LGBT Concerns Committee Minutes

Meeting Held: January 28, 2004, Room 2205 Norman Hall, Peabody Hall, 12-1 pm

Committee Web site: http://www.aa.ufl.edu/committees/lgbtcc.htm

In Attendance:

Linda Lamme, chair
Charles Brown
Kimberly Browne
Scott Feldman
Ebru Korbek
Jeanna Mastrodicasa
Mary Kay Schneider
Judy Traveis
Ken Wald

Committee Members: Kendal Broad, Charles Brown, K. Browne, Nate Christiansen, John Denny, Stephen Detweiler, Lisa Diekow, K. Galloway, Carlos Hernandez, Gwynn Kessler, Linda Lamme, Landfair, Jeanna Mastrodicasa, Michael Roedel, Mary Kay Schneider, Orit Shechtman, M. E. Swisher, Judy Traveis, Ken Wald

1. Linda Lamme receives President's Humanitarian Award

On January 27, Linda Lamme was awarded the President's Humanitarian Award by President Bernard Machen. The award ceremony was part of the 2004 University of Florida People Awareness Week Program. The award recognizes student, faculty, staff and community members who have made significant "humanitarian" contributions on campus and in the local community has been established.

2. Report on Linda Lamme's Meeting with President Machen

[In early January, President Machen's office contact Linda Lamme in order to set up a meeting with her as head of the LGBT Concerns committee.]

Campus Climate Survey - Lamme reported that the president assured her that he will work to get the Campus Climate Survey published. Lamme stated that she would send an e-mail and ask for an update on this. The committee asked Lamme to relay to the president the message that the committee would be willing to undertake the final edit of the survey report.

LGBT Coordinator - The president told Lamme that he is in the process of hiring a new Vice President for Student Affairs, who will be responsible for LGBT student matters. The committee speculated that someone will be hired in the vice president's office whose primary concern will be LGBT matters.

Domestic Partner Benefits - Lamme stated that Ed Poppell, UF Vice President for Administrative Affairs was appointed by President Charles Young to oversee this. Lamme has been assured on several occasions that everything is "on track" for domestic partner benefits to be offered in September 2004. To offer these benefits, the University will have to purchase additional insurance, which will not be possible until July 2004 when the state of Florida turns over financial control of the University.

3. Group Reports

Pride Student Union - PSU President, Allison Andrews, submitted the following report by e-mail.

Important Issues to address: Lately a big issue on campus is the idea of a Multicultural Center, which was sparked by the need for an Asian Institute of Culture. I have been in contact with the Dean of Student Affairs, Gene Zdziarski, about whether or not the LGBTQ community would have a place in the multicultural center. So far all the discussions have been about not including us in the center. The reason behind this is because they are afraid of it getting to big and essentially becoming not worth while. This is a big issue seeing that in most other universities LGBTQ is included in their multicultural center. I have talked extensively to Gene about why we deserve a space and the benefits it will bring to us and he agrees that we deserve a space but we need affirmation from other students that by including us it will not turn into a "hodgepodge".

Past Events of the Semester: Bisexuality 101: Myths and Realities, Robyn Ochs spoke on January 26th in the grand ballroom. About 80 people attended the event

Upcoming: General Membership Meeting Feb 2nd: Gene Zdzairski, dean of student affairs, coming to talk about the plans for the Multi-cultural Center and answer questions. 8:30pm room 284 of the reitz. Freedom of Marriage Speak-Out, February 12. Speakers: Craig Lowe, Wayne Besen, Pegeen Hanrahan, and others who are not yet confirmed. Details on this event's location and time are not yet decided. Potentially bringing a Black Lesbian Congresswoman for the month of March

Pride Awareness Month April 04: An entire month of speakers and social activities to promote awareness about the LGBT community. Still in the planning stages for the events

Gator Gay-Straight Alliance - Scott Feldman reported that GGSA was sponsoring Same-Sex Hand-Holding (SSHH) Days at the University on January 27-28. Previous SSHH events have been reported in local and national press. This event was featured in the Independent Florida Alligator, the student newspaper, and in the Gainesville Sun, the city's daily newspaper ("Gay support gets show of hands," Gainesville Sun, January 28, 2004).

GGSA is now planning special events around Valentine's Day. The events will promote the idea of gay marriage, and the emphasize the inherent unfairness of denial of marriage to LGBT people.

LGBT Student Affairs Cabinet - The Cabinet was not represented and there was no report.

Rainbow Alliance - Charles Brown reported that RA's current big project is alumni outreach. He stated that RA is working with Pride Student Union to identify alumni and to make students aware of Rainbow Alliance. RA will send out an e-mail detailing how University employees can sign up for payroll deduction in order to contribute to the Rainbow Alliance Fund.

4. LGBT Service/Research Awards

Jeanna Mastrodicasa is coordinating this. She is in the process of establishing deadlines and preparing an announcement that will call for applications. Carlos Hernandez and Linda Lamme will evaluate applications. Lamme will ask psychology professor Bonnie Moradi also to participate in evaluation.

Last year the awards were presented at the an LGBT event that was part of the University's 150th anniversary celebration. This year, the committee agreed to give the awards during the multicultural award event sponsored by the Dean for Students Office . That even is tentatively scheduled for March 30 in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. The committee agreed that presenting the awards at this event rather than Lavender Graduation (in addition?) would give the awards and the LGBT more visibility.

Mary Kay Schneider and Jeanna Mastrodicasa will work to have the awards application posted on the Dean for Students' Web site.

5. Update on Reporting Harassment

Mary Kay Schneider was accompanied by Ebru Korbek, a student who has been looking at the LGBT harassment reporting procedures at other universities. Korbek reported that Texas A&M has separate procedures for reporting sexual harassment and acts of LGBT bias. Most other universities handle reporting through university police departments. Lamme observed that it was good to separate acts of violence from acts of bias. She suggested that the reporting procedure we set up should make it possible to report professors who demonstrate bias in the classroom, either in treatment of students or in choice or presentation of material. She also restated that the reporting method should be anonymous with an option to include a name. Schneider stated that some students might wish to use the reporting method to make a formal complaint and direct it either to judicial review or to the university police department.

Schneider also stated that work on the university side to create the reporting Web site is complete. She plans to have a meeting with the Web site creator, Mike Malecki, and the technical staff responsible at the university to make the Web site available.

Update on the Zimbardi Law Suit - Carlos Hernandez was not present, but several committee members felt that the training for athletic department staff that Hernandez had outlined at a previous meeting had taken place. Lamme said she would try get an update for the next meeting. [Later in the day after the meeting, Lamme circulated a news report dated January 28 that stated that Zimbardi had reached an agreement with the University.]

6. New Business

Jeanna Mastrodicasa stated that she had been contacted by someone - possibly with the ACLU - who was working on getting a nondiscrimination clause at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Mastrodicasa stated that she shared the methods and experiences of the effort to accomplish the same thing at UF. She also sent a draft copy of the Campus Climate Survey, even though it has not been officially released.

Mastrodicasa also shared that she participated in a symposium for women planning to direct student affairs offices. She stated that a large number of the participants were out lesbians and that an excellent discussion was had concerning being out in this particular position of authority. A very useful article about out and not-out students was distributed at the symposium. Mastrodicasa said she would get copies of this article to committee members.

Mastrodicasa stated that she would be presenting at the a preconference workshop of the annual meeting of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, to be held in Denver. The workshop, "LGBT Issues in Higher Education Institute: Theory to Action" is on March 27.

Linda Lamme stated that on January 28, a nondiscrimination statement was to be presented to the Santa Fe Community College faculty senate. She said the 12 out of 18 of Santa Fe's peer institutions in the state have such a clause.

Lamme also stated that there is a new journal for LGBT issues in education. [The Journal of Gay & Lesbian Issues in Education: an international quarterly devoted to research, policy, and practice began publication in Fall 2003. It is published by Haworth Press <http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/product.asp?sku=J367>.]

Ebru Korbek stated that Lavender Graduation is currently being planned. The event will be held on April 29, 2004. It will be part of LGBT Awareness Month. The planning committee hopes to contact community groups to seek their involvement.

Lamme initiated discussion of whether the Provost should be contacted for an update on LGBT matters he committed himself to at his meeting with Lamme in December.

Jeanna Mastrodicasa stated that she gave a draft copy of the Campus Climate Survey to diversity consultants hired by Student Affairs.

Mary Kay Schneider stated that her office is working on a partner ID that would give domestic partners of university students access to university facilities and services on par with spouses.

Schneider raised the issue of LGBT training for university police officers. She stated that "Greek Life" had conducted training for all three shifts.

7. Next Meeting

Ken Wald initiated a discussion about having meeting only as necessary rather than on a monthly basis. Lamme agreed to find a time in February-March when the committee with the new chief of the University Police Department.

Lamme stated that she would begin requesting monthly reports from campus LGBT groups.

8. Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 1 p.m.

Minutes prepared by Charles Brown.