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| | Michael McRaith (left) and Dean Larry Singell at our Neal-Marshall Reception |
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What a wonderful celebration weekend attended by faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends from across the nation!. Especially gratifying is the fact that many University officials attended the Neal-Marshall reception or the Grazie event, or both. We enjoy, and are grateful for, the strong public support from the administration. What a positive message this sends to our LGBTQ students and other young people! Please feel free to contact any Board member with your comments or suggestions. We welcome all input as we start to plan for next year's celebration.
Mike Shumate, Past President
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1. Eighth Celebration Weekend
The GLBTAA hosted its Eighth Celebration Weekend January 29 - 30. Coinciding with the Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival, the weekend provided diverse and fun-filled events. Especially for those who could not attend, below is a summary of our main events:
Reception at the Neal-Marshall Center
The weekend was launched on Friday, January 29 with a reception at the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center. Admission was free with complimentary hors d' oeuvres, along with a cash bar. Steve Bretthauer, President of the IU GLBTAA, welcomed everyone, and we were then entertained by the Quarryland Men's Chorus. Steve next turned the program over to Doug Bauder, Director of the GLBT Office, who presented the 2016 Spirit Award to Gregory Carter, Clinical Assistant Professor at IU's School of Nursing. As an educator, Mr. Carter has lead his students to become advocates for their patients, particularly those of a marginalized group, and to demonstrate respectful and compassionate environments for them.
Next, our 2016 GLBTAA Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Michael T. McRaith, Director of the Federal Insurance Office. Dean Larry Singell, Executive Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, presented the Award to Mr. McRaith. A biographical profile of Mr. McRaith was included in our January Newsletter, which can be accessed by clicking "Newsletter Archive" in the left margin. Later that evening, Steve and others greeted everyone at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, as part of the PRIDE Film Festival, and promoted our GLBTAA membership drive. Member volunteers signed up several new members. We have now surpassed 1,869 members nation-wide - and we're growing!
GLBTAA Annual Board Meeting
The Board held its annual meeting at the DeVault Alumni Center on the following Saturday at 10:00 a.m. which was open to everyone. Byron Craig was elected to the Board as a full member. Previously, he served as a student director. A full agenda was also addressed.
Grazie! Reception
Our main event was the reception at the Grazie that Saturday evening, January 30. We continued the weekend's celebration with a record crowd! We welcomed faculty, staff, alumni and students, as we joined old friends, made new ones, discussed the latest developments in the State and beyond, shared in the joy of the significant strides we've made in recent years.....and had a blast! Our win over Minnesota earlier in the day added to the festive spirit!.
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2. Jim Obergefell
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| | Jim Obergefell (left) and Steve Sanders |
IU's Maurer School of Law had the distinction February 2 of hosting a program featuring Jim Obergefell, the lead named plaintiff in the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. IU law professor and GLBTAA board member Steve Sanders engaged Obergefell in a dialogue about the history of his case, how he worked with his lawyers, and how it all affected him personally. The video of the full 1-hour program is available at https://youtu.be/wvYEvSWu9Bc. The near-capacity crowd reacted enthusiastically to Jim Obergefell's warmth and candor, as he told the human story behind a landmark Supreme Court decision.
Obergefell also gave a campus lecture in Alumni Hall on the following evening of February 3 sponsored by the Indiana Memorial Union Board. In addition to Union Board, sponsors for Jim's visit to IU included the GLBTAA, the GLBT Student Support Services Office, the law school, the American Constitution Society, and the Maurer group OUTlaw.
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3. Pride Day
We are hosting our third annual PRIDE Day at Assembly Hall at the IU Women's Basketball game against Wisconsin on February 14. Meet IU Women's Basketball Coach Teri Moren during a pre-game luncheon at Cook Hall. Our special guest speaker will be former WNBA Indiana Fever player, Tully Bevilaqua. Following the luncheon, we will walk over to Assembly Hall to cheer on the Hoosiers! The pre-game luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. Tip-off is at 2:00. The cost is $15, which includes the luncheon, a boxed-meal and game ticket. Reservations can be made online at http://iuaa.imodules.com/s/1377/event.aspx?sid=1377&pgid=4662&gid=2&cid=8892&ecid=8892&post_id=0
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4. Bisexuality on the Rise
A growing number of women and men say they are bisexual, according to the latest national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of the findings about sexual behavior, attraction and orientation are similar between the current survey and the previous survey conducted between 2006-2010. Similar to the previous survey, 1.3% of women and 1.9% of men said they were homosexual. A few trends, however, stand out. More women reported having had sexual contact with other women: 17.4% in the current survey, compared with 14.2% in the previous survey. And, higher numbers of both women and men identified as bisexual, 5.5% of women and 2% of men, compared with 3.9% and 1.2% respectively in the previous survey. The CDC survey can be found at survey
Debra Herbenick, PhD, was not involved with the current survey but has been asked to comment. Herbenick is an associate professor and co-director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at the IU School of Public Health - Bloomington, and a sexual health educator at the Kinsey Institute. She is also the president-elect of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. "As awareness about bisexuality has grown over the years, it could be getting easier for people to label themselves as bisexual," said Herbenick. "It's certainly not a new idea that women and men may be attracted to more than gender. But that doesn't mean it's an easy orientation to adopt. Women and men who self-identify as bisexual experience stigma not just from heterosexuals but also homosexuals," she said.
"Understanding trends in sexual behavior and orientation can help health groups and programs reach at-risk populations," Herbenick continued. "For example, putting information about sexually transmitted infections in a gay bar may only reach men who identify as being gay, and miss men who have sex with men but do not identify as being gay. There are real effects when you find out what people are doing sexually that can translate into safer sex, sex education, (and) informing doctors and nurses (about) what people are doing so they can talk with them in more informed and compassionate ways." For a recent article with Herbenick's comments, please see article
Stephanie A. Sanders, PhD, provost professor of gender studies at IU's College of Arts and Sciences, associate director of the Kinsey Institute, and former president of the Society for the Scientific Research of Sexuality has also been asked to comment. "As bisexuality is becoming more visible, it appears more women with bisexual behavior and attractions are embracing that label over a lesbian one," said Sanders, who also was not involved in the research. "The visibility and recognition of bisexuality as a sexual orientation has been growing recently, particularly among younger people," Sanders said. "Research suggests that the women may have been more likely to label themselves as lesbians in the past and are more likely to use the bisexual label now." She praised the study but cautioned that the statistics may be somewhat misleading. For women, for example, the report defines same-sex intimacy as "any sexual experience of any kind with another female," but same-sex intimacy for men was only defined as oral or anal sex. "My research and that of others shows that people vary in what behaviors they count as sex," she said. Sanders also hinted that the report may hide the truth about male sexuality. "Male same-sex behavior has been more taboo, regulated and stigmatized than has that of women," she said. "Men may be more reluctant than women to report same-sex behavior." For an article with Sanders' comments, please see article
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5. GLBTAA Scholarship Campaign
Please continue to "spread the word" about our ground-breaking Campaign, which will help to endow our GLBTAA Scholarship Program. We awarded five academic scholarship for the 2015 fall semester. The last recipient is featured in paragraph #5 below. After reviewing another heart-breaking story, we also awarded emergency funds to an IUB student. We have presently awarded four academic scholarships for the current 2016 spring semester and are still reviewing additional applications. Since 2005, we have granted 67 scholarships (53 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.
Shane L. Windmeyer, MS '97, Executive Director and founder of Campus Pride, has commented recently about our Scholarship Program, particularly about our emergency grants: "IU remains one of the best campuses for GLBT support in the country. Crisis assistance funding, for example, is now a new benchmark for the Campus Pride Index, and the GLBTAA emergency scholarship is a great example. IU has definitely raised the bar nationally. I'm proud that IU has been a leader in that. IU has always stood as an institution of higher learning that embraces diversity."
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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6. Academic Scholarship Recipient
 CONGRATULATIONS are extended to L. David Cohen, one of our 2015 Fall Academic Scholarship recipients! David is a first-year, Honors College student in the Accelerated Master's Program in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington. He will complete his BS in May, 2016, with a focus in Environmental Management, and his MPA in May, 2017, with a focus in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management. He currently is a teaching assistant for a SPEA Risk Assessment course. He also serves as Director of Membership & Publicity for the IU Student Sustainability Council and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta. He recently completed an internship for the Bloomington Environmental Commission, where he assisted in the development of the City's Environmental Plan. We're proud of you, David!
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7. IUPUI Diversity Commitment
IUPUI has authorized two critically-important initiatives to help the campus to continue building on its history of diversity and inclusion by: (i) adding 14 new all-gender restrooms and (ii) establishing the new LGBTQ Center in IUPUI's existing Multicultural Center.
Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar said both changes are aligned with the campus commitment to diversity, as outlined in IUPUI's Strategic Plan. "One of our strategic goals as a campus is to encourage student success, and making sure students feel safe and welcome will increase their ability to achieve at the highest levels," the chancellor said when the initiatives were announced. "These new restrooms represent an acknowledgement of our LGBTQ students, who are an integral part of our diverse campus community."
All-gender restrooms are open to everyone regardless of gender expression or identity. This provides all students another option that may enhance their feelings of comfort and safety. Such facilities are especially important for the transgender and gender non-conforming people who may feel vulnerable and stigmatized in certain restroom environments.
Chancellor Paydar also announced changes in the Multicultural Center to establish IUPUI's LGBTQ Center. "After careful review, I am delighted to announce a new, permanent home for the LGBTQ Center," he said. "These changes signal our campuswide commitment to create an environment where every student, faculty and staff member feels welcomed and included." The alcove space in the computer lab, Taylor Hall Room 101, has been enclosed to create accessible but individualized space for the LGBTQ Center. It will be connected to the new director's office housed in the Multicultural Center administrative suite, MC115. The changes also include space for an LGBTQ library and other programming facilities.
Doug Bauder, Director of the GLBT Student Support Services office on the Bloomington campus (which this past year celebrated its 21-year anniversary), states "I'm looking forward to strengthening our work with our sister campus in Indy and I'm honored that we were part of some conversations which laid the foundation for this to happen."
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8. 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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9. Member Notes
Warmest congratulations to our three members:
Susan Ferentinos, PhD, received her BA from the College of William & Mary in 1991, MLS (Library Science) and MA (US History) in 1998 and her PhD in History in 2005 from IU Bloomington. She
is a public history researcher, writer and consultant and has recently authored a book, Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015). In addition to offering best practices for museums interested in sharing LGBT stories with their visitors, the book includes an overview of the history of same-sex love and desire in the United States from the colonial era to the present. More information is available at https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780759123748.
Wayne Levinson, BS (Accounting) '13, Kelley School of Business, has been honored by the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA). His start-up company, Bulk FR8 LLC, has been chosen to be the 2015 GSBA New Business of the Year. Bulk FR8 is a domestic leader in liquid bulk logistics and freight management and provides safe and innovative freight brokerage solutions for chemical companies across the United States and Canada. Here is a GSBA interview with Wayne:
 Barry Magee, Assistant Director for Diversity Education at IU's Residential Programs & Services, has been honored by the Indiana Minority Business Magazine for his tireless commitment to diversity and inclusion. http://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/news/article_044995bc-b55f-11e5-b104-3ff1ebef510a.html Under Barry's leadership, IU has been a leader in efforts promoting inclusion and equality for the LGBTQ community. The university has implemented public gender-inclusive restroom facilities, single-user restrooms on residential floors and mixed-gender residential floors. A revamped student ID program now allows students to use their preferred name on their official university ID. Most recently, Barry was instrumental in the creation of Spectrum, a thematic residence hall community on the Bloomington campus that provides a supportive and safe environment for students who identify across the gender and sexual orientation spectrum.
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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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