Minutes 7/1/03

Minutes
LGBT Concerns Committee
Room 2205 Norman Hall
July 1, 2003, 4:00-5:00

Attendance: Kendal Broad, Charles Brown, Kim Emery, Scott Feldman, Carlos Hernandez, Gwynn Kessler, Linda Lamme, Orit Shechtman, Ken Wald

Old Business

… Board of Trustees Actions - Linda reported that we now have sexual orientation added to our Nondiscrimination Policy, but not gender identity and expression. We need to come back to the Board on that issue after we deal with partner benefits.

… Housing has Partner Benefits - Linda reported that Housing now has partner benefits for faculty and staff couples who live on campus. We reviewed their partner form and agreed that it was far different for same-sex couples than for opposite-sex couples. We decided to take no action to try to make changes, but instead to work for a more friendly policy for the University Benefits.

… Housing is working on Partner Benefits for graduate students in the Village areas.

… Campus Climate Survey - Ken reported that the committee (Jeanna, Mike M, Ken, and Amanda) still has not received the final report from Gail Baker. Jackie Hart said it would be out soon. Once the report exists there is a firm basis to support actions on the part of the University.

… Methods of Reporting Harassment - Mike reported that the reason there has been no action on this important item is because DOS operates Macs and the program is better established on PCs. DOS is in the process of converting, which should make the anonymous reporting of LGBT harassment become a possibility in the future. This process has taken over three months.

… Transgender Resources - Kendal reported that she will try to get the Transgender Resources online through Mark Trammell.

New Business
… What are the implications of the nondiscrimination clause? Linda reported that she is already getting calls from the community and people on campus about what is now being done.
… UF Athletic Association - Carlos reported that Tony Perez, Clinical Director at the Counseling Center had been asked by Roberta Selman (UFAA) and Ann Marie ? (coach) for sensitivity training for coaches. He had asked about coaches for men's athletics and was told that they were not part of the request. They were requesting an hour and a half of training. Carlos said he hoped that hour and a half would be a time to share with them what they really need, which is training by a professional trainer. Linda said she would contact Pat Griffin (author of Strong Women, Deep Closets: Homophobia in Women's Sports to see if she would be interested, and Kendal suggested Karen DePauw as a professional trainer. We hope to emphasize that the UFAA (and in fact the entire University) needs professional trainers, not just volunteers from our own campus. Someone mentioned an HBO Special on SEC Athletics that talked about the NCAA policy. Linda said she would try to find a source for that video and to find the policy itself. We agree that we should push UFAA to endorse the NCAA Policy.
… Administrators -It therefore seems important to talk with administrators about the implications of our new policy.
… Linda will try to arrange for a meeting with Pam Bernard and Provost Colburn to go over the material in Jeann's documents on how other schools implement policies such as ours. We reviewed the documents.
… Best Practices by Other Universities for LGBT Community - We decided to word number 3 to include "through a LGBT Resource and Research Center.
We decided to change number 4 to include making a Vice-President accountable for the LGBT Resource and Research Center (which is the intent of the statement) by having the Director report to the vice-president.
… We discussed the importance of having an LGBT Coordinator or Director of a Resource and Research Center to provide services. Kendal mentioned that the Women's Studies Program is getting its own building so there might be room in it for an LGBT Resource and Research Center.
… The Nondiscrimination Clause makes UF accountable now for providing a safe campus (which includes these kinds of services). Reporting of harassment, though, is a totally different activity.

… Linda will contact Sheila Dickinson as a friendly administrative ally for advice on how to proceed with other administrators.
… LGBT Coordinator Needed - We will share this document from Jeanna as soon as we have met with Sheila and/or Pam Bernard and determined who needs this information.
… LGBT Centers at Public AAU Universities - Jeanna - could you send Linda a paper copy of this document because I could not get it all on one page.
… UF LGBT Needs for Institutionalization of Services - We reviewed Linda's chart and added Transgender Resources to what is being done and an LGBT Studies Program and Director to what needs to be done. We will share this information with our administrators (as a way to localize Jeanna's documents).

Future Business

… Items for Next Year
o UF Together for a Safe Campus - Invite Nick Vellas (or the new police chief) from the Community Relations Office next year. We may offer to conduct LGBT Training for Campus Police.
o New Associate Provost - Deborah Walker King is the New Associate Provost in Jacqueline Hart's office. Linda will make an appointment with her to meet with our committee.
o Oral History - Ken will contact Julian Pleasants about gathering LGBT Oral history interviews.
o Celebration - Carlos will let us know when our Committee Celebration Potluck will be held at his home.
o Fall Semester Opening Bash for Faculty, Staff and Students - (Perhaps in Keene Faculty Center). We need a committee member to organize this event.

Future Meetings
Would each committee member please send Linda a list of the times (it helps if it is by University Periods for each day) of when they CAN NOT meet during fall semester. ASAP.