Bridging Our Communities

---

GLBTA News & Events

UPDATED 11/22/09: Scroll down to read about (Bi)Sexuality 101, Pride @ Work events, our Genderheads planning meeting, and more!

(Bi)Sexuality 101
Wed, Dec 2, 1:00-4:00 PM
Coffman Union Presidents Room 332

(Bi)Sexuality 101 offers attendees an opportunity to explore an often-overlooked segment of the larger GLBTA community: people who identify as bi- and/or multisexual and those with more fluid sexual orientations. Participants discuss myths and stereotypes of bisexuals, learn how bi communities face bias and misunderstanding from those who are "monosexual," think critically about gender & sexuality, and leave with concrete examples of how we can help make our campus and communities welcoming & affirming for everyone. All are welcome! Prior attendance at an Ally Training is not necessary. Snacks and beverages will be served. Please RSVP to glbta@umn.edu.

St. Paul GLBTA Tuesday Lunch Group
Every Tuesday from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
115A St. Paul Student Center (or nearby)

Back by semi-popular demand! Join us near our satellite office in the St. Paul Student Center for this weekly bring-your-own lunch group dedicated to creating community and great conversations!

Pride @ Work End of Semester Breakfast
Tues, Dec 8, 7:30-9:00 AM
Appleby Hall 41

Join Pride @ Work for juice, bagels, and pre-work socializing just before finals!

Transgender Commission December Meeting
& Gender Dialogue
Wed, Dec 9, 2009, 3:00-5:00 PM
St. Paul Student Center, 1st Floor Minnesota Commons Room

Join the Transgender Commission to help set our agenda for the spring semester, discuss how the commission does its work and whose voices get heard, and engage in a dialogue about gender & culture! Snacks and beverages will be served. Everyone is welcome!

Genderheads Planning Meeting
Thurs, Dec 10, 4:00-5:30 PM
Appleby Hall 41

Genderheads is a series of informal discussions about our gendered lives: talking about how we experience gender identity, expression, roles, performance and perception, and their intersections with race, class, ability, sexuality, faith, age, culture, and all our identities. Each dialogue is led by different facilitator -- could be you! -- and may utilize questions, texts, films, art, activities, and more to prompt discussion. Join us on Dec 10 to plan how the series will run throughout spring semester! Everyone is welcome! Please contact TransCom@umn.edu for more information.

GLBTA International Initiative Blog Launched

Click here to access the new GLBTA International Initiative Blog! The purpose of this blog is to provide a space for current and prospective University of Minnesota students to have conversations about the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and ally communities around the world. People who post to this moderated forum do so anonymously, with the hope of encouraging more open and frank discussions. For more information, please contact intlglbt@umn.edu or call 612-626-2562.

Pride @ Work: Out After Work
Thurs, Dec 17, 4:00-7:00 PM
Tickles Bar
1032 3rd Ave NE, Mpls

Story about Transgender Commission in MN Daily

An article about the Transgender Commission and our restroom access work was printed in the Oct 15, 2009 edition of the Minnesota Daily, along with a map of gender-neutral restrooms on the Minneapolis campus. Read it here.

GLBTA Leadership Year

The GLBTA Leadership Year is an exciting new initiative offering an integrated, year-long learning experience for all interested undergraduate students. The Leadership Year is comprised of GLBT 3610 in fall semester, GLBT 3301 in spring semester, and culminates in a May term course where students travel to Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. for intensive study and dialogue with regional and national GLBTA leaders from organizations such as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Harvey Milk High School, and the National Center for Transgender Equality, among many others.

Want to learn more? Contact Anne Phibbs (Director) at 612-599-8335 or Beng Chang (Grad Asst) at 612-234-5060. Visit the GLBTA Leadership Year webpage for full information!

Beyond the Boxes: Emerging Trends in
LGBTQ Mental Health Conference
Friday, March 26, 2010
Coffman Union 3rd Floor
300 Washington Ave SE, Mpls

Beyond the Boxes is a comprehensive, culturally diverse, and practical one-day conference aimed at informing & engaging mental health providers, health care professionals, educators, and the general public about mental health issues as they relate to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities. This cutting-edge conference will explore changing paradigms in research, clinical practice and our understandings of diverse sexual and gender identities through over 40 workshops and keynote speaker Katherine "Kit" Rachlin, Ph.D. CEUs will be available. Presented by the MN LGBT Therapists Network, the Queer Student Cultural Center, and the GLBTA Programs Office. Visit our Beyond the Boxes page for more information!

---

Save the Date: Upcoming Events

Ally Training I
Thurs, Feb 18, 2010, 5:00-8:00 PM
Comstock Ballroom

(Trans)Gender 101
Wed, March 10, 2010, 1:00-4:00 PM
St. Paul Student Center - MN Commons Room

Ally Training II
Tues, April 13, 2010, 1:00-4:00 PM
West Bank TBA

BECAUSE 2010: Midwest Bisexuality Conference
April 16-18, 2010

14th Annual Lavender Celebration & Awards Ceremony
Thu, May 6, 2010
Location TBA

2nd U of MN GLBTA Systemwide Summit
November 6-7, 2010
University of Minnesota-Morris Campus

---

Community & Campus Events

Aurora Center: Men's Leadership Group
Thursdays at 6:00 PM
170 Ford Hall

Speak up. Stand out. Make a difference. Join the Men's Leadership Group for our weekly Thursday conversations to discuss ending men's violence against women and transforming masculinity through dialogue & education. Contact Keith at behrm003@umn.edu for more information.

Feminist Studies Colloquium
Imprisonment and Excessive Femininity: Reading Meinhof's Brain
Mon, Nov 23, 3:30–5:00 PM
105 Blegen Hall

The Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies program and the graduate program in Feminist Studies present the Feminist Studies Colloquium Series 2009-2010, featuring Dr. Amanda Third, a Senior Lecturer/Director at Murdoch University, Western Australia. Following her death in custody in Stammheim Prison in May 1972, unbeknownst to her family, the brain of German jounalist-turned-Rote Armee Faktion terrorist, Ulrike Meinhof, was removed and preserved for future neuroscientific study. In 2002, it came to light that a scientist based at the University of Magdeburg had conducted an extensive analysis of Meinho's brain in order to think through the links between imprisonment, female terrorism, and the containment of women in Western culture. Dr. Third argues that the removal of Meinhof's brain marks an attempt on behalf of the German state to contain not only the threat of this female terrorist beyond her death but also the ever present threat of excessive (political/criminal) femininity more generally. This event is free and open the public and refreshments will be provided.

Women in Transition Workshop
Wed, Dec 2, 3:00–5:00 PM
64 Biological Sciences Center (St. Paul Campus)

The Women's Center presents the Women in Transition Workshop: Get the Strategies, Opportunities and Support you need to Change Your Stripes and Do What You Love for A Living. You'll learn how to 1) Differentiate yourself in a tight market; 2) Network for success & interview to win; 3) Get the job that’s right for you; and 4) Put your financial fears to rest. Sponsored by WomenVenture, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the Women's Center. RSVP to anugrah.surachmat@thrivent.com. Seating is limited!

Used GLBT Book Sale
Sat, Dec 5, 1:00-4:00 PM
Quatrefoil Library
1619 Dayton Ave, Suite 105, St. Paul

Do the colder days make you want to stay inside and curl-up with a good book? Would you like to purchase some amazing books at unbelievable prices? If your answer is yes, the Quatrefoil Library has the deal for you! There will be a wide selection of GLBT paperbacks and hard covers, some starting at just $1.00! All proceeds from the book sale help support the Library.

Social Justice Leadership Retreat
January 16-18, 2010
Camp Courage
Annandale, MN

The University of Minnesota Social Justice Leadership Retreat takes 56 students and 18 facilitators away from campus for 3 days and 2 nights of amazing activities and story telling. After arriving mid-afternoon on day one, the group spends time developing trust and relationships in small groups of 7 students and 2 facilitations as well as through large group activities. The following two days are used to facilitate a journey for each student in exploring their own identities, sharing their personal story in their small group, listening to the personal stories of others, and attending training sessions on privilege, being an ally, and being a leader. The application is available online here.

White Privilege Conference 11: Got Privilege?
April 7-10, 2010
Lacrosse Convention Center
300 Harborview Plz, Lacrosse WI

The annual White Privilege Conference (WPC) serves as a yearly forum to examine and explore difficult issues related to white privilege, white supremacy and oppression. WPC provides a forum for critical discussions about diversity, multicultural education and leadership, social justice, race/racism, sexual orientation, gender relations, religion and other systems of privilege/oppression. The conference participants and presenters include corporate and non-profit community members, students, educators, activists, musicians and artists. This conference is about critically examining the society in which we live and working to dismantle systems of power, prejudice, privilege and oppression. Registration is available online. WPC 2011 will be held in Minneapolis!

---

This information is updated regularly. If you have questions, please email us or call 612-625-0537. Thank you!

(Bi)Sexuality 101 Training
Wed, Dec 2, 1:00-4:00 PM
See below for details!

---

E-Newsletter

Join our low-traffic listserv to receive the GLBTA Programs Office email newsletter and stay informed!

---

We Moved!

The GLBTA Programs Office has moved to the central East Bank location of Appleby Hall in an effort to be more accessible to our communities. We are now located in Appleby ground floor rooms 46-55; see our Contact Us page for specific info. Come visit us in our new campus home!

---

Announcements

---

Consortium Member

The University of Minnesota GLBTA Programs Office is a proud member of the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals.

---

The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities was ranked one of the Top 20 LGBT-Friendly Institutions of Higher Education in the United States by the Advocate College Guide.