Events

To help those teaching or unable to meet during the normal lunch meeting, the membership decided to designate a day and location for a secondary meeting. These meetings will start at about 5:30 p.m. generally on the fourth Friday's of the month, check the calendar for specifics.

Upcoming Events

5th Annual Gay in Appalachia Celebration with Dorothy Allison

Friday, Sept. 18 • 7 p.m.
Studio Theatre – Squires Student Center
Reception to follow

An award-winning editor for Quest, Conditions, and Outlook – early feminist and Lesbian/Gay journals, Dorothy Allison received mainstream recognition for her novel “Bastard Out of Carolina,” a finalist for the 1992 National Book Award.  That national best seller was also an award-winning movie with the book translated into more than a dozen languages.

Allison’s “Cavedweller” became a NY Times notable book of the year in 1998 and was adapted to both stage and cinema. 

The Greenville, SC, native now lives in California but will undoubtedly refer to her Appalachian roots as she presents a guest lecture to the greater Blacksburg community.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
The Office of Equity and Inclusion
Vice President for Student Affairs Office
Office for Multicultural Programs
Office of Graduate Recruiting and Diversity Initiatives
Department of English
The Women’s Center
Women’s and Gender Studies Program
Department of Theatre and Cinema
LGBTA
Candidate for a Women's and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series Grant

Donations will be accepted for the LGBT Scholarship Fund

Past Events

In the past, the Caucus has hosted workshops on domestic partner benefits and productivity issues related to homophobia. The Caucus also coordinates “Gay in Appalachia,” a community event held in the fall which explores various issues through poetry, electronic media, and the various arts. In 2006, the Caucus raised funds to produce "Revelations," a theatrical presentation about Appalachian resiliency in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Thanks to campus-wide support, the playwright and guest artist, Carrie and Michael Kline, served in a weeklong residency. Comprised of young and old, black and white, gay and straight, student, faculty, and community “actors,” the final reading was presented in front of a standing-room only crowd of 200 people. It received print publicity in The Conductor, New River Free Press, and the CT, as well as several listservs. Deep discussion followed the close of the performance, and conversation continued well into the reception. Overall, it received outstanding evaluations. The Klines worked with three classes, graduate students and various professors, and also moderated a Community Discussion at the Women's Center on recent political issues.

Revelations was sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Office of Equal Opportunity, the Office of the Provost, the Department of Theatre Arts, the Women’s Center, the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, the Department of Music, and Appalachian Studies. It was also selected for a Women and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series grant.

2007 "Gay in Appalacha"

Caucus Sponsors Second Artist-In-Residency….
Daniel Karslake’s Award Winning Film Plays to a Packed House

The screening of "For the Bible Tells Me So" with director Daniel Karslake packed the 477-seat Lyric Theatre in downtown Blacksburg late in November 2007.  Sponsored by the LGBT Caucus at Virginia Tech, close to another 100 people had to turned away for this moving film event. 

The powerful film returned in March, courtesy once again of the LGBT Caucus, where donations were also raised to support the Rebecca Wight resources room at the Women’s Center. The library is named for Wight, a Virginia Tech lesbian alumna who was murdered on the Appalachian Trail in 1988.

"It was a powerful film followed by an equally powerful response by the director," wrote one audience member."

"I liked the emphasis on love," wrote another.

"We were so fortunate to have the director with us for two days," said Jean Elliott, co-chair of the caucus.  "Besides creating a brilliant film, Daniel was articulate and passionate, and able to interact with everyone – students, faculty, clergy and the community– in an incredibly engaging manner."

Evaluations praised the scholarly analysis of the BIblical interpretations, the research findings, and the process each person and family went through. Film-goers also appreciated the socio-economic and religious diversity represented by the different families.

Many students and community members alike mentioned that they were going to order the DVD to shared with a loved one.  (To order, go to FortheBibleTellsMeSo.org).

The LGBT Caucus at Virginia Tech will also have a copy of the DVD (available the end of January) and its members are willing to help facilitate conversations in the community, at local churches, or within the "family."

"We are appreciative of the overwhelming response and support of this event," said Ken Belcher, caucus co-chair.  "But, hopefully, this is only the beginning of the conversation."

About the Movie:
"For the Bible Tells Me So,” a First Run Production, has won nine audience awards at film festivals across the country and was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Award in 2007. Some people feel very conflicted when it comes to homosexuality and the Bible. People of great faith who have a gay friend or relative may experience profound spiritual turmoil. Healing and transformative, Dan Karslake's provocative, entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture.

For the Bible Tells Me So reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture. Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families—including   former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopalian Bishop Gene Robinson—we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard's Peter Gomes, and Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg, For the Bible Tells Me So offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.

About the Director:
For six years, Daniel Karslake has been an award-winning producer for the highly acclaimed newsmagazine, “In the Life,” which airs nationally on PBS in over 120 markets. Recognition for his outstanding work for the show, which has centered primarily on issues regarding religion and homosexuality, includes an Emmy nomination from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, as well as praise from GLAAD and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

Thank you to our sponsors…
Once again, the artist-in- residency and screenings  received campus-wide support, including sponsorship from the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of the Provost, the Office of Equal Opportunity, the Women’s Center, the Departments of Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies, Human Development, and the School of the Arts.  It was also awarded a Women and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series grant.

2008 "Gay in Appalacha"

In 2008, the LGBT Caucus played host to Cynthia Burack, associate professor of women's studies at Ohio State and author of  "Sin, Sex, and Democracy: Antigay Rhetoric and the Christian Right" (SUNY Press). Burack spoke at the 4th annual "Gay in Appalachia" event continuing the discussion on religion with an election year flair.

As an LGBT individual or ally, it is helpful to have an understanding of how the antigay ideas and rhetoric of the Christian Right change over time. It is a topic of significance and central to the academic study of politics and the cultural practice of politics. In the evening lecture, Burack analyzed some of the Christian Right's antigay speech and argued that the movement remains as opposed as it ever was to gay rights and equality.

Burack's background is in political theory/women's studies/sexuality studies, and her current work focuses on the sexuality politics and the dynamics of leadership, identity, and ideology in the Christian conservative movement. Her recent book explores the Christian Right's use of tailored rhetorics to advance the movement's various antigay political projects.

First Lavender Commencement Ceremony honors LGBT graduates

The LGBT Caucus at Virginia Tech and the LGBTA student organization collaborated to sponsor a special graduation ceremony to celebrate achievement at Virginia Tech. A first in the history of the university, the Lavender Commencement Ceremony was held on May 14, 2009 and recognized lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual students and their allies from all majors, both graduate and undergraduates, who earned their degrees this spring. The celebration was held in the Old Dominion Ballroom in Squires.

“We hope that this ceremony becomes a tradition at Virginia Tech, and that it becomes one more way in which to show appreciation for diversity at our university, and more specifically, for our LGBT community and our allies,” said Ken Belcher, co-chair of the caucus.

Six students were awarded a unique rainbow cord that can be worn with academic regalia.
The first LGBT scholarship was also presented by the LGBT Caucus. The recipient was Emily Mauger. The caucus’ inaugural Ally of the Year Award went to Kevin Ayoub.

Edd Sewell, associate professor emeritus in the Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, served as keynote speaker for the event. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1972, Sewell was a founding member of the communication studies program and the Department of Communication. He led curriculum development in the areas of visual media, new communication technologies, and international communication, and initiated and developed the study abroad program for the department.

In addition, JoAnn Harvill, a faculty member in the Department of English, read a poem to conclude the celebration.

 “The Lavender Ceremony allows us to share hopes and dreams, applaud courage, and honor the successes of our LGBT students at a university-supported event,” said Jean Elliott, co-chair of the caucus.  “We hope that this festivity will help students to feel connected to the university and celebrate their identity. I am also delighted that we are able to sponsor our first $500 scholarship.”

Notes on the Lavender Graduation Ceremonies

The University of Michigan was the first university to organize a Lavender Graduation in 1995, an event specifically for LGBT and ally students.  Since then many colleges and universities have followed Michigan’s lead.  This is the first Lavender Graduation at Virginia Tech.
Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBT students of all races and ethnicities and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the university as students who survived the college experience.  Through such recognition, LGBT students may leave the university with a positive last experience of the institution thereby encouraging them to become involved mentors for current students as well as contributing alumni.
Why Lavender? Lavender is important to LGBT history. It is a combination of the pink triangle that gay men were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps and the black triangle designating lesbians as political prisoners in Nazi Germany.  The LGBT civil rights movement took these symbols of hatred and combined them to create symbols and a color of pride and community.

At Virginia Tech, graduates are asked to have a mentor speak on their behalf. Their messages proved to be insightful, powerful, and humorous.  A true celebration of the human spirit.

2009 Graduate	Presenter
Brandon Beall Marketing	Brittany Morrison
Kaitlin Bookbinder Mathematics Education	John Gray Williams
Zach Frye Chemical Engineering & Biochemistry	Russell Shrader
Katelynn L. Johnson Psychology & Sociology	Ross C. Edmonds
Sarah Saville Interdisciplinary Studies & Biological Sciences	Alison Wood
Eric Tobin Wildlife Science & Biology	Carolyn Kidd