Confidential Coming-Out Counseling & Support Group -- sponsored by the GLBTSSS

This fall, the GLBT office will be sponsoring a Coming-out Counseling Group. This will be closed and confidential ten-week counseling and support group. Designed to help participants explore a variety of coming out issues, group topics will include exploring same-sex attractions, issues of self-esteem, coming out to self, family and friends, and other topics related to these issues. The group will meet every Wednesday evening (starting in October) until the end of the semester and is FREE!! People of all genders are welcome, but the group will be limited to 8 participants...so inquire early! If you are interested in participating and/or would like more information, please email me at glbtcoun@indiana.edu by Thursday, September 18th.

CALL FOR PROGRAMS - 2009 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference

My name is Eric Samuels and I am one of the Co-Chairs of the Workshops Committee for the 2009 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference (MBLGTACC) at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. MBLGTACC is an annual conference held to promote leadership, activism, networking, diversity, health, and empowerment among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and allied students, staff, and faculty around the Midwest. The next MBLGTACC, which will take place February 13th-15th, 2009 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana is currently looking for students, faculty, staff, and professionals to present workshops that will encourage the growth and development of issues related to the GLBT community. As a "Friend" of the GLBT Student Support Services Office, please feel free to submit a workshop proposal using the attached form. You may also find workshop submission form and other information about the conference at http://www.indiana.edu/~mblgta09/. Please also feel free to forward this message and information to anyone that you know who you think might want to attend MBLGTACC 2009. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at anytime at easamuel@indiana.edu.

A Study on Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Latinas

Calling all Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer Latinas !!! for a research study on their experiences. The study is specifically focused on how Latinas negotiate their sexuality when it comes to family, immigration and building healthy relationships in the United States. I started this project because I am committed to increasing the visibility of these women in the academy and to developing work that centers women's experiences in order to increase our visibility and level of importance. I am currently looking for Latinas interested in participating in this very important work. All I would need is approximately 1 -2 hours of your time on a day of your choice where we can sit down and talk in confidence about your experiences. The interviews can be done in person or over the phone and I am offering participants $20.00 in compensation for their time. If you or anyone you know is interested in participating please contact me at your convenience by email at katie.acosta@uconn.edu or by phone at 860-933-8082. This study has been approved by the institutional review board at the University of Connecticut.

IU Day of Silence - Wednesday, April 23rd

http://www.indiana.edu/~iudos/

This year the date set by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) for the National Day of Silencehttp://www.dayofsilence.org/is Friday, April 25th. This date is much later in April than past years and also the first time it's been set for a Friday. These changes work well for the many of the high schools that participate but as it falls this year on the very last day of classes at IU, the local committee decided to commemorate the day on Wednesday, April 23th.
T-Shirts and "Today I Choose to be Silent" lanyards
· We are again giving out 1000 FREE T-shirts. This year the t-shirts will say "Embrace Diversity."
· T-Shirts and lanyards will be distributed at the following locations as supplies last:
o Thursday, April 17th, 7:00 PM Read Formal Lounge
o Friday, April 18th, 7:00 PM Miss Gay IU
o Monday, April 21st, 8:00 AM GLBT Student Support Service Office
o Monday, April 21st, 11:00 - 1:00 Literature Desk IMU
o Monday, April 21st, 5:45 PM Gresham Dining Hall

Silent March/Breaking of the Silence
Wednesday, April 23rd
Students are encourage to take a vow of silence for all or part of the day (Wednesday, April 23rd). If you do or even if you don't we hope you will join others wearing your t-shirt for our silent march later that day. The march has 4 starting points and all will meet up at the Arboretum at the corner of Fee and 10th. From there the group will march together to gather in Dunn Meadow. Here are the starting locations and times:
5:00 Showalter Fountain
5:00 Jacobs School of Music Fountain
5:15 Teter in the grassy quad on 10th Street
5:15 McNutt circle drive

Film Screening and Response Panel - The Indiana premier of "For the Bible Tells Me So" -
Wednesday, April 23, 7:00 PM, Whittenberg Auditorium IMU
http://www.forthebibletellsmeso.org co-sponsored by the IU Day of Silence Committee and Union Board will be screened Wednesday, April 23, 7:00 PM, Whittenberg Auditorium IMU. Following the screening there will be responses by Sue Shifron (HILLEL), Pat Efiom (Bethel AME), and Jeff Schacht (Lutheran Campus Ministry) and audience discussion.

Transgender Panel

The 2008 Legislative session has ended, but we are trying to keep HB 1076 in everyone’s mind so it can be discussed throughout this next year. HB 1076 is the Bias Crimes Bill which would provide harsher sentences and punishments for those who attack and become violent towards a person or a group based on their race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.Indiana is one of seven states currently that does not have any hate crime legislation and we would like to change that.

On April 10, 2008,in the Maple Room at the Indiana Memorial Union from 7-8pm, come join us for a transgender panel in which transgender rights and the issue of hate crimes will be discussed. Please attend to expand your knowledge on this sensitive subject and further educate yourself about the challenges that this community faces.

We do encourage our participants to write a brief letter to their local representatives expressing their concern that Indiana does not have any hate crime legislation set into law. Materials will be provided at the forum. We encourage and appreciate your participation.

Thank you!

The Students of the Indiana University School of Social Work

Transgenderism: Understanding the Phenomenon and Issues Specific to the Transgender Community

National Association of Social Workers – Indiana Chapter Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues Committee (GLBT)Present

Transgenderism: Understanding the Phenomenon and Issues Specific to the Transgender Community

Friday, April 25, 2008 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. **EDT – Registration at 9:30 a.m.

Location: NASW-IN Office, 1100 W. 42nd Street, Suite 220, Indianapolis, IN 46208 Refreshments and Lunch included

Content: Transgenderism is a blanket term used to describe persons who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. This workshop will cover a wide range of issues related to the care and support of individuals who are transgendered. Included will be a look at the inadequacies of the two-and-only-two-sex/two-gender paradigm, a general discussion of the phenomenon of transgenderism, the DSM and its inclusion of transgenderism as a mental disorder, and issues specific to providing counseling and therapy to transgendered persons and the important people in their lives.

Objectives: After attending this workshop, participants should be able to:
1. Define transgenderism and identify the ways in which it can manifest
2. Explain the DSM diagnosis of gender identity disorder and discuss relevant issues surrounding it
3. Explain how the assumed sex/gender dichotomy adequately fails to describe that part of human experience referred to collectively as sex and gender

Presenters: Kand S. McQueen, Ph.D. Kand holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University in Inquiry Methodology and is currently an Associate Instructor at Indiana University’s School of Education. Kand’s research interests include assessing attitudes toward the atypically gendered; and deconstructing the two-and-only-two sex/two gender paradigm. Kand has conducted presentations concerning gender identity and transgenderism at conferences and universities nationwide.

Jean Capler, MSW, LCSW. Jean is currently in private practice in Bloomington, Indiana and specializes in providing psychotherapy services to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and InterSex community. Jean is also an associate professor in the Indiana University School of Social Work, teaching courses that include “Developmental Issues for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual People,” “Understanding Diversity in a Pluralistic Society,” and “Social Work Practice Skills.” In addition, Jean provides clinical supervision for Masters-level counseling students in their internship at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Support Services Office on the Indiana University campus. Jean can also be heard on the local, community-run WFHB radio program “BloomingOut.”

Pre-registration Deadline: April 18, 2008

Fee: NASW Member: $80.00 Non-NASW Member: $130.00 NASW Student/Retired Member: $50.00

FIVE EASY WAYS TO REGISTER:

On Line: www.naswin.org By Fax: 317-925-9364 By E-Mail: naswin@naswin.org By Phone: 317-923-9878

By Mail: NASW - Indiana Chapter, 1100 West 42nd Street, Suite 226, Indianapolis, IN 46208

PRIDE Film Festival

Here's the info about the film festival! For more information about the PRIDE Film Festival 2008's main film program happening January 24-26 at the Buskirk-Chumley go to: http://www.pridefilmfestival.org/

Remember Who Made You

http://www.rememberwhomadeyou.com/

Sponsored by:
Indiana University's Residential Programs & Serviceshttp://www.rps.indiana.edu/index.cfml, Community Educator Program http://www.cue.indiana.edu, GLBTSSS officehttp://www.indiana.edu/~glbt/ and the GLBT Alumni Association http://www.indiana.edu/~glbtaa/.

In this powerful 50-minute performance, the actor, theist, and GLBT advocate Jeffrey Barnes explores the myths, fears, and joys of being gay AND Christian. Through a series of costume changes and musical interludes, Jeffrey portrays the lives and challenges facing numerous characters throughout the play, each of whom is struggling with and asking questions about the comingling of sexuality and faith. The program will take place on Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 from 8:30-10:30 PM in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center, with doors opening around 8:15 PM. It is open to the entire IU community at no charge, though seating is limited to approximately 200 people. The entire evening consists of the 50-minute performance, actor-led discussion session, and catered social to follow in which audience members will be encouraged to discuss the ideas and characters presented in the play. Program's website http://www.rememberwhomadeyou.com.