RA-news

Features

Job Opening -- Executive Director for Also Out Youth ALSO OUT YOUTH Education · Support · Empowerment Wanted: Energetic, creative executive director for dynamic Sarasota, FL based nonprofit serving gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth. Desirable candidates will possess excellent program development, volunteer, community outreach, communication, and financial skills. Additionally, candidate will show knowledge and understanding of GLBT youth issues and be adept in youth advocacy. Strengthening community partnerships is essential. Preferred applicant will be licensed/eligible within two years in his or her field (e.g., clinical therapy, social work). Additional information and job description available at www.alsoyouth.org. To apply, send resume and cover letter to Also Out Youth Search Committee Attn: Susan Peters 3800 S. Tamiami Trail, #203 Sarasota, FL 34239 Available July 21, 2003 [top]

---

Lavender Graduation at the University of Florida By Jeanna Mastrodicasa For the first time at UF, the administration has recognized LGBT students who are graduating in a special recognition ceremony held at the Emerson Alumni Hall. Organized by the Dean of Students Office and co-sponsored by the UF Alumni Association, the Lavender Graduation was a success. Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBT students of all races and ethnicities and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the university as students who survived the college experience. Through such recognition LGBT students may leave the university with a positive last experience of the institution thereby encouraging them to become involved mentors for current students as well as financially contributing alumni. For more information about a Lavender Graduation, you can read more about it at the LGBT Campus Resource Center website at http://www.lgbtcampus.org/faq/lavender_graduation.html. A Lavender Graduation ceremony has a wonderful UF connection -- the Director of UCLA's LGBT Resource Center is a UF alumna, Dr. Ronni Sanlo. Her work in creating and then writing about it in the student affairs professional literature marks a milestone achievement. It is her words that I used as a strong resource in the graduation speech that I was honored to give at the 2003 Lavender Graduation. Lavender Graduation Speech As LGBT students at the University of Florida, you exemplify the vision of equality and justice. You believe in fair play. And you have compassion for others. You''ve accomplished some changes in the policies and practices at UF, and those efforts have definitely made a difference. The leaders of our national LGBT movement in this country have created a strategy of visibility that''s fast moving you from the margins of society to the mainstream of American life. We''re achieving greater victories than could ever have been imagined even ten years ago, when most of you were barely in your teens. With such actions come unprecedented challenges. We''re faced with moving that strategy of visibility forward to one of building organizations, building across differences, to and with those with whom we share the common dream of equality and justice. You are the people upon whom we will now rely to move that strategy forward, to build those organizations, and to verbalize that common dream. I know beyond all doubt that you are the leaders who will make this vision a reality, to make life better not only for those coming up behind you but also for those who''re not here with us today. You have truly changed and healed hearts and minds during your journey through UF. Because you''re out, you took the reality of what it means to be gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender, and you made it public. Your work is truly revolutionary. Your very existence is revolutionary, and I stand in awe of every one of you. As you go now, I leave you with four charges: First, do good work, whether you find yourself in the working world or back in school, do good work. You are the one who must approve of who you are and what you do. Second, be a role model. There's no other way for the world to know who you are, and how terrific you are, if you aren't willing to be visible. More importantly, your own LGBT sisters and brothers still living in isolation and fear, will see by your greatness that the closet is an unnecessary place to be. Third, pass the torch. Find other LGBT students and tell them everything you know about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender at UF. Share with them your survival skills and your leadership skills. Don't make them have to reinvent that tired old wheel. Finally, be a good steward of your community. Support your local, state, and national organizations. And support the UF LGBT organizations including the Rainbow Alliance and its work for alumni programs; student organizations such as the Gator Gay-Straight Alliance and the Pride Student Union; and all of the hard work done by the various committees and departments such as the LGBT Concerns Committee, the Committee on Sexism and Homophobia, the Dean of Students Office, and many more. It's through your membership and future donations that scholarships will continue to be provided to LGBT students, and the Rainbow Alliance is working very hard to establish a fund through the UF Foundation for LGBT programs. Our dream is that UF will have the appropriate level of LGBT resources for the work of future generations of students, that we will be able to recruit – yes, recruit -- and offer full scholarships to LGBT high school students known to be the leaders and best, just like you. [top]

---

UF Gets New Chief of Police Normally, this story might not be of direct interest to readers of this newsletter any more than the appointment of any other official at the University. What makes this one interesting is bothe candidate and her background. Linda J. Stump will be the first female chief of police for the University of Florida campus, and we congratulate her on being selected. Stump's education includes a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Ball State University and a Master's Degree in Education from Purdue University. She graduated from the F.B.I. National Academy in 1995. She comes to UF from Purdue, where she was also chief of police. She had started her career as a trooper with Indiana State Police before joining the police force at Purdue as a patrol officer. Ms. Stump brings a special focus to her new job. According to a UPD press release, in June 2000, she presented a program on "Hate Crimes, Effective Police Response" with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service, at the National Conference On Race And Ethnicity In Higher Education, held at Santa Fe, New Mexico. Read more about Linda Stump: http://www.adpc.purdue.edu/PhysFac/police/pages/about/personnel/ab_chief.htm [top]

---

150 Years of LGBT History at the University of Florida Those of you who were able to attend this event on April 15 know what a special evening it was. The event was planned and mc'd by Jeanna Mastrodicasa at the Student Union. It was one of the Pride Awareness Month activities planned by the Pride Student Union and an official presentation of the University of Florida Sesquicentennial. The evening began with the presentation of the 2003 Rainbow Alliance Awards to Heather Christian and Michael Malecki. Then we viewed the documentary "Behind Closed Doors" by Allyson Beutke. This video traces the history of the Johns committee and its impact on the state's universities, especially UF. The Johns committee was a special committe of the Florida legislature which was active from the late fifties to the mid sixites looking for sources of political subversion. It did not take long for their investigation to focus on gays and lesbians. The tactics of the committee's investigators were unsettling and destructive. Many professors were force to leave their positions and many students were forced to either transfer or leave college. After the video, members of a panel took turns sharing from their personal experience about the development of the LGBT community in Gainesville and on campus. Phyllis Meek spoke about what life was like for the LGBT community at the university during her years of service. Her description of how the Committee on Sexism and Homophobia was established was beautifully told. Her low-key humor gave a positive and triumphal tone to what was basically a struggle in which careers might have been at stake. Joe Antonelli, president of the Gainesville Community Alliance, put it well in saying that "there have always been... places." No matter what the environment in the general society, gay people have always found ways to meet, to congregate, and to express themselves as themselves. The evening of May 15 was just such an occasion. [top]

---

Craig Lowe Wins Gainesville City Commission Seat Sixteen votes made the difference. But that's all it took, and now Craig Lowe is one of Gainesville's newest city commissioners. In fact, Craig is Gainesville's first openly gay commissioner. In a very positive article in the Gainesville Sun, Craig said that he did not want to be known as the "gay commissioner" and certainly Craig's knowledge of local politics nad needs go far beyond one issue or one segment. He will represent a new district created as a result of a recent annexation. The district includes the University of Florida, and several of Gainesville's older neighborhoods - the Duck Pond, Kirkwood, Lake Meta and College Park. Craig takes his seat on the commission on May 22, and he will be in office for about one year. At that time, he will have to stand for election again. Congratulations, Craig! Many years of involvement and dedication have led up to this achievement. Read the full story in the Gainesville Sun. [top]

---

Pride Community Center of North Central Florida Celebrated First Anniversary On Thursday, May 29, at 7:30 pm, the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida will celebrate its first anniversary. The PCC makes a valuable contribution to our community, and fills a number of unique roles. But it's not just the community, the Center serves over a dozen counties in this area: Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Suwannee and Union Counties. The Center takes its missions in eduation, outreach and community involvement seriously. The anniversary is a great opportunity to become a member and support the Center's valuable work. Learn more about the PCC at its We site: <http://www.pridecommunitycenter.org/> [top]

---

"Tour de Friends", or Would You Be Willing to Ride Your Bicycle 300 Miles to Help People with AIDS? Scott Mackoul, UF alum, says yes. For four days in June, Scott will join thousands of riders in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the 330-mile ride to Washington, D.C. The money that each rider gains through sponsorships will support organizations in Raleigh, NC, Richmond, VA, and Washington that in turn provide people living with AIDS with essential support. Scott gives the following "Top Ten" reasons for making this journey: 1. I secretly love protein bars that taste like cardboard and are so tough that you need dental work after eating just one. 2. In the next 60 seconds, 11 people will become infected with HIV. 3. One can never have too much water-down, lemon-lime Gatorade in their diet. 4. While some think AIDS isn't so much of a problem anymore, hundreds of people in our area, in the USA, and around the world are still dying from it. 5. Riding 330 miles on a bike during the hottest time in NC and VA makes me appreciate sitting in my office chair that much more. 6. Because HIV infections are up, support is down and WE can help even the score. 7. Did I mention the Gatorade? 8. Because so many people can live with HIV, it's easy to forget that so many people die from AIDS. 9. Sleeping in a not-so-water-proof tent during a torrential downpour can be FUN! 10. Because 330 miles on a bike is hard, but living with AIDS is a hell of a lot harder. The ride has been named "Tour de Friends" this year because Food & Friends is the main beneficiary. In addition, Food & Friends is running it the event, which maximizes the money going directly to the people they help. Each rider commits to raising at least $2500.00 for the Tour by May 21, 2003. You can learn more about the Tour de Friends at their Web site: <www.tourdefriends.com>. While you are checking it out, why not click on "Sponsor Participant" button and make a contribution to Scott's ride. It's for a good cause. Good luck on a good work, Scott! And we'll look forward to a follow-up in the July newsletter. [top]

---

USF Faculty Rule Changes to Include Sexual Orientation Linda Lamme has kept us up on the developments at USF. Some months ago we reported that the president of USF, Judy Genshaft, had made a very definite public statement about adding 'sexual orientation' to the university's non-discrimination clause. What followed was some confusion regarding USF's Board of Trustees. Since that time, there has been more clarification of the role of the Board of Trustees for the state's universities. A message from USF indicates that as of April 11, 2003, the Permanent Faculty Pesonnel Rules have been revised to read: The University is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination towards applicants, faculty members, and other employees with respect to race, color, religion, age, disability, sex, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, political affiliation, union membership status, and veteran status. The LGBT Concerns Committee (which Linda chairs) has been working for some time to have similar language added to the University of Florida's non-discrimination clause. The preferred language is "sexual orientation and gender identity", which covers "LGB" and "T," respectively. It happened at USF. Will UF be far behind? [top]

---

Over One Third of Gay College Students Tell of Harassment in Past Year 51% of respondents conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity to avoid harassment. 43% call their campus homophobic. 41% state that their college/university does not address sexual orientation/gender identity issues. 61% felt that gay men and lesbians were likely to suffer harassment. 71% felt that transgender people were likely to suffer harassment. 35% experienced harassment in the last year. These are some of the findings of the largest-ever study of the U.S campus climate for LGBT people. The study covered over 1700 students, faculty, and staff in 14 colleges and universities. The study was conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) Policy Institute, and was authored by Dr. Susan Rankin. "It is extremely alarming that, in 2003, people on college campuses continue to experience anti-GLBT harassment," said National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Lorri L. Jean. "Higher learning institutions should be at the forefront of educating people about the damage of homophobic and transphobic acts. Because most of the fourteen universities surveyed provide visible support through pro-GLBT policies and resources, we can only imagine the extent of homophobia on college campuses across the country." "While there have been significant improvements over the past decade, clearly harassment and bias are still major concerns for GLBT students, faculty and staff," said Dr. Sean Cahill, NGLTF Policy Institute Director. "Almost all of the universities that agreed to participate in the survey have sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies and/or GLBT campus centers. However, most of the United States' more than 5,500 colleges and universities don't have such policies or programs in effect." While most universities and colleges publicly commit to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, their actions and policies often do not support these goals. In March 2003, Virginia Tech's governing board voted to eliminate its affirmative action policy and to remove sexual orientation from its nondiscrimination policy. When Virginia Tech students and staff protested, the university reinstated both policies. An April 24, 2003 story in the California "San Diego Union-Tribune" reported that frustrated by a resurgence of racially and sexually motivated incidents, dozens of University of San Diego students and faculty walked out of classes and urged the administration to address anti-gay, racist and anti-Semitic sentiments on campus. Recent incidents cited by the paper included anti-gay graffiti scratched on a student's apartment door. The University of Southern California's Pridefest has been marred by anti-gay vandalism in recent years. And activists at universities across the country complain that signs for GLBT student activities are regularly ripped down and covered with anti-GLBT graffiti. "Many GLBT campus members find that they must hide significant parts of their identity, thereby isolating themselves socially or emotionally," said Dr. Susan R. Rankin, "Campus Climate" author and lead researcher. "Those who do not hide their sexual orientation or gender identity have a range of experiences including discrimination, verbal or physical harassment, and subtle or outright silencing. While higher education provides a variety of opportunities for students and others, these are greatly limited for those who fear for their safety, feel they must censor themselves, or are denied opportunities because of their sexual orientation or gender identity," said Rankin, a Senior Diversity Planning Analyst at the Pennsylvania State University. "We hope this report will assist educators, activists, student leaders and elected officials in making universities safer and more accepting of GLBT people." "Campus Climate" makes policy recommendations to universities and colleges that are seeking to create a truly inclusive environment that supports and values all, including: - Extending employee spousal benefits to domestic partners; - Including sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in the institution's nondiscrimination clause; - Integrating GLBT concerns into university documents/publications; - Providing a clear, safe, visible means of reporting acts of intolerance and responding expeditiously to such acts; and, - Including sexual orientation and gender identity issues in orientation programs and employee trainings. The "Campus Climate Assessment Survey," which serves as the basis for this report, was a collaborative project involving NGLTF, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education. "Campus Climate for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: A National Perspective" is available as a PDF download at the NGLTF Publications Library <http:www.ngltf.org/library>. (This story taken from an NGLTF press release.) [top]

---

Louisiana Says "No Go" to Gay Rights License Plate May 12, 2003 The Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. Members of a House committee said Louisiana already has too many specialty automobile license plates as they voted down a bill to provide a plate commemorating a support group for homosexuals - Parents, Familes and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The bill by Rep. Melinda Schwegmann, D-New Orleans, would have assessed a special $25 annual fee on top of the normal vehicle registration fee. The proceeds from the added fee would have gone for scholarships, educational programs and advocacy. Rep. Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, was among the opponents. Tucker said the ever-growing number of specialty plates can cause headaches for law enforcement. Problems are cropping up with repetition of numbers on various plates he said. "I think we need to go back and look at some of the ones we have already approved," said Tucker. The Rev. Grant Storms, a minister and spokesman for Christians Concerned for Reform, asked the panel to reject the bill as being part of the "homosexual agenda." The vote against the bill was 11-2. [top]

---

Departments

May 2003 Update on Rainbow Alliance Plans for 2003 If you haven't had a chance to attend a dinner, it might be difficult to keep up with the progress of 2003 projects. We'll try to keep you current with a monthly update. 1) Creation of the Rainbow Alliance Fund. Application for establishment of the Rainbow Alliance Fund was signed on May 8 by Angel Kwolek-Folland, director of the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research, and Neil Sullivan, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The application and the initial contributions were delivered to the Foundation on May 12. It will be several days before processing at the Foundation is complete. As always, details about contributing to the Rainbow Alliance Fund can be found at the end of the newsletter. 2) The Rainbow Alliance LGBT Service/Research Award process for 2003 is complete. Many thanks go to the LGBT Concerns Committee for selecting two outstanding individuals, Heather Christian and Michael Malecki. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Frank Monzon. 3) The Rainbow Alliance Web site will be created. Coming soon! 4) LGBT Colloquium -- Still planning. Look for this event in Fall 2003, possibly in conjunction with a Pride Student Union event. The idea behind this is to bring together all the faculty that are working on LGBT issues to provide a showcase for the full range of LGBT studies at the University of Florida. 5) Work will continue to identify LGBTA alumni. Still in the planning stages, though we have collected a few names for the newsletter list. The Web site will be the focus of this effort, and we're looking into advertising in the national gay press. 6) Of course, we'll continue our monthly dinners. We hope to see you there! 7) Rainbow Alliance depends on the efforts of dedicated volunteers. A little of your time could go a long way. Get involved. Make a difference. [top]