Transgender Week Of Awareness On U of L Campus

U of L's Office for LGBT Services and several LGBT student organizations will once again join with the surrounding Louisville community to celebrate Transgender Week of Awareness November 14-20, 2010. The week is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of transgender people and to remember those who were killed during the year because of their gender identity/expression. Transgender Day of Remembrance is celebrated internationally on November 20 each year.

Community partners that are collaborating with U of L include Sienna, the Women's Center at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the Transgender Education Center (TEC), and Diversity Consultants. Student organizations such as commonGround, BlkOut, Transformations, and T2 are all planning events.

For a full schedule, visit http://louisville.edu/lgbt/news-and-events/transgender-week-of-awareness.ics.

The university has made great strides in the last few years in creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for all people regardless of gender identity or expression. A nondiscrimination policy that includes gender identity, more gender neutral restrooms, nationally-recognized transgender keynote speakers, and two active organizations for trans students are just a few of the milestones from the last few years. Join us for this important celebration!

A Winning GLBT Team

TransGriot Note: For the purposes of journalistic integrity I did serve for a year as the secretary on the CFAIR board.

The 2010 midterms were not a good night for the liberal progressive side, and we will have to regroup and retool for the next election cycle.

In this post mortem period we'll need to take a look at the things and strategies that worked in this cycle and what didn't.

If I told you there was a GLBT organization that on Tuesday night managed the goals of expanding the number of fair minded judges in their county court system, helped a friendly school board member under attack from the left and right stay on the school board, kept an anti-gay Republican mayoral candidate from being elected, defeated a long time anti-gay nemesis in his city council reelection bid,  kept one house of their state legislature from flipping to Republican control by limiting the damage to just seven defeated Democrats, and they did it in a red state, wouldn't you want to know what the name of that organization was, who was running it, and finally how they did it?

Well, the organization that pulled off all those tasks was CFAIR, the Committee for Fairness and Individual Rights, the political arm of the Louisville, KY based Fairness Campaign.

Not bad for a organization that was once told by the national GL establishment when they appealed for help over two decades ago to pass inclusive GLBT civil rights laws in Louisville and Lexington that they were a 'backwater'  that would never pass anything.


But you have to admit those were daunting tasks facing a GLBT rights political org in a less than ideal election environment for a progressive leaning organization.

And check out this commercial they ran with GOP Louisville mayoral candidate Hal Heiner trying to explain away why he donated $20,000 of his personal funds to support the 2004 anti same gender marriage amendment vote. 

CFAIR is currently run by co-chairs Nick Wilkerson and 2000 IFGE Trinity Award winner Dawn Wilson   

When you ask them the question why they are so successful doing what they do in a red state like Kentucky, they'll say it's because they have a great team of people that do whatever it takes to get the job done.

They did have a few setbacks on Tuesday.    One of their endorsed judicial candidates and a JCPS school board candidate narrowly lost their races.   It was a wash because the opponents of both those candidates also sought the C-FAIR endorsement.     An openly gay man they endorsed for Metro Council lost his race along with three longshot candidates, but overall those folks who received the CFAIR seal of approval were successful.    

The next major projects on the CFAIR horizon?   Prepare for the upcoming critical Kentucky legislative session and continue the work in conjunction with the Statewide Fairness Coalition to pass a statewide Fairness law to cover all GLBT residents of the Bluegrass state not covered by the civic laws now in place in Louisville, Lexington, Covington and Bowling Green.

Upcoming 'Swapping Stories' Event On U of L Campus

TransGriot Note: An interesting announcement of an upcoming event on the U of L campus from Brian Buford that I'd thought I'd share with you and my Kentuckiana TransGriot readers.

Next week we are kicking off an award-winning project we created with the Baptist Campus Ministries (BCM) to explore how people on opposite sides of an issue come together in respect and friendship. It's called "Swapping Stories" and the title refers to the common experience among people who identify as Christian or LGBT (or both!) of telling a story about their lives. If you are LGBT, it's your coming out experience. If you're Christian, it might be your spiritual transformation or testimony. If you identify as both, it could include elements of both stories from your life.

The world tells us that these two groups can never come together unless it's in conflict, arguments, and hurt feelings. But Swapping Stories is all about setting aside agendas and learning to listen to another person's story. This experience demonstrates that we more alike than different. It's social justice and peace making in their truest sense, challenging some of the most basic societal rules and assumptions that have developed from years of misunderstanding.

So how does it work? Here's a brief description:

Students who choose to participate will attend a kick-off session next Thursday, October 28, at 7 p.m. in the Cultural Center. After a short training on the principles of Swapping Stories, you'll be paired up with a lunch partner and we'll give you $10 to spend on a meal together. Your job is to go out to eat, share your stories with one another, and see what happens! It's as easy as that. Your assignment will be to listen without judgment, honor one another's experience, and look for common ground. Everyone will come back together for dinner on November 9 at 8:30 (right after commonGround and BCM meetings conclude that night) to talk about how it went and what we learned.

REAL change happens when we step outside our comfort zone, and I know that for many of us, this is a big step. Come learn more about it at the kick off, and hear from the leaders of both groups who practiced earlier this week, as well as those who swapped stories in 2008. We won a "Spirit of Diversity" award that year for this project, and we expect another successful year!

(One important addition: We are committed to making this a safe, affirming, positive experience for everyone involved and making certain that your identity is respected. If at any point you have concerns, the Office for LGBT Services is here to intervene and help you resolve them. Participation is voluntary and it's always your choice whether to continue or not.)

Swapping Stories Kick Off
Thursday, October 28, 2010
7 p.m.EDT
Cultural Center

First preference for participating will be given to students who are members of the BCM or an LGBT student organization at U of L. Light refreshments will be served!

U of L Vigil To Honor Victims of LGBT Bullying

The members of the new Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) invite you to stand in solidarity against all forms of bullying, hate, and bias at the University of Louisville.

Honoring recent college students who committed suicide after being bullied, the vigil will be an opportunity to speak out against all forms of hate and commit to a welcoming, hate-free campus.

BIRT is comprised of the following:

PEACC
The Cultural Center
The Office for LGBT Services
Housing and Residence Life
The Vice Provost for Diversity and International Affairs

The vigil will take place at the Red Barn on the University of Louisville campus today from 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT.

U of L Pride Week 2010

Won't be there, seeing the wonderful folks I got to know on campus or taking part in this one, (maybe next year) but the annual student-driven celebration of LGBT contributions to the University of Louisville campus and greater community kicks off later today.

The Pride keynote speech on Thursday will be given this year by Kate Clinton.

In addition the the keynote speech, it features a host of fun, educational events open to everyone! Whether you're LGBT or just interested in learning more about this community, join us for Pride 2010. Sponsored by the Vice Provost for Diversity and International Affairs, Information Technology, the Women's and Gender Studies Department, the Human Resources Department, and the School of Medicine.


Monday, September 20

11:00 am
Pride Flag Raising Ceremony with BlkOut
Clocktower, West Lawn

Noon
Pride Kickoff Cookout hosted by commonGround, LGBT Services, and BlkOut
Music, food, LGBT vendors, Pride shirts, dunking booth, and more!
West Lawn, Red Barn

7 pm
Film and Discussion, "Freeheld"
Presented by the Kentucky Fairness Alliance
Hosted by Faculty and Staff for Human Rights
Chao Auditorium

Tuesday, September 21

Noon
Brown Bag Lunch: Domestic Violence and LGBT Relationships
Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice

4 pm
Field Day/Gay Games with commonGround
West Lawn

7 pm
Louisville is Burning: Exploring Ball Culture
Sponsored by BlkOut
Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library

Wednesday, September 22

11:30 am
International Tea/Lunch
LGBT Issues Abroad
Cultural Center

7 pm
Parents Night with PFLAG
Hosted by commonGround
Cultural Center, Multipurpose Room

Thursday, September 23

Noon
Pride Interfaith Service
Interfaith Center

4-5:30 pm
Queer Women's Health Caucus
Hosted by Campus Heatlh Services
Light dinner included.
Multipurpose Room, Cultural Center

6 pm
LGBT Alumni Reception
The Intersection, Red Barn

Kate Clinton 7 pm
Pride Keynote Address by Kate Clinton
"Lady Ha Ha Does Louisville"
Comstock Hall, School of Music

Parking for Kate Clinton keynote: Choose the red parking lot next door to the School of Music, the blue lot at 3rd and Brandeis, or the Speed Museum's parking garage on 3rd Street. Directions are available here.

8 pm
After Party for Kate Clinton
The Monkey Wrench (21 and over)
1025 Barret Avenue



Friday, September 24

7 pm
Pride Rally to Honor LGBT and Ally Women
Red Barn, West Lawn

8:30 pm
Pride Rally After Party
Hosted by BlkOut
Wick's Pizza
975 Baxter Avenue
Saturday, September 25


9 am
Statewide Fairness Summit
Floyd Theatre, Student Activities Center

9 pm
Pride Dance
Hosted by CommonGround
Red Barn

Sunday, September 26

11 am
Pride Service
Community Empowerment Center
1036 Euclid Avenue

1 pm
Louisville AIDS Walk
The Belvedere, Downtown Louisville
Onnembo

On Display

Ekstrom Library will be displaying books and memorabilia from its LGBT collection all week. Stop by anytime to the display and learn more about the resources available on campus.

U of L To Host Statewide Fairness Coalition Fall Summit

Even though I'm now 1000 miles from Louisville and the state of Kentucky, I still am in contact with many of the people and organizations I gave time to, helped and was a part of for the almost 8 years I lived there.

Received this e-mail recently about this upcoming Kentucky specific event while I was moping about not being there for Carla's Lawn Party.

Since I still have a lot of peeps from Da Ville and the Bluegrass state checking in and even dropping comments on this blog from time to time, thought I'd post it.

I attended the spring Statewide Fairness Summit in Frankfort, and now it's time for the fall edition to happen and plot the next steps toward getting a statewide Fairness law.

The Statewide Fairness Coalition Fall Summit 2010 will will take place September 25 from 9:00am EDT - 5:00pm EDT on the University of Louisville campus just south of downtown.

Figures y'all would have it in Da Ville after I leave.

Just as with the spring event, it's FREE Registration with breakfast and lunch provided.

Students are enthusiastically wanted and encouraged to attend. Supporters from across the state are needed to strategize for Statewide Fairness with Coalition members ACLU-KY, Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, and Lexington Fairness!

Since this is occurring during U of L's Pride Week celebration, there will be a special student event. So if you're a college student thinking about attending ask for the details about the Friday night special student event as part of U of L's Pride Week.

Travel and lodging assistance is also available for students withing to attend as well.

You can register for the event by e-mailing Laura@Fairness.org as expeditiously as possible. If you're a college student, note that in your e-mailed registration as well.

I won't be there, but I'm confident the folks in my other hometown will put on an informative and great event.