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April 2006 Special Events

Saturday, April 1

• Illinois State GLBTQA College Conference
  10:00 - 5:00 pm, Everitt Laboratory, 1406 W. Green St
  Intended for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Straight, and Ally college leaders from the state of Illinois, this conference will focus on providing a structured space for networking and the sharing of ideas. This event is free and open to all students state-wide. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
• Evidence: Ronald K. Brown Dance Performance
  7:30 pm, Tryon Theatre, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 South Goodwin Ave
  In a society starved for spiritual expression, gay Black choreographer Ron Brown's kinetic storytelling connects life to dance with powerful physical energy and uplifting grace. Sponsored by Krannert Center for Performing Arts. Visit the Krannert Center for information about tickets.
• Reel Queer Film Festival: Beautiful Boxer
  8:00 pm, 126 Library and Information Science Building, 501 E. Daniel, Champaign
  Based on the true story of Thailand's famed transgender kick-boxer, Nong Toom, this poignant action drama punches straight into the heart and mind of a boy who "fights like a man" so he can become a woman. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns.

Monday, April 3

• Lecture: "Desire, Procreative Fluid, and Power: A Balinese Hierarchy of Sexual Practice and the Politics of Asceticism and Licentiousness"
  12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Room 101 International Studies Building
  Learn more about the lecture. Sponsored by East Asia and Pacific Studies
• Scott Turner Schofield: Trans on Campus
  7:00 pm, South Rec Room, Allen Hall
  Transgender performance artist, lecturer and activist, Scott "Turner" Schofield will be facilitating a workshop, providing a primer about what students can do to make their schools more trans inclusive. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by Unit One and the Office for LGBT Concerns.

Tuesday, April 4

• Rainbow Coffeehouse with special guest, Scott Turner Schofield
  6:30 pm, the Etc, Wesley Foundation, corner of Green and Goodwin
  Transgender performance artist, lecturer and activist, Scott "Turner" Schofield will hang out and talk informally about his campus visit and performances. Rainbow Coffeehouse offers a welcoming, nonreligious, open environment to LGBT and ALLY communities to socialize. Open every Tuesday. This event is open to the public. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns.
• Committee of Dreams
  6:00 - 7:00 pm, the Etc, Wesley Foundation, corner of Green and Goodwin
  Join the Committee of Dreams as we discuss: What are the current space needs of the Office for LGBT Concerns? What additions do we want to see? This meeting will focus on the expansion of the Office for LGBT Concerns as well as its resources to better serve the community. There's opportunity to take on a leadership role in the committee and help provide feedback on the growth and development of the office. Contact Keith for more information.
• Sex Olympics sponsored by Q of Allen Hall
  9:15 pm, Scott 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.
• "Did the Supreme Court decide the Solomon Amendment Case (FAIR v. Rumsfeld) correctly?"
  Noon - 1:00 pm, College of Law, Room D, 504 E. Pennsylavania Avenue, Champaign
  Mr. Walpin is a frequent lecturer and writer on legal topics, including class actions and derivative law suits, and white collar crimes. In addition, Mr. Walpin recently filed a friend of the court brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging it to reverse a November, 2004 decision by a three judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit that struck down the Solomon Amendment along with 8 Medal of Honor winners, the Center for Individual rights and 50 law students. The second lecture in a two part series. Lunch will be served. Sponsored by the Federalist Society and Sexual Orientation and Legal Issues Society (SOLIS) at the University of Illinois College of Law.

Wednesday, April 5

• Underground TRANSit
  7:30 pm, Main Lounge, Allen Hall, 1005 W Goodwin Ave
  Transgender performance artist, lecturer and activist, Scott "Turner" Schofield will be performing Underground TRANSit, a one-act work of spoken word theater that combines rhythmic storytelling, rock 'n roll, and a touch of drag in the journey of one person to a gender identity. Created as a work of feminist activism as well as of art, sincerity and connection with the audience is key, while anecdotes from a homecoming queen turned gender renegade test the boundaries of "normative" gender and sexuality values with humor and criticism, and accessible gender theory. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns.
• Day of Silence Planning Meeting
  7:00 pm, 388 Lincoln Hall

Thursday, April 6

• Lecture: "Why does Charlotte von Mahlsdorf curtsy?"
  5:30 pm, Lucy Ellis Room, Foreign Language Building
  Prof. Jens Richard Giersdorf (Dept. of Dance Studies, Univ. of Surrey/UK) delivers a lecture about the representations of national queerness in a transvestite hero. Learn more about this lecture.

Friday, April 7

• Ally Network Meeting: What Allies Need to Know About Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse in the LGBT Community
  Noon - 1:30 pm, 403 Illini Union
  What are the common consequences of alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse, and how can we promote better decision-making around AOD use? Let's have a frank discussion about student AOD use in a safe atmosphere, addressing specific AOD concerns within the gay community. This presentation will be interactive and student-focused, allowing for students to ask questions about what they are interested in knowing. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns.
• LGBT Staff and Faculty: Out On Campus Organizational Meeting
  4:00 - 5:00 pm, Office for LGBT Concerns, 323 Illini Union
  This organizational meeting hosted by the Office for LGBT Concerns is open to all faculty and staff and will provide an opportunity to meet and discuss the development of a formal group focusing on the professional and/or social needs of LGBT professionals.

Monday, April 10

• "Legally Integrated, but Socially Segregated: Life on Campus for Students at UIUC"
  7:00 pm, WILL-TV (Corner of Goodwin and Main)
  Sponsored by the UIUC Senate's Committee on Equal Opportunity and Access
  The complete list of co-sponsors: African American Cultural Center; Asian American Cultural Center; La Casa Cultural Latina Center; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns; Black Greek Council; Illinois Student Senate; International Impact; Panhellenic Council; Interfraternity Council; United Greek Council; Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.; Together Encouraging the Appreciation of Multiculturalism (TEAM)
  Several themes will be addressed during the student forum: housing/roommates; Student Organizations/Greek Life; social settings/parties; tensions amongst minorities; class - including rural vs. suburban vs. inner city; and sexual orientation.

Tuesday, April 11

• Workshop: What You Need To Know About Alcohol and Other Drugs Abuse in the LGBT Community
  7:00 pm, Illini Room 215
  An interactive workshop for men. What are the common consequences of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use on men, and how can we promote better decision-making around AOD use? Let's have a frank discussion about student AOD use in a safe atmosphere, addressing specific AOD concerns within the gay community. This presentation will be interactive and student-focused, allowing for students to ask questions about what they are interested in knowing. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns.
• Gaynormous Dance sponsored by Q of Allen Hall
  9:15 pm, FAR
  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.

April 12 - 22

• Angels in America Part I: Millennium Approaches
  8:00 pm, Parkland College Theatre, 2400 W. Bradley
  For reservations call 351-2528 or visit the Parkland College Theatre.

Wednesday, April 12

• Day of Silence Planning Meeting
  7:00 pm, 388 Lincoln Hall

Thursday, April 13

• MBLGTACC 2008 Planning Committee Meeting
  4:45 pm, Office for LGBT Concerns, 323 Illini Union
  This meeting will be mandatory for all steering committee members, all who wish to be on the steering committee, and will be open to all who wish to attend and observe. We will be organizing the rules that will govern steering committee decision making, and will be discussing the decisions that will need to be made in the very very near future. The meeting will be short, so that any who wish to attend the Terry Tafoya event will be able.
• Terry Tafoya Lecture
  7:00 pm, Circus Room, Bone Student Center, Illinois State University
  LGBT Concerns will sponsor a van or carpool to see Terry Tofoya at ISU. Please contact Khristian Kemp-DeLisser to express your interest in attending or if you have any questions. With over 20 years of University level teaching experience, including his work with the National Bilingual Training and Resource Center, Dr. Tafoya has worked with Mental Health, Human Sexuality, AIDS/HIV, Substance Abuse Prevention, and Bilingual Education in his work as a trainer and educator.

Friday, April 14

• Faculty/Staff ALLY Network Training
  9:00 am - Noon, 406 Illini Union
  Join us for an interactive workshop about how you can be an ally to the LGBT community and join the UIUC Ally Network. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns; SODA Committee.
• Homophobia and Heterosexism in Communities of Color
  5:00 pm, Main Lounge, Daniels Hall
  Join us for this panel discussion exploring the dynamics of heterosexism and homophobia and how racism works within and without the LGBT community. Panel members include: Geneva Abiko, Sara Clemons, Khristian Kemp-DeLisser, and Kevin Otten. Sponsored by Office for LGBT Concerns; Graduate and Professional Students of Color.
• 3rd Annual Alternative Prom
  8:00 pm - 12:00 am, Sangamon Auditorium Stage, Public Affairs Center, University of Illinois at Springfield
  The Alternative Prom is an event that was previously hosted by Students Against Sexual Stereotypes and Inequalities (SASSI) at UIS that invites LGBTQ youth and allies within central Illinois to express themselves at our "very informal formal." This event allows many youth to spend an evening expressing their true selves while having a good time with their friends in a safe environment. This event is open to all LGBTQ and accepting youth in the central IL area. The doors open at 8:00 pm and close at 9:30 pm. One student ID (from a high school or university) admits its holder and four guests. Throughout the course of the evening we will be handing out door prizes and a king and queen will be chosen. No alcoholic beverages will be allowed; however, there will be refreshments available at the event.

Saturday, April 15

• Faculty/Staff Reception
  5:00 - 7:00 pm, 207 W. Washington, #3, Champaign
  Curt McKay, Director of the Office for LGBT Concerns, will host a mixer for UIUC and Parkland College LGBT Faculty/Staff. Wine, cheese and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Bring along an hors d'oeuvres. Partners welcome. Come join your fellow LGBT and Ally professionals for an evening of networking and socializing. A report will be made of the results from the previous "Out On Campus" organizational meeting. Email Curt McKay to RSVP or for more information.

Monday, April 17

• Challenging "Lady": Reclaiming Our Bodies, Defining Ourselves
  6:30 pm, Asian American Cultural Center, 1210 W. Nevada St.
  Have you ever been told to "act like a lady?" What does that mean? How is a lady supposed to act? How are women expected to be? What does that mean about how we look at ourselves and each other? In this interactive discussion, we'll begin to look at what it means to be (a) challenging "lady." For more info, contact Melanie.

Tuesday, April 18

• Rainbow Coffeehouse
  6:30 pm, the Etc, Wesley Foundation (corner of Green and Goodwin)
  The Rainbow Coffeehouse offers a welcoming, nonreligious, open environment to LGBT and ALLY communities to socialize. Open every Tuesday. This event is open to the public. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns.
• Workshop: What You Need To Know About Alcohol and Other Drugs Abuse in the LGBT Community
  7:00 pm, Illini Union, Room 215
  An interactive workshop for women by Jorja Jamison. What are the common consequences of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use for women, and how can we promote better decision-making around AOD use? Let's have a frank discussion about student AOD use in a safe atmosphere, addressing specific AOD concerns within the gay community. This presentation will be interactive and student-focused, allowing for students to ask questions about what they are interested in knowing. Sponsored by the Office for LGBT Concerns.
• Religious Round Table
  7:30-8:30 pm, 322 Illini Union
  TEAM (Together Encouraging the Appreciation of Multiculturalism) invites you to the Religious Round Table.
• Break the Silence: Scenes Addressing Sexual Assault, Survival, Support and Speaking Out
  8:00 pm, Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana, IL
  Performance by Inner Voices Social Issues Theatre. Other dates include April 19 at the Illinois Street Residence (ISR) Hall and April 20 at the Florida Avenue Residence Hall -- all at 8:00 pm. Hosted by Alpha Psi Lambda.
• Gayme Night sponsored by Q of Allen Hall
  9:15 pm, ISR
  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.

Wednesday, April 19

• Confessions Play and Lecture: "HIV/AIDS in the Black Community" by Keith Boykin
  7:00 pm, Illini Union, Courtyard Café
  Confessions is a series of powerful student-written and performed monologues. These monologues tell the stories of HIV positive Black men and women and the issues they face around how they were infected and how they live with the virus. This performance will feature gay Black community organizer and activist, Keith Boykin speaking about the Downlow and homophobia in the Black community. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Sexual Health Peers; McKinley Health Center; Office for LGBT Concerns.
• Day of Silence Planning Meeting
  7:00 pm, 388 Lincoln Hall

Thursday, April 20

• MBLGTACC 2008 Steering Committee Meeting
  5:30 pm, Office for LGBT Concerns, 323 Illini Union
  It is possible that we will move the meeting to the conference room next to the office. This meeting will be mandatory for all steering committee members and will be open to the public. Discussion and commentary are encouraged from the public, but voting will be limited to the steering committee. If our charter is approved by the end of the meeting, we will also discuss and hopefully vote on keynote speakers.
• Debate on Gay Marrage sponsored by the Illinois Student Senate
  7:00 pm, Illini Union Room A
  Gay marriage is one of the most divisive issues facing this country and our campus community today. In order to stimulate discussion on this issue, the Illinois Student Senate (ISS) is holding a debate on the issue on Thursday, April 20, at 7:00 pm in Illini Union Room A. The debate will be based around audience participation and will feature two students on each side of the issue. Opposing gay marriage will be Leo Buchignani of the Orange & Blue Observer and John Bambenek of the Daily Illini. Supporting it will be Coleman Evans, a graduate student in Educational Policy and Women's Studies, and Brian Pierce of the Daily Illini. The event will be moderated by the chair of the ISS Cultural & Minority Affairs Committee, Zenobia Ravji. We anticipate a thought-provoking and entertaining night and encourage you to attend and voice your thoughts on this important issue today.

Friday, April 21

• Take Back the Night March and Rally
  6:30 pm, Anniversary Plaza, South Side of Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St.
  Take Back the Night is an annual rally and march protesting violence against women. Everyone is invited to join in the rally. Following the rally, women and transgender persons are invited to participate in the march, and men are invited to participate in a teach-in. Concert and refreshments immediately following.
• Melissa Ferrick with Kinnie Starr
  7:00 - 10:00 pm, The Highdive
  Tickets: $12
  Put her on a stage, and watch how within minutes Melissa Ferrick earns a fresh new batch of hardcore fans. She does it simply by being herself: fierce and funny, outspoken and vulnerable, passionate and playful. Above all, Ferrick's keenly aware that a truly memorable concert will contain as many shifts of energy and spur-of-the-moment surprises as life itself. Of course it doesn't hurt that she's a masterful guitarist. Or that she's got a powerhouse voice and a constantly deepening catalogue of irresistible songs. Then there's the emotional honesty of Ferrick's first-person lyrics; the force of her vocal delivery; the disciplined fury of her musicianship; and her instinctive ability to connect to her audience with both confidence and grace. Whether playing an acoustic set in an intimate club or rocking a crowd of thousands, Melissa takes command of her surroundings and beckons her growing community of listeners to hear where she'll take them next. And take them she does. Playing well over 150 dates a year, Melissa packs venues like Manhattan and LA's Knitting Factory, New Orleans' House of Blues, Slim's in San Francisco, and Boston's Somerville Theatre.
• Take Back the Night Concert
  8:30 pm, Wesley Foundation Great Hall, 2nd floor, 1203 W. Green St.
  Featuring Nedra Johnson, guitarist and musician of BigMouthGirl Records. Nedra Johnson is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist with a unique style of guitar playing. Her live, solo acoustic performances are more on an R&B tip then what one might expect of a "girl with a guitar."

Monday, April 24

• Lunch and Learn: Activism, Art, and Civil Rights a dialogue with Calvin Levels
  12:00 pm, Office for LGBT Concerns, 323 Illini Union
• Equal Marriage Illinois Activist Training
  6:30 - 9:00 pm, McKinley Foundation (809 S. Fifth St. Champaign)
  As part of a statewide campaign to raise awarenesss about the need for marriage equality in Illinois and to lay the groundwork for legal changes, the ACLU, Lambda Legal and Equality Illinois are working with local activists around the state to gather 400,000 signatures from voters in downstate Illinois in support of marriage equality. Dinner will be provided. Please RSVP to Allie Carter at 312-201-9740. CU at the Altar, a subgroup of the 85% Coalition, in conjunction with the Office of LGBT Concerns, is spearheading the local effort. CU at the Altar ran a similar outreach campaign in the summer of 2004 partnering with Lambda Legal. We called it the Marriage Equality Bus Tour and it included a Breakfast Dinner with games and food, a presence at Quad Day, coffee talks at Borders, street theatre in downtown Champaign and outreach at the Sweet Corn festival. It was loads of fun!

Tuesday, April 25

• Rainbow Coffeehouse will be CLOSED!
  We encourage you to attend Calvin Levels' performance instead.
• 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 Concerns.
• 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

• 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
• Joni Laurence's Final Champign Show
  7:00 pm, Canopy Club
  Joni Laurence's last show before moving to Portland is Wednesday, April 26 at the Canopy Club at 7:30 pm. It's all acoustic and all request. It's a non-smoking show, and the cost is $5. Doors open at 7:00.

Friday, April 28

• Butchlalis de Panochtitlan (BdP)
  5:30 pm, McKinley Foundation (corner of Fifth and Daniel)
  Butchlalis de Panochtitlan (BdP) is a sketch-driven performance/installation/video ensemble that maps Los Angeles on racialized female masculine bodies, as both characters and caricatures. The BdP are not drag kings, but butch dykes/transgender butches/gender queer speaking subjects that are not trying to pass as men; instead, the BdP explores the liminal space of queer boi-dom and the identities and the neighborhoods we claim and are claimed by. Sponsored by Gamma Phi Omega International Serority, Inc., SORF, Student Cultural Programming Fee, Student Affairs Programming Coordinating Council.
• 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 College Theatre.
  • 3:00 pm (1 hour show) - $4 admission charge
  • 8:00 pm (2 hour show) - $5 admission charge

Friday, April 28 - Monday, 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 GCAP 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. Fifth 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 UIUC 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.

Events for this calendar are taken from the Office for LGBT Concerns weekly newsletter. Please email all events submissions to Khristian Kemp-DeLisser. Please use the following subject: LGBT Website Event: EVENT NAME. The closer you can match your information to the format used above, the easier you make our tasks.

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