LGBTA Committee Meeting September 25, 2012

12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Adelbert Hall, Room M2

Attendees: T. Kenny Fountain, Matthew Garrett, Jes Sellers, Jeremy Naab, Sarah Andrews, Lynn Singer, Mayo Bulloch, Judith Olson-Fallon, Jane Daroff, Liz Roccoforte, Quentin Jamieson, Ashley Dyer, Patricia Princehouse. Co-chairs Jes Sellers, Jane Daroff, and Sarah Andrews welcomed the committee and introductions were made. Announcements: -Sarah Andrews, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs in the Mandel School for Applied Social Sciences, announced a film viewing, GenSilent, a documentary about challenges around legality, care, etc. for the ageing “out” generation. There will be two showings, 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., free and open to the public. At the 4 p.m. showing, there will be a panel including a social worker who works with the elderly and an attorney. It will be in the Mandel Center. LGBT Center Update, Liz Roccoforte Liz Roccoforte, Director, LGBT Center, gave an update on the programming for the LGBT Center. National Coming Out Day is Thursday, October 11, and the Center is doing a week of programming around the day. There will be party in Thwing and the Center will be giving away free “LGBT? Fine by me” t-shirts. Allies can sign pledges to support LGBT issues. -The LGBT Center has 7 part-time student employees and the Center is almost fully staffed from 9 to 5. The student employees went through formal facilitation training. Ms. Roccoforte’s private office in the Center is completed. -Several new programs are on the schedule: “In(Queer)ies: Special Topics in LGBTQ Life”; a graduate and professional student LGBTQA game night, with free, fun snacks and no alcohol; and a film screening of Trembling Before G-D, about being gay in the orthodox Jewish community. -Safe Zone: There are currently 400 Safe Zone allies; Ms. Roccoforte has done workshops with Greek Life staff and several athletics departments, including the head football coach and women’s volleyball. Alumni Weekend update, Ashley Dyer Ashley Dyer, Alumni Relations, reported that they will be sponsoring four events for the LGBT alumni network: an LGBT Think forum on LGBT history in Cleveland; a film outing on Friday of alumni weekend, a planning meeting, and a dessert reception at the Center on Saturday night. Ms. Dyer also mentioned that they would like to utilize LGBT alumni to attend and represent CWRU at LGBT college fairs across the country.

Preferred Name, Jeremy Naab Jeremy Naab, operations analyst in the Registrar’s Office, reported that there is now a gender preferred name now in place in the Student Information System so students can enter a preferred name. This will benefit transgendered students who are presenting as a gender other than the one represented by their legal name, so that they don’t have to come “out” in class or in other places where their legal name might be present. As for the gender change policy, in order to change your gender in the Student Information System, a student will need to fill out a form and sign it; there is no need or a birth or doctor’s certificate. Social Events, Jane Daroff Co-chair Jane Daroff, University Counseling Services, discussed scheduling social events for faculty and staff for the academic year. A social event was planned for November 8 at Table 45, and staff and faculty, as well as University Circle partners (Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, VA Hospital, Metro) will be invited. New Business -PFLAG regional conference was held, 60 people attended. There was a presentation on transgender reconstructive surgery. Consolidated Printing prints the PFLAG newsletter pro-bono. If committee members are interested in receiving the newsletter, please send an email to Quentin Jamieson. PFLAG meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at Trinity Cathedral. -The Cleveland Psychoanalytic Center will be presenting a clinical workshop at the Peter B. Lewis Building on Saturday, October 20, 2012, titled “Developmental Considerations in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with Gay Men.” The presentation will be given by Dr. Gary Grossman and attendees can receive continuing education credits. -Ms. Roccoforte announced that she will be convening an LGBT Center Community Advisory group, which will meet two to three times per year to provide suggestions, guidance, feedback, and to assist with sustaining the LGBT Center with outside sources. -Student Zach Gallagher won the Nock Scholarship for the second year in a row. -Matthew Garrett, assistant professor in the music department, will be reaching out to faculty and staff working on LGBTA-related research. He would like to get a group going, and will be presenting information to the Academic Affairs Council and the Deans Council. -There was much discussion regarding LGBT-themed courses for students, especially a SAGES first-year seminar. A faculty member will need to teach the course. The meeting was adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Minutes by H. McGivern