"Balance is beautiful."
~Mikiyo Ohno~

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:

Use back side of old documents to take notes instead of a clean sheet of paper everytime.

January 11, 2008

As we set out on a new semester, I want to encourage you to participate in (and by participate in, I mean attend) the many outstanding program that will be offered this spring. The LGBT Community Spring '08 Calendar is ready to be picked up at the LGBT Resource Center or you can view it online at http://lgbt.syr.edu/ Where else can you ice skate, gender bend, make sushi, become a better ally, and drink coffee?! The writers in Hollywood are on strike anyways, so learn to live without your TV...live your reality.

If you are new to campus or to the LGBT Community, you should know that the spring brings many great things such as Pride Union's Sixth Annual Totally Fabulous Drag Show, the LGBT Studies Program's Queer Visual Culture Series, Open Doors' Reel Queer Film Festival, and the ever popular Rainbow Banquet.

The semester also offers many opportunities for you to connected by joining a group such as Fusion, Planet Orange (featuring a service component this semester), or the new Transgender Discussion Group for trans-identified folks, their partners, and friends. Maybe you've always wanted to check out a Pride Union or Open Doors meeting, but never have--here is your opportunity.

There are many excellent speakers, concerts, shows, and entertainers on campus every week. Find out about them and take advantage of every opportunity that SU and SUNY-ESF and the greater Syracuse community has to offer. This semester, the LGBT Resource Center is involved in bringing three national speakers to campus, including the Patrick Sammon, President of the Log Cabin Republicans; Marjorie Hill, CEO of the Gay Men's Health Crisis, and Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. In March, don't miss the screening of "For the Bible Tells Me So" or CNY Family Photo Exhibit. Read about these and many other events in the LGBT Community Spring '08 Calendar.

On Monday, January 14, I will be traveling to Georgetown University for two days to help respond to two reported homophobic assaults (student on student violence) on their campus this past fall and share ideas and resources about the types of programs and services that are needed to meet the needs of the LGBTQ community on campus. I will be part of team of Directors of LGBT Resource Centers from other universities including Princeton, Duke, American, and the University of Pennsylvania that will being working with the Georgetown University LGBTQ Initiative appointed by Georgetown's President John J. DeGioia. I am proud that Syracuse University is able to contribute to this initiative and honored to be invited.

I want to thank the LGBT Resource Center Staff--Amit, Lauren, and Sean and our student staff--Jen, Eddie, Christine, Alfredo, Mark, and Michelle for all of their hard work and great sense of humor.

Have a great semester and we hope you come to visit!

Best,
Adrea

Planet Orange:

When: Monday, January 14th
Time: 7:00-8:00 pm
Where: Tennity Ice Pavilion
Cost: ABSOLUTELY FREE
Who: EVERYONE
Why: Why not?

Join the coolest group of students on campus as they kick-off the semester in style ... on skates! Planet Orange will be having it's opening social on ice this semester. Everyone is welcome, and fun is sure to be had by all! Meet at the Resource Center at 6:50 if you need a ride. Contact Sean at swmalone@syr.edu for more information.

Cafe Q:

When: Thursday, January 17th
Time: 8:00-12:30 pm
Where: The LGBT Resource Center
Cost: FREE
Who: EVERYONE
Why: This is an event not to miss!

Kick off the semester and the new year with this premiere edition of Cafe Q! The coffee will be hotter and the lights will be brighter than ever as we celebrate the dawning of 2008. Contact lgbt@syr.edu for more information.

• What is financial planning?
• What are my goals, values, and general awareness of my financial plan?
• What do I need to know about retirement planning, investments, estate planning?
• What do unmarried couples and LGBT people need to know about these issues?

Personal Financial Planning for LGBTQ People

What is comprehensive financial planning and how can it help people have better lives? How is a portfolio structured to provide consistent income especially in retirement and what is asset allocation? What are the income tax problems for unmarried partners? What are estate planning problems for the LGBT community and what are some solutions? The panel will be immediately followed by SAGE's Second Sunday Potluck.

Panelists will include Certified Financial Planners:
Vicki Brackens, Metlife; Vivian Derrickson, Ameriprise Financial Services; and Susan Hansen, Hansen's Financial Services.

When: Sunday, January 13th
Time: 430 pm
Where: First English Lutheran Church, 501 James Street (Corner of Townsend and James)

CNY Pride is looking for a student intern to help with fundraising, organization, and planning for this year's CNY Pride Parade and Festival. With the June 7 event only five months away, planning is already underway, and they hope to have an intern in place as soon as possible.

DESCRIPTION OF CNY PRIDE:
CNY Pride, Inc. is an all-volunteer, tax-exempt, not-for- profit corporation which organizes events in the Syracuse, New York area to encourage, empower, and celebrate the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community and their friends, families, and supporters. Our mission is to serve the Central New York lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and their allies. Our annual Pride Parade and Festival, along with similar events throughout the year, provides a forum to celebrate and affirm individual sexual and gender identity, to commemorate our community's rich history and diversity, and to renew our dedication to ending intolerance and achieving equal rights.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Michael Weinberg, Planning Committee Chair, (315) 699-5679 (home) or (315) 378-8744 (cell)

INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION:
This unpaid internship will primarily involve event planning, organization, and public relations. The intern will be responsible for assisting in the planning of a spring fundraising event, helping to find advertisers for the event program, helping to find businesses to participate in the Q-Pass discount coupon booklet, as well as assisting in the planning of the CNY Pride Parade and Festival. The intern should possess skills in communication, organization and planning, and basic computer skills in word processing and layout.

DEADLINE: Since the Parade and Festival occur after the end of the school year, the intern would be needed for the entire spring semester.

Uzuri is a new social group sponsored by SAGE- formed for LGBT persons of color "as they age" (so at least late 30-ish). Uzuri (which means "beauty" in Swahili) meets every second Friday from 6:30-8:30 at the SAGE Upstate Center located at 501 James Street (at the corner of James and Townsend in the First Lutheran Church). The contact number is SAGE at 478- 1923. Even though it's short notice, the next meeting is this Friday the 11th and we're having a New Year's celebration.

The Lavender Inwell Bookshoppe is hosting a book reading and signing event featuring Rich Merritt. Please visit the links below and learn more about Don't Ask, Don't Tell and how this policy has changed the lives of so many of our servicemen and women. Then come and meet Rich in person. If you are planning on attending this special event please RSVP at Lavenderinkwell@twcny.rr.com . Visit our website www.lavenderinkwell.com for details and more events

When: Saturday, January 19th
Time: 6:30 pm
Where: Lavendar Inkwell

As many of you may know, power often plays out through language which shapes worldview and identity. In light of the anthropological, social and linguistic interests power creates, SOLGA (The Society of Lesbian & Gay Anthropologists [trans and bi as well]) would like to spread the word about the 15th annual Lavender Languages conference at American University.

This weekend long conference brings together the latest and greatest from queer theory, feminism, anthropology, sociology and linguistics and focuses on the many facets and implications of queer identity as mediated through language.

Students can be accommodated with other students. It's only $5 or $10 dollars and Evelyn Blackwood (feminist anthropologist known for her work in queer theory and kinship problematization) is kicking the weekend off!

Summary: The Empire State Pride Agenda is New York's statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy organization. Our mission is to win equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and our families. Through our education, organizing and advocacy programs, we work toward creating a broadly diverse alliance of LGBT people and our allies in government, communities of faith, labor, all sectors of the workforce and other social justice movements to achieve equality for LGBT New Yorkers and the broader goals of social, racial and economic justice.

Position Summary: This position is a critical component of the Pride Agenda's campaign to win the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. The Field Organizer's primary responsibility is to build Pride Agenda's field outreach program in support of our statewide campaign against discrimination based on gender identity and expression (GIE). This includes directly identifying, training and mobilizing both transgender and ally supporters in NYC and the Hudson Valley and supporting Field Organizers' GIE work in rest of the state. The GIE Field Organizer reports to the Field Director. [Note: This position is not responsible for all transgender issue work at the Pride Agenda. Colleagues are responsible for issues such as access to transgender health care and benefits and making faith communities, workplaces and unions more welcoming to transgender people.]

Principal Duties: The GIE Field Organizer will: · Work with the Pride Agenda's Field Director to identify NYC and Hudson Valley outreach opportunities and locally appropriate actions for the GENDA campaign. · Work with the Field Organizer and Public Policy & Education Director to develop a GENDA Advocate Training curriculum for potential volunteer activists. Conduct GENDA Advocate Trainings in NYC, Hudson Valley and Syracuse. Assist with Trainings conducted by other Field Organizers in Long Island, Rochester, Buffalo, Albany and Queens. · Continue to build a diverse GENDA Coalition; staff meetings of the GENDA Coalition; maintain listserve. · Recruit and coordinate turn-out for LGBT Equality & Justice Day to ensure strong participation by NYC and Hudson Valley GENDA supporters. Recruit constituents for legislative visits with elected officials both in-district and at Equality & Justice Day. · Work with Field Team on LGBT Pride events, including organizing volunteers, tabling and logistics. Research and attend important community events that will increase the visibility of gender identity and expression issues and LGBT equality and justice. · Work with GENDA Advocates and other Field Organizers in support of local meetings to coordinate local activities with the statewide campaign, including house parties, vigils, rallies and community canvasses.

Qualifications: · Minimum of two years' campaign, union or community organizing; experience in or familiarity with transgender/gender identity/gender expression issue organizing; · Excellent writing skills; strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to work with people; · Commitment to the mission of the Pride Agenda and to serving LGBT communities through community-based and anti-racist organizing; · Availability for significant evening and weekend work and travel throughout New York State; · A strategic thinker who is detail-oriented, well-organized and self-directed; · High degree of computer literacy. Should have real-world knowledge of social networking sites and be interested in developing and implementing strategies to harness the power of the internet to engage and activate people to take action around our issues. · Fluency in Spanish is preferred, but not required.

Compensation: Salary is commensurate with experience and nonprofit sector. Excellent employer paid benefits package including medical, dental, life and long and short term disability insurance and generous vacation.

How to Apply: E-mail cover letter and resume to jobs@prideagenda.org or fax to 212-627-4136 or mail to Field Organizer Search, Empire State Pride Agenda, 16 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010. No phone calls please.

Tomorrow, voters begin the process of selecting the nominees for the 2008 Presidential race. We hope that you, too, will plan on going to the polls this year. Every vote matters.

At NCTE, we believe in the importance of voting and we believe that it makes a difference in our work for transgender equality. Last year, President George W. Bush announced his intentions to veto two bills of critical importance to the transgender community should they reach his desk. They were a hate crimes bill and a measure to ban discrimination in employment. As we make progress to move these bills through Congress in the future, it will be vital to achieving our civil rights to have a President in office who will sign this legislation into law. Who is elected President will make a difference in our ability to achieve civil rights for transgender people. We need you to be a part of this process of selecting who that will be.

Transgender people, however, sometimes face discrimination at the polls. In order to help you exercise your right to vote, NCTE is reissued our Guide to Overcoming Voting Obstacles to help you overcome any barriers to voting that you encounter. The Guide also addresses additional challenges that some transgender votes face, such as racism, felony conviction and homelessness.

If you haven't yet registered to vote, there's still time in most states. Check out the Rock the Vote website for a calendar of all of the primary and caucus dates, plus information on how to register to vote in your state.

Please feel free to pass this resource along to anyone who may need it. Encourage your friends and family to get out and vote this year.