Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association

Reaching Out

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

Go Hoosiers!March, 2014
In This Issue
1. GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign
2. Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival
3. MBLGTACC Conference
4. Member Notes
5. Facebook
6. Mark Your Calendar
7. Academic Scholarship Recipient
8. GLBTAA Scholarships
9. Membership
Connect with us!

   

 

 

 

   

   

Spring is coming!
             

 

 

 

 

We launched a membership drive, effective July 1, 2011, when we had 1,085 members.  As of February 3, 2014, we had 1,644 members for an increase of 559 members, or a 51% increase in approximately two and a half years. We originally set a goal of 2,000. We remain hopeful that our goal can be reached in the near future. You're a member if you are receiving this Newsletter, but please encourage those who are not members to sign up. There are no membership dues. You do not need to be a member of the IU Alumni Association or an IU degree-holder. Students are welcome! Our membership roster is confidential, and we're the only IUAA Affiliate that has a monthly e-Newsletter.  What a great way to stay abreast of the news and activities of the IU LGBT community.  Anyone can join by going to 

https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1377/event.aspx?sid=1377&gid=2&pgid=324&cid=926 , or contacting me directly.

 

 

 

Mike Shumate, GLBTAA President

[email protected]   

 

 1. GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign

 

 

 

Please continue to "spread the word" about our ground-breaking Campaign, which will help to endow our GLBTAA Scholarship Program. Since 2005, we have granted 39 scholarships (28 academic scholarships and 11 emergency scholarships) to IU students. Because of your generous support, we will be able to continue providing scholarships well into the future. 

 

Zach Bailey

 

Zachary D. Bailey, one of our academic scholarship recipients, has commented: "I am profoundly proud to be awarded a GLBTAA scholarship and I am humbled by their belief in my potential. I am committed to helping those who follow and to supporting the GLBTAA after graduation." Zach received his BA in Political Science at IUB in 2011 and is now working toward his MPA at SPEA in Bloomington.

 

 

Contributions can be made online at:

http://alumni.indiana.edu/affiliates/glbt/supporting-community/index.html

If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Mike Shumate at [email protected]  or 858-922-6105; or IUAA Alumni Relations Officer Jennifer Gentry at 800-824-3044. Again, heartfelt gratitude to everyone for supporting our Campaign.

 

THANK YOU, IU alumni, faculty, staff, students, allies and our many friends!

 

 

 

 2. Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival 
Abby Henkel (left) and Sarah Perfetti

 

Abby Henkel and Sarah Perfetti, graduates of IUB's School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) and GLBTAA members, are partners at the helm of the fast-growing Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival. The Festival celebrates "the queer arts" and includes social events, awards, and, of course, movies. Their first Festival just concluded on January 25 and was a huge success.  Abby and Sarah reflect on the following questions in an article, which was first published on SPEA's website on January 21, 2014. With permission by Jim Hanchett, Director of SPEA's Office of Marketing and Communications, the article is republished below.

What about the festival makes you most proud?

(Abby) "We have an unbelievably committed group of volunteers. Everyone has dedicated so much time and expertise to PRIDE simply because we all believe in it. I've never worked with so many talented, generous people. I feel very lucky."

(Sarah) "What makes me the most proud about the festival is seeing so many queer and allied people together in one space, even if it's only for three days. In a city the size of Bloomington in the state of Indiana where being queer isn't very easy, bringing together so many unique people to celebrate themselves makes me so proud. I enjoy knowing that we can create a fabulous event that excites so many different people."

What in your years as a student at IU and at SPEA prepared you for this position?

(Abby) "SPEA prepared me in so many ways! From the busy schedule that made me forget what boredom is, to the rigorous classes that constantly challenged the way I think about how nonprofits fit into societies, I couldn't have done this without my classes and projects at SPEA. Every day I use the facts and tools I learned in classes to make decisions on everything from donor relations to communications to volunteer management. In particular, the hands-on experiences with my internship (for the Department of Economic and Sustainable Development at the City of Bloomington), graduate assistantship (Buskirk-Chumley Theater), and practicums (my first one was with PRIDE!) taught me how to balance a million different concerns at once."

(Sarah) "Without SPEA, I would not have had the courage to take on co-directing Bloomington PRIDE. My education at SPEA, particularly fund development with
Dr. Gr�nbjerg, nonprofit management with Dr. Gazley and social entrepreneurship with Dr. Lenkowsky provided me with the essential tools necessary for leading an organization. Abby and I have gone back to our text books and class materials many times to help build our board, write our mission, and develop fundraising goals such as gift range charts and sponsor benefits. I focus more on PRIDE's resource development and Abby concentrates on marketing and communications."

What should LGBT people know about Bloomington that perhaps they don't know?

(Abby) "Tolerance and equality might not be the first words that come to mind when outsiders think of Indiana, but those are two of Bloomington's greatest strengths. I have never felt marginalized or discriminated against in this town, and the overwhelming support we've received for PRIDE is a great example of how LGBT folks are embraced here. These positive traits are spreading throughout Indiana, but Bloomington is definitely an epicenter of LGBT inclusiveness."

(Sarah) "In 2010, Bloomington was named the 4th gayest city in America by The Advocate but if you've ever visited Bloomington, it won't take you long to figure out that it's a progressive small city filled with LGBTQA people. Our city is home to the world renowned Kinsey Institute, and IU has a GLBT Alumni Association that administers a LGBT scholarship fund. There's also a GLBT Student Support Services building located on campus. Additionally, there are many small queer-owned businesses...and one of our local public radio stations broadcasts a queer radio show called, bloomingOUT. Both Visit Bloomington and the City of Bloomington support LGBTQ people. Last year and again this year, Mayor Mark Kruzan and several Bloomington City Council members will participate in our Celebration of Love wedding ceremony. Bloomington is the queer capital of Indiana."

What's your all-time favorite movie scene and why?

(Abby) "I know I should pick something a little less corny, but I am always so moved by the scene at the end of the new Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy find each other in the field in the early morning. I can't help it. I'm such a romantic."

(Sarah) "It's tough for me to select only one movie scene and even though Labyrinth isn't my favorite movie, since childhood I've always loved the ominous scene where a few goblins are waiting for Sarah to say "the words" and call David Bowie's character, Jareth the Goblin King, to come take her baby brother away. As a kid, I watched that movie nearly every day throughout elementary school and even though I knew Sarah would eventually call the Goblin King, I sat there holding my breath anticipating the moment where a creepy man in extremely tight pants would later enter the baby's bedroom juggling a crystal ball to strike a deal with Sarah to get her baby brother back. Aside from the campy acting, it's such an adventurous magical tale of a frustrated older sister trying to mend a problem that she created. My name is Sarah and in my elementary mind I thought that because I have the same name as the actor and we both have brown hair and share a love for adventure, I would probably grow up to be her. I am also an older sister who started a lot of fights and had to figure out ways to solve them. I really thought that I would grow up and look like Jennifer Connelly's character. Growing up I didn't really like to watch cartoons like most of my peers but preferred to watch shows like Murder, She Wrote and Columbo and films like It, The Stand, and The Last Unicorn."

 

 

 

 3. MBLGTACC Conference 
Our 2013 IU delgation
 
   
 

Once again, students from IUB and IUPUI traveled to the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference during the weekend of February 7-9, in Kansas City organized by a group of students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Our 38 IU students joined over 2,000 other students from around the nation, making this year's MBLGTACC the largest one yet. While there, students had the opportunity to attend workshops regarding topics within the LGBT community (including body image, activism, identity, homelessness, leadership, HIV/AIDS, language, etc.) and be immersed - some for the first time - in a group of peers. The GLBTAA is proud to have financially co-sponsored the IU delegation. Our IU students have expressed great appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about their community, as well as themselves, and how they fit in. One IU student commented this year, "There are so many things to take away. This conference changed my life. Being able to see different perspectives and opinions and being able to see people respect everyone was perfection." Welcome back, Hoosiers! It's gratifying to know you had a fantastic experience.  For more information about the MBLGTACC, please see:  http://mblgtacc2014.org/ 

 

4. Member Notes

 

 

Justin R. Garcia

Justin R. Garcia, PhD, an evolutionary biologist at IU's Department of Gender Studies and The Kinsey Institute, was recently quoted in the New York Times Sunday Magazine regarding gender roles and sexual behavior in couples. He noted that gender role dynamics affect sexuality in romantic relationships, and that same-sex couples also face challenges in this regard.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/magazine/does-a-more-equal-marriage-mean-less-sex.html?_r=0

 

In addition to his important responsibilities at IU, Dr. Garcia also serves as the scientific advisor to Match.com and one of the lead investigators in its recent "Singles in America" survey (SIA). The 2013 SIA is based on the attitudes and behaviors taken from a representative sample of 5,329 U.S. singles between the ages of 18 to 70+, and remains the most comprehensive annual survey of single Americans.  Dr. Garcia was recently interviewed about SIA by the The Wall Street Journal in this video: http://on.wsj.com/1dklgsc For more information about SIA, please visit www.SinglesinAmerica.com 

 

Most recently, Dr. Garcia was quoted by The Wall Street Journal regarding dating in large cities. "More choice isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to relationships," Dr. Garcia observes. "Sometimes when you're in a big city and there are thousands and thousands of people you might find attractive, it becomes so overwhelming that you don't engage in the darting culture at all."

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303704304579378902170592732

 

________  

 

Several GLBTAA members in the Bloomington area discuss what it's like to be gay in Bloomington in the current issue of Bloom Magazine.

http://www.magbloom.com/2014/02/gay-bloomington-then-now/

 

________

 

 

King (left), Briles, Patton and Showalter

 

IU's Maurer School of Law and the Maurer LGBT Alumni Advisory Board co-sponsored two Maurer teams recently to participate in the Williams Institute Moot Court Competition at UCLA, the premier national moot court competition on sexual orientation and gender identity. The competition provides an opportunity for law students to write an appellate brief on a current legal topic and to argue the case before a panel of judges.  The competition is designed to promote and recognize the finest oral and written advocacy on a significant problem in sexual orientation and gender identity law. GLBTAA members, Steve Briles, Brandon King, Miranda Patton and Matt Showalter participated in the competition. You represented IU well, Steve, Brandon, Miranda and Matt, and we're very proud!

 

 

Relaxing on the Santa Monica Beach following competition

 

5. 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

 6. Mark Your Calendar 
 

   

 

The Circle City IN Pride Parade will be held on Saturday, June 14, starting at 10:00 a.m. The GLBTAA once again will have a booth to welcome all who wish to share in the celebration of this spectacular parade and related activities. We will also be spreading the word about IU's "five stars" as one of the top LGBT-friendly universities and colleges in the nation. Hope to see you downtown Indy on June 14! The entire preceding week is full of fun LGBT-related events.  For more information, please see:  http://www.circlecityinpride.org/

 

 

 

Dr. David Satcher

The IU Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on the evening of April 17 at the Tudor Room in the Indiana University Memorial Union featuring an address by U.S. Surgeon General, David Satcher, MD, PhD and a complimentary dinner. "Dr. Satcher is a highly praised Surgeon General who released the acclaimed report, "The Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior," said Dr. William L. Yarber, senior director of RCAP.  Dr. Satcher will also receive the Ryan White Distinguished Leadership Award, which will be presented by Jeanne White Ginder, Ryan's mother.  Reservations are required for the April 17 celebration event and dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m.  Please contact Bill Yarber at [email protected]

to receive a reservation form.  

 

  

 

 

 
7. Academic Scholarship Recipient
 

  

Congratulations are extended to G. David Caudill, one of our 2014 Spring Academic Scholarship recipients! David is working toward his MPA in Nonprofit Management from the School of Public & Environmental Affairs at IUPUI, which is a continuation of his graduate work. In 2011, David completed his Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management with a focus on Fund Development. In 1996, David earned his BA in Political Science at IU Bloomington. With his political science degree, David went to work as a public servant, first with the State of Indiana, then the City of Indianapolis, but then wanted to explore the world of professional politics. After years of volunteering for candidates in Indianapolis, he was hired by a political data firm in Washington, D.C. where he also became involved with the DC Chapter of the IU Alumni Association. The DC opportunity transitioned into different political fundraising work with a variety of campaigns in locations, including Nevada, Pennsylvania and Missouri. After helping to raise money for political figures around the country, David wanted to transfer the skills he learned from political fundraising to helping nonprofit causes. He enrolled at IUPUI to commence his graduate work and began volunteering with nonprofits like Footlite Musicals, Indiana Equality, Indy Pride, the Indiana Youth Group and the Indianapolis LGBT Film Fest. In late 2013, David was promoted to a full-time managerial position in the development department at WFYI, the nonprofit public TV and radio station in Indianapolis. He aspires someday to lead a nonprofit LGBT organization in the Indianapolis area with the goal "of advancing the political leverage of the GLBT community." His involvement in LGBT activities is driven, in part, by his belief that LGBT equality can best be accomplished "through increased participation in political activities, specifically by volunteering or working for political campaigns, or running for office, as well as participating in other political activities where the interests of the GLBT community are currently underserved."   We're proud of you, David!

 

 

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 Fall 2014 semester is April 15, 2014.

  

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 Scholarship Program 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, or an IU degree-holder. We are approaching 1,600 members nation-wide, 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 e-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 Jennifer Gentry, Alumni Relations Officer, at: [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].