LGBT Concerns Committee Minutes

Meeting Held: October 13, 2006, 1 - 3 pm, Library East Conference Room

Next Meeting: December 1, 2006, 1 - 3 pm, Library East Conference Room

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

Attendance: Greg Allen, Evan Andrews, Tamara Cohen, Joyce Dewsbury, Michael Dietz, John Dobson, Kristin Joos, Linda Lamme, Nora Spencer, Flo Turcotte

Acceptance of Minutes from our last meeting as listed on the Rainbow Alliance Web site

Brief History of Committee (on RA Web site)

• Created Committee on Sexism and Homophobia
• We area Presidential Committee, reporting to the Provost
• Over the years we have dealt with a number of issues: the position of LGBT Director, nondiscrimination policy for sexual orientation, partner benefits and more

Reports
Note: We request these reports in writing on the committee list prior to each meeting

Pride Student Union - Adele Fontanet, president@ufpride.org, Evan and Nora reported
-- October 9-13th a Greeks and Homophobia campaign was organized by LGBT Affairs, LGBTQ SG Cabinet, Pride Student Union, Office of Sorority and Fraternity Affairs, and Multicultural Greek Council. This included a Gay? Fine By Me. T-shirt campaign (over 250 participants) on National Coming Out Day, October 11th. Other events were a FRIENDS training for the Florida Greek community (7 new Friends), and a Greeks and Homophobia panel discussion, with over 80 attendees
-- Inter-Collegiate Pride Conference is Nov. 4-5, here at UF. Theme: Activism on your terms; Friday, Nov. 3: Potluck at La Casita

Gator Gay-Straight Alliance (now called QAC: Queer Allied Caucus) -- Richard Gutierrez, president rich949@ufl.edu, Nora reported
-- BLEED project about Gay men not being permitted to donate blood ("I would save your life, but my government won't allow" buttons)
-- Only 3 active members in QAC now

SG LGBTQ Cabinet -- Evan Andrews, president lgbtq@sg.ufl.edu
-- Evan was part of the T-shirt project (one professor applauded)
-- Transgender Remembrance Day is Nov, 20. There will be a Candlelight Vigil and speaker on the Reitz Colonnade

Rainbow Alliance - Faculty/staff/alumni -- Charles Brown, cmbrown@ufl.edu
-- Charles e-mailed report at www.ra-online.org
-- Greg reported that they continue their monthly dinners
-- RA will march in the Parade, October 14 and table at the Pride Festival
-- RA did not have an event for Homecoming this year. Next year the LGBT Office will coordinate an event

Director of LGBT Affairs - Nora Spencer, noras@dso.ufl.edu
-- There are several Friends trainings for the semester, including:

1. Florida Greek Community, 10/12/06
2. Student Health Care Center, 10/17 and 24
3. General trainings: two-part on 10/26 and 11/2, 12-1:30; 11/16, 6-9pm

-- In planning the Greeks and Homophobia panel, only one of the four Greek councils actively participated, although leaders from all four expressed support for the project. Those that didn't make the event mandatory or actively endorse the campaign said they "didn't know how their members would feel about it." After seeing the success of this year, however, we think there will be more active support for our next project.
-- Nora conducted four different training sessions in LGBTQ issues for new RAs.
-- Almost 300 people came to the Welcome Assembly, including President Machen.
-- A new group is forming, Out and About, for grad students and new or young professionals. They'll be housed in LGBT Affairs and hope to collaborate with Rainbow Alliance. More details as they emerge.
-- LGBT Affairs is creating an alumni newsletter that will debut in the Spring.
-- Open House at LGBT Office in 202 Peabody - 80 attended
-- Trip to Holocaust Museum in St, Petersburg postponed until early next semester. Dr. Giles has an exhibit there on Homosexuals and will narrate the exhibit. Cost of $50.00 per individual for bus seems prohibitive. Looking for financial support.
-- Kate Bornstein, most recently the author of Hello Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws, is coming to campus tentatively on April 4th. She is a godparent of the transgender movement and a quirky, energetic speaker. Her visit will be part of Pride Awareness Month, also sponsored by Pride Student Union.
-- The Advocate Guide for LGBT Students (a book) included UF in top 100 campuses!
-- Nora is working to formalize guidelines for departments as to how to best support transfolks (to be endorsed by the LGBT Concerns Committee)
-- Flo mentioned the film "Normal" - could be shown on November 20 - Transgender Awareness Day
-- Linda mentioned getting the word out beyond the LGBT community

Agenda Items

-- Organization of Standing Subcommittees

• Rainbow Alliance Research and Service Awards Committee - Geoffrey Giles will be asked to chair. Joyce Dewsbury and John Dobson will be members
• Transgender Support Committee - Nora suggested forming a committee to advise on transgender issues; she suggested asking Kendal Broad, Jennifer Sager, and others to join. Tamara and Nora will work on this.
• Linda and Flo will talk to Kim Emery or Ronnie Sanlo before meeting with the President and will need to do homework to answer FAQs about adding gender identity and expression to the nondiscrimination policy at UF and will consult Gender PAC

-- Methods of reporting harassment

• Nora - it would be helpful to have a "What do you do if you are experiencing harassment?" flyer for students, faculty, and staff
• Evan and Michael volunteered
• Launch Fall 2007
• Schedule a meeting with Human Resources about sexual harassment training - Flo volunteered

-- Housing issues - need a new representative to this committee

-- Voted to add Q to our committee name

• Linda will ask the Provost
• Nora and Linda will create a Queer Fact Sheet to present to the Provost
• A motion was made and passed to add Q to our committee's name. Linda and Nora will create a Q fact sheet for the Provost.

-- Financial aid for emancipated students - Greg will talk to Charles about fundraising

-- Need support for Nora - someone on programming to free up Nora for development and policy issues. Tamara and Nora will work on that.

-- Benefits - the benefits are not the same, but they are better than nothing. Linda and Flo will meet with Vice President Kyle Cavanaugh to see if we can move ahead on more soft benefits and perhaps rethink strategies for obtaining equal benefits.

-- From Kendal Broad

• There is a minor in Theories and Politics of Sexuality. Here is the website about it: http://web.wst.ufl.edu/undergraduate/minor_taps.html At our next meeting we can discuss if it should have a name change to something like LGBTQ Studies or something like that.
• One of the core courses is now a permanent course (LGBTQ Studies), which means it will be offered regularly. Kendal am due to offer it this next Fall (2007).
• Kim Emery is in the process of making her course "Queer Theory and Cultural Politics" a permanent course too. This will solidify the minor even more and help facilitate the opportunity for more students to pursue it.
• If anyone knows of LGBTQ related courses that are being offered or may be offered please encourage them to let Kendal know.
• If folks have suggestions for how to make this more visible and more available to students, please let Kendal know.
• Kendal also wrote: Please let the LGBT Concerns committee know that under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the University of Florida policy (which allows up to 12 work weeks of protected leave for parental leave), I will be on full leave from December 15^th , 2006 through March 9, 2007 (after the birth of our son). Therefore I will not be attending LGBT Concerns Committee meetings during that time.