1) The Florida Times Union; UNF called more hospitable to LGBT students, staff
2) Jackson News; Discussions about homosexuality, gender identity in classroom of transgender professor Julie Nemecek lead to complaints at Lansing college
3)365 Gay; Law school lifts military recruiter ban
4) Indiana Daily Student; Bloomington is gay friendly, but there’s still room to grow
5) Salon; Obama formally ends ban on gays in military
6) On Top Magazine; Oral Roberts Grandson, Randy Roberts Potts, Talks Coming Out Gay
1) UNF called more hospitable to LGBT students, staff
Kate Howard; July 11
Dane Lindquist has only known the University of North Florida as a place with an LGBT Resource Center, an active Pride Club and a "Lavender Graduation" ceremony.
To Lindquist, UNF always has been a place where he feels safe and accepted. The 20-year-old junior identifies as queer, a term he considers more inclusive than the traditional labels of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. He's active in gay-rights advocacy and works as a student assistant in the resource center, and he said he's never felt unsafe or unwelcome in the two years he's spent at UNF.
As the student population changes, a new study shows that students consider the campus increasingly more tolerant. Nearly twice as many LGBT students rate the climate as accepting as they did five years ago, according to a study released last week by the LGBT Resource Center.
"I would hate to have to attend a school where I felt unsafe or felt a climate of homophobia," said Lindquist. "Since newer students are coming in, bringing a fresh perspective, things are improving."
The study surveyed more than 3,000 students and faculty of all sexual orientations at UNF last year and found more positives than the last survey in 2005, which was commissioned after UNF's Pride Club had to fight the Student Government for its right to funding. Since then, the college created the LGBT Resource Center, one of two full-time, staffed programs in the state that provides a safe space as well as training sessions for faculty and students.
Sexual orientation has been added to UNF's non-discrimination policy, and benefits were extended to domestic partners of faculty and staff members.
Rated better
Though problems with harassment and perceived bias persist, advocates and administrators saw good news in the overall direction the campus seems to be headed. Almost twice as many LGBT students rated the campus as very accepting or somewhat accepting last year than in 2005.
When LGBT students were asked how the environment has changed for them since they first got to UNF, 20 percent said it was better and about half said it stayed the same. Less than 1 percent thought it was worse.
About 15 percent of the student respondents in the survey identified with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual.
"The most important thing is that we've made significant progress," said Ryan Miller, coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center. "But the report also highlights our unfinished business."
The study recommendations include adding gender identity to UNF's non-discrimination policy, creating more options in housing assignments for LGBT students and establishing a formal process for reporting bias due to sexual orientation.
About 49 percent of LGBT students and two-thirds of faculty and staff reported at least one incident of harassment or bias, although a majority experienced the harassment off-campus in Jacksonville. Among the 62 LGBT employees who took the survey, 44 percent believed the environment is better and 39 percent felt it's stayed the same since they first arrived at UNF.
Seven in 10 of the LGBT staff, though, believed their sexual orientation would harm chances of a promotion.
'Major progress'
Tom Serwatka, the school's vice president/chief of staff, said he realizes bias may exist in some departments. But he believes he's proof that the administration sees no difference when it comes to openly gay staff, like himself.
"I see some major progress. I don't see perfection," he said. "But the university is open to looking at all these recommendations and seeing what can we realistically do."
Melissa Hirschman, a visiting assistant professor in the psychology department, said she's never had a hard time being open about her orientation at UNF, either. About 100 of her students took part in filming a video with her for the "It Gets Better" project, a website led by syndicated columnist Dan Savage filled with supportive messages for people struggling with their sexual orientation, spurred by a string of suicides among gay youth. Hirschman said she had the full support of the administration in filming the video.
She hopes to take part in establishing a faculty association for LGBT staff members. There's a generational gap, she acknowledges, that may explain why some faculty feel less safe expressing their orientation. But she thinks they owe it to their students to model good behavior and pride.
"If we want our students to be tolerant and accepting and confident in who they are as individuals, we need to do that," Hirschman said. "We need to be confident and accepting and tolerant of one another."
kate.howard@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4697
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/
2) Discussions about homosexuality, gender identity in classroom of transgender professor Julie Nemecek lead to complaints at Lansing college
Bob Wheaton; July 27, 2011
A transgender professor from Spring Arbor Township is at the center of a dispute at Lansing Community College about classroom discussions on homosexuality and gender identity.A student filed a complaint July 1 with the college against Julie Nemecek for discussing issues she faced in the workplace as a result of being transgender. Later, the same student amended the complaint after a gay man spoke in Nemecek’s classroom. The speaker then filed a complaint against the student.
LCC spokeswoman Tess King said in an email the college determined Nemecek’s conduct was appropriate and that no disciplinary action against her was warranted.
Nemecek lost her job at Spring Arbor University in 2007 after announcing she was undergoing a transformation from a man to a woman, resulting in national headlines. She now is an adjunct professor at LCC and Jackson Community College.
“He was upset he found out his teacher was transgender,” Nemecek said of the student. Nemecek said the student was not in class the day of the discussion, but became upset when he reviewed a PowerPoint presentation that was used in a diversity in the workplace management class she teaches.
The student later amended the complaint after former LCC trustee Todd Heywood spoke in Nemecek’s classroom July 5 about what it’s like in the workplace to be gay and HIV-positive, Nemecek and Heywood said.
They said the student falsely accused Heywood of making sexually explicit comments during the class.
In the July 1 complaint, the student wrote: “I do not feel comfortable talking about my (instructor’s) sexuality in any way shape or form,” according to a copy of Heywood’s complaint that Nemecek provided. “It changes the teacher-student relationship and is a line that should (not) have been crossed.”
Nemecek and Heywood said college officials are still reviewing Heywood’s complaint. That complaint says the student violated LCC’s Code of Conduct by making false statements about what Heywood said in the classroom and violated its anti-discrimination policy by filing complaints.
The student could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
3) Law school lifts military recruiter ban
Jon Fairbanks; July 26, 2011
Vermont Law School is now welcoming military recruiters on campus.
VLS lifted the ban last Friday, the same day President Obama certified the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.
“This law school has stood fast to our position of principle, in the face of significant pressure, to insist that the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law be repealed,” Dean Jeff Shields said. “That day is finally here.”
VLS was one of two law schools to ban military recruiters because of DADT. The other, William Mitchell College of Law, also plans to lift the ban.
William Mitchell spokesperson Steve Linders told the National Law Journal: “Our position is not anti-military. It is pro-opportunity — we want all of our students who wish to do so to have the opportunity to serve their country. Now that Congress has voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and President Obama has signed the certification to end the ban, all will have the opportunity to serve, regardless of sexual orientation, and William Mitchell will once again allow military recruiters on campus.”
Both William Mitchell and VLS became ineligible to receive certain types of federal money because of their decision to ban military recruiters.
VLS reportedly lost about $500,000 a year in federal funds because it prohibited military recruiters and ROTC.
4) Bloomington is gay friendly, but there’s still room to grow
Alex Hippenhammer; July 24
While being gay in Indiana might be hard, many say it’s getting easier in Bloomington. Still, there is much room left for improvement.
Recent statistics from the National School Climate Survey show nine in 10 GLBT students report being verbally harassed in high schools because of sexual orientation.
Despite this shortcoming, Bloomington appears to be continuing the progress in social understanding that began with the establishment of the Kinsey Institute.
“Because of the university, because of the open nature of the community, Bloomington has become our nation’s fifth largest per capita population of same-sex couples because they’re welcome,” said Beverly Calender-Anderson, director of the Safe and Civil City Program.
IU has resources, such as the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transexual Student Support Service, that educate students on these issues of abuse and support students who have been harassed.
Outside of the university, resources for GLBT community members are less specific, and the tolerance of the community is more ambiguous.
“The campus is accepting of gay students. People who live in town are probably not as tolerant,” recent graduate Chase Casey said. “I personally don’t care. As long as you don’t throw it in my face, people can do what they want.”
Francisco Tirado, a transfer student from DePaul University in Chicago, said the community is comparable to what he experienced at his former, liberal school.
“Coming to Bloomington, it was interesting to see the difference, or how not so different they were, because Bloomington is a pretty liberal city,” Tirado said. “Perhaps the gay community isn’t as loud here, but it still has a voice.”
There is a GLBT anti-harassment team at IU that keeps track of incidents of harassment on campus. An incident can be anything from verbal abuse to actual physical assault on rare occasions. The number of these incidents has been declining in the past decade.
“Supporting students who have suffered abuse is a very small part of what we do,” Doug Bauder, director of the GLBT office, said. “It really does not define us. We are much more involved in education and advocacy.”
Even with the support, there is still room to grow. Bauder said he would like to see the Bloomington atmosphere expand to other areas around the state.
“There are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students who talk to classes at IU through our program with the Health Center,” Bauder said. “I’d like to train some of those students to go back to their high schools and help the administration and students create a friendlier atmosphere in those schools.”
Tirado said he had a different idea on how to benefit the welfare of the gay community.
“It’s not about the organizations, it’s about the community,” he said. “Honestly, a gay bar would help. I think it would be a lot more helpful than GLBT groups would be.”
Recent statistics from the National School Climate Survey show nine in 10 GLBT students report being verbally harassed in high schools because of sexual orientation.
Despite this shortcoming, Bloomington appears to be continuing the progress in social understanding that began with the establishment of the Kinsey Institute.
“Because of the university, because of the open nature of the community, Bloomington has become our nation’s fifth largest per capita population of same-sex couples because they’re welcome,” said Beverly Calender-Anderson, director of the Safe and Civil City Program.
IU has resources, such as the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transexual Student Support Service, that educate students on these issues of abuse and support students who have been harassed.
Outside of the university, resources for GLBT community members are less specific, and the tolerance of the community is more ambiguous.
“The campus is accepting of gay students. People who live in town are probably not as tolerant,” recent graduate Chase Casey said. “I personally don’t care. As long as you don’t throw it in my face, people can do what they want.”
Francisco Tirado, a transfer student from DePaul University in Chicago, said the community is comparable to what he experienced at his former, liberal school.
“Coming to Bloomington, it was interesting to see the difference, or how not so different they were, because Bloomington is a pretty liberal city,” Tirado said. “Perhaps the gay community isn’t as loud here, but it still has a voice.”
There is a GLBT anti-harassment team at IU that keeps track of incidents of harassment on campus. An incident can be anything from verbal abuse to actual physical assault on rare occasions. The number of these incidents has been declining in the past decade.
“Supporting students who have suffered abuse is a very small part of what we do,” Doug Bauder, director of the GLBT office, said. “It really does not define us. We are much more involved in education and advocacy.”
Even with the support, there is still room to grow. Bauder said he would like to see the Bloomington atmosphere expand to other areas around the state.
“There are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students who talk to classes at IU through our program with the Health Center,” Bauder said. “I’d like to train some of those students to go back to their high schools and help the administration and students create a friendlier atmosphere in those schools.”
Tirado said he had a different idea on how to benefit the welfare of the gay community.
“It’s not about the organizations, it’s about the community,” he said. “Honestly, a gay bar would help. I think it would be a lot more helpful than GLBT groups would be.”
5) Obama formally ends ban on gays in military
Lolita Baldor & Erica Werner; July 22
President Barack Obama on Friday formally signed off on ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, doing away with a policy that's been controversial from the day it was enacted and making good on his 2008 campaign promise to the gay community.The president joined Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, in signing a notice and sending it to Congress certifying that military readiness would not be hurt by repealing the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
That means that 60 days from now the ban will be lifted.
"As commander in chief, I have always been confident that our dedicated men and women in uniform would transition to a new policy in an orderly manner that preserves unit cohesion, recruitment, retention and military effectiveness," Obama said in a statement.
"Today's action follows extensive training of our military personnel and certification by Secretary Panetta and Admiral Mullen that our military is ready for repeal. As of September 20th, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country."
Friday's move was expected under the repeal law Congress passed in December. Before "don't ask, don't tell," the military did not allow gays to serve. But in 1993 Clinton said gays would be discharged only if their sexual orientation became known.
Repeal has drawn strong opposition from some in Congress, and there was initial reluctance from military leaders who worried it could cause a backlash and erode troop cohesion on the battlefield.
But two weeks ago, the chiefs of the military services told Panetta that ending the ban would not affect military readiness.
Advocacy groups that fought for the change called the decision Friday long-overdue, while opponents said it's a political payoff to left-leaning gay and lesbian activists.
"The president's certification of repeal is a monumental step, not just for those forced to lie in order to serve, but for all Americans who believe in fairness and equality," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
Elaine Donnelly, who heads the Center for Military Readiness, which has lobbied against repeal, said it will "undermine morale and readiness in the all-volunteer force."
The Pentagon is expected to spend the next 60 days preparing the troops for the change, and ironing out legal and technical details, including how it will affect housing, military transfers and other health and social benefits.
In most cases, the guidelines require that gays and lesbians be treated like any other member of the military.There will be differences, however. Same sex partners will not get the same housing and other benefits as married couples. Instead, they are more likely to be treated like unmarried couples.
Once the repeal is final, service members can no longer be discharged for openly acknowledging they are gay. That's the key change. And those who have been discharged previously based solely on the gay ban may apply to re-enter the force.
Service members may also designate their same-sex partners as beneficiaries for insurance and other benefits -- something they may have avoided earlier for fear it would cause their dismissal.
One of the thornier issues is gay marriage.
An initial move by the Navy earlier this year to train chaplains about same-sex civil unions in states where they are legal was shelved after more than five dozen Congress members objected.
The training, lawmakers told Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, violated the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act by appearing to recognize and support same-sex marriages.
6) Oral Roberts Grandson, Rany Roberts Potts, Talks Coming Out Gay
Magazine Staff; July 19th
Randy Roberts Potts, the grandson of televangelist Oral Roberts, is talking for the first time about coming out gay.
In a 30-minute sermon delivered Sunday at Tulsa's All Souls Unitarian Church, Potts talked about his experience as a gay man in an evangelical world.
He told parishioners that a closeted life led his uncle Ronnie to commit suicide, and that he nearly followed in his footsteps.
“I feel the burden of my uncle's death each and every day,” Potts said. “I know I can't fix it, but I almost relived his life in every way: marrying young, having children, becoming a teacher, becoming suicidal. All because I was never told his story, because his story as a gay man has been hushed up. This system of mendacity, of bluffing, of pretending, of trying to pray the gay away has already left one casualty in my family and almost caused another.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
In an interview with the Tulsa World, Potts said he grew up in the Roberts family compound just north of Oral Roberts University. He was close to his grandmother, Evelyn Roberts, but rarely saw his famous grandfather.
While he knew from an early age that he was attracted to men – and at 18 announced he was bisexual – it wasn't until several years into his marriage to a college girlfriend that he announced he was gay.
“I told my wife a few years later that I had to leave, and we were divorced legally in June of 2006,” Potts said. “I have been openly gay ever since.”
Potts was ostracized for his decision. He was denied a seat in the family's seating section at his grandparents' funerals.
Roberta Potts, Randy Roberts Potts' mother, told the paper that she and her husband are “not homophobic.”
“We have no ill feelings toward homosexual persons,” she said.
“But that doesn't mean we approve of his conduct,” she added. “We do believe what the Bible says.”
