November 24, 2009

 

Attending: 20

 

Check-ins: name, preferred pronoun, how your week is going, what are you thankful for about yourself

Vote on rather or not to support the proposal for gender-inclusive housing

-Gender-inclusive housing: a floor in (at least) Buchanan Towers on which someone who identifies as male can live with someone who identifies as female

--Allows people who are trans-identified to live with a roommate instead of being isolated in single rooms

-Vote

--In favor: 18

--Opposed: 0

--Abstaining: 0

Young adult novels with LGBT themes

Talk about last week's mission – stories

Activism

-the whole point of our club is activism, but so far we haven't been out in people's faces that often

-Types of activism

--Internal:

---Correct your own image, watch yourself

---Educate yourself

----Not just through formal education

----Exploring yourself, confronting yourself head-on

---Happens throughout your life

---Positive:

----Pre-requisite to other types of activism

---Negative:

----Doesn't affect anyone else, so if you don't build on your foundation it doesn't go farther

--External passive:

---Starting an online forum

---Ally ribbons and other clothing etc choices

---Talking to your friends, in a safe environment

---Setting an example for others

---Watching where your money goes – not contributing money to a certain organization

---Voting

---Coming to our club meetings (showing support)

---Positive:

----More personal, one-on-one interactions

---Negative:

----People you are reaching out to have to know what it means (ribbons, buttons, etc)

--External forward

---Holding a march or rally, tabling

---Organizing pride marches etc

---Correcting language NOT in a safe space

---Working for an organization (like the LGBTA)

---Choosing queer issues for assignments (can also be considered passive, depending on what the assignment is)

---Bringing things up in a classroom discussion

---Positive:

----More forward, hit a lot of people at one time

---Negative:

----Can turn people off, cross the boundary

----Could put you at risk

-Next week we will split into groups to come up with homework assignments for each type

-Everyone has their own comfort level, so some types of people are more comfortable with certain types of activism over others

Next week we're going to talk about LGBT Safe Space Training for faculty and staff, so think about:

-What needs to be included

-Logistics of it: how it should be done

-How to get staff and faculty to actually want to do it

Shirt news:

-Finally found a blue (not sure how bright it is), they should be able to be printed on very soon

Next week we'll have pizza!

Social event before the end of the quarter

-Sunday Dec. 6th, 6pm

Homework for this week

-Write a thoughtful paragraph/few sentences about why you support gender-neutral housing

OR

-Come up with a goal for Safe Space Training: what you want to come from it