"It's good to have an end to journey toward; but it's the journey that matters, in the end."
~Ursala K. LeGuin~

All quotes for this section are taken from: "A Book of Bliss: thoughts to make you smile." Sourcebooks, INC. Naperville, Illinois. 2002.

Green tip of the week:

Wash your clothes with concentrated detergent to save on plastics used for packaging.

Spirituality and sexuality will be the focus of the upcoming session of the Planet Orange weekly discussion group, hosted by Syracuse University's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center.

The Rev. Thomas V. Wolfe, dean of Hendricks Chapel, has invited students to engage in a discussion on Monday, March 3rd, about the experiences of religious barriers that LGBT students bring to college and how the chapel can play a role in dismantling those barriers. The discussion will be held from 7:30-9 p.m. at the LGBT Resource Center, located on 750 Ostrom. Students will be asked to participate in a visual cultural audit of Hendricks, having visited the space and reviewing publications and the chapel's website.

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students come from a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds. While some faith traditions welcome LGBT people, messages of intolerance and lack of acceptance of other religious faiths have caused great harm to an entire group of people," says Adrea Jaehnig, director of the LGBT Resource Center. "Many LGBT college students wrestle with bringing their sexual and spiritual identities together in some sort of congruent way."

Wolfe says: "It is essential that Hendricks Chapel be a source of spiritual support for the LGBT community. I grieve every time I hear a member of that community express hesitancy to enter the chapel because of a negative experience with a religious community prior to coming to campus. This effort is all about communicating our open door and further strengthening our long time commitment to being a safe space."

In this weeks follow-up discussion , students will be asked to provide feedback on how Hendricks can continue to or better serve the LGBT community. The follow-up session will be held on Monday, March 3, from 7-9:30 p.m. at the LGBT Resource Center, 750 Ostrom Ave.

For more information, contact Hendricks Chapel at 443-2901 or the LGBT Resource Center at 443-3983.

Planet Orange:
Topic: Spirituality and Sexuality: Part II
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Day: Monday
Location: LGBT Resource Center

Planet Orange is a weekly discussion group for LGBTQ and Ally members of the SU/ESF campus community. This group gathers each week to discuss different topics of interest. Facilitated by Sean Maloney and Adrianne Musu this is a group no one will want to miss! For more information email Sean at swmalone@syr.edu

Cafe Q: Time: 8:00 pm
Day: Thursdays
Location: LGBT Resource Center

"DJ Amit/Kinney Option #1!!!"

Who would want to miss another exciting Cafe Q?! No one! So come enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and great company Cafe Q provides. Open to anyone and everyone, stop on by for a great time.

The Syracuse Gay and Lesbian Chorus is a community choral ensemble of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender persons and their allies, dedicated to representing the diverse nature of our community through vocal performing arts. Singing and Non- singing members are welcome. We are a non- auditioned chorus and heartily welcome new singing members to join us. Anyone is welcome to join during the first three weeks of our concert rehearsal season. At that time our music director will guide you to one of the SATB sections that is most comfortable for your vocal range.

The chorus rehearses each Monday evening from 7:00 to 9:30 starting the first Monday in March for the June Pride concert. Our rehearsal location is: Plymouth Congregational Church, 232 East Onondaga Street, Syracuse, NY.

Pre-season celebration planned for
Monday March 3, 2008
Plymouth Congregational Church, 232 E. Onondaga St, Syracuse

For event schedule visit

www.syrglc.org

or call us at 315-476-432

Every year Consortium interns work over the summer to conduct research and projects that advance the knowledge and capacity of LGBT Campus Resource Centers and the field of LGBT Student Services.

The Consortium program offers several professional opportunities, including:

• Developing contacts within LGBT Student Services.
• Publishing your work in the Consortium's Annual Newsletter.
• Receiving a scholarship to the NGLTF Creating Change Conference, a national conference of LGBT activists, academics and service providers.
• Making a presentation to LGBT Directors from across the country during the LGBT Campus Administrators Day-Long Institute.
• Additional opportunities to present during conferences such as the American College Personnel Association

There are opportunities to serve as an intern at centers throughout the U.S.! Responsibilities and compensation for specific internships vary, depending on the institution and internship supervisor, but all Consortium interns must:

• Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate studies program
• Complete and submit an internship application

More information about the Consortium Intern program, including information about previous intern projects and locations, can be found at the Member Services section of the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education website: http://www.lgbtcam pus.org or by e-mailing the Internship Program coordinator, Khristian Kemp-DeLisser, at kkempdel@ad.uiuc.edu

Were you frustrated, angry or disappointed at Congress' decision to set aside the transgender- inclusive version of the Employment Non- Discrimination Act (ENDA)?

Were you excited by the passage of a transgender- inclusive Hate Crimes bill?

Do you believe elected officials need to hear directly from transgender people about the bills and issues that impact our lives?

If so, come to DC for Lobby Day on April 14 & 15!

Members of Congress have said that more education is needed in order to convince their colleagues to vote for legislation that includes gender identity and expression; let's make sure they hear from us loudly and clearly this year that only full equality under the law is acceptable to our community. Our community needs -- and deserves -- full protections against the rampant discrimination we face. Will you help us send this message?

We must make sure our elected officials understand who we are and why our community needs protetions agains workplace discrimination and violence. To do this, we need as many diverse members of the transgender community as we can gather, and our families and allies, to come to Washington, DC on April 14-15 to speak directly to our members of Congress.

We must tell legislators why a transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act is absolutely essential. We need to share the real story of trangender lives: our need for basic health care and employment; the right to raise our families and have safe homes; and the chronic harassment and violence that many of us face on a daily basis. Our representatives need to know that there are transgender people living in thier districts, voting and participating in the civic life of our nation. And we need to show our politicians and the other organzations in our nation's capital the strength of our commitment to stand up for transgender civil rights.

Join us on April 14-15 for what we are sure will be the largest transgender Lobby Day to date. Last year broke records, but this year we need your presence even more. This year's event will include:

• A comprehensive training session to make sure you have all of the information you need for an effective and positive visit with your member of Congress
• A rally on the Capitol steps for transgender rights
• A briefing on all of the major public policy issues impacting the transgender community right now
• A reception at the National Press Club (separate ticket)
• If this is your first time visiting your member of Congress, we'll provide assistance in making the appointment and getting you started

Here's what you can do to help:

• Plan to come to Washington, DC April 14-15
• Help organize a delegation from your city, town, or state
• Volunteer to help make appointments and assist others for whom this is their first lobbying experience; please contact us at ncte@nctequality.org to let us know if you are willing to volunteer
• Spread the word to others in our community by forwarding this information and future announcements about lobby day; let people know why you think this is an important event
• Raise funds to help people come to lobby day who would not otherwise be able to afford it; you can donate money or frequent flyer miles to the scholarship fund or assist others through a local organization
• Write about it in your blog or newsletter; send e- mails to your friends and colleagues about why it is vital for the transgender community to send this message to Congress

Participating in Lobby Day, including the training, policy briefing and rally, is free. We do need you to register in advance so that we can plan for your participation and make sure that you are able to meet with your member of Congress. Once you register, we'll send you a comprehensive packet of information about how to prepare for your visit. Click to r egister today!

There will be a ticket charge for the reception, to defray our costs and to help raise funds to support this and ongoing efforts to educate Congress about the need for transgender-inclusive legislation. Scholarships are available; please contact us at ncte@nctequality.org for more information. Click for more information.

February 23, 2008
By REBECCA CATHCART

OXNARD, Calif. - Hundreds of mourners gathered at a church here on Friday to remember an eighth-grade boy who was shot to death inside a junior high school computer lab by a fellow student in what prosecutors are calling a hate crime.

In recent weeks, the victim, Lawrence King, 15, had said publicly that he was gay, classmates said, enduring harassment from a group of schoolmates, including the 14-year-old boy charged in his death.

"God knit Larry together and made him wonderfully complex," the Rev. Dan Birchfield of Westminster Presbyterian Church told the crowd as he stood in front of a large photograph of the victim. "Larry was a masterpiece."

The shooting stunned residents of Oxnard, a laid-back middle-class beach community just north of Malibu. It also drew a strong reaction from gay and civil rights groups.

"We've never had school violence like this here before, never had a school shooting," said David Keith, a spokesman for the Oxnard Police Department.

This special issue of Gender & Society seeks articles that investigate the operation and effects of heteronormativity (defined broadly as the beliefs and practices that naturalize heterosexuality and place it at the center of social organization) and resistance across a variety of gendered, racialized, and classed contexts. We welcome papers providing sociologically- grounded, data-rich empirical scholarship that demonstrates how heteronormativity works in everyday lives, production of culture, and the practice of social institutions.

Click here for submission details.

Rarely Done Productions and FAT Chance In Series presents their version of bare: a pop opera!

When:
Friday, February 29 - 8pm
Sunday, March 2 - 7pm

Where:
Jazz Central on E. Washington Street.

Tickets:
$20
Cash bar available

www.rarelydone.org

:

Wednesday March 19
At 5:00 P.M
Slutzker Center for International Services
310 Walnut Place (Corner of Waverly)

For information on this Mix-It-Up meeting and future meetings, please contact Elane Granger at elcarras@syr.edu.