Chay-chay-chaaaangggeeee

(posted by Nick, '11)

NEWSflash:

The Merriam-Webster dictionary has just redefined marriage!  Take a look at the pic below:

Notice the second definition?  They've finally resolved the fight over whether or not the word "marriage" should be applied to the union of same-sex couples in the same way it applies to that of opposite sex couples.  This is a big step for the dictionary, as the World Net Daily points out that the 1913 version of the dictionary not only didn't mention same-sex couples in its definition of "marriage," but also supplemented its entry with passages from the Bible.

My, how times have changed.

Have a wonderful weekend.

   ~Nick

Marriage Equality for Iowa!

Just this morning, the Iowa supreme court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.  This means Iowa joins Massachusetts and Connecticut to become the 3rd state to allow same-sex marriage!

Read more details here.

LGBT Issues of Importance within VSA Student Government

(Posted by guest blogger, Mary Catherine Halfpenny, '09)

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 first 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.

Think Before You Speak - TRANNY

Tranny

1. There was a time when all "tranny" referred to was a transistor radio. Now people use the phrase "hot tranny mess" to describe bad fashion choices, which is really offensive to people who identify as transgender.
2. So please, knock it off.
3. Learn more at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

Did you Know?
LGBT students who experience high frequencies of verbal harassment are twice as likely as other LGBT students to skip school, and LGBT students who are frequently physically harassed report lower grades than other students (on average a 2.4 versus a 2.8 GPA).

Internship Opportunity for LGBT Students of Color

The Pipeline Project recruits new, diverse talent to work for and with LGBT organizations at staff and Board levels, including internships and entry-level positions. Our goal is to increase the number of people of color working with the nation's LGBT rights, services, and advocacy sector.

We will provide you with information on all types of internships: paid and unpaid, full-time and part-time. Internships are available for summer 2009, fall 2009, and for all of 2010. Applications are due by April 30, 2009. E-mail jusilverstein@vassar.edu for an Internship Interest Form to begin the application process. Possibilities for internship opportunities include, but are not limited to:

CenterLink (opportunities all over the country)
The Equality Federation Institute (opportunities in San Francisco and nationally)
Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (Boston)
In the Life Media (New York)
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (Boston)
The National Center for Lesbian Rights (San Francisco)

Think Before You Speak Campaign

(Posted by Nick, '11)
Hey all!

I hope you had a refreshing vacation full of vegging on the couch, watching bad horror movies, and winning radio contests! I know I did! ;)

ANYway, the month of March (or rather the two and a half weeks of March) is Think B4 You Speak awareness month at the Campus Life LGBTQ Center! You may have noticed the flyers with hateful, derogatory words and their definitions posted around campus. This is our way of calling out people who use those words, and those who stand by and let it happen. It’s a call for everyone to actively combat hate speech here at Vassar and wherever else life takes you.

We’ve adopted this campaign from the Ad Council because we feel that it’s an important topic in modern culture, where phrases like “that’s so gay” have become prevalent.

This Wednesday at noon, we’ll be having another Fruit Salad event – “Labels Are For Cans!” where we discuss we use in the queer community and how they have evolved. Feel free to drop by anytime from noon to 1:00 p.m. to contribute to our discussion, and to grab some free pizza!

Finally, be sure to check out the Think B4 You Speak official website, where you can catch some pretty awesome (and funny) videos, starring the likes of Wanda Sykes and Hilary Duff. Here's the Hilary Duff ad:

Fruit Salad! - WEDNESDAY!

Welcome back from Spring Break!! We have a very exciting Fruit Salad! discussion coming up this week. Here are the details:

"Labels are for Cans!"
A discussion about the words we use in the queer community and how they have evolved.
Wednesday, March 25
12-1pm @ LGBTQ Center (CC 235)
FREE PIZZA

Part of our Fruit Salad! series about diversity in the queer community.

Discussion led by Loghann Rimel, '10 and Sarah Conklin from the Counseling Center.

Think Before You Speak - HERMAPHRODITE

Hermaphrodite

1. An antiquated term used in a derogatory way for someone who is intersex. Does not refer to someone who is confused about their gender, was born "wrong," or is transgender.
2. So please, knock it off.
3. Learn more at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

Did you Know?
Almost 90% of LGBT students are verbally harassed, 44% are physically harassed and nearly 1 in 4 are physically assaulted at school because of their sexual orientation. And 2/3 of LGBT students are verbally harassed, 30% are physically harassed and 14% are physically assaulted at school because of their gender expression.

Think Before You Speak - FAGGOT

Faggot

1. There was a time when the word "faggot" meant a bundle of sticks, but people started using it in an insulting, offensive way and things changed. So when you say things like "homo," "dyke" and "that's so gay" trying to be funny, remember, you may actually be hurting someone.
2. So please, knock it off.
3. Learn more at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

Did You Know?
83.1% of LGBT students report that hearing "gay" or "queer" used in a negative manner at school causes them to feel bothered or distressed to some degree. Yet only 18% of LGBT students report that school personnel frequently intervene when hearing homophobic remarks and only 8% report that other students frequently intervene.

Another Vassar Student Highlighted

Casey Katims, a junior here at Vassar, is spending the semester in Washinton DC doing an internship with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Check out this link to see an interview of Casey on the HRC website. Keep up the great work, Casey!

Think Before You Speak - DYKE

Dyke

1. Be honest with yourself. You're not thinking of "an embankment that holds back and controls water." The problem is, words like "dyke" and "faggot" are so commonly used as insults these days, it's really hard to remember a time when they weren't.
2. So please, knock it off.
3. Learn more at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

Did you Know?
54% of LGBT students often or frequently hear negative comments about their peers not acting "masculine" enough and 39% hear comments about their peers not acting "feminine" enough.

Study Abroad Opportunity - Explore Gay Paris

Faculty-Led Summer Session 2009

UW-La Crosse has partnered with CEA to offer you the opportunity to study abroad in Paris, France. Renowned for its intellectuals, artists, writers, and revolutionaries, Paris represents the perfect combination of tradition and modernity. Long known as a city for freedom and tolerance, Paris has become characterized over the past decade by its acceptance of the LGBT community. Discover the Marais district, the location of CEA's GlobalCampus in Paris and the heart of Gay Paris. You will live in an apartment with like-minded students, fully immersed in French culture.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Paris, the city of lights and host of the Gay Pride Parade & Festival that brings close to 750,000 people together in celebration every June - what better place to spend your summer and complete 6 credits of coursework (compare to 2 units at Vassar). As part of the program you will take the course W-S 250: Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Studies taught by Sara Sullivan and William Van Roosenbeek from UW-L and earn 3 additional transfer credits (1 unit) by taking Gay Paris: Culture, Society & Urban Sexual Identity at CEA's GlobalCampus. Participating in this program will provide you with unique opportunities to explore Paris first-hang while earning course credit.

*Open to all students who are 18 or older, have completed one year of college, and have a GPA of 2.75 or higher.

For more information, or to apply visit this website or contact Willem Van Roosenbeeck at vanroose.will@uwlax.edu or Sara Sullivan at sullivan.sara@uwlax.edu

Think Before You Speak - GAY

Gay

1. There was a time when all "gay" meant was "happy." Then it meant "homosexual." Now people are saying "that's so gay" to mean dumb and stupid. Which is pretty insulting to gay people (and we don't mean "happy" people).
2. So please, knock it off.
3. Learn more at ThinkB4YouSpeak.com

Did you know?
9 out of 10 LGBT students hear the word "gay" used in a negative way often or frequently in school and nearly 3 out of 4 LGBT students report hearing their peers make homophobic remarks, such as "dyke" or "faggot," often or frequently in school.

Notheast LGBT Conference

Northeast LGBT Conference

"Facets of Oppression"
April 17-19th @ SUNY Albany
A conference run by students, for students from across the North East.

The theme of this year's conference envelops the many identities we hold as LGBTQA individuals and how these multiple identities both effect and are affected by our LGBTQA identity. These facets of oppression can feel overwhelming because they are all essential pieces that make up our lives. The 2009 North East LGBT Conference theme "Facets of Oppression" speaks to the spectrum of identites we hold as LGBTQA people. Join us on Saturday for interactive workshops addressing the politics and policies of our diverse identies, such as our religious affiliations, transgender and gender identities, as well as issues of privilege, sexual assault, don't ask don't tell, and the intersection of identies affecting us as multicultural people. On Sunday attendees will be participating in trainings that will help us overcome oppression and work across our many identities, to find commonalities and celebrate the differences within our own community. Learn more at the conference website.

Registration: Cost of attendance is $25 per individual or $20 per person for groups of five or more. Registration includes all conference materials, access to all workshops, and keynotes throughout the weekend. Breakfast and lunch are also included on Saturday and Sunday as well as seat reservation at Saturday night's exciting banquet dinner.

If you are interested and available to attend this conference, contact Julie at jusilverstein@vassar.edu by Friday, March 6th! If enough people are interested, the LGBTQ Center might be able to arrange transportation and cover conference costs!

Think Before You Speak

Incase you haven't heard of it yet, GLSEN has launched a campaign called ThinkB4YouSpeak that is aimed towards raising awareness of hurtful phrases against LGBT people. Here is what the campaign is about, according to their website:

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens experience homophobic remarks and harassment throughout the school day, creating an atmosphere where they feel disrespected, unwanted and unsafe. Homophobic remarks such as “that’s so gay” are the most commonly heard; these slurs are often unintentional and a common part of teens’ vernacular. Most do not recognize the consequences, but the casual use of this language often carries over into more overt harassment.

This campaign aims to raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBT bias and behavior in America’s schools. Ultimately, the goal is to reduce and prevent the use of homophobic language in an effort to create a more positive environment for LGBT teens. The campaign also aims to reach adults, including school personnel and parents; their support of this message is crucial to the success of efforts to change behavior."

Check out Wanda Sykes' commercial in support of this campaign:

We are bringing this campaign to Vassar by raising awareness about words that we often hear misused in a hurtful way by members of the Vassar community. We will be posting on the blog about these words throughout the month of March. Also be on the lookout for our fliers around campus during this Month.

Hope at the Oscars

(Posted by Nick, '11)

“I think that it is a good time for those for voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”
-Sean Penn, Winner of the Academy Award for Actor in a Leading Role

Watch the speech here:

“And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life. It gave me the hope that one day I could live my life openly as who I am, and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married.”
-Dustin Lance Black, Winner of the Academy Award for Original Screenplay

Watch the speech here:


This year’s Oscars were permeated by a sense of hope. It seemed like the message that President Obama promoted throughout his campaign directly affected the ceremony this year. Not only did Slumdog Millionaire, a film about hope, win Best Picture, but the winners for Actor in a Leading Role and Original Screenplay directly addressed the passing of Prop 8, and the hope that one day gay marriage will be legal everywhere. Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black’s acceptance speeches urged California to reconsider its decision, and America to respect the rights of gay people and legalize gay marriage. Of course, the Kodak Theatre erupted into applause, as Hollywood is filled with social liberals. 36.3 million people watched the Academy Awards this year, which amounts to about 10% of the country. It is these people whom the message had to get through to—telling the people sitting in the theatre these things was like preaching to the choir. Interestingly enough, in a survey released in the newest issue of Entertainment Weekly, 46% of viewers thought Mickey Rourke should have won Best Actor, while only 37% thought Sean Penn should have. I wonder why. I hope it doesn’t have to do with the fact that Penn played Harvey Milk. I hope it has to do with the intensity of their performance.

Celebrating Queer People of Color - Margaret Cho

(Posted by Audrey, '11)
Margaret Cho is a self-identified queer comedian, actress, designer, author, and recording artist. She was born December 5, 1968 into a Korean family living in San Francisco, California. She attended high school at the San Francisco School of the Arts, where she was involved in the school’s sketch comedy group. She began her career in stand-up comedy and, after winning the American Comedy Award in 1994, received her own sitcom on ABC called All American Girl—a television show which is often credited as being the first in the US to prominently feature an East Asian family. Despite having her show cancelled after only one season, Cho has gone on to make a name for herself through her overtly outspoken political views and diverse range of projects. Her comedy is often explicit in nature while giving commentary on social and political issues, including eating disorders, substance abuse, her obsession with gay men, her own bisexuality, and Asian-American stereotypes.

The Life of Bayard Rustin

The Life of Bayard Rustin

Black, Queer, Civil Rights Activist
Film Screening, followed by discussion with Faculty

Friday, February 27
12:00 - 2:30pm @ Villard Room
free pizza lunch - with vegan options!

A master strategist and tireless activist, Bayard Rustin is best remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, one of the largest nonviolent protests ever held in the United States. He brought Gandhi's protest techniques to the American civil rights movement, and helped mold Martin Luther King, Jr. into an international symbol of peace and nonviolence.

Despite all these achievements, Rustin was silenced, threatened, arrested, beaten, imprisoned and fired from important leadership positions, largely because he was an openly gay man in a fiercely homophobic era.

Sponsored by the Campus Life ALANA and LGBTQ Resource Centers.

Celebrating Queer People of Color - Frida Kahlo

(Posted by Audrey, '11)
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter, known widely for her vibrant use of color (which was heavily influenced by the art of indigenous Mexican culture), her haunting self-portraits, and her tumultuous marriage to fellow Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Both Kahlo and Rivera had numerous extramarital affairs. Frida—who was openly bisexual—had lovers both male and female; Rivera tolerated her female companions but was intensely jealous of the men. As well as being active in the revolutionary movement in Mexico, both Kahlo and Rivera were communists and supporters of Leon Trotsky. After Trotsky was forced from the Soviet Union by Stalin, Rivera assisted him in moving to Mexico—initially into his own home, where Trotsky and Kahlo had an affair.

Kahlo was born July 6, 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico—though she later claimed to have been born in 1910, so as to attach herself to the Mexican Revolution beginning that year. She began to focus primarily on her painting after a bus accident in which she suffered serious injuries, including a broken collarbone, a broken spinal column, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, and various injuries to her right leg. Additionally, a handrail pierced her abdomen and uterus, damaging her reproductive capability. While recovering in a full body cast, she painted in her bed using a special easel which she could paint on from her bed. Drawing from her personal pain (over her marriage, sexuality, miscarriages, and bodily injuries) to paint, her work was often highly symbolic and imbued with her acute suffering.

Call for Submissions!

The Closet Door
(a new publication from the LGBTQ Center)
A collection of personal stories by queer, questioning, and allied members of the Vassar community about life on all sides of the closet door.

Submit stories to jusilverstein@vassar.edu, or place in Box 555. Please specify if you'd like your story to be published anonymously. Any type of submission accepted - creativity encouraged!

Submissions are due by April 17, 2009.
Publication will be released in October, 2009.

Out on Campus: Vassar Student on Shewired.com

Shewired.com is a queer focused website/blog about LGBT-related news, entertainment, and more. They have a blog series called "Out on Campus" that is meant to bring readers a varied perspective on coming out, and being out at college. This week, our very own Clare Ciervo (current President of ACT OUT!) was profiled on the site! Be sure to check it out here!

Queer Pop Culture - Mini Course

Mini Course: Queer Pop Culture

Wednesdays, April 8, 15, 22, & 29
4-5:30pm @ Rocky 201
Instructor: Julie Silverstein, Assistant Director for Campus Life/LGBTQ Programs

This course will examine the history of the gay rights movement in America and how it has impacted the portrayal of queer characters on television and in movies. We will also compare common themes within mainstream media and queer subculture films and TV.

To sign up for this course, e-mail Julie at jusilverstein@vassar.edu by Friday, February 27th! (or register through Ann Lynch at anlynch@vassar.edu)

Celebrating Queer People of Color - Edinanci Fernandes da Silva

(Posted by Dominic, '11)

When in Doubt- international athletic competitions and intersexuality: Edinanci Fernandes da Silva

Edinanci Fernandes da Silva (born in 1976) is a Brazilian judoka from São Paulo. She has represented Brazil so far three times in the Summer Olympics, beginning in 1996. She also won the gold medal in the half heavyweight division at the Pan American Games. She was born with one of many conditions classified under the umbrella term “intersex conditions” (literally being ‘between the societally recognized sexes’), which affect about 1 in 1000 people, and can occur as a result of chromosomes, hormones, internal sex organs and/or external sex organs.

Edinanci Silva received surgery in the 1990’s in order to compete legally and live as a woman. Whatever an individual’s personal choices are about surgery- I believe that it should be just that— a personal choice, made in adulthood, with informed consent.

It could be that major athletic competitions have taken things too far for athletes like da Silva. For the Beijing Olympics, officials worked for more than a year to design laboratory tests to arbitrarily force competitors whose “sex is in doubt” to submit to a series of invasive and often unwanted tests to verify that they may compete as women or men. The testing this past summer clearly targeted athletes competing in the women’s divisions who were ‘suspect’ for being ‘too strong’. This testing is inherently unfair for a variety of reasons—not the least of which is for the protection and security of those intersexual athletes who wish to compete. If you are not traditionally sexed (i.e. if you are not clearly biologically male or female, or have biological characteristics of both), the tests will inevitably show some differences—thereby subjecting these athletes to the harsh eye of the media and to possible disqualification for nothing more than a characteristic of their biological body. Because intersex conditions can display with such variety hormonally, chromosomally, and physically, athletes who are tested may not even know that they have such a condition, having lived their entire lives as one sex or the other.

In the 2004 Olympics, Edinanci Silva was subject to such a test, and she passed. Suspicion, but not the media’s eye, was removed from her. This strong athlete represented her country for years, but was only allowed to do so after her surgery. Even years after, competitors beaten by da Silva routinely refer to her with masculine pronouns, showing ignorance and disrespect for intersexual persons.

Other athletes, with no prior knowledge of their condition, have in the past been stripped of their medals and subjected to harsh criticism by the media and by the very countries they represent proudly. Santhi Soundarajan, a 27-year old Indian athlete, was stripped of a silver medal for the 800m at the Asian games in 2006 after ‘failing’ a test comprised of physical examinations, endocrinological tests, psychological tests, and genetic tests due to a condition called “androgen insensitivity syndrome”. She has lived and identified as female for her entire life, and was reported in September to have attempted suicide due to her public and national humiliation, caused by the blatant ignorance about intersexuality displayed by many international competitive athletic games.

Check out this video showing some of Edinanci Silva's martial artistry!

Upcoming Center Happenings

TONIGHT - Friday, February 20
7pm @ LGBTQ Center

Gayme Night
Saturday, February 21
9pm @ LGBTQ Center




Coffee Hour
Monday, February 23
6:30-8pm @ LGBTQ Center

Yea, I'm Gay. But...

(Posted by Nick, '11)
Hey!

I thought I'd give you the day off from my long-winded blog posts. Here's some (cute) food for thought:

Celebrating Queer People of Color - Staceyann Chin

"Staceyann Chin is a fulltime artist. A resident of New York City and a Jamaican National, she has been an “out poet and political activist” since 1998. From the rousing cheers of the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe to one-woman shows Off- Broadway to poetry workshops in Denmark and London to co-writer and performer in the Tony nominated, Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, Chin credits the long list of "things she has done" to her grandmother's hard-working history and the pain of her mother's absence." (stacyannchin.com)

Chin performed at Vassar in Spring 2008 as part of the Vassar First Year's "Art as Activism: 3 Poets, 1 Mic" program (see picture). The following poem is a great example of how she discusses her intersecting identities in her spoken word pieces.

CrossFire
by Staceyann Chin

Am I a feminist
or a womanist
the student needs to know
if I do men occasionally
and primarily am I a lesbian

Tongue twisted in cheek I attempt to respond with honesty-

This business of sexual dykes and dykery
I tell her
is often messy-with social tensions as they are
you never quite know what you're getting
-some girls can only be straight at night
-hardcore butches be wearing dresses
between nine and six during the day
sometimes she is really a he trapped
by the limitations of our imagination-

Primarily
I am concerned about young women
who are raped on college campuses
in cars
after poetry readings like this one
in bars
bruised lip and broken heart
you will forgive her if she does not come
forward with the truth immediately

Everyone will think she asked for it
dressed as she was she must have wanted it

The words will knock about in her head
horny bitch
slut-harlot-tease
loose woman
some people cannot handle a woman on the loose
you know those women in silk-ties and pin-striped shirts
women in blood-red stilettos and short pink skirts
-these women make New York City the most interesting place
and while we're on the subject of diversity
Asia is not one big race
and there is no such country called the Islands
and no-I am not from there

There are a hundred ways
to slip between the cracks
of our not-so-credible cultural assumptions
and other peoples' interpretations of race and religion

Most people are surprised my father is Chinese-like
there's some preconditioned
look for the half-Chinese lesbian poet
who used to be Catholic but now believes in dreams

Let's keep it real
says the boy in the double-X hooded sweatshirt
that blond haired blue eyed Jesus in the Vatican ain't right
that motherfucker was Jewish, not white

Christ was a Middle Eastern Rastaman
who ate grapes in the company of prostitutes
and drank wine more than he drank water
born of the spirit the disciples also loved him in the flesh
but the discourse is on people who clearly identify as gay
or lesbian or straight
the State needs us to be left or right
those in the middle get caught
in the cross-fire away at the other side

If you are not for us you must be against us
People get scared enough they pick a team

Be it for Buddha or for Krishna or for Christ
God is that place between belief and what you name it
I believe holy is what you do
when there is nothing between your actions and the truth

I am afraid to draw your black lines around me
I am not always pale in the middle
I come in too many flavors for one fucking spoon

I am never one thing or the other-
at night I am everything I fear
tears and sorrows
black windows and muffled screams
in the morning I am all I want to be
wild rain and open laughter
bare footprints and invisible seams
always without breath or definition-I claim every dawn
for yesterday is simply what I was
and tomorrow
even that will be gone

Ask Not - Film Screening

Ask Not

Thursday, February 19
7pm @ Rocky 200
Sponsored by ACT OUT!

"ASK NOT is a rare and compelling documentary film that explores the effects of the US military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gay and lesbian soldiers and service members. The film exposes the tangled political battles that led to the discriminatory law and examines the societal shifts that have occurred since its passage in 1993. Current and veteran gay soldiers reveal how “don’t ask, don’t tell” affects them during their tours of duty, as they struggle to maintain a double life, uncertain of whom they can trust. The film also explores how gay veterans and youth organizers are turning to forms of personal activism to overturn the policy. From a national speaking tour of conservative universities to protests at military recruitment offices, these public events question how the U.S. military can claim to represent democracy and freedom while denying one segment of the population the right to serve." (Taken directly from the asknotfilm website)

Look for all the Vassar students in the movie trailer! Come see the film to catch more glimpses of Vassar students, or maybe even yourself!

13 Love Stories

13LoveStories.com is a unique multimedia advocacy project that profiles the moving stories of thirteen couples whose lives were profoundly affected by Proposition 8 - the recent California ballot initiative that eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry.

In the media campaign leading up to the hotly contested November 2008 vote, something essential was missing: images of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer couples whose relationships hung in the balance. 13LoveStories.com presents a series of short films that redress the absence of such images. Featuring real voices and personal photographs, the films provide direct access to a diverse cross-section of committed couples in and around Los Angeles.

This project was started in January 2009 by Gideon Mendel, a London-based photographer. To see all 13 films, check out their website here. This is just one example of their moving stories...

How to be an Ally Workshop

The LEADERSHIP FOR CHANgE Program is offering a workshop about "How to be an Ally" tomorrow! This relates to our Ally Week Awareness Campaign, so I would encourage everyone to attend this workshop if you can.

How to be an Ally

Wednesday, February 18
6-7pm @ College Center, 204
FREE PIZZA!

Part of the LEADERSHIP FOR CHANgE Social Consciousness Track
Presenter - Jess Bennet, House Advisor
Workshop Description - To be an effective leader and ally, you must be supportive of the surrounding communities even if it is not one you personally identify with. The process of becoming an ally begins with familiarizing yourself with issues, histories, and languages of various identities. This workshop will discuss how to create a safe space and become an advocate for those that may not have a voice.

To register for LEADERSHIP FOR CHANgE, or learn more about the program, visit their website here!

Celebrating Queer People of Color - Glenn Burke

(Posted by Tristan, '12)

Glenn Burke was known for many firsts. He is credited with giving the first high-five, a practice now so common no one really questions its origins. But, even greater, he was the first MLB player to come out as gay. In 1982, two years after leaving professional baseball, Burke officially came out. Yet, Burke believes that people may have known while he was still playing. He was originally signed with the Dodgers, but was traded to the A’s. Burke’s former teammates were angry about the trade, because they saw Burke as being a much better player. What was General Manager Al Campanis’s real reason for trading Burke? We can’t know but one likely explanation was that Campanis found out that Burke was gay. Burke was very close with Campanis’s son, a gay man who had died of AIDS and Campanis had previously suggested that Burke get married in order to improve his image and the image of the Dodger’s team. Burke spent a year and a half with the A’s, but retired prematurely because he felt that his secret was not safe playing in his hometown (both Burke and the A’s are from Oakland, CA).

Burke declined rapidly after leaving baseball. He played basketball and softball locally, but his career in sports ended after a car hit him and broke his leg. He became addicted to drugs and his new behavior pushed away most of his friends. He was diagnosed with AIDS in 1994 and he died from the disease in 1995.

While Burke had many problems in the second half of his life, he accomplished so much while playing baseball. In an interview with People Magazine, Burke said "My mission as a gay ballplayer was to break a stereotype . . . I think it worked." Although Burke broke stereotypes, there has been, to this date, only one other MLB player who has come out (Billy Bean) and no one who has been an active player while being open about their sexuality.

TransMission General Interest Meeting

(Posted by TransMission)

TransMission

Tuesday, February 17
7pm @ LGBTQ Center (CC 235)

TransMission is a relatively new student group dedicated to making Vassar campus safe, comfortable, and accessible to trans, gender variant, and sex variant community members. We’re working on becoming VSA-certified and are holding our first general interest meeting next week. Anyone who is interested in hearing what we’re about, what we’re up to, getting on our email list, or supporting our attempt to become certified is more than welcome.

The meeting will be short (we promise not to interfere with the Augusten Burroughs lecture!) and there will be free pizza and homemade cookies!

Augusten Burroughs to Speak at Vassar!

After documenting his unusual childhood in the best-selling memoir Running with Scissors, Augusten Burroughs was hailed as one of the "25 Funniest People in America" by Entertainment Weekly. Burroughs, who will deliver The Alex Krieger '95 Memorial Lecture, is also the author of Sellevision, Dry, Magical Thinking, Possible Side Effects, and A Wolf at the Table. Running with Scissors, which spent more than four years on the New York Times Best Seller list, also spawned an Oscar-nominiated film. His writing has also appeared in magazines, literary journals, and newspapers around the world. His visit to Vassar will include a lecture, followed by a question and answer session and a book signing.

Come see this openly gay writer on Tuesday, February 17
8pm @ UpCDC (Student's Building, 2nd Floor)

A Cure for HIV?

(Posted by Nick, '11)
Doctors at Berlin’s Charité Hospital may have found a way to cure patients testing positive for HIV. In recent years, it has become apparent that those that have a mutation in the CCR5 gene are in fact immune to HIV. This is well-documented in Africa, where scientists have noted that many prostitutes are exposed to HIV multiple times, yet do not get infected. It is this mutation that has apparently cured a man of the virus.

The patient, a 42-year-old American, had been infected with HIV for a decade. After years of undergoing antiretroviral treatments, he was diagnosed with leukemia. To treat him, doctors in Berlin specifically sought out a bone marrow donor that carried the CCR5 mutation. Two years after having the bone marrow transplant, the man still tests negative for HIV.

Speaking to the British newspaper The Independent, Dr. Hutter of the Charité Hospital said, “It is the longest time someone who has had antiretroviral therapy and stopped has lasted without the virus rebounding. Normally it rebounds within weeks. It is the closest we have come to a cure.”

The article goes on: “Dr Hutter said a bone marrow transplant would be too risky as a routine treatment for HIV and too difficult to find donors with the right genetic make-up. But a modification of the approach using gene therapy to render a patient HIV-resistant could work, he said.”

Though this doesn’t provide for a definitive cure of the disease, as there are other tissues, such as the brain and the liver, in which the virus could hide, it certainly gives hope to the millions of people infected with HIV and AIDS that we are close to finding a cure.

You can read the entire article here.

LGBTV - Tonight!

TONIGHT - 7pm @ LGBTQ Center
Check out our facebook group for more details.

How Does Queer Sex Make You Feel?

The LGBTQ Center tabled at Sexpo last Monday and, in spirit of the theme for the event, we asked people to answer the question “How Does Queer Sex Make You Feel?” Here are some of the responses:

It kind of hurts… but in a GOOD way!

HotHotHot!
Wanted and on the Ball!
Don’t know yet… still all virgin-y
Hot and Sweaty!
Like a spring daisy!
Yummy and wet!
Fireworks!
Magical!

If you didn’t get a chance to write something or are more comfortable posting anonymously feel free to comment on this post and share how queer sex makes you feel!

Fruit Salad! - TOMORROW!

Fruit Salad! - Queer People of Color

Friday, February 13
12-1pm @ LGBTQ Center
FREE PIZZA!

Part of our Fruit Salad! series of discussions about diversity in the queer community.

Sex-Positive Film Screening - TONIGHT!

TONIGHT - Thursday, February 12

6:30pm @ Rocky 101
Sex-Positive Film Screening and Discussion with Richard Berkowitz
Sponsored by QCVC

SEX POSITIVE explores the life of Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary gay S&M- hustler-turned-AIDS activist in the 1980s, whose incomparable contribution to the invention of safe sex has never been aptly credited. Berkowitz emerged from the epicenter of the epidemic as a community leader, demanding a solution to the problem before anyone else would pay attention. However, it was not Berkowitz' voice alone that sparked contention.

Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, a controversial virologist and AIDS doctor, postulated that AIDS was more complicated than just a new virus. With Sonnabend's theory in tow, Berkowitz fought, alongside beloved activist and musician Michael Callen, for safer sex practices without giving up on sex altogether.

SEX POSITIVE explores the explicit bravery of this unrecognized triumvirate, and their dire quest to save lives in the midst of unwavering dissent. Now destitute and alone, Mr. Berkowitz tells his story to a world who never wanted to listen.

Through the eyes of Mr. Berkowitz, the audience is made witness to a graphic testimony of sex, death, and betrayal, while placing the invention of ‘safe sex’ in a fresh and compelling context.

Paid LGBT Internships

The R. Scott Hitt Foundation is offering funding for qualified candidates who want to be future leaders in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement. You and the pro-LGBT organization that you choose apply to receive funding for your internship position while you build your resume and gain valuable skills towards becoming a leader of the future.

*Post Graduate*
THE SCOTT HITT INTERNSHIP IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Application Deadline: May 8, 2009

• Post graduate students with strong academic record
• Duration: 7-9 months, 40 hour week - $20,000 Grant to sponsor 501(c)3
• Location: An established 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States with a commitment to the advancement of LGBT equality
• Applicant contacts host organization they want to work at and co-develops a successful curriculum emcompassing key elements: communications, fundraising, board development, and grassroots policy
• 2-4 recipients per year.

*Undergraduate*
THE A.N.G.L.E. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTERNSHIP
Application Deadline: April 17, 2009

• Current undergraduate students with strong academic record
• Duration: 8 weeks, 40 hour week - $4,000 Grant to sponsor 501(c)3
• Location: An established 501(c)3 nonprofit in Southern California with a commitment to the advancement of LGBT equality
• Applicant contacts host organization they want to work at and co-develops a successful curriculum emcompassing key elements of non-profit operations and program development
• Named for the nonprofit ANGLE (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) which inspired and provided the funding for these internships
• 3-5 recipients per year

TO APPLY:
1. Visit this website for details.
2. Meet with a pro-LBGT 501(C)3 non-profit organization to sponsor your internship.
3. Agree to the terms of your internship and scope of work with your sponsoring organization.
Construct sponsor agreement in cooperation with your chosen 501(c)3.
4. Submit your cover letter, personal essay, résumé and sponsor agreement
by the above deadline to www.scotthittfoundation.org.
5. Check www.scotthittfoundation.org for grant award dates.

For more details, check out their website here!

Celebrating Queer People of Color - John Amaechi

(posted by Nick, '11)
John Amaechi is a former professional athlete, author, and queer role model. He played on various teams in the NBA from 1995 to 2003. He is noted in his career for being the first player to score points in the new millennium, as well as for his decision to turn down a $17 million contract with the Lakers to stay with Orlando for $600,000. In February 2007, Amaechi became the first player associated with the NBA to come out.

Since coming out, he has released a book, Man in the Middle, which documents living as a closeted queer athlete. The Campus Life LGBTQ Center has a signed copy of it! Being of British birth, Amaechi was a correspondent for BBC during the Beijing Olympic games, covering men’s and women’s basketball. Also in 2008, Amaechi made appearances on the LOGO reality show “Shirts and Skins,” on which he was a mentor and psychologist to the San Francisco Rockdogs, a gay basketball team.

John Amaechi visited the LGBTQ Center last year when he was on campus to give a lecture. Perhaps the most interesting fact about him is that his arm span can reach around five people who are standing! (See picture)

Free Film Screening Opportunity

On Monday, February 23, SUNY New Paltz will be screening Do I Look Fat? - a documentary about gay men, body image, and eating disorders. The filmmaker will be there to host a discussion after the screening. Learn more about the movie here.

The LGBTQ Center in Kingston has been offered a limited amount of free tickets to give away for this screening, please let me know (jusilverstein@vassar.edu) ASAP if you are interested in attending!

ASA & Intersextions Discussion

"Asians and Asian Americans Within the Queer Community"

Wednesday, February 11
8-9pm @ ALANA Center
Snacks will be provided!

Come join ASA and Intersextions as we discuss the stereotypes of the fetishized Asian female/demasculinized Asian male, and how these images affect members of the Queer Community.

Celebrating Queer People of Color - Audre Lorde

(Posted by Loghann, '10)

Audre Lorde
"black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet"

Audre Lorde was an incredible queer woman of color born in 1934 and still considered a tremendously important voice in modern feminism.

She was an activist and a writer, as well as a survivor: she battled the breast cancer that would eventually take her life for 12 years. Openly queer, she challenged the feminist movement's rejection of queer women and women of color. One of her most famous works is a challenge to the mainstream white feminism of the day, "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House."

There's so much to be said about Audre Lorde that I think it almost cheapens it for me to try and put her down in a blog post. Instead, here's a poem:

"Who Said It Was Simple" by Audre Lorde

There are so many roots to the tree of anger
that sometimes the branches shatter
before they bear.
Sitting in Nedicks
the women rally before they march
discussing the problematic girls
they hire to make them free.
An almost white counterman passes
a waiting brother to serve them first
and the ladies neither notice nor reject
the slighter pleasures of their slavery.
But I who am bound by my mirror
as well as my bed
see causes in color
as well as sex

and sit here wondering
which me will survive
all these liberations.

My Story

(Posted by Nick, '11)
Seeing as how tonight’s LGBTV movie concerns the intersection between religion and sexuality (in the form of a gay man dealing with his Mormon upbringing), I think it would be appropriate for me to write about their intersection in my life. My family is Roman Catholic. From about birth to age 17 I attended mass every Sunday. I was the star student in religion class (I went to public school, and attended religion on the weekend), not necessarily because I was a pious person, but because I was a star student in general. Religion was just another subject for me. In March of 2005, my cousin and I proposed the founding of a vacation bible school (VBS) at our church. No Catholic churches in the area had a substantial one, and we wanted to provide an alternative for those Catholic families who were sending their children to Protestant VBS programs. Our parochial vicar agreed to it, and soon we were in a mad rush to put on an event that needed a ton of planning. It was a success.

Fast forward to 2008. In my fourth year as director and fresh off of my first year at college, I decide that it would be my last as director. I always found VBS to be a fun thing to do, not necessarily because of the religious aspect of it, but because of the huge leadership skills that I acquired and used through it. I would manage a staff of about 40-50 teens and adults every year. That’s a huge thing for a 15-year-old, much less an 18-year-old! We were also very successful in raising money (through spare change donation) for our parish Sharing Committee – this past summer alone we raised over $1300 for needy families in our community. The reason I do VBS is because it’s a lot of hard work that really pays off with a feel-good feeling in the end.

People ask me if I have a hard time reconciling my faith with my sexuality. Not really. I’m more of a hands-off Catholic at this point. I recognize that I grew up Catholic, and that will always be a part of me. I can’t deny it. Right now, though, I take the teachings of the Church with a grain of salt. There need to be huge changes effected in the Church in order for me to believe in it fully again. For those that don’t know, the Catholic Church’s official stance on homosexuality is that it is not a sin to be queer – they’ve come to their senses and realized it’s not something you choose – but engaging in sexual acts with others of the same sex is considered a mortal sin. So the queer person’s burden in life is to be celibate. It’s not a teaching I agree with, and I know many Catholics who don’t either. Unfortunately, it’s something that won’t be changing anytime soon.

LGBTV is back!

Starting tonight, the LGBTQ Center will host a movie night Every Friday Night at 7pm. We will be showing a different movie each week, all pertaining to the queer community.

For more details, find us on facebook by searching for "LGBTV" (if you are in the Vassar Network). Light refreshments will be provided, but feel free to bring your own as well!

Tonight's movie will be hosted by intern Nick, '11.