Spring 2014 Newsletter
Why be Involved?
Fall Snapshot
Inside This Issue Front Fall 2013 Snapshot “Why be Involved?” SpringOut! Back Tunnel of Oppression LGBT+ Lecture Series Advancing Equality Day Coming Out Alumni Letter Letter from the President Spring 2014 Calendar Meetings
Wednesday Nights
7pm BAS 328 Membership Dues
$25
This last Fall MT Lambda celebrated a major milestone in our history. October 20th marked the twenty-­‐fifth anniversary of our founding at MTSU, making us the oldest LGBT+ student organization at a public college or university in the state. Our Officer Board set out with this in mind when they began planning our Fall programming. Throughout the summer our Officers worked to recover much of our lost history, more than doubling the size of our Archive. Getting b ack in touch with one of our Founders, as well as n umerous Officers and M embers from every year in Lambda’s past, we were able to put our Archive on display in the James E. Walker Library as part of LGBT+ History Month at MTSU as well as host our Inaugural LGBT+ Alumni Dinner. Our exhibit brought international attention to the work we’re doing at MTSU and our dinner rejuvenated a base of LGBT+ & Allied Alums of MTSU, many of which had not looked back at the work they did while they were enrolled on campus since their graduation. We also launched the first installment of our LGBT+ Lecture Series, engaging and educating almost 200 MTSU students and community members on various LGBT+ issues. We also co-­‐sponsored the second annual MTSU Little Raiders Program, which provides Christmas presents to children of MTSU students who are in need. For the past twenty-­‐five years the officers and members of MT Lambda have fought for the rights of all LGBT+ students at MTSU and h ave consistently strived to educate and engage both the MTSU student body and the Murfreesboro community in our push for equality. The main reason why MTSU is so inclusive and respective of all diversity is because there were those in Lambda’s past who fought to make M TSU what it is today. As the incident with our Archive Exhibit last semester has proven to us, we still have a long way to go in being an equally respected community within the student body. Without the support of students h elping us forge a path to acceptance, the open campus we’ve inherited from our predecessors will vanish. Lambda holds weekly meetings, numerous academic events –many of which are offered as extra credit in select courses, and have a variety of opportunities for students and members to log service hours throughout the semester. Our officers are here to support and represent those members who p ut forth time and energy supporting the organization. Everyone is welcome in Lambda, including our Straight Allies, and we are always open to new and innovative ideas for our programming. “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi~ mtlambda@mtsu.edu
Office: STU 320G
2013-2014 Officer Board
President: Joshua Rigby
Vice President: Hannah Todd
Secretary: Shaela Dennis
Treasurer: Geo Gaitan
Public Relations:
Michael Raymond
Faculty Advisor:
William Langston
MT Lambda Scholarship & Awards Each year M T Lambda awards a $500 scholarship as well as f our awards to outstanding members of the organization. Scholarship applications will be open after spring break. For more information on scholarship applications or award nominations see an officer Dedicated Member Award Lambda Activist Award Silent Member Award SpringOut! StepUp! Award SpringOut!~LGBT+ College Conference
Since the Spring of 2003 MT Lambda has hosted what has become known as our signature annual event –SpringOut!. Each year the week focuses on philanthropy, educational opportunities, community engagement, and gives the LGBT+ & Allied student body here at MTSU the opportunity to come out and show their PRIDE for the LGBT+ community. Taking place annually the April, each year MT Lambda bring a noted Keynote speaker to campus, each carrying a message regarding LGBT+ issues. Last year Chaz Bono was featured as our annual keynote, discussing Transgender issues and his person journey. This year our focus will be on bullying issues regarding LGBT+ youth. This year our SpringOut! week will end with our Inaugural LGBT+ College Conference. Incorporating all of the LGBT+ higher education student organizations around the state, the conference is aimed at educating and empowering LGBT+ students to take charge on their individual campuses and begin to positively affect campus climate and their surrounding communities. The theme of our th
th
inaugural conference is “The Advocate In You!”. The conference will take place here at MTSU April 10 -­‐12 ; and is free for all students in Tennessee with a valid Student ID. Programming to date is subject to change, however, several of the breakout sessions and conference programs are listed below. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee awarded a discretionary grant to support the effort and The College of Behavioral and Health Sciences is the academic partner for the conference. Corporate and community leaders are also validating the value of the event with their support. Deloitte Services LLP and Nissan North America have signed on to be Presenting Sponsors for the event. Additional supporters of the event include the June Anderson Center, McDonald’s, MTSU’s National Women’s History Month Committee, MTSU Student Programming, the Rutherford County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Tennessee Equality Project, and the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. Conference presenters currently include -­‐ MTSU Alumnus Alan Gendreau, Actress Jennifer Lanier, Deloitte S ervices Director Jan Maddox, Stephen Loveless of the Tennessee Equality Project, and Elizabeth Birch as the main Keynote A ddress. “We cannot afford to be
separate…We have to
see that all of us are
in the same boat.”
~Dorothy Height~ Friend-­‐raising and Fundraising Building an Engine of Change LGBT+ and Communities of Color Queering the Spectrum Corporate Diversity Intersectionality “Life of Bi” Trans Talk Current and Future Political Landscape in Tennessee Breaking the Barriers of Athletics by Alan Gendreau Film: M iracles on Honey Bee Hill Conference Awards Ceremony Performance by Jennifer Lanier Tunnel of Oppression LGBT+ Lecture Series Advancing Equality Day Coming Out MT Lambda will be partnering with the June Anderson Center & MTSU Housing to host MTSU’s first Tunnel of Oppression on Feb 20th. The Tunnel is an interactive event where participants are guided through a series of scenes that highlight contemporary issues of oppression. The Tunnel will be held in the Tom Jackson Building This Spring M T Lambda will be presenting our second LGBT+ Lecture Series. Each lecture will focus on a different aspect of the LGBT+ community, and all will be presented by M TSU faculty. March 11th marks the 10th anniversary of Advancing Equality Day on the Hill. Organized by the Tennessee Equality Project, this event brings together community members from across the entire state to meet with their state representatives and discuss pressing legislative issues of the day. Coming Out as being LGBT+ can be an extremely difficult process for LGBT+ individuals. On March 26 select Lambda m embers will be presenting their coming out stories. Community m embers and all MTSU students are welcome to attend LGBT+ Issues & Feminism: An Intersection Feb 26 BAS Statefarm Room A discussion about the connections between LGBT+ & the Feminist Movement Beyond Phobias March 19 BAS 128 A presentation on what to do when encountering homophobia & transphobia F(l)ags of our Father: Homophobia Cloaked as Patriotism April 9 BAS Statefarm Room An exploration of the sacred term “patriotism” and it’s use in enforcing heteronormative political structures. Also, during the week of SpringOut! there will be a Coming Out Stories Wall on the back of the KUC, giving all students on campus a chance to “come out” for anything they’re in support of or anything they identify with. Alumni Letter: Christy Osborne; President 1993-­‐94 Truly historic advancements toward LGBT+ rights and equality have been and are developing at an unprecedented rate. Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign even referred to 2013 as “the gayest year in gay history”. However, there is still m uch to be done. I attended MTSU, joined Lambda, and served a term as President in the early nineties. The group’s main goals at that time were pretty basic: secure meetings space on campus, provide a collective voice of support and advocacy, and create a network of supportive students, staff and faculty. MT Lambda has evolved significantly since then and the group’s achievements over the years have been both numerous and impressive. This year MT Lambda will host an Inaugural LGBT+ Conference and the proceeds will be used to support the exploration of a possible LGBT+ Student Center for Research & Study at MTSU. We have come a long way. We still have a long road ahead. Stay involved. Sincerely, Christy Osborne
As we enter the second semester of our twenty-­‐fifth year at MTSU I must say that I never imagined I would have this much pride in the members of our organization, both past and present. This past fall was one of the most program packed and engaging semesters Lambda has ever faced, and we’re aiming for an even bigger semester this spring. We had overwhelming support for all of our events this past semester and were able to reconnect with twenty-­‐five years of Alums at our Alumni dinner. A lums who, spread throughout the years, have touched Lambda in various ways and throughout their own journeys, but all of whom have played a role in making MTSU the campus we’re able to enjoy today. I know this Spring is going to be busy for all of us, but after last semester I could not be more confident in our members’ ability to get the job done. Sincerely, Spring 2014 Calendar of Events
January Date Location Event Jan 22 BAS 328 Jan 28 STU Lobby Hot Cocoa Mixer Table: Int’l Holocaust Remembrance Day Jan 29 BAS 328 Safer Sex with Nashville Cares February Date Feb 5 Feb 12 Feb 19 Feb 20 Feb 26 Date Mar 5 Mar 18 Mar 19 Mar 26 Date Apr 2 Apr 5 Apr 7-­‐12 Apr 16 Apr 23 Apr 30 Location SpringOut! Focus Points Time Social 7-­‐9pm Event Focus Coming Out Wall: Front of KUC: April 7-­‐11 Mar 31 STU Commons Drag Show Ticket Sales Com Edu 2phr 10-­‐2pm Apr 1-­‐3 STU Commons Drag Show Ticket Sales Com STU C
ommons
E, S, & C E & C 2 7-­‐9pm Apr 7 Outapalooza! Apr 7 JUB Spring Out Drag Out! S & C Apr 8 STU Commons No H8 Photo Booth S & C Focus Points Time Apr 8 TBA Lambda Baking Party S Table & Bake-­‐sale: Asexual Identities Edu 5 7-­‐9pm Apr 9 KUC Knoll Edu E & P 5 7-­‐9pm Apr 9 BAS Statefarm Lecture: F(l)ags of our Father Edu Social 1 7-­‐9pm 1 BAS 328 Vandy Event Bayard Rustin Film Lambda Social MT Lambda Game Night Tom Jack Tunnel of Oppression BAS Statefarm Lecture: LGBT+ & Feminism: An Intersection Edu 5 7-­‐9pm Location Event Lambda Learns to Dance KUC Theater TBA March Table: Int’l Day Against Homo/Transphobia Edu 1 Focus Points Soc 2 Edu 2phr Edu 5 Com 1 Date Time 7-­‐9pm 10-­‐2pm Location Points Time 1phr 1phr 3phr 5 1phr 1 2phr 5 10-­‐2pm 10-­‐2pm 10-­‐2pm 7-­‐9pm 10-­‐2pm 6pm 10-­‐2pm 7-­‐9pm Inaugural LGBT+ College Conference 1-­‐8pm KUC Knoll BAS 128 Lecture: Beyond Phobias 7-­‐9pm BAS 328 Coming Out Stories 7-­‐9pm April Location Event Focus Points Time Pizza Night & Conference Discussion S & C BAS 328 1 7-­‐9pm Langston’s SpringOut! BBQ & Construction S & C 2phr 11-­‐3pm *** *** SpringOut! & Conference *** *** Com BAS 328 Spring Semester Discussion 1 7-­‐9pm Com BAS 328 2014-­‐15 Officer Nominations 1 7-­‐9pm Com BAS 328 2014-­‐15 Officer Elections 1 7-­‐9pm Letter from the President Apr 10 Apr 10 Apr 11 Apr 11 Apr 12 Apr 12 Apr 12 STU Conference Programming KUC Theater Film: Miracles on Honey Bee Hill KUC Theater Conference Programming STU Ballroom Jennifer Lanier Keynote Performance E, P, & C E, P, & C STU Conference Programing E, P, & C E, P, & C Edu STU Ballroom Elizabeth Birch Keynote Address E, P, & C JUB Conference Awards Ceremony Com *** 5 *** 5 *** 15 10 TBA 6pm TBA 7pm TBA TBA TBA “Focus” Column P-­‐Political E-­‐Educational C-­‐Community S-­‐Social *Dates in bold are regular Wednesday Night Meetings* Full event details may be found on Lambda's Webpage: capone.mtsu.edu/mtlambda Membership Dues are $25.00; Points needed to vote in the end of year elections will be posted on our webpage before the end of February. Only members who have paid dues & earned the necessary points may vote.