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News and Announcements

News (as of March 2007):

Third LGBT Family Reunion Held October 2006

The third LGBT Family Reunion was held on campus October 6-8, 2007. Featured convo speaker was Brown University Professor of Biology Anne Fausto-Sterling, who spoke about scientific aspects and political issues of gender and sexual orientation. She lunched with students and reunion attendees afterwards in Great Hall, during which she offered additional insights and answered questions. The reunion also featured a crowded panel discussion on racial and sexual identity issues. It was co-sponsored with MCAN (Multi-Cultural Alumni Network) and featured students and MCAN/OAC alumni. Other weekend highlights included well-attended presentations on LGBT issues in parenting, religion, politics, film, and the media, and a packed talk by alumnus Glenn Tasky ’80 about male same-sex relationships in Afghanistan. Pride Awards were presented at the Friday dinner to Carleton’s former Director of Alumni Affairs Joan Higinbotham ’66 P97 and current Technical Director of Geology Tim Vick (see separate story). The dinner on Saturday was followed by a very enjoyable cabaret/talent show with student and alumni performances. The final brunch on Sunday was capped by a lively discussion about current concerns and future directions for OAC. Overall, more than 100 OAC alumni and their partners plus students and faculty attended the reunion. Especially welcome and notable was the involvement of current students throughout the weekend.

Pride Awards Presented to Higinbotham and Vick

In recognition of their longstanding support of LGBT students and alumni and for their quiet championing of awareness about and solutions to LGBT issues at Carleton, Pride Awards were presented to Joan Higinbotham ’66 P97 and Timothy Vick on October 6, 2006. Both have also been important supporters of OAC. Joan served for 8 years as Carleton’s Director of Alumni Affairs. In that position, she oversaw the planning and execution of the first LGBT Family Reunion in 1998 and, with a committee of OAC alumni, helped plan and, through her office, executed the second LGBT Family Reunion held on campus in 2002. Tim, Technical Director of Geology, coordinates a newsletter sent to LGBT-identified former Geology Department majors. In addition to being an active ally in OAC and the proud parent with his wife Jean of a queer daughter, he leads the Northfield ‘chapter’ of PFLAG, some of whose members have offered accommodations to attendees at the last two Family Reunions. Pride Awards have been given in past years to Carleton President Emeritus Stephen R. Lewis, Jr. and to Ruth and David Waterbury.

Family Reunion Planning Committee

Special thanks to the reunion planning co-chairs and all the committee members, who helped plan a fun-packed event! Hardworking Roger Levesque ’77 and Catherine Estelle “Stella” Nelson ’04 served as co-chairs of the Family Reunion Planning Committee, which met once in person during February 2006 and then last spring, summer, and early fall facilitated and coordinated many aspects of planning for the Third LGBT Family Reunion. Other members of the planning committee were: Scott Hirose ’88, Danny LaChance ’01, Kathy Moran ’79, Mikki Unson ’02, and Jo Young ’96. Also working with the committee were Director of Alumni Affairs Becky Zrimsek ’89, LGBT Student Advisor and Director of the GSC Kaaren Williamson-Garvey, and OAC Co-Chairs Beth Wright ’93 and Mark Lofstrom ’76. Mel Rushton, husband to Tom Polgreen ’76, drafted a letter sent to non-Carleton partners of alumni urging these same-sex OAC couples to consider attending the Family Reunion, and many did.

2007 OAC Leadership Committee

The OAC Leadership Committee looks at ways that OAC can be effective in programs for and outreach to its participants and how OAC can best serve and interact with the College and other alumni organizations. Since it’s beginning a little over three years ago, the group, among other things, has directed attention toward the 10% Campaign to increase participation in OAC, looked at issues related to the Third LGBT Family Reunion, and examined financial aid concerns occasioned by instances of parental estrangement. Members are selected by the existing leadership to provide a gender-balanced representation of alumni across decades and by expertise. Each member serves a three-year term, which is renewable one time before the OAC participant must at least take a break from service on the committee. In addition to participation in twice-yearly meetings, each member is expected to play a leadership role for OAC in something consonant with OAC’s goals and current needs. Also, ideally, a student and a first-year alumnus/a will both serve as members of the committee on an academic-year basis, providing critical representation of current LGBT students’ and recent graduates’ concerns and experiences. C.J. Griffiths served on the committee as student representative during 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 and during 2006-2007 is serving as the first-year alumni representative. Julie Nicol serves as the student representative on the committee for 2006-2007.

The committee meets on campus in April during the weekend of the Pride Banquet and convenes by telephone conference call each fall. The 2007 OAC Leadership Committee is comprised of Rich Banyard ’79, Cory Calmes ’96, Laura Clise ’01, Scott Dale ’88, C.J. Griffiths ’06, Mark Lofstrom ’76 (OAC Co-Chair), Larnzell Martin ’72, Julie Nicol ’07, Naja Shabazz ’05, Naomi Siegal ’80, Beth Wright ’93 (OAC Co-Chair), and Jo Young ’96. Concluding their service on the Leadership Committee at the end of 2006, with special thanks for their involvement with the group and their active support of OAC, were Jovita Baber ’90, Mike Estrera ’01, Scott Hirose ’88, Betsy McEneaney ’83, and Diane Quaid ’69.

OAC Co-Sponsors Book Groups

OAC successfully co-sponsored book groups with MCAN (MultiCultural Alumni Network) in Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis during September 2006. OAC participants in Denver got together for a book discussion as well. The groups met to talk about Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights by Kenji Yoshino. The book was one of the optional common readings for the third LGBT Family Reunion held in October 2006 (see separate story), and the after-hours meetings were an experiment to see how OAC might work with another college volunteer organization on an event of mutual interest. A shorter article titled “Covering” by Kenji Yoshino appeared in a January 2006 issue of The New York Times Sunday magazine and was one of two recommended common readings for the reunion. Yoshino claims that, thanks to civil rights laws, discrimination in American society now rarely occurs against groups; instead, discrimination mainly involves individuals who fail to ‘cover,’ or sufficiently “tone down” a stigmatized identity. The book and the article cite several lawsuits involving unsuccessful plaintiffs who claimed discrimination against them based on their race, gender, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. Yoshino is a professor as well as deputy dean of intellectual life at Yale Law School.

OACers in Seattle Enjoy Multi-College Alumni Event

In February 2006, OAC joined with Oberlin, Bates, Colby, Colorado (College), Macalester, Middlebury, Pomona, Reed, Swarthmore, and Whitman to hold an informal social event for LGBT alumni at Barca, a gay bar in Seattle. Here is an excerpt from the e-mail report about the event sent by Oberlin’s alumni office staffer Paul Wolansky:

"Big kudos go out to Carleton's rep [Matt Fikse '87, OAC founder and former chair] who brought extra nametags, came early and did a great job meeting/greeting. I would say Carleton had the most folks show up . . . ."

If you’d be willing to help put together an event in your city for LGBT alumni from Carleton and other liberal arts colleges, please let us know so we can explore options for staging a similar gathering with your help.

OAC Leadership Committee meeting:

The Out After Carleton Leadership Committee met at the end of April 2006 to continue their work towards expanding and strengthening the network of alumni subscribed to the program, as well as to discuss ways to better serve the current students still on campus. Larnzell Martin '72 and Laura Clise '01 researched and drafted language to present to the College regarding issues of parental estrangement while attending Carleton. There was also significant planning for the upcoming Family Reunion in October, including possible events before and after the reunion itself.
(Written by C.J. Griffiths '06)

Endowed fund for LGBT Studies started:

Officially titled the "Endowed Fund for Academic Programs in LGBT Studies," the APLS fund was established in 2004 by Dr. Thomas Polgreen '76 and his partner Melvin Rushton. Programs are administered through the Women's and Gender Studies Program, and the dollars produced by the fund are used for things such as: bringing pre- or post-doctoral fellows to campus for a term to offer student courses and lead workshops for faculty, allowing current faculty to research issues and develop courses in the highly interdisciplinary field of LGBT Studies, and bringing distinguished lecturers to campus for programs of durations shorter than a full term. The fund is "open," meaning anyone can donate to it at any time. Gifts meant to augment the APLS Fund should be designated at the time they are made and are considered restricted contributions that do not "count" for Annual Fund credit. The endowed fund's establishment was announced at the fall 2004 OAC Leadership Committee meeting (see story below).
(Written by Mark Lofstrom '76 and C.J. Griffiths '06)

Human Sexuality Endowment Fund update:

The Endowment Fund on Issues of Human Sexuality (commonly known as the Human Sexuality Endowment Fund) was established in 1993 through a generous gift from Ruth Harkison Waterbury '57 and David Waterbury, who wished to improve the campus climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. Since its creation, nearly more than 240 people have made nearly 460 donations to the fund.

It is used to support a wide range of programs for Carleton’s LGBT community and its straight allies and helps all Carleton students to explore issues surrounding sexual orientation, affectional preference, and gender identity. This goal is achieved through funding for guest speakers, travel to conferences and events, the purchase of library books, social events, campus-wide awareness campaigns, and support groups. Examples of guest speakers whom the Human Sexuality Endowment Fund has brought to campus are artist Alison Bechdel, author of the comic strip “Dykes to Watch Out For,” Mel White, leader of the Soulforce organization who speaks to the experience of being gay and Christian in America, and Debra Davis, a transgender activist from the Twin Cities.

The fund also supports the arts on campus. For example, in 2002, it was used for a student-directed and performed production of The Laramie Project, a play based on interviews with people from Matthew Shepard’s hometown, and the cost of scripts for Ntozake Shange’s play For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf. The Human Sexuality Endowment Fund has also paid for students to travel to events like the annual Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Ally Conference and the 2000 Millennium March in Washington, D.C., and for transportation to the Twin Cities annual Pride Month celebration.

Finally, for the past four years, the fund has supported the LGBT retreat, which provides a space for LGBT and allied students to go off-campus, build community, and share their experiences. The Human Sexuality Endowment Fund is administered through the Gender and Sexuality Center, which addresses LGBT issues on campus as well as men’s and women’s issues. The center is located in the basement of Scoville.
(Written by Katie O'Connell '05)

First OAC Leadership Committee meeting:

On a beautiful November weekend in 2004, the newly formed OAC Leadership Committee churned through a 20-hour agenda designed to transfigure the informal, ad hoc group formed by 18 alumni at the '92 reunion, to a potent presence in support of students, faculty, staff and the College. It was the culmination of planning by OAC Co-Chairs Karen Peterson '76 and Mark Lofstrom '76, who also successfully petitioned in fall 2003 to have OAC formally represented on the Alumni Council (beginning spring 2004).

After slogging through creation of governance rules, making laundry lists of practical applications & plans, and weaving pie-in-the-sky future dreams (cruises? scholarships?), the Committee was unanimous in its determination that growing the network was critical to success. "Sheer numbers are the key to influence, effectiveness and clout" said Jovita Baber, who is spearheading the 10% Campaign participation drive.

The group will be launching its formal drive during Spring 2005, offering a smorgasbord of participant options ranging from "Count me in but don't even think about contacting me" to "I wish to devote every waking hour to OAC." They welcome as participants and supporters alumni, current students, faculty, and staff who can pass the alphabet soup litmus test: LBGTQF&A - Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgendered, Queer, and Friends & Allies who can be family, fellow travelers, partners, those in committed single-sex relationships and other well-wishers.

Note: The 2005 meeting of the OAC Leadership Committee will be April 22-23, 2005, coinciding with the annual Pride Banquet, a highlight of Pride Month on campus.
(Written by Diane Quaid '69)

Student Climate Survey complete:

Leadership Committee members Laura Clise '01, Mike Estrera '01, and C.J. Griffiths '06 developed a student climate survey for current lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, and allied students on campus. The goal was to evaluate what needs these students currently have, and how best the OAC alumni network could benefit them. Opinions varied across the board as to the culture across campus, but students were united in their desire to have more interactions with alumni.
(Written by C.J. Griffiths '06)

10% Campaign underway:

R. Jovita Baber '90 is heading up the 10% Campaign, which will work to substantially increase the number of Carleton alumni participating in the OAC network. After the Leadership Committee meeting in April 2005, the campaign will kick off with new outreach programs for contacting potential OAC members. Roger Levesque '77 is co-chairing the initiative.
(Written by C.J. Griffiths '06)

OAC activates liaisons with other alumni stewardship initiatives

During summer and fall of 2004, OAC Co-Chair Mark Lofstrom '76 met with the Multicultural Alumni Network's Executive Committee Chair Luke Lara '99 to discuss liaisons and potential collaborative efforts between OAC and MCAN. Luke and Mark made a presentation at the Alumni Council's fall 2004 meeting on diversity issues and collaboration between OAC and MCAN, and Mark chaired a panel at the MCAN Gathering (held on campus in October 2004) examining the intersection of LGBT and multicultural identity issues on campus and among alumni.

Following the OAC Leadership Committee meeting in November, Mike Estrera '01 has been appointed as the official liaison between OAC and MCAN and will attend MCAN Executive Committee meetings whenever possible.

Gary Kagawa '79, a member of the Alumni Admissions Board, served for the remainder of his term on that board as liaison with OAC reporting on LGBT issues and developments in Carleton's recruitment and admissions programs. OAC is discussing ways to effectively monitor and act as a resource in Admissions processes.

Additional liaisons between OAC and other alumni stewardship networks and initiatives are being studied, including ones with the 'C' Club (the informal network of alumni who were varsity athletes while attending Carleton), the Careers and Networking group, and the Alumni Annual Fund Board.
(written by Mark Lofstrom '76)

Current student activities:

Many students participated in the recent departmental review of the Gender and Sexuality Center, the first since its inception, and are awaiting the external reviewer's report, due in June. New Center Associates were also hired for the upcoming academic year, making up the largest student staff to date.

Despite the conclusion of a successful Pride 2006, students are still conducting programs, including a fishbowl-style discussion on gender, a performance by the Pangea World Theater, and a LGBTA panel with Northfield high school students.

A number of events are also planned for Senior Week and Commencement, as the class of 2006 prepares to graduate.

(Written by C.J. Griffiths '06)