Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association 

Reaching Out

An e-Newsletter by the IU Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association

Enjoy the Holiday Season!December, 2012
In This Issue
1. Fifth Celebration Weekend
2. Member/Ally Notes
3. Out At Kelley
4. Facebook
5. Chick-fil-A
6. Member Profile
7. Emergency Scholarship Awards
8. GLBTAA Scholarships
9. Membership
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IUB's Sample Gates

Your Board is very grateful for your support to the IU GLBTAA and our important mission on all of IU's eight campuses.  We extend warmest greetings of the season to your family and you and every good wish for the New Year.  We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible during our approaching Fifth Celebration Weekend.

 

Mike Shumate, GLBTAA President

[email protected]  

 

 

 

1. Fifth Celebration Weekend
     

                                                  

 

The GLBTAA is proud to host the fifth annual Celebration Weekend February 1-3! Coinciding with the Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival, our Celebration Weekend offers faculty, staff, alumni, students and friends a wonderful schedule of diverse and fun-filled events throughout the first weekend in February. The main events are:

 

Reception at the Lilly Library

~ Friday, February 1, 2013, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

~ For parking information and directions to the Library, please visit click here

The Lilly Library is one of the largest rare book and manuscript libraries in the nation, home to such rare items as a Gutenberg Bible and a copy of the Declaration of Independence. What a fabulous way to to start the evening of films at the PRIDE Film Festival! Admission is free with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. We will be bestowing the GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award at this event. The GLBT Student Support Services office will also be presenting its annual Spirit Awards.

 

GLBTAA Annual Board Meeting

~ Saturday, February 2, 2013, 10:00 a.m. - noon

~ DeVault Alumni Center,1000 E. 17th St. (parking available in lot west of building)

 

Grazie! Reception and Silent Auction                     

~ Saturday, February, 2, 2013, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

~ Grazie! Italian Eatery, 106 W. Sixth St.

~ Cost is $20 per person, which includes a glass of wine

Please join us for an early evening of hors d'oeuvres, rainbow martinis, jazz piano, a silent auction and much, much more! What a great way to see old friends and make new ones before attending one of the films, or any of the other events, during this special Saturday evening. All net proceeds benefit our various GLBTAA scholarships, mini-grants and other programs. If you wish, you can also contribute to pay for one or more Grazie tickets for IU students. The GLBTAA Board will administer the distribution of all such donated tickets to students. Thank you in advance for any student ticket donations you may elect to make. Reservations may now be made at:   http://iuaa.imodules.com/s/1377/event.aspx?sid=1377&gid=2&pgid=1571&content_id=2140 

 

Bagels and Coffee at the GLBTSSS Office

~ Sunday, February 3, 2013, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

~ GLBT Student Support Services Office, 705 E. Seventh St. (across from the IMU)

Wrap up the weekend with coffee and bagels at the GLBTSSS Office, a "home away from home" for countless of our IUB students for over 17 years. If you haven't already done so, come by and take a tour of the fairly recent renovations to the office - a perfect way to complete the weekend's festivities.  

  

                       

Grazie '12

                                            

 

 2. Member/Ally Notes  

 

In a recently-published article, IU Maurer Associate Professor Deborah Widiss brings together legal, historical and social science research to analyze how couples allocate income-producing and domestic responsibilities. While the vast majority of different-sex couples still follow traditional gender roles to some extent, a body of emerging social science research suggests that same-sex couples typically allocate these responsibilities more equally. Any suggestion, however, that same-sex couples may therefore serve as a model for all couples overlooks a key fact: The existing data on same-sex couples predate same-sex marriage.  Marriage and related benefits laws include numerous provisions that encourage spouses to specialize into separate breadwinning and caregiving roles.  Professor Widiss contends that the emerging reality of same-sex marriage can thus serve as a natural experiment  to gauge more accurately the relative significance of sex-based classifications, gender norms and substantive marriage law and offer a fresh perspective on how best to achieve equality within marriage for different and same-sex couples.  Professor Widiss's article, Changing the Marriage Equation, is available on the Washington University Law Review website at Washlawrev 

It can also be accessed at Maurer's site at:  http://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facpub/501/  

 

 

3. Out At Kelley 
                                       

The first and only undergraduate LGBT organization at the Kelley School of Business is going through a reorganization process. Out At Kelley (OAK) was formed in 2008 to serve LGBT students, faculty, staff, and their allies who have an interest in business. Over the past four years, OAK has engaged in a range of recruiting, networking, professional development, community service, and social activities. Information about OAK is available on IU's website (http://www.indiana.edu/~oak) and on the group's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/groups/46101932339). OAK also led to the creation of Out At Kelley MBA (http://kelley.iu.edu/OutAtKelley), an affiliated organization for LGBT students and their allies in the Kelley MBA program.

 

This year, as a project for Kelley's undergraduate consulting workshop, IUSA President and OAK member Kyle Straub prepared a report and recommendations for revitalizing OAK's mission, leadership, and membership. Staff advisor Jim Johnson, faculty advisor and GLBTAA director Tim Lemper, and several interested students have formed a working group to discuss how to reorganize and rebuild OAK "from the ground up," including the organization's name, mission, organizational structure, core functions, and funding. The tentative plan is to re-launch the organization in the 2013-2014 academic year. GLBTAA director Deanna Lahre also serves as an OAK faculty advisor.

 

The working group is currently looking for people who are interested in being a part of this rebuilding process, particularly alumni who are interested in serving as advisors and mentors for the organization's members or who wish to be included in OAK's alumni network. Interested persons should contact the working group by email at [email protected].         

 

4. Facebook

 

The GLBTAA has had a Facebook page for some time now, but some of you may not be aware of it.  If you haven't already done so, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/iuglbtaa.  "Like" our page and then you will automatically get our Facebook posts regarding news, updates and information of our events.

 

Like us on Facebook 

 

 5. Chick-fil-A

 

 

While the controversy has receded in the news media, the GLBTAA continues to monitor developments concerning Chick-fil-A ("CFA"). CFA became a source of controversy on many college campuses, in part, because of reports of contributions by CFA, and certain foundations associated with CFA, to right-wing, anti-gay organizations, such as the Family Research Council. IU has two indirect contractual arrangements with CFA through its primary food service providers: Sodexo at IUB in the Wells Library Cyber Caf�, and Chartwells at IUPUI in the Campus Center food court.  

 

The GLBTAA Advocacy Committee reviewed the matter in August. Its original thinking was that CFA's corporate donations to anti-gay groups - at least one of which has been designated a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center - made it an undesirable business partner for IU. Thus, we felt, IU should take seriously the concerns expressed by students and others, and it should explore ways possibly to remove CFA as a vendor as soon as it was practical to do so, consistent with existing contractual and related legal obligations. 

 

Then in September, reports surfaced that, as part of the negotiations to open a location in Chicago, CFA had agreed, among other things, to end its donations to anti-gay groups.  A, few days later, however, CFA itself sent conflicting signals. Its president maintained that CFA had not changed "who we are," but the company also said the intent of its charitable giving was "not to support political or social agendas." Meanwhile, Campus Pride, the leading national voice on this issue, suspended, at least temporarily, its "Five Simple Facts" campaign against CFA, while CFA and the LGBT community looked for common ground resolving the controversy.  See:   http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/27/3559132/charlotte-gay-rights-group-playing.html  For a CNN interview of Shane Windmeyer, President and founder of Campus Pride, please also see: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2uqmKUMj9k&feature=share.

 

In light of this fluid state of affairs, the GLBTAA has decided not to take any specific action at this time, but will continue to monitor carefully all related developments.

6. Member Profile 

                            

 

Kyle Straub is the Student Body President of IUSA, leading the undergraduate student body government and working closely with the Provost, Dean of Students, IUB Faculty Council and Board of Trustees to highlight and to help solve University-wide problems. Kyle's good deeds, as IUSA President, were recently featured in the November issue of O Magazine.  Please see: http://www.oprah.com/world/Politicians-and-Elected-Officials-Who-Get-Things-Done/7

 

From Carmel, Indiana, Kyle is a Business Honors Program senior majoring in Finance at the Kelley School of Business, with a minor in Spanish.  He previously served as Student Body Treasurer.  Outside of IUSA, Kyle is the Campus Ambassador for the Out for Undergraduate Business Conference and a member of the Kelley Undergraduate Consulting Workshop. 

 

After graduation, Kyle will be joining PwC (formerly PriceWaterhouseCoopers) as a management consultant in New York City.  Congratulations, Kyle, and warmest wishes for your continued success!                       

7. Emergency Scholarship Awards 
 
Since July, 2012, we have awarded two Emergency Scholarships to two IU students, both of whom elected to have their applications remain anonymous.  Our Emergency Scholarships are awarded to students "who face the loss of financial support when they make the courageous decision to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to their families."  These scholarships "help to ensure that [our] students need not choose between their education at IU and living life openly and honestly."
8. GLBTAA Scholarships

 

GLBTAA Academic Scholarships  Academic Scholarships are awarded to IU students enrolled at any IU campus, who are academically strong, as well as active in promoting diversity, tolerance and social justice. Scholarships are awarded to students based upon academic achievement, career goals, financial need, leadership experience, community service and extracurricular activities. Involvement in activities promoting diversity and raising awareness of GLBT and related issues on the student's campus or in his or her community is carefully reviewed by the Board. The maximum award for an Academic Scholarship is $1,000 per semester. An individual student may not receive more than $2,000. The deadline for the Spring 2013 semester is November 15, 2012.

  

IU GLBTAA Emergency Scholarships
Emergency Scholarships are awarded to those students who experience the loss of financial support when they make the courageous decision to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to their families. Emergency Scholarships help to ensure that students need not choose between their education at IU and living life openly and honestly. Emergency Scholarships are awarded to students attending any IU campus. The maximum award for an Emergency Scholarship is $1,500 per semester, and a student may not receive more than $3,000.
 
You can learn more about the GLBTAA Scholarships and apply online at: http://alumni.indiana.edu/affiliates/glbt/supporting-community/scholarships.html

 

9. Membership

 

Encourage your friends to join the GLBTAA. They can visit our website here  and join.  There are no membership dues, and you do not have to be a member of the IUAA. We are approaching 1,400 members, and we're growing! We appreciate your continued commitment! It is because of you that the GLBTAA is in existence, continues to grow and continues to serve our important mission on all eight of IU's campuses. If you are a member and wish to continue receiving our newsletters, please make sure we have a current e-mail address for you.   You can visit https://alumni.indiana.edu/my-iu/index.html to see if your official record, including your e-mail address, is current.  Thank you for your support through your membership. We look forward to serving you now and in the years to come. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Rachael McAfee [email protected]  or Mike Shumate at [email protected] .

 

If not already a member, please consider joining the IUAA by visiting https://alumni.indiana.edu/membership/index.html, by [email protected]  or calling (800) 824-3044. By joining the IUAA, among many other things, you help fund the various GLBTAA programs, along with gaining access to IUAA member-only events.

 

If you would like to unsubscribe and terminate future communications from the GLBTAA, please respond to:  [email protected].



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