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April 23-30, 2006: Volume I, Issue 27

News and Announcements

• Office of LGBT Resources Collection Questions
  There is a project currently in progress to assess the library resources for student use in the LGBT Concerns Office. Please take a moment to complete this survey even if you were previously unaware of the LGBT Office's resource collection and email it to Christine Stepanski.
  1. Have you ever used the LGBT Office's collection of resources? Yes ___ No ___
     If so, please state which types of materials (nonfiction books on lesbian topics, bisexual or trans fiction books, documentary or fiction DVDs, gay male magazines etc) or specific titles.
  2. What types of materials and/or titles would you like to see in the collection? (lesbian fiction books, gay male nonfiction books, bisexual magazines, trans DVD's, etc.) You may be as specific in terms of topics as you wish.
  3. What do you think would make the collection more useful or easier to access?
  4. Please add any additional suggestions or comments you have.
• Participate in the LGBTA Recognition/Awards Ceremony May 1
  All undergraduate and graduate students graduating in December '05, or May '06, can participate in the LGBT Concerns Recognition Ceremony. If you are a LGBTA graduating senior or grad student who would like to receive a certificate of achievement, send an email to Khristian Kemp-DeLisser. Be sure to include the following info:
  • your name as you would like it to appear on a certificate;
  • the name of your college and major;
  • and the type of degree you will be receiving (B.A., B.S., MA, etc).
  Rainbow tassels are also available. Let the office know if you would like to receive a rainbow tassel for only $5, which can be worn on your mortar board at graduation.

Upcoming Events

If your campus group has an event you would like featured in "Upcoming Events," please e-mail Khristian.

Tuesday, April 25

• James Baldwin: Down From the Mountaintop
  8:00 pm, Illini Union, Grand Ballroom
  One-man play by Calvin Levels. Don't miss the Urbana-Champaign premier of this important play about gay writer and activist, James Baldwin. Written and performed by Tony Award-nominated actor, Calvin Levels. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Resources.
• LGBT Art Creation: Q of Allen Hall
  9:15 pm, Bromley Hall
  Q, the LGBTSA student organization of Allen Hall is on tour throughout April. Join them for free food, conversation, fun games, dances, and arts and crafts. Terry McCarthy, Director of GCAP, will be in attendance to receive the donation raised by Q at their Annual Date Auction.

Wednesday, April 26

• Day of Silence: Breaking the Silence Rally on the Quad
  5:00 pm, Anniversary Plaza, Illini Union
  Day of Silence is a student-led day of action where community members take a day-long vow of silence to recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment -- in effect, the silencing -- experienced by LGBT students and their allies.
• Brokeback Mountain
  7:00 pm, Illini Union Courtyard Cafe
  Based on the E. Annie Proulx story about a forbidden and secret love between two cowboys and its impact on their lives over the years. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Director for UIUC-alum, Ang Lee. Sponsored Illini Union Board.

Friday, April 28

• Parkland Queer and Ally Drag Show
  3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Parkland College Theatre, 2400 W. Bradley, Champaign
  Show up fierce and fabulous and enjoy drag performances and frivolous entertainment. Part of the proceeds will go to GCAP (Greater Aids Community Project). Suggested age limit of 16 years of age. For further information please contact Christian at 217-390-8055 or visit the Parkland Theatre.
  • 3:00 pm (1 hour show): $4 admission charge
  • 8 pm (2 hour show): $5 admission charge

April 28 - May 1

• Artists Against AIDS: Exhibition and Arts Sale Benefiting GCAP
  The Gallery Building (next to Great Impasta), 112 W. Church St., Champaign
  The Artist Against AIDS is an annual exhibition featuring visual and musical artists who sell their work to raise funds for HIV/AIDS education and support services in the Champaign/Urbana area. All work that is exhibited is offered for sale, with a minimum of 50% of the asking price to be donated to the Greater Community AIDS Project (GCAP), a local non-profit United Way agency dedicated to educating the public about HIV/AIDS and providing support services for those affected by HIV/ AIDS. Visit www.gcapnow.com for times and special events.

Sunday, April 30

• Dessert Fundraiser - Benefiting Gay Games figure skater, Donnie Robinson
  2:00 - 4:00 pm, McKinley Presbyterian Foundation, 809 S. 5th St.
  McKinley Presbyterian Church invites you to a Dessert Fund Raiser for Donnie Robinson, a UIUC undergrad, who will be competing in Figure Skating at the Gay Games in Chicago, July 15 - 22. Come meet and support a U of I gay Olympian and enjoy a buffet of fabulous desserts. The cost is $8 per person and $4 for children and students with an ID. For more information you can contact Tim Shea.

Group Meetings

If your LGBT-related group or organization would like to be featured in "Group Meetings," please e-mail Khristian.

Sunday, April 23

• Ladies Loving Ladies (L³)
  7:00 - 9:00 pm, LGBT Concerns Office, 323 Illini Union
  THE NEW SEASON OF THE L-WORD IS HERE! Join L³, a social/support network for queer women, to watch the new episodes. After the show, we do a variety of activities, including playing games, watching films or having heated debates. All women are invited to come; bring your friends and ideas! For more information, contact Emily.

Monday, April 24

• Colors of PRIDE
  8:00 - 9:30 pm, LGBT Concerns Office, 322 Illini Union
  Provides a safe space and friendly environment for all LGBT students of color to share, listen, discuss and express themselves. All LGBT students of color and allies are welcome! For more information, contact Victor or Paul.

Tuesday, April 25

• Among Women
  5:45 - 7:15 pm, Room 249A Student Services Building
  Among Women is an informal discussion group made up of lesbian and bisexual women students. It provides a place to meet other women who share your concerns and to form or broaden your social support network; an opportunity to decrease the alienation and isolation of being a lesbian or bisexual woman in a majority heterosexual environment; a great chance to exchange ideas, experiences, and opinions. Contact Anita for more information.
• LGBT Art Creation: Q of Allen Hall
  9:15 pm, Bromley Hall
  Q, the LGBTSA student organization of Allen Hall is on tour throughout April. Join them for free food, conversation, fun games, dances, and arts and crafts. Terry McCarthy, Director of GCAP, will be in attendance to receive the donation raised by Q at their Annual Date Auction.

Wednesday, April 26

• The Gender Group
  After the Day of Silence Rally, LGBT Concerns Office, 323 Illini Union
  This social/support group offers a safe space for students at all points of the gender identity spectrum to explore how we can all work together to create a trans-inclusive campus. Through educational, community-building and social activities, students will explore how gender identity impacts all of our lives, no matter what our gender identity is. Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies (SOFFAs) are welcome. For more information, contact kkempdel@ad.uiuc.edu.

Thursday, April 27

• Coming Out Support Group (COSG)
  7:00 pm, LGBT Concerns Office, 323 Illini Union
  COSG is a safe place to listen, talk and learn about sexual identity and coming out issues. For more information, e-mail comingout@uiuc.edu.
• Queer Women Of Color
  9:00 pm, LGBT Concerns Office, 323 Illini Union
  The Queer Women Of Color group is for lesbian, bisexual and queer women. It offers a social/support group that provides a safe space to discuss issues that pertain to them. It meets in the Office of LGBT Concerns (323 Union) on Thursday evenings. For more information, please contact Sara Clemons.

Sunday, April 30

• Ladies Loving Ladies (L³)
  7:00 - 9:00 pm, LGBT Concerns Office, 323 Illini Union
  THE NEW SEASON OF THE L-WORD IS HERE! Join L³, a social/support network for queer women, to watch the new episodes. After the show, we do a variety of activities, including playing games, watching films or having heated debates. All women are invited to come; bring your friends and ideas! For more information, contact Emily.

Around Campus

If you know of an event sponsored by another organization or program that you would like featured in "Around Campus," please e-mail Khristian.

Wednesday, April 26

• Challenging Men: Panel Discussion of Male Allies to Women
  7:00 - 9:00 pm, La Casa Cultural Latina, 1203 W. Nevada St., Urbana
  Men have a critical role in standing up against violence against women. Few men actually commit sexual violence, but all men are hurt and implicated by this violence. Especially for men of color who have limited positive representations in popular culture it is important that we create spaces for men to talk about the how they (can and do) challenge sexual violence and sexism in their lives. Men on this panel will discuss the challenge of addressing sexual violence while experiencing racism, and how we can all begin to challenge violence against women.

April 25-27

• Inner Voices Social Theatre
  
  • Tuesday, April 25, Orchard Downs at 8:00 pm
  • Wednesday, April 26, Hopkins Hall at 8:00 pm
  • Thursday, April 27, PAR (Pennsylvania Street Residence) at 8:00 pm
  Break the Silence: scenes addressing sexual assault, survival, support and speaking out. These scenes weave together the voices of survivors of sexual assault, breaking the silence that often covers sexual violence in our society. The evening offers insight into the complex issues of resolution and moving on for survivors of sexual assault and challenges us to consider our own roles in a society in which sexual violence occurs. A discussion with the audience follows. Free and open to the public. For further information visit Inner Voices or call (217) 244-5919.
  
  The Inner Voices Social Issues Theatre program is sponsored by the Counseling Center, McKinley Health Center, and the Department of Theatre. These performances are also sponsored in part by the Office of Women's Programs/Student Affairs at the University of Illinois.

Article(s) of Interest

Articles of interest are collected from a variety of online and electronic sources. They are intended to spark thought or general discussion about issues important to the LGBT community.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The life of Gwen Araujo, the Newark boy who identified and lived as a girl and was killed because of it, is being made into a TV movie by Lifetime.

That may seem like a racy topic for a network whose forte is family stories -- and is most popular in the American heartland -- but network executives believe it's high time the story of Gwen, and those like her, be told from a family's point of view.

"Even in the 21st century, society is still separated by race, religion and gender," Zev Braun, the movie's executive producer, said in a statement. "It's time those walls be taken down and for people to be accepted for who and what they are -- human beings."

Araujo's story is well-known in the Bay Area. She was killed by men who'd had sex with her and were shocked to discover, weeks later, that she was biologically male. The killing drew nationwide attention to transgender youth, and there's little left to say about the crime.

Instead, the film, tentatively called "The Gwen Araujo Story," will focus on Sylvia Guerrero's relationship with Gwen, which is nothing more than the timeless story of every mother's relationship with her child. The story had everything the network looks for when considering a script, said Trevor Walton, the network's senior vice president for original films.

"It has all the components that make a Lifetime movie: compassion, redemption and family issues," he said. "What a great story."

That's not to say the idea didn't raise a few eyebrows. But Walton saw a compelling film. "When it was first read here, there were one or two people who said, 'This is different,' " Walton said.

The movie, scheduled for broadcast in June, follows Gwen's life from her early years as Eddie Araujo, the second of four children in a close-knit Latino family, who seemed most comfortable dressing and acting like a girl.

As a teen, Eddie -- much to the shock of his siblings -- began wearing makeup, growing his hair long and referring to himself as "Gwen," after the singer Gwen Stefani, whom he adored, and identifying as a young woman.

That created tension at home, especially among Gwen's siblings, who didn't understand why their brother wanted to be their sister.

"It was hard for the younger boys, but it wasn't an easy transition for any of us," Guerrero said. "But I love my baby whether it was Eddie or Gwen."

And, of course, Gwen's siblings did too. And that's part of the message Lifetime -- which bills itself as "television for women" -- hopes to convey.

"When you encounter someone or something different outside your own home, it's easy to make a sweeping judgment," said Walton. "But when it's your sister or your daughter or your son and there is something different, sexually or otherwise, compassion and love wins out. "That's a large part of what this movie is: learning to understand."

To help viewers understand, Lifetime will air a public service announcement developed with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the nation's largest family support organization for gay and transgender people.

"I do believe in my heart that we're far from educating this world," Guerrero said. "It's a life sentence for us to have lost her, she's never coming home, no matter what we do, and I don't want this to happen to another family."

By showing the internal family struggle for acceptance -- the side of the issue most people never see -- Lifetime hopes to raise awareness among all viewers. But it's one thing to tell Gwen's story to people in the Bay Area.

Is the rest of the country ready to see it?

Lifetime thinks so. After all, a mother's love for her child no matter what is universal. Everyone can relate to it. And while Lifetime's core viewers -- those in the Midwest -- may not be as tolerant of, or familiar with, gay and transgender people, they are no less compassionate than those who are, Walton said.

"When we've done these kinds of movies in the past, like a lesbian couple in a custody battle, a lot of that audience says they've never met a lesbian couple, but understand it within the context of a family, like 'What would I think if that were my sister?' " Walton said. Lifetime and P-FLAG also hope The Gwen Araujo Story" also will show people the difficulty transgender teens often face living in a world of harassment, cruelty and, too often, violence.

After all, the saddest part of the story is that Gwen's story isn't that unusual. Her picture is among a half-dozen other transgender people whose pictures appear on a Web site maintained by the support group Gender Education and Advocacy, people who were slain simply because someone could not look past biology to see the person within.

Gwen was beaten to death by four men who were shocked, and undoubtedly frightened, to discover the young woman that some of them had had sex with was biologically male. Such a visceral reaction is almost exclusively male, and there has been little effort to change the conditioning, said Barrie Thorne, chair of the Gender and Women's Studies Department at UC Berkeley.

If being a man in the masculine sense in our society is really about displaying physical strength, perhaps we need to revisit some of our other basic beliefs, like using that strength to protect the weakest among us, not using it to intimidate, terrorize and kill them. And maybe seeing "The Gwen Araujo Story" will help some of us do that.

Chip Johnson's column appears on Mondays and Fridays.

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