Minutes
LGBT Concerns Committee
Jewish Studies Conference Room, Walker Hall
October 2, 2002, 3:00 - 4:30

Members Present: Charles Brown, John Denny, Steve Detweiler, Scott Feldman, Chad Hattaway, Gwynn Kessler, Linda Lamme, David Landfair, Yuri LaTorre, Rich Senker, Michael B. Smith, and Ken Wald,

We welcomed Gwynn Kessler to the committee.

Reports from Campus Groups

LGBT Student Affairs Cabinet: Chad
… Soulfest is coming to campus
… World Aids Day event
… The main focus of the Student Affairs group will be to try to obtain on-campus housing for same-sex couples this year.

Gator Gay Straight Alliance - Scott
… The website for GSA is gatorgsa.org.
… The GSA has revised RA Training sessions and is presently conducting sessions.
… People will be able to have their pictures taken "coming out" of a (real) closet door on National Coming Out Day, October 11. (Straight people can come out as straight as well.)
… There will be a Dragaoke on Gator Night.
… "I think I might be straight" brochures will be distributed.

Pride Student Union - Michael
… PSU is distributing tongue in cheek brochures in residence halls.
… For Pride there will be a Rainbow Tree in Turlington Plaza that people can sign.
… October 26-27 is a Pride Intercollegiate Conference here at the UF Hotel and Conference Center.

Rainbow Alliance - Charles
… Charles has met with the UF Foundation and is in the process of gathering enough money to establish a fund there.
… The Rainbow Alliance is publishing (by E-mail) a quarterly newsletter for LGBT Alumni. Send him names and addresses of alumni you know.

Committee on Sexism and Homophobia - Rich
… As a meeting October 20
… There are 16 new Friends (without any advertising)
… They are considering a one-hour training for Friends

Committee Business

Nondiscrimination Clause
… We will ask the President at our next meeting when we can expect action on this topic.
… Perhaps we should meet with the Board of Directors of the University to explain to them the need for this clause.
… Charles will prepare a one-page paper to leave with the President that includes:
o The wording for the nondiscrimination clause: sexual orientation and gender identity and expression
o The need for retirement and health partner benefits (ie the numbers of institutions like us that have it - and who does not).
o The need for the Campus Climate report to be completed and published.
o The need for anonymous reporting of harassment

Campus Climate Survey - Ken
Ken and Linda have both tried repeatedly to contact Vice President Gail Baker to determine why a committee was never established to compile the report on the LGBT Climate. We are not even sure if the Climate Report on Race came out. Linda will try again until we can get some action. This report could provide the foundation for some actions that we might recommend for our campus.

Methods of Reporting Harassment
… In housing there have been several (3 on the west campus) incidents of LGBT harassment. Housing is considering forming a floor especially for students interested in LGBT issues, but they need faculty support for that type of an Academic Initiative. (Rich)
… A website for anonymous reporting is supposedly being set up by Student Affairs. John will check in to this and report back at our next meeting.
… In a national student personnel periodical, (NASPA Forum, September/October 2002, p. 5) the University of Florida was mentioned in a derogatory way. The article reports that after the UF Alumni Magazine ran a piece on Ronni Sanlo's visit to our campus, "he magazine's editor had received more mail regarding the article about Sanlo than any other piece in the publication's history - most if it negative."
… In another recent issue of the Alumni Magazine there was an article about male dancers that contained homophobic content. Both Scott and Charles talked to the editor and author of the article. There was no homophobic intent. They just were not tuned in to homosexual people as a minority group. We talked about inviting the editor and any staff to a future meeting, and/or about the need for education of faculty and staff on LGBT issues on campus (something an LGBT Resource Center could provide).

… The Police distributed a publication called, "UF Together for a Safe Campus, 2002" and reported only 2 crimes that dealt with sexual orientation in the past two years. Members of the committee knew of more crimes than that which had been reported and wondered about the method of reporting. We also wondered if it might be a good idea to ask the Police Department to include a paragraph about LGBT Harassment in their document.
… Linda reported that at the request of the Provost, she sent another sample informational piece to the Provost to be placed by the administration in the Alligator. There is a need for faculty and still to have clear information on how to report discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

LGBT Awards Committee - Linda
The committee recommended that that Carlos, Amanda, and Kendal remain on the committee. Linda will ask them to serve. Gwynn agreed to join them for this year.

Future Meetings
October 24: 3 - 4:30 with President Young at the Jewish Studies Conference Room in Walker Hall
Wednesday, November 13: 11 - 12:30 in 258 Norman Hall (Note change of meeting location)
Wednesday, December 4: 11 - 12:30 in 258 Norman Hall