Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Alliance
Encyclopedia
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Alliance (GLBTSA) of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
is the largest LGBTIQ student organization in the Southeastern United States
. GLBTSA sponsors the annual Southeast Regional Unity Conference as well as Lambda Magazine, the nation's oldest LGBTIQ student publication. The general body holds weekly meetings as well as guest speakers, drag shows, retreats, trips, and service projects. GLBTSA has three additional programs: Colors (monthly discussions), Committee for a Queerer Carolina (activism), and Fruit Bowl (social).
During the 1987-1988 school year, two members of Student Congress, H.F. Watts and David McNeill, led an effort to defund the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association. They collected more than the 10% of student signatures required to put a referendum on the funding of the CGLA on the spring ballot.
On February 16, 1988, UNC-Chapel Hill students voted 58%-42% against funding the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association. The referendum was non-binding, however, and only acted as a gauge of student opinion. On April 17, the newly-elected Student Congress voted to continue funding the CGLA.
's Blue Devils United and North Carolina State University
's GLBT-Community Alliance honorary, non-voting positions on the GLBTSA Executive Board.
. Originally called the North Carolina Unity Conference, its name was changed in 2005 to the Southeast Unity Conference to reflect the growing geographic diversity of its participants.
The Carolina Gay Association held the first Southeastern Gay Conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
in 1976. The Second Annual Southeastern Gay Conference was held April 1–3, 1977. In 1978, the conference moved to Atlanta, GA. It returned to Chapel Hill, NC in 1979 with over 600 people in attendance.
On March 25–27, 1983, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
held the first North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Conference. The theme for the conference was "Survival in a Hostile Environment." The second annual North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Conference was held March 30-April 1, 1984, at North Carolina State University
in Raleigh, NC. In 1985 the Southeastern Gay Conference returned to Chapel Hill for its tenth anniversary. The conference was held April 11–14, 1985, and themed "Here Today and Here to Stay."
. It has always been a product of the LGBTIQ student organization at UNC-CH and is currently a semesterly publication of the GLBTSA.
"LAMBDA is UNC-Chapel Hill's Lesbian-, Gay-, Bisexual-, Transgender-, Intersex- and Queer-affirming publication, providing a progressive outlet for news, analysis, opinion and dialogue. As such, we are inherently committed to a feminist, anti-racist and historically conscious perspective in pursuit of social justice for all people."
The Front Page awarded Lambda its 1983 Media Award for "Best Gay Newsletter". This appeared in The Front Pages March 27, 1984 issue. (The Front Page was a North Carolina gay newspaper founded in 1979 that merged with Q-Notes
in 2006.)
and North Carolina State University
. On February 12–14, 2010, the three universities held a joint retreat at the Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Center in Efland, North Carolina
. Another retreat is planned for November 2010.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
is the largest LGBTIQ student organization in the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
. GLBTSA sponsors the annual Southeast Regional Unity Conference as well as Lambda Magazine, the nation's oldest LGBTIQ student publication. The general body holds weekly meetings as well as guest speakers, drag shows, retreats, trips, and service projects. GLBTSA has three additional programs: Colors (monthly discussions), Committee for a Queerer Carolina (activism), and Fruit Bowl (social).
1974-1985: Carolina Gay Association (CGA)
The Carolina Gay Association was founded by Dan Leonard and others involved with the Duke Gay Alliance and the Human Sexuality Information and Counseling Services (HSICS) at UNC-CH. On February 6, 1974, their trial organization, the Gay Awareness Rap Group, held its first meeting at the Newman Catholic Student Center. It met every Monday that spring and was predominately attended by men. In the fall they became recognized as the Carolina Gay Association, having encountered little resistance from administrators. CGA meetings were held on the first Monday of the month in Craig. Consciousness raising groups met each Tuesday evening in the Lutheran Student Center and coffeehouses were held there on some Fridays. The Social Action Committee was formed in 1975 and staged an informational picket when two men were kicked out of the He's Not Here bar in September 1975 for dancing together. In April 1976, the CGA held its first Southeastern Gay Conference with hundreds in attendance, and in August 1976, the CGA printed the first copy of Lambda for "Gay Orientation Week."1985-1992: Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association (CGLA)
On February 13, 1985, the CGA voted to change its name to the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association to make the name more inclusive of women.During the 1987-1988 school year, two members of Student Congress, H.F. Watts and David McNeill, led an effort to defund the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association. They collected more than the 10% of student signatures required to put a referendum on the funding of the CGLA on the spring ballot.
On February 16, 1988, UNC-Chapel Hill students voted 58%-42% against funding the Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association. The referendum was non-binding, however, and only acted as a gauge of student opinion. On April 17, the newly-elected Student Congress voted to continue funding the CGLA.
1992-1998: Bisexuals, Gay Men, Lesbians, and Allies for Diversity (B-GLAD)
In 1992 the organization changed its name to the Bisexuals, Gay Men, Lesbians, and Allies for Diversity.1998-2003?: Queer Network for Change (QNC)
In 1998, B-GLAD changed its name to the Queer Network for Change in an effort to be more inclusive of transgender people. InterVarsity controversy: http://www.ibiblio.org/cr/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/2003_02.pdf2002-2010: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender - Straight Alliance (GLBT-SA)
A junior named Alice Newton started the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender - Straight Alliance in the spring of 2002. The focus of GLBT-SA was to promote political activism for LGBTIQ issues on campus and throughout the state. The GLBT-SA eventually replaced the Queer Network for Change, which many believe had lost participation from straight members after it changed its name from B-GLAD.2010-Present: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Alliance (GLBTSA)
On April 15, 2010, GLBT-SA voted to officially change its name to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight Alliance (though the dash had fallen out of use many months prior). The change was one of many proposed by the Committee on the Future of GLBTSA, which met weekly during the spring semester to prepare for the future of the growing organization. Other notable changes included bringing back the Committee for a Queerer Carolina, expanding the social group Women Loving Women (and renaming it The Fruit Bowl), and giving the presidents of Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
's Blue Devils United and North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
's GLBT-Community Alliance honorary, non-voting positions on the GLBTSA Executive Board.
Southeast Regional Unity Conference
The Southeast Regional Unity Conference is the largest LGBTIQ conference in the Southeastern United States. It is hosted each spring at the University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. Originally called the North Carolina Unity Conference, its name was changed in 2005 to the Southeast Unity Conference to reflect the growing geographic diversity of its participants.
| Date | Theme | Speakers/Performers | Director(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 11–13, 2003 | Urvashi Vaid Urvashi Vaid Urvashi Vaid is an American activist who has worked for over 25 years promoting civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons.- Political activism :... , Loree Erickson, Mandy Carter |
Trevor Hoppe | 120+ | |
| March 26–28, 2004 | Living Below the Bible Belt: The Experiences of LGBTIQ Southerners | Mab Segrest Mab Segrest Mab Segrest is an American feminist writer and activist. Mab Segrest is best known for her 1994 autobiographical work Memoir of a Race Traitor.... , Skott Freedman Skott Freedman Skott Freedman is an American singer/songwriter. Freedman is formally trained in piano.-Background:Freedman was born and raised in New Jersey. His music makes heavy use of the piano, which has led to regular comparisons with chanteuse Tori Amos. Similar to Amos, Freedman was a child piano prodigy... , Erik Himan, Nomy Lamm Nomy Lamm Naomi Elizabeth "Nomy" Lamm is an American singer/songwriter and political activist. Lamm has described herself as a "bad ass, fat ass, Jew, dyke amputee."-Biography:Lamm was involved with musical theater during her youth... |
Trevor Hoppe | 100+ |
| April 1–3, 2005 | Queerniversity: Testing Your LGBT-IQ | Suzanne Pharr Suzanne Pharr Suzanne Pharr is an American organizer, political strategist, and author who has worked to build a broad-based social justice movement in the United States. Pharr is the founder of the Women's Project and the author of the book Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism .-References:... , Danny Roberts, Mandy Carter, Robyn Ochs Robyn Ochs Robyn Ochs is an American bisexual and LGBT rights activist who helped found the Boston Bisexual Network in 1983, and the Bisexual Resource Center in 1985.... , Tranzmission |
Trevor Hoppe | |
| April 7–9, 2006 | Unorthodox Union: Connecting the GLBTQ and Faith Communities | Mandy Carter, Rev. Irene Monroe, Staceyann Chin Staceyann Chin Staceyann Chin is a spoken word poet, performing artist and LGBT rights political activist. Her work has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Pittsburgh Daily, and has been featured on 60 Minutes... , S. Bear Bergman S. Bear Bergman S. Bear Bergman is a transgender author, poet, playwright, and theater artist. Bergman identifies as neither male nor female and prefers pronouns "ze" and "hir".-Biography:... |
Sarah C. | |
| March 30-April 1, 2007 | Outlawing Orgasm: Sex, Disease, and the Policing of Pleasure | Loretta Ross, Sarwat Rumi, Patrick Califia, Robin Tyler, Andy Marra | Win Chesson | 400+ |
| April 4–6, 2008 | Are You Being Served?: LGBTIQ Representation in the Media | Kate Bornstein Kate Bornstein Kate Bornstein is a Jewish-American author, playwright, performance artist, and gender theorist.-Biography:Born in Neptune City, New Jersey, Bornstein studied Theater Arts with John Emigh and Jim Barnhill at Brown University . Bornstein joined the Church of Scientology but later became... , D’Lo, Mandy Carter, Magdalen Hsu-Li Magdalen Hsu-Li Magdalen Hsu-Li is an internationally acclaimed American singer-songwriter, painter, speaker, writer, and cultural activist. She identifies herself as bisexual and as Chinese American.-Biography:... , Ignacio Rivera, Pam Spaulding, Craig Stephens |
Robert Wells | 400+ |
| April 3–5, 2009 | Sweet T: Transgressing, Transforming, and Transcending Gender and Sexuality in the South | Tim'm T. West, Peterson Toscano Peterson Toscano Peterson Toscano is a playwright, an actor, a blogger, a stand-up comedian, and a gay activist. Before accepting his gay orientation, he spent nearly two decades submitting to ex-gay treatment and conversion therapy designed to alter his gay orientation and gender differences... , Scott Turner Schofield Scott Turner Schofield Scott Turner Schofield, formerly KT Kilborn, is a FTM performer with a transgender identity. Based in Atlanta, GA, he has toured nationwide with his one-trannie shows, "Underground TRANSit", "Debutante Balls", and "Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps" since 2001.... , Micia Mosely |
Haley Koch | |
| April 9–11, 2010 | Intersecting Identities: Performance, Politics, Power | Kareem Khubchandani, Rev. Roger Hayes | Kimberly Fisher | |
| April 1–3, 2011 | Breaking Barriers, Building Community | F to Embody, Faisal Alam | Rebecca Lovewell, Matthew McGibney | |
| March 30-April 1, 2012 | TBA | TBA | Sydney Borden, Camilla Brewer |
Previous Conferences
The Carolina Gay Association held the first Southeastern Gay Conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in 1976. The Second Annual Southeastern Gay Conference was held April 1–3, 1977. In 1978, the conference moved to Atlanta, GA. It returned to Chapel Hill, NC in 1979 with over 600 people in attendance.
On March 25–27, 1983, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
held the first North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Conference. The theme for the conference was "Survival in a Hostile Environment." The second annual North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Conference was held March 30-April 1, 1984, at North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
in Raleigh, NC. In 1985 the Southeastern Gay Conference returned to Chapel Hill for its tenth anniversary. The conference was held April 11–14, 1985, and themed "Here Today and Here to Stay."
Lambda Magazine
Started in 1976, Lambda is the oldest LGBTIQ student publication in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has always been a product of the LGBTIQ student organization at UNC-CH and is currently a semesterly publication of the GLBTSA.
Mission statement
"LAMBDA is UNC-Chapel Hill's Lesbian-, Gay-, Bisexual-, Transgender-, Intersex- and Queer-affirming publication, providing a progressive outlet for news, analysis, opinion and dialogue. As such, we are inherently committed to a feminist, anti-racist and historically conscious perspective in pursuit of social justice for all people."
Awards
The Front Page awarded Lambda its 1983 Media Award for "Best Gay Newsletter". This appeared in The Front Pages March 27, 1984 issue. (The Front Page was a North Carolina gay newspaper founded in 1979 that merged with Q-Notes
Q-Notes
Q-Notes is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender newspaper serving North Carolina and South Carolina. It is based in Charlotte, N.C.. Published every other week, it has a circulation of 11,000 print copies and is the largest print publication serving the LGBT community in the American Southeast...
in 2006.)
Colors
Formerly Diversions, Queer People And Allies of Color (QPAC), and United for New Ideas Towards Ethnic Diversity (U.N.I.T.E.D.), Colors is a monthly discussion about the intersection of sexuality and race/culture/religion.Committee for a Queerer Carolina
The Committee for a Queerer Carolina is an activist group formed in the spring of 2004 in response to the conservative Committee for a Better Carolina.Cross-Campus Initiatives
Since the fall of 2009, GLBTSA has increasingly worked with students at Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
. On February 12–14, 2010, the three universities held a joint retreat at the Chestnut Ridge Camp and Retreat Center in Efland, North Carolina
Efland, North Carolina
Efland is an unincorporated community in Orange County, North Carolina, United States.Efland is most likely the next town in Orange County to become incorporated. The Efland Ruritan Club hosts most of the towns activities including an annual Rodeo, Lumberjack show, Tractor Pull, Car Show and HYAA...
. Another retreat is planned for November 2010.