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| | Crossroads at IU South Bend |
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We look forward to the new school year and continuing to work together to fulfill our important mission "to improve the quality of life for GLBT students, faculty, staff and alumni of Indiana University on all eight campuses." Heartfelt thanks to all of you for your tireless support and commitment.
Mike Shumate, Past President
[email protected]
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1. Member Profile
I am one of the unlucky ones.
I arrived at IU for grad school and realized that I didn't just feel different, I was different. It was a thrilling and overwhelming period of my life. My orientation defied my religion, my family and my future.
When my father discovered I was gay, he gave me an ultimatum. Come home immediately or he would contact Indiana University and have me kicked out of graduate school. I kid you not.
I chose to not go home. My father chose to have no contact with me from that day forward. He also chose to default on my college loans without telling me. At the time, those events were catastrophic. And life changing. I know today that the life I have in Bloomington would have not been possible without the crucible of that experience.
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| | Sue with daughter Willa and wife Katie |
What my family didn't know is that Indiana University and Bloomington, Indiana are an oases in the midwest. I found here a university and a community of open minds and warm hearts.
I have seen students stand up to hate when certain people picketed the Bloomington Bagel Co., because I was gay. I have seen our staff ask to display the rainbow flag. I have seen my daughter with multiple moms loved without fear of mistreatment.
This year has been an interesting one in Indiana. After the RFRA debacle, Indiana is now Pence's State of Denial. I am thankful for everyone who supported us during this challenging time.
But, I would like to remind everyone that Indiana is more than one bill. It is in Indiana that I was able to adopt my daughter as an openly gay woman; marry my wife in the Monroe County Courthouse as an openly gay woman; and start and own a business that is an institution as an openly gay woman.
I know in my heart that none of this would have been possible without Indiana University, GLBTAA and the GLBT Student Support Services Office. They continue to have my love and support.
I thought I was one of the unlucky ones. I wasn't. I have been lucky beyond belief!
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2. New GLBTAA Director
We are very pleased to announce the recent election of Kimberly J. Davis to the GLBTAA Board of Directors for a three-year term. She has "rejoined" the Board, effective July, 1, 2015. Kim has served IU and our LGBTQ community tirelessly for years, and we're thrilled to have her back formally on the Board.
Briefly, Kim received her BS from MacMurray College in 1972 and her Masters in Physical Education from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1978. She is retired as a research associate and educational consultant from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community located on the Bloomington campus. Kim has authored many publications and continues to be a sought-after speaker nationally on topics, including autism, movement difference, person-centered planning, positive behavior support, and recreation.
Her professional achievements are just part of her distinguished record. She has made significant contributions to public and related service in a number of areas, including IU, the LGBTQ community and her community at large. She served on our Board for seven years, including four as President, during a critically-important time in our history. She also has served on the GLBT Student Support Services Office Advisory Board since on or about 2000, where she has mentored and supported countless of our youth, as they face the daily challenges of coming out and accepting their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a member of the GLBT Speakers' Bureau, she has participated on numerous panels regarding a wide range of LGBTQ topics. This past June, she was awarded the IU Alumni Association President's Award, which recognizes outstanding volunteerism and is the highest award the IUAA bestows on its alumni leaders. Kim and her life partner Nancy Kalina were married last June and have been an integral part of our LGBT community. Their strength and vision have added significantly, and continue to add, to our proud legacy at IU and beyond.
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3. GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign
Please continue to "spread the word" about our ground-breaking Campaign, which will help to endow our GLBTAA Scholarship Program. We are in the process of selecting our academic scholarship recipients for the 2015 fall semester. Recipients will be featured in one of our Newsletters. One is covered in paragraph # 7 below. After reviewing another heart-breaking story, we recently also awarded emergency funds to an IUB student. Since 2005, we now have granted 59 scholarships (45 academic scholarships and 14 emergency scholarships) to IU students.
We were recently notified that the Samerian Foundation has approved a $100,000 grant to our Campaign. Because of the generosity of the Samerian Foundation and others, we will be able to continue providing scholarships well into the future. We are profoundly grateful.
Contributions can be made online at Campaign Contributions 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 Clarence Boone 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!
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4. Student Member Note
Congratulations are extended to Anthony A. Smith for his recent selection as 2014-2015 "Educator of the Year" by Indiana University South Bend's Office of Student Life, a campus-level teaching award, based largely on nominations of students, faculty, and staff. The Award is presented to the faculty member who has made exceptional contributions to the learning environment on campus during the 2014-2015 academic year. This honor was bestowed, in part, for Anthony's involvement and commitment to student advocacy, excellence in teaching, and service to the IUSB campus and South Bend communities.
Anthony earned his BS in Education from IU Bloomington in May 2009, and a JD from the Maurer School of Law in May 2012. He completed a fundraising/development graduate degree from the University of Denver earlier this year. As an undergraduate, among other things, Anthony was president of the Dean's Student Advisory Council of the School of Education. The IU Student Foundation named him one of IU Bloomington's Top 10 Student Leaders as a sophomore. In law school, Anthony was a co-founder and served on the editorial board of the Indiana Journal of Law & Social Equality. Post-education, Anthony served on the campaign staff to Senator Donnelly's successful election in 2012 and later was a member of the legal transition team for Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Glenda Ritz. Anthony began a private practice, Smith Legal Services, and represents both civil and criminal clients. Currently, Anthony is a Lecturer in Criminal Justice at IU South Bend.
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5. GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award
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| | Steve Sanders (l) with Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis and Provost Lauren Robel at '15 Neal-Marshall Reception |
We are seeking nominations for the 2016 GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award. The Award is available to members of the LGBT community and individual allies or supporters of the LGBT community, regardless of sexual orientation. Only living alumni of Indiana University are eligible. Nominees shall have made significant contributions benefiting Indiana University or his or her community, state or nation. Nominations must be submitted by September 30. For more information, please contact Clarence Boone at [email protected] or 812-856-1050.
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6. 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 follow our Facebook posts regarding news, updates and information about our events.
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7. Academic Scholarship Recipient
CONGRATULATIONS are extended to Adam J. Kiefer, one of our 2015 Fall Academic Scholarship recipients! Adam has completed his sophomore year pursuing a degree in Journalism, with a minor in French, in Bloomington. His passion is photojournalism, and he aspires someday to work for a major publication, where he can measure the impact he can make and the change he can create in the world by his profession. During all four semesters at IU, he first worked as a staff photographer, then as photo editor, of the Indiana Daily Student. As such, his personal goal was "to make sure LGBT stories are accurately reported in the IDS so that they not only educate readers, but also truthfully reflect the LGBT community." He also has worked as a student manager of the IU Auditorium. We're proud of you, Adam!
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8. Did You Know?
Several people at IU's School of Public Health - Bloomington have created a video, "The Waiting Room: Transgender People and Health Care", to improve the health care experience for people who are transgender. The video debuted in June on WTIU and has been selected as a poster presentation for the national meeting of the American Health Association this fall. The video is not available online, but here is a trailer, along with additional information: http://viewpoints.iu.edu/health-and-vitality/2015/06/09/video-highlights-issues-in-accessing-health-care-for-transgender-people/
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Austin, Indiana, a small community with approximately 4,200 people, continues to receive national attention for a HIV outbreak. The number of people testing positive has now exceeded 150. A needle exchange program was approved and extended in Scott County under which more than 10,000 needles have been distributed. A similar program is now available to other Indiana counties under a state framework.
Dr. Beth Meyerson, Assistant Professor at IU's School of Public Health - Bloomington and Co-director of IU's Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention (RCAP), has been quoted often in the coverage. Established in 1994, RCAP is located in the Department of Applied Health Science of the School of Public Health - Bloomington and is the only center in the nation that solely focuses on AIDS/STD prevention in rural communities. Here is an On Point panel discussion aired by Boston's NPR radio station, where Dr. Meyerson was a panelist: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/05/07/aids-hiv-outbreak-indiana Positive Link, a program of IU Health Bloomington Hospital Community Health, posts current articles on its Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/PositiveLink?fref=ts
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9. Mark Your Calendars
 Quarryland Men's Chorus is set to kick off their 14th season, Sing Out!. If you're in the Bloomington area, please join us for an open house on August 24th. The evening will include a special sneak peek at the upcoming season, some social time, and some singing - everyone is welcome to sing along or just sit back and enjoy. Those interesting in singing, being an off-stage member, a volunteer, or a fan are all welcome. The open house will be at First United Church located at 2420 East 3rd Street. If you can't be with us, please visit the webpage http://quarryland.org/ and/or "Like" the Quarryland Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Quarryland , so that you can get updates about the Chorus.
Bloomington's second annual PRIDE Summerfest will be held August 29 on Fourth St. at College Ave. and once again is being planned to create an inclusive space where all people can celebrate and participate in LGBTQ culture. It all begins with a parade on the B-Line from noon - 2:00 p.m., and the festival will follow from 2:00 - 11:00 p.m.
IUPUI's sixth annual Harvey Milk Dinner will take place on Saturday, October 24 at the Downtown Marriott in Indianapolis. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a cash bar followed by dinner. The keynote address for this year's event will be J. Mase III. Mase is a Black/Trans/Queer/Rowdy-as-Hell Poet, currently based in Brooklyn. As a performer and teaching poet, Mase has rocked venues all across the US to the UK, from colleges and radio stations, to group homes and youth centers. An organ donor, Mase is the author of If I Should Die Under the Knife, Tell My Kidney I Was the Fiercest Poet Around and creator of the annual performance event Cupid Ain't @#$%!: An Anti-Valentine's Day Poetry Movement. Mase also contributes to publications, such as the Huffington Post, as a repeat blogger; the Vanderbilt African American Lectionary Online to discuss issues regarding LGBTQ teens in the church; and the anthology Nina Arsenault: An Unreasonable Body of Work, to share insight about gender and genitalia. Registration will be available shortly online. Alumni, faculty/staff and community tickets are $55 each. Student tickets are available at $25 each. Table and corporate sponsorships are available for campus and community groups. Please contact Gary Brackett at [email protected] for additional information.
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10. 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 2016 semester is November 15, 2015.
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.
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11. 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 Clarence Boone, 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].
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