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IU remains a leader among American colleges and universities for its policies, programs and practices for LGBTQ students, faculty, staff and alumni. Recently, in recognition of our leadership, IU Bloomington was named to Campus Pride's 2015 "Top 25 LGBTQ-friendly Colleges and Universities" in the nation. For more information, please see paragraph #1 below. All of you, along with many others, have helped to create a campus where all our students can strive for their aspirations and learn in a welcoming and safe environment.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you! We look forward to continuing to work together in carrying out our important mission "to improve the quality of life for GLBT students, faculty, staff and alumni of Indiana University on all eight campuses."
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Mike Shumate, Past President
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1. Top 25 LGBTQ-friendly University
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| | GLBT Office on Bloomington Campus |
IU Bloomington has been named to Campus Pride's 2015 "Top-25 LGBT-friendly Colleges and Universities in the nation." Campus Pride is the nation's leading non-profit organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups working together to build future leaders and safer, friendlier campuses. The Top-25 list is based on data from the Campus Pride Index, which includes detailed reports on the policies, programs and practices toward LGBTQ students, faculty and staff at campuses across the nation.
To many, the GLBT Student Support Services Office on our Bloomington campus is one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of this wonderful recognition. For more than twenty years, it has been a home - a "home away from home" - for countless of our students. The GLBT Office, along with our supporting policies and programs, has radiated an important message that: (i) IUis committed to assuring equality for all; (ii) our LGBTQ students can learn and reach for their dreams, like any other student, on a level playing field; (iii) they will have friends at IU; (iv) they can be proud of exactly who they are; (v) they will have a strong support system at IU; and (vi) parents of LGBTQ students can have assurance their children will be safe at IU.
The review and Campus Pride selection process have caused us to monitor our policies and programs on an on-going process and constantly to seek ways to improve supporting our students. Additionally, as a result of this Top-25 list, along with our ground-breaking GLBTAA Student Scholarship Campaign, IU continues to receive national media attention. Beacons of light are shining on IU and our welcoming environment. For more information, please see list And, here is IU's release
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| | The "Welcome Mat" is Always Out |
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2. Member Profile
Growing up in a small city in China during the repressive Mao's era, America was an alien concept, far away from my childhood. But I was very fortunate because by the time I graduated from high school, China was already in the process of opening itself to the world. For me, it meant that I was able to go to college right after high school, and I received a degree in philosophy. I was extremely interested in western philosophy, particularly Existentialism. Serendipity, good fortune and great many friends and mentors had guided me to the gorgeous campus of Bloomington, where I received my Master's degree in Library Science in 1990.
Even more fortunate, I was able to work at Kinsey Institute, the premier sex research institute. I currently serve as Director of Library and Archives at Kinsey Institute on the Bloomington campus, and it is such an honor and a privilege to work with this extraordinary, world-class collection that was first established by Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey. Working with scholars, researchers and students of sexuality enabled us to build a strong and diverse research collection. I enjoy working with people who envision a better future for the Kinsey Institute. I remember our volunteer and wonderful friend, then IU retired faculty Don McMasters, who made a decision to establish an endowment fund that would honor both Dr. Herman B Wells and Dr. Kinsey - the very first fund that bears the names of these two courageous individuals. I also remember the joy of bringing back to the Kinsey Institute from St. Louis archives of famed sex researchers, William Masters and Virginia Johnson. It was a thrilling experience to have worked with Virginia Johnson's family and to establish a new home for their archives at Kinsey Institute. It was working with inspirational pioneers like Drs. John Money and Leah Schaefer, that I learned the value of archives, which provide profound knowledge, understanding and history of sexuality and gender for future generations. Working with dedicated collection staff and supporters, I am pleased that we are able to expand and enhance the Kinsey Institute as a unique, international research and educational institution, reaching out to faculty and students at Indiana University, as well as to the global research communities.
I was so thrilled with the Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage. Dr. Kinsey's work has helped make this progress possible. It's time that Dr. Kinsey's scientific and compassionate contributions to humanity in general, and to the GLBTQ movement in particular, are acknowledged and celebrated at IU, in the US, and worldwide
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| | Larry Kramer (center), David Webster and Liana Zhou uncover Kramer's writings at Kinsey Library Reading Room, 2012. (Photo by Jennifer Bass) |
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4. 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. Each recipient will be announced in one of our Newsletters. After reviewing another heart-breaking story, we have recently awarded emergency funds to an IUB student. Since 2005, we have granted 59 scholarships (45 academic scholarships and 14 emergency scholarships) to IU students. Because of your generous support, we will be able to continue providing scholarships well into the future.
Ethan L. Jackson, a two-time academic scholarship recipient and strong advocate for transgender and gender nonconforming students, has commented, "I am immensely grateful to have received the IU GLBT Alumni Association Scholarship. This wonderful opportunity has allowed me to spend more time on my academics and friendships and less time worrying about funding my education. Now that I have graduated, I will take what I have learned at IU with me into the field of higher education and student affairs." Ethan has just graduated from the Kelley School of Business in Bloomington, with a degree in Legal Studies, with continued aspirations to pursue a Master's in Student Affairs and Higher Education.
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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5. Student Member Note
Benjamin T. Pruden is a former GLBTAA board member who graduated from Indiana University Medical School in 2012. As a medical student, Ben helped establish the LGBT Student Interest Group with other medical students and served as president for two years. The organization planned social events for LGBT medical students and allies and provided HIV awareness and education at local clinics.
Ben is currently starting his final year of Anesthesiology residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He has been actively involved with the Committee of Interns and Residents, an organization that works as advocates for doctors in training. He was recently elected as a delegate for the organization in March and attended the organization's national conference in Washington, D.C. participating in multiple workshops, including LGBT issues in healthcare. He has also been involved with creating a quality improvement committee at the hospital to promote projects to improve patient safety and experience. After residency, Ben plans on pursuing a fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology.
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3. Did You Know?
Current research has found that not only is romantic kissing not the norm in most cultures, some find it uncomfortable and even flat-out repulsive. Justin R. Garcia, PhD, an evolutionary biologist at IU's Department of Gender Studies and The Kinsey Institute, is a co-author of a new study, Is the Romantic-Sexual Kiss a Near Human Universal? published in the journal American Anthropologist, that looked at 168 cultures throughout the world to understand better where kissing does and does not occur.
Using standard cross-cultural methods, the study found that only 46 percent of the cultures studied engage in romantic kissing. Romantic kissing was defined as lip-to-lip contact that may or may not be prolonged.
"We hypothesized that some cultures would either not engage in romantic/sexual kissing, or find it to be a strange display of intimacy, but we were surprised to find that it was a majority of cultures that fell into this category," said Garcia. "This is a real reminder of how Western ethnocentrism can bias the way we think about human behavior."
Romantic kissing was most prevalent in the Middle East, where all 10 of the cultures studied engaged in it. In North America, 55 percent of cultures engaged in romantic kissing, along with 70 percent in Europe and 73 percent in Asia.
Interest in the study stemmed from renewed attention in the role of close touch and kissing in people's romantic and sexual lives. Recent work on the issue, Garcia said, has made claims about the universality of erotic kissing, some even claiming 90 percent of societies engage in the act. "However, we realized no one had used standard cross-cultural methods to assess how frequently kissing actually occurs in different societies, but by doing so, we could begin to understand why it might occur in some places and not others," Garcia said.
"There is likely a biological underpinning to kissing, as it can often involve exchange of pheromones and saliva, and also pathogens -- which might be particularly dangerous in societies without oral hygiene, where kissing may lead to spread of respiratory or other illness," he said. "But this is only in societies that have come to see the erotic kiss as part of their larger romantic and sexual repertoires. How that shift occurs is still an open question for research."
Garcia is a GLBTAA member and recently was awarded IU's coveted Trustee Teaching Award, based principally on a sustained level of excellence in teaching. For an IU release regarding his latest research, please see:
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6. GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award
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| | Steve Tuchman, left, and Steve Bretthauer at last year's 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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7. 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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8. Mark Your Calendars
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.
The GLBTAA is proud to be a sponsor of the showing of Bridegroom (full title: Bridegroom: A Love Story, Unequaled) on November 17 at 6:00 p.m. in the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union in Bloomington. Bridegroom chronicles the story of Shane Crone and his partner Thomas "Tom" Bridegroom, who died in a tragic accident. After Bridegroom's death, Crone found himself cut off and deprived of any legal protection. The film tells the story of their 6-year relationship, and the struggles Crone faced after Bridegroom's death, including the family not allowing Crone to attend the funeral of his partner. It premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and won the Festival's Best Documentary Film. Following the showing, Shane Crone will be in attendance and will address the audience in person. More information will be available soon.
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9. 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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10. 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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