EDITORS: A complete schedule of events is attached.
"Celebrating Our Community" is the theme of October's LesBiGayTrans Awareness month activities sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender Resource Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
A variety of activities are scheduled throughout the month, including panel discussions on gender identity, the portrayal of gays on television, bias motivated incidents and politics.
According to Beverly Tuel, GLBTRC director, the activities can serve as opportunities for building community among different groups, both inside and outside of the gay community.
"Some of the sessions are about how the gay community interacts with itself, and addresses questions about what the gay community is and especially how transgendered people find a place for themselves among GLB communities," Tuel said.
"We also feature broader discussions on gender identity, GLBT struggles for social justice and international perspectives on same-sex relationships, to name a few. The topics are designed to be interesting to people of all sexual orientations," she said.
GLBT Awareness Month coincides with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, which celebrates the courage of millions of bisexual, transgender, lesbian and gay people who publicly identify themselves as a member of the GLBT community. The CU-Boulder gathering will take place at the UMC Trumbo Fountain from noon to 1 p.m., followed by an Open House at the center from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
"National Coming Out Day gives the campus community an opportunity to celebrate CU-Boulder GLBT members and is also a time when others, regardless of their sexual orientation, can show their support for the GLBT community," Tuel said.
Rainbow ribbons, a symbol of support for GLBT community members, will be available at the UMC loggia and various locations around campus throughout the month.
Other GLBT Awareness Month programs include:
* A Goddess Theatre production, "Chat.com," which explores the world of chat rooms and people's willingness to both mask and expose their true selves via a modem and computer screen (Oct. 8 to Oct. 30, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., at the Old Main Chapel. Ticket prices range from $7 to $10)
* An interactive theater production on acquaintance sex assault by the CU-Boulder Rape and Gender Education (COURAGE) program and the GLBTRC (Oct. 13, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Koenig Alumni Center)
* "Correct Me if I'm Right," a comedy performance featuring Kate Clinton, one of America's brightest political comedians (Oct. 18, 7 p.m., UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom)
* "Blood & Tears: Poems for Matthew Shepard," a poetry reading by Scott Gibson and other local poets in honor of a gay University of Wyoming student who was brutally murdered (Oct. 25, 7 p.m., UMC 305)
All events, except for the Goddess Theatre production, are free and open to the public. People of all sexual orientations are invited to attend.
The GLBT Resource Center provides information and referral services, educational, cultural and social programming, and advocacy for the GLBT communities on the CU-Boulder campus. It also provides networking for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered groups on and off campus.
For more information call (303) 492-1377 or visit the Web site at . The site includes the center's resource guide, calendar, hours and location.
CU-BOULDER GLBT RESOURCE CENTER
OCTOBER LESBIGAYTRANS AWARENESS MONTH ACTIVITIES
"CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY"
Fabulous First Friday
Friday, October 1, 4-5 p.m.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center (334 Willard)
Meet new and old friends at this informal discussion hour at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center.
Nadle/Homoliasia/Entendido/Hijra: Sex, Gender, & Sexual Orientation in Cross-cultural Perspective
Monday, October 4, 7-9 p.m.
Dennis Small Center (305 UMC)
Queer here and everywhere. A culturally diverse panel of speakers will discuss sex, gender, and sexual orientation in cross-cultural perspective.
Gender Straightjacket: Why Gender Identity Matters to More than Just Trans Folks
Wednesday, October 6, 6-8 p.m.
UMC 230
This unique panel will give interested community members an opportunity to explore the interconnected relationship between transgender rights and GLB struggles for social justice. The panel plans to discuss the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the recent motion to include Transgender as a protected class in the City of Boulder's Human Rights Ordinance. Please attend this event and become acquainted or reacquainted with the ways transgender social activism has impacted the very ways society conceptualizes prescribed gender roles.
Chat.com
Fridays, Saturdays, (8 p.m.), Sundays, (2 p.m. matinee) October 8-30
Old Main Chapel
This unique Goddess Theatre production explores the world of chat rooms and people聮s willingness to both mask and expose their true selves via a modem and computer screen. In the words of the writer, "There is an amazing amount of trust on the net. You trust people to be who they really are, but also understand that they can be whoever they want to be." Join Goddess Theatre and explore the struggles of Charlie and her conflict between societal expectations and inner desires.
The opening night performance of Chat.com is a fundraiser for the GLBT Resource Center. Saturday, October 9th is a company benefit while Sunday, October 10th is a free matinee performance for the community. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission, $9 for students/seniors and $7 for limited income. For more information contact Goddess Theatre at 303-664-9697.
Rainbow Ribbon Campaign
Monday-Friday, October 11-15
UMC Loggia table and locations around campus
Show your support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered members of our community by wearing a rainbow ribbon this week and every week!
National Coming Out Day Celebration & Open House
Monday, October 11
Celebration
Noon-1 p.m., UMC Trumbo Fountain
National Coming Out Day celebrates the courage of millions of bisexual, transgender, lesbian, and gay people who live proudly and honestly as who they are. Take your next step in coming out, whether it聮s telling a friend, making a speech, or "outing" yourself as an ally.
Open House
4-6 p.m., Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Resource Center (334 Willard)
Continue the celebration at the GLBT Resource Center聮s annual open house!
Interactive Theater Comes Out: Reception and Debut Performance
Wednesday, October 13, 6-7:30 p.m.
Koenig Alumni Center
CU聮s Rape and Gender Education (COURAGE) and the GLBTRC have collaborated to ensure that lesbian, bisexual, and gay students聮 needs are addressed by campus prevention programs with this innovative project. Interactive theater is a creative and engaging tool to address difficult issues and will be used in this setting to "out" the topic of male-male sexual assault in the gay community. Come see a scenario called the Four "I"s, which depicts a prevalent pattern of acquaintance sex assault.
Videos for Lunch: Out of the Past
Friday, October 15, Noon-1:15 p.m.
Dennis Small Cultural Center (UMC 305)
Out of the Past makes the connection between past and present. The film follows a young woman's struggle to start a gay-straight alliance in her public high school in Salt Lake City, Utah, and portraying five lesbians and gay men from crucial periods in American history, from the days of the Puritan New England colonies through the turbulent decade of the 1960s. Winner of an Audience Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.
Comedian Kate Clinton
Monday, October 18, 7 p.m.
Glenn Miller Ballroom
Kate Clinton, one of America聮s brightest political comedians, will perform her newest one-woman show "Correct Me If I聮m Right" which recently premiered off-Broadway at the Westbeth Theatre Center. This humorist/monologist's agenda includes political material as fresh as the daily news, savvy send-ups of modern family relationships and illuminating perspectives on life as a gay American. Besides performing, Clinton writes monthly columns for The Progressive and The Advocate, and recently published "Don聮t Get Me Started" in 1998. Other career highlights include appearances on Comedy Central, Entertainment Tonight and The Rosie O聮Donnell Show. Please call the Cultural Events Board at 303-492-3227 for more information.
Off the Straight and Narrow: Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals in Television
Thursday, October 19, 5-6:30 p.m.
Dennis Small Center (305 UMC)
A colloquium presented by Dr. Meg Moritz, Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. "Off the Straight and Narrow" is the first in-depth documentary to cast a critical eye over the growth of gay images on TV. Explore how we are to make sense of the transformation in gay representation from virtual invisibility before 1970 to the gay chic of the 1990s.
Hate on Campus: Bias Motivated Incidents at CU
Thursday, October 21, 4-6 p.m.
Dennis Small Cultural Center
Why are hate crimes different from other crimes? Do bias motivated incidents happen at CU Boulder? What can I do if I or someone I know becomes a target? Do the police take these things seriously? Get answers to these and other questions at this panel discussion with representatives from Student Affairs, Victims Assistance, CU Police, and community organizations.
Blood & Tears: Poems for Matthew Shepard
Monday, October 25, 7 p.m.
Dennis Small Cultural Center, (UMC 305)
In an attempt to create a constant reminder of what can happen when violence erupts out of hatred, local poet, Scott Gibson has compiled Blood and Tears, Poems for Matthew Shepard, an anthology of poetry in honor of Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was brutally murdered. Most of the poems in this book were written specifically for Shepard after his death, while others, written previously, have been submitted in his honor. The evening will feature ten local poets whose poems are featured in Blood and Tears including Anne Waldman, Reed Bye, Akilah Oliver, and Andrew Schelling.
Working it Out: GLBT Politics for the New Millennium
Tuesday, October 26, 7 p.m.
Old Main Theatre
Ever imagine what would happen if a gay political conservative discussed transgender inclusion with a queer grass-roots socialist revolutionary? You guessed it! A whole lot of debate, laughter and a realization of political similarities and differences. In a roundtable format, leaders of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer movements in Colorado will come together to discuss their personal political ideologies in regards to "hot topics" in "the movement". Audience members will have an opportunity to respond, question and explore stances, arguments, and ideas of these Colorado activists. Ultimately the evening will shed light on ways GLBT communities can build bridges for the future.
Videos for Lunch: Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker
Wednesday, October 27, 12-1:30 p.m.
Dennis Small Cultural Center (UMC 305)
This academy award nominated film vividly portrays the life and work of the woman described by the LA Times as "the Rosa Parks of gay rights." During the repressive 1950s, Dr. Hooker undertook ground-breaking research that led to a radical discovery: homosexuals were not, by definition, "sick". This discovery ultimately led to the American Psychiatric Association聮s 1973 removal of homosexuality as a mental disorder. This film features rare footage and Dr. Hooker聮s insights into gay marriage and the "gay community," a term which she coined. Narrated by Patrick Stewart.