This week’s meeting was very busy, as anyone who had to leave early could tell you. First we voted on the constitution, which was ratified with a unanimous vote by all present. If you’re curious to know the content of that document, feel free to check the previous blog post, where we have it in its entirety!
This week we did a basic question and answer session; upon arrival at the meeting, students and faculty were presented with slips of paper to write anonymous questions that were then selected at random to be discussed. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and could not to get all the questions, but we hope to continue the discussion this week! For right now, we’re going to post the questions we talked about on Thursday below, along with a brief outline of our discussion! Feel free to comment on this post with answers of your own.
1. Do you think that the LGBTQ community is accurately portrayed in TV or movies (take shows like Glee, for example)?
In the meeting, we discussed how representation in media does not necessarily equate positive representation; for example, in an episode of Family Guy, the character Quagmire’s father comes out as a trans woman. The trans* community generally responded negatively to the episode, much to creator Seth MacFarlane’s confusion.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that while there are in fact gay men like Kurt from Glee in the world, narratives are incredibly diverse; not every gay man is going to be like Kurt, nor is every lesbian experience going to be like it is portrayed on The L Word.
2. How is it fair that men can’t have sexual relations with other men and give blood? Shouldn’t anyone have to take an HIV test first?
HIV tests are actually standard for all blood donations, because they can’t be careful enough (if you are exposed to HIV-infected blood through a transfusion, there is a 90% chance you will contract the virus), so that answers the second part. As for the first part, we actually intend to answer this when WRA has its next blood drive! You should know the rule has been relaxed in the UK; if, as a man, you haven’t had sexual contact with another man in a year, you can donate blood.
3. Do you think sexuality is permanent? In other words, how would you explain a married man realizing he’s gay after living a “straight life”?
There are two camps with two different theories on this topic. On the one hand, some argue sexuality is fluid, and so to go from being attracted mostly to men to being attracted mostly to women is not out of the question. This is especially prevalent in the bisexual community, and studies have been done into the fluidity of sexuality particularly among women.
On the other hand, in the hypothetical situation, the other camp would argue that due to the stigma of being a gay man, the man in the situation could just have been repressing his sexuality, or not realized it. What do you guys think about it?
4. Will we learn anything about the relation between chemical balances of the brain and how they affect people’s personalities/sexualities?
Um... we can add it to the list! This wasn’t something that was on our radar, but we can look into it for a meeting sometime this year. It sounds very scientific, which is not something that is Ai’s particular forte, but if you have found any information about it that has sparked your interest, please send it to gsa.wra@gmail.com!
5. When do we plan on once again holding/beginning to work on Broadway Backwards?
As soon as we can get the administration to work with us on a date! We hope to begin rehearsals sometime shortly after winter break. In the meantime, think about what you might be willing to perform for a possible winter cabaret! We will keep you posted on upcoming dates for that.
6. We all know that we should address behavior that slights another--racism, sexism, ageism--but how do we encourage a more welcoming, educated community in general--adults, administrators, neighbors, parents, faculty spouses?
This question is a very difficult one. In GSA, we’ve talked extensively how to call someone out when they’ve said something offensive or hurtful, but how do we as a community prevent such behavior before it even starts?
Education is incredibly important. Being able to talk about LGBTQ issues openly and including such issues in the curriculum, or even as a part of our daily lives, spreads understanding.
In the meeting, it was suggested that visibility is incredibly important--that GSA get up at Morning Meeting and make ourselves as known as we can, to give the signal to new students about the nature of respect in our community. But at GSA we also have to walk a fine line between being visible and being accused of shoving our views down others’ throats. The importance of straight allies here is practically beyond words. Part of why GSA exists is so after the club educates its members, the members can then go out and educate other students. We don’t mean just calling people out; we mean being openly supportive every day of the week. Bringing up issues in class (when appropriate), talking about it in the dining hall, being aware on the practice fields or at Morning Meeting... part of being a global citizen is being able to implement your respect in every day ways, and at GSA we really think leading by example is the best way to bring out others’ respect.
GSA hopes to provide the opportunity and tools for education and acceptance, but in the end, the members of the community must be open to embracing new ideas.
~
What do you all think? Do you have any other questions? Feel free to comment below, or come to this week’s GSA meeting--we’’ll be answering more questions!
Sunday, September 25
Monday, September 19
The Constitution
Here is the soon-to-be constitution of the club. We are ratifying it this Thursday, so everyone should come and show their support. Enjoy!
Constitution of The Gay-Straight Alliance of
Western Reserve Academy
ARTICLE I - Name
Section 1 - The name of this club will be The Gay-Straight Alliance of Western Reserve Academy, further referenced as WRA GSA or GSA.
ARTICLE II - Mission
Section 1 - The mission of this club is to promote awareness about LGBTQ culture and to foster understanding, acceptance, and tolerance through education and activism. Ultimately, GSA strives to make Western Reserve Academy a safe environment: one that is free of harassment and that offers respect to all members of the community, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
ARTICLE III - Affiliations
Section 1 - GSA will abide by all policies of Western Reserve Academy; the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN); and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network International (GSANI).
ARTICLE IV - Membership
Section 1 - All members of WRA GSA must be current students, staff or faculty of Western Reserve Academy.
Section 2 - No one shall be denied admittance to the club based upon race, religion, ability, sex, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation.
ARTICLE V - Voting
Section 1 - All members who have attended at least three (3) meetings have the right to an equal vote.
Section 2 - All votes must take place during a GSA meeting, with at least fifteen (15) voting members present at the time, by a count of hands
Clause i - or if unable to attend, voting members may send in votes via email within twenty-four (24) hours of the end of the meeting.
Section 3 - The Majority is defined as more than half (1/2), and the Super Majority as more than three fourths (3/4), of all votes cast, including abstentions.
ARTICLE VI - Officers
Section 1 - The executive power of the club always rests in two (2) co-presidents who,
Clause i - upon graduation or resignation, will monitor an open application process culminating in an all-club vote for a replacement, requiring a Majority for a new co-president to be named;
Clause ii - may call for a vote of impeachment requiring a Super Majority, if the others co-president’s conduct is improper for a club official. The remaining co-president can then nominate a new co-president who is elected with ⅔ Majority;
Clause iii - and have the power to select, unanimously, club officers as well as remove them from office if it is proper to do so.
Section 2 - The Secretary is responsible for
Clause i - organising a calendar of events throughout the year and aiding in their execution;
Clause ii - taking minutes and attendance and counting votes during meetings;
Clause iii - and upkeep of the WRA GSA Facebook page.
Section 3 - The financial officer is responsible for
Clause i - managing all monetary transactions and safekeeping of the treasury;
Clause ii - and overseeing all fundraising events and grant opportunities.
ARTICLE VII - Amendments
Section 1 - Co-presidents may amend Articles following agreement of the Super Majority, but no Article may be removed in its entirety.
Section 2 - Officers may introduce new Amendments following agreement of the Majority.
ARTICLE VIII - Ratification
Section 1 - This Constitution is binding upon ratification by both co-presidents and a Super Majority.
Constitution of The Gay-Straight Alliance of
Western Reserve Academy
ARTICLE I - Name
Section 1 - The name of this club will be The Gay-Straight Alliance of Western Reserve Academy, further referenced as WRA GSA or GSA.
ARTICLE II - Mission
Section 1 - The mission of this club is to promote awareness about LGBTQ culture and to foster understanding, acceptance, and tolerance through education and activism. Ultimately, GSA strives to make Western Reserve Academy a safe environment: one that is free of harassment and that offers respect to all members of the community, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.
ARTICLE III - Affiliations
Section 1 - GSA will abide by all policies of Western Reserve Academy; the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN); and the Gay-Straight Alliance Network International (GSANI).
ARTICLE IV - Membership
Section 1 - All members of WRA GSA must be current students, staff or faculty of Western Reserve Academy.
Section 2 - No one shall be denied admittance to the club based upon race, religion, ability, sex, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation.
ARTICLE V - Voting
Section 1 - All members who have attended at least three (3) meetings have the right to an equal vote.
Section 2 - All votes must take place during a GSA meeting, with at least fifteen (15) voting members present at the time, by a count of hands
Clause i - or if unable to attend, voting members may send in votes via email within twenty-four (24) hours of the end of the meeting.
Section 3 - The Majority is defined as more than half (1/2), and the Super Majority as more than three fourths (3/4), of all votes cast, including abstentions.
ARTICLE VI - Officers
Section 1 - The executive power of the club always rests in two (2) co-presidents who,
Clause i - upon graduation or resignation, will monitor an open application process culminating in an all-club vote for a replacement, requiring a Majority for a new co-president to be named;
Clause ii - may call for a vote of impeachment requiring a Super Majority, if the others co-president’s conduct is improper for a club official. The remaining co-president can then nominate a new co-president who is elected with ⅔ Majority;
Clause iii - and have the power to select, unanimously, club officers as well as remove them from office if it is proper to do so.
Section 2 - The Secretary is responsible for
Clause i - organising a calendar of events throughout the year and aiding in their execution;
Clause ii - taking minutes and attendance and counting votes during meetings;
Clause iii - and upkeep of the WRA GSA Facebook page.
Section 3 - The financial officer is responsible for
Clause i - managing all monetary transactions and safekeeping of the treasury;
Clause ii - and overseeing all fundraising events and grant opportunities.
ARTICLE VII - Amendments
Section 1 - Co-presidents may amend Articles following agreement of the Super Majority, but no Article may be removed in its entirety.
Section 2 - Officers may introduce new Amendments following agreement of the Majority.
ARTICLE VIII - Ratification
Section 1 - This Constitution is binding upon ratification by both co-presidents and a Super Majority.
Sunday, September 18
9/15: DADT!
This week we discussed the history of the US military’s policy known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), and the upcoming repeal of said policy. Before going into what was said at the meeting, here’s a quick rundown of important dates in the history of DADT.
1778- the first soldier of the US military (Lt. Gotthold Frederick Enslin) is dishonorably discharged for sodomy
1942- “homosexuals” are differentiated from “normal people” in military training and recruiting manuals; by this time, psychiatric screening is commonplace during the recruiting process. Homosexuality is considered a symptom of psychopathy, and thus gay people are denied entrance into the military
1986- homosexuality removed as a mental illness from the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), raising more questions among gay rights activists about the exclusion of gay people from the military
1992- US presidential election in which then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton promises to overturn the ban
1993- rather than overturning the ban, Clinton compromises with members of Congress to create Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
2008- then-presidential candidate Barack Obama promises to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
December 22, 2010- Congress passes bill allowing for repeal, provided the Pentagon does a study on the affects of such an action and the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff approve the study
July 22, 2011- President Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Admiral Michael Mullen (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) approve a study provided by the Pentagon which says the repeal would have no long-lasting negligable effects on the US military
September 20, 2011- DADT is officially repealed
DADT is offically known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass. In essence, the military no longer asks in interviews if a person is gay, and those service members who are gay are obligated to remain in the closet. They will not be outed unless a fellow service member has “credible information”, and the military will not tolerate any harassment. The policy has worked over the past seventeen years with varying levels of success; in fact, Don’t Harass wasn’t added until 1999, after the death of PFC Barry Winchell, who was dating a trans woman at the time of his brutal murder by a member of his unit.
While the repeal of DADT is clearly a celebration for the gay, lesbian and bisexual community, it also raises several questions about how the military will deal with several issues. One argument against the repeal deals with unit cohesion; opponents argue that a unit cannot bond together if there is fear that the person in the bunk next to them is thinking about them sexually. The safety of out service members is also a question that was raised in the meetings. One possible solution was to separate units between accepting and non-accepting members, to create as little friction as possible, but several questions about unit cohesion arose from this as well. Either way it will be interesting to see how the military handles the transition after this week.
Do you have any comments? Questions? How do you think the military should handle this transition? Comment below or email us at gsa.wra@gmail.com with your thoughts!
REMINDERS
- The deadline for leadership opportunities within GSA has been EXTENDED to MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, at 3:15 PM, with your application turned into either of the co-presidents’ open mailboxes in Seymour or emailed to gsa.wra@gmail.com. If you are interested in applying but have not yet received an application from us, PLEASE EMAIL AI MILLER ASAP at millerm@wra.net.
- This might be a little redundant, but make sure you’re checking the Facebook page and the blog as frequently as possible to receive updates about upcoming meetings and recaps about meetings you may have missed!
1778- the first soldier of the US military (Lt. Gotthold Frederick Enslin) is dishonorably discharged for sodomy
1942- “homosexuals” are differentiated from “normal people” in military training and recruiting manuals; by this time, psychiatric screening is commonplace during the recruiting process. Homosexuality is considered a symptom of psychopathy, and thus gay people are denied entrance into the military
1986- homosexuality removed as a mental illness from the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual), raising more questions among gay rights activists about the exclusion of gay people from the military
1992- US presidential election in which then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton promises to overturn the ban
1993- rather than overturning the ban, Clinton compromises with members of Congress to create Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
2008- then-presidential candidate Barack Obama promises to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
December 22, 2010- Congress passes bill allowing for repeal, provided the Pentagon does a study on the affects of such an action and the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff approve the study
July 22, 2011- President Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and Admiral Michael Mullen (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) approve a study provided by the Pentagon which says the repeal would have no long-lasting negligable effects on the US military
September 20, 2011- DADT is officially repealed
DADT is offically known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass. In essence, the military no longer asks in interviews if a person is gay, and those service members who are gay are obligated to remain in the closet. They will not be outed unless a fellow service member has “credible information”, and the military will not tolerate any harassment. The policy has worked over the past seventeen years with varying levels of success; in fact, Don’t Harass wasn’t added until 1999, after the death of PFC Barry Winchell, who was dating a trans woman at the time of his brutal murder by a member of his unit.
While the repeal of DADT is clearly a celebration for the gay, lesbian and bisexual community, it also raises several questions about how the military will deal with several issues. One argument against the repeal deals with unit cohesion; opponents argue that a unit cannot bond together if there is fear that the person in the bunk next to them is thinking about them sexually. The safety of out service members is also a question that was raised in the meetings. One possible solution was to separate units between accepting and non-accepting members, to create as little friction as possible, but several questions about unit cohesion arose from this as well. Either way it will be interesting to see how the military handles the transition after this week.
Do you have any comments? Questions? How do you think the military should handle this transition? Comment below or email us at gsa.wra@gmail.com with your thoughts!
REMINDERS
- The deadline for leadership opportunities within GSA has been EXTENDED to MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, at 3:15 PM, with your application turned into either of the co-presidents’ open mailboxes in Seymour or emailed to gsa.wra@gmail.com. If you are interested in applying but have not yet received an application from us, PLEASE EMAIL AI MILLER ASAP at millerm@wra.net.
- This might be a little redundant, but make sure you’re checking the Facebook page and the blog as frequently as possible to receive updates about upcoming meetings and recaps about meetings you may have missed!
Friday, September 9
9/8: LGBTQ 101!
This week, we did a basic rundown of terms. The terms fall into four categories: sexuality, slurs, gender and “other.” Below we’ve taken all the terms we talked about and defined each of them!
Sexuality
- gay: identifies a person who experiences same-gender attraction
- lesbian: identifies a female-identified person who experiences same-gender attraction
- bisexual: identifies a person who experiences attraction to two genders (NOT necessarily male and female)
- pansexual: identifies a person who experiences attraction to others regardless of gender
- asexual (ace): a person who experiences little to no attraction to others
Slurs
- faggot: a slur describing feminine or gay men
- dyke: a slur (sometimes also used as a self-identifier) to describe a lesbian or a masculine woman
- whore/slut: slurs referring to a sexually promiscuous person, primarily those who are female-identified
- tranny: a slur referring primarily to trans women; occasionally used as a self-identifier by trans*-identified people
- breeder: an obscure slur used in reference to straight people
Gender
- gender binary: the concept of gender as only two genders, male and female
- transgender: identifies those not comfortable living with their assigned gender
- trans man/trans woman: a man or woman who is trans; trans men were female-identified at birth but self-identify as men, while trans women were identified as male at birth but self-identify as women
- non-binary/genderqueer: refers to those who identify outside the binary or as a mix of both male and female
- cisgender: refers to those comfortable living as their gender assigned at birth
Other
- intersex: refers to a person whose genetic/chromosomal/physical makeup does not clearly fit societal standards of male or female
- queer: an umbrella term to describe non-straight or non-cisgender people; can be used as a slur by non-queer-identified people
- crossdressing/drag queen/drag king: crossdressing is the wearing of clothes associated with a gender that is seen as different than the one ususally presented by the dresser; drag is recognized as performance-based crossdressing
- passing: the ability to present oneself, and be accepted as, a member of a different social group
- ally: ALL OF YOU!
Hopefully that was helpful! All of these terms are very important to know and we will be building on them, so make sure you have them down. If you have any questions, feel free to email us a question at gsa.wra@gmail.com.
REMINDERS
- Officer applications are due Saturday (TOMORROW) at noon!
- TIE-DYEING is THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, at the TENNIS COURTS, from 1-3 pm. Remember to bring $1. Boarders, if you need a t-shirt, email us using the GSA email account ASAP-- before noon tomorrow!
Thanks to all those who came to the meeting! Another special shout-out goes to Lindsey Johnson who brought rainbow cupcakes to Club Expo--they were a hit!
Sexuality
- gay: identifies a person who experiences same-gender attraction
- lesbian: identifies a female-identified person who experiences same-gender attraction
- bisexual: identifies a person who experiences attraction to two genders (NOT necessarily male and female)
- pansexual: identifies a person who experiences attraction to others regardless of gender
- asexual (ace): a person who experiences little to no attraction to others
Slurs
- faggot: a slur describing feminine or gay men
- dyke: a slur (sometimes also used as a self-identifier) to describe a lesbian or a masculine woman
- whore/slut: slurs referring to a sexually promiscuous person, primarily those who are female-identified
- tranny: a slur referring primarily to trans women; occasionally used as a self-identifier by trans*-identified people
- breeder: an obscure slur used in reference to straight people
Gender
- gender binary: the concept of gender as only two genders, male and female
- transgender: identifies those not comfortable living with their assigned gender
- trans man/trans woman: a man or woman who is trans; trans men were female-identified at birth but self-identify as men, while trans women were identified as male at birth but self-identify as women
- non-binary/genderqueer: refers to those who identify outside the binary or as a mix of both male and female
- cisgender: refers to those comfortable living as their gender assigned at birth
Other
- intersex: refers to a person whose genetic/chromosomal/physical makeup does not clearly fit societal standards of male or female
- queer: an umbrella term to describe non-straight or non-cisgender people; can be used as a slur by non-queer-identified people
- crossdressing/drag queen/drag king: crossdressing is the wearing of clothes associated with a gender that is seen as different than the one ususally presented by the dresser; drag is recognized as performance-based crossdressing
- passing: the ability to present oneself, and be accepted as, a member of a different social group
- ally: ALL OF YOU!
Hopefully that was helpful! All of these terms are very important to know and we will be building on them, so make sure you have them down. If you have any questions, feel free to email us a question at gsa.wra@gmail.com.
REMINDERS
- Officer applications are due Saturday (TOMORROW) at noon!
- TIE-DYEING is THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, at the TENNIS COURTS, from 1-3 pm. Remember to bring $1. Boarders, if you need a t-shirt, email us using the GSA email account ASAP-- before noon tomorrow!
Thanks to all those who came to the meeting! Another special shout-out goes to Lindsey Johnson who brought rainbow cupcakes to Club Expo--they were a hit!
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