Changes

The current 2010–2011 2010�2011 board consists of Michael Semensi '12 (co-chair), Gabrielle Joffe '11 (co-chair), Veronica Rabelo '11 (Treasurer), Kaybi DiAngelo '12 (Event Coordinator), Jonathan Schmeling '12 (Publicity Coordinator), Zach Evans '12 (Secretary), and Carrie Tribble '13 (MinCo Rep).

==2010-2011 Mission Statement==

The Queer Student Union is an organization a group of students who share a common interest in participating in and protecting the queer experience at Williams College. We are advocates for the queer perspective and we work to ensure that the presence and allied voices of queer students seeking to promote social change are recognized and respected at Williams. We serve a political function, as activists working to create a more inclusive space both on campus and in the transform our greater community. We provide opportunities for educationserve a social function, political activismby creating common bonds through conversation, social events, and community serviceactivism. We aim to form connections with faculty serve an intellectual function, as a source of information and staffa center of discourse on the queer experience. We actively challenge homophobia, alumnibiphobia, transphobia and heterosexism. As queer students, we want to thoughtfully question our society’s understanding of gender and student organizations both sexuality. We work collaboratively to create safe spaces on the Williams campus for our queer and LGBT-identified peers and we welcome all who reject traditional gender norms through their expression of sexuality and off campusway of life. The We are a resource for all members of the QSU hope our community who are interested in exploring what it means to embody equality, inclusiveness, a sense of community, respect, and civic engagementbe queer.

'''October 28??, 1971:''' Daniel R. Pinello’s Pinello�s article “The �The homosexual at Williams: coming out”out�, where Dan came out as a gay male at Williams, was on the cover of The Williams Advocate. Also in this edition of the Advocate was an article “Gay �Gay Liberation: a profile”profile�.

'''April 9??, 1976:''' The first organization on campus is created, WGSO, the Williams Gay Support Organization. WGSO’s WGSO�s call for new members in the Williams Record sparks heated debate and controversy, creating a flurry of articles in support and denouncing the new organization.

'''April 16??, 1976:''' Student stands on chair in Mission Park dining hall, actively denouncing the WGSO and the “Gay Support” �Gay Support� platform.

'''March 10??, 1978:''' First panel by gay activists on “Coming �Coming Out.”�

'''October 3??, 1978:''' WGSO becomes GPU, the Gay People’s People�s Union, in order to create a broader presence on campus.

'''March 17??, 1981:''' “Coming Out” �Coming Out� meeting held at Weston Language Center.

'''October 4??, 1983:''' Gaudino Forum on “Gay �Gay at the Movies, Gay at Williams.”�

'''October 5??, 1983:''' The GPU establishes a new name, the GLU – � Gay/Lesbian Union in order to avoid being stigmatized as an all-male organization. A new gay hotline is instated for students to talk about their sexuality.

'''April 23??, 1985:''' Controversy erupts over a student’s student�s statement that the Berkshire Quad is a ghetto of the College’s “misfits College�s �misfits and homosexuals.” � As a result, a crowd of over 300 students, faculty, staff, and administrators rallied in a celebration of diversity. However, issues over student housing, marginalization, and diversity persist and disputes between the student and the [[Black Student Union]], GLU, and Berkshire Quad members continue.

'''February 24??, 1987:''' Students protest CIA’s CIA�s discrimination in hiring as it recruits on campus. CIA responds in Record Article, citing that the CIA does not discriminate against any group, but that “it �it examines the whole person.”�

'''April 19??, 1988:''' First Gay awareness week. In the words of a BGLU student leader, “We �We wanted to challenge the campus to examine their homophobia. A week makes more of a coninuous confrontation, while a day is easily dismissed.” � Events include a rally, men wearing skirts to class, and stickers proclaiming “Why �Why Assume I’m I�m Heterosexual?”�

'''April 5??–9�9??, 1989:''' College Council sponsors the very first sexual awareness week to deal with issues of pregnancies, date rapes, and especially STDs.

'''November, 1991:''' BGLU chalks at homecoming, and distributes promotional pamphlets and stickers. This sparks a letter from a concerned parent MD denouncing the BGLU’s BGLU�s presence, and considering the BGLU’s BGLU�s organization one with possible chemical/ anatomical pathology.

'''October 5??–11�11??, 1992:''' BGLU celebrates National Coming Out Week with both confidential and public events.

'''April 11??–18�18??, 1993:''' Queer Pride Week. Queer Bash, March on Washington, and other events.

'''October 7??, 1994:''' The Queer Straight Alliance is created “to �to fill the void between queers and straights at Williams and the greater community.” � (The BGLU is still in existence)

'''October, 1994:''' A homophobic and physically threatening letter is submitted to the Daily Advisor. The Dean’s Dean�s office notifies and denounces the incident in a letter to the William’s William�s community.

'''May, 2009:''' Daniel R. Pinello is awarded the first “Outstanding �Outstanding Queer Alum Award” Award� at the 5th Annual Rainbow Graduation.

'''Biological Sex:''' This can be considered our “packaging” �packaging� and is determined by our chromosomes (XX for females; XY for males); our hormones (estrogen/progesterone for females, testosterone for males); and our internal and external genitalia (vulva, clitoris, vagina for females, penis and testicles for males). About 1.7% of the population can be defined as intersexual—born intersexual�born with biological aspects of both sexes to varying degrees. So, in actuality, there are more than two sexes.

'''Coming Out (of the closet):''' To be “in �in the closet” closet� means to hide one's identity. Many LGBT people are “out” �out� in some situations and “closeted” �closeted� in others. To “come out” �come out� is to publicly declare one's identity, sometimes to one person in conversation, sometimes to a group or in a public setting. Coming Out is a life-long process—in process�in each new situation a person must decide whether or not to come out. Coming out can be difficult for some because reactions vary from complete acceptance and support to disapproval, rejection and violence.

'''Gender Expression:''' Refers to the ways in which people externally communicate their gender identity to others through behavior, clothing, haircut, voice, and emphasizing, de-emphasizing, or changing their bodies’ bodies� characteristics. Typically, transgender people seek to make their gender expression match their gender identity, rather than their birth-assigned sex. Gender expression is not necessarily an indication of sexual orientation.

'''Gender Identity:''' Our innermost concept of self as “male” �male� or “female”—what �female��what we perceive and call ourselves. Individuals are conscious of this between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. Most people develop a gender identity that matches their biological sex. For some, however, their gender identity is different from their biological sex. We sometimes call these people transsexuals, some of whom hormonally and/or surgically change their sex to more fully match their gender identity.

'''Heterosexism:''' Bias against non-heterosexuals based on a belief in the superiority of heterosexuality. Heterosexism does not imply the same fear and hatred as homophobia. It can describe seemingly innocent statements, such as “She’d �She�d drive any man wild” wild� based on the assumption that heterosexuality is the norm.

'''Straight/Heterosexual:''' A person who is emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted and committed to the members of a gender or sex that is seen to be the ‘opposite’ �opposite� or other than the one with which they identify.

'''Homosexual:''' A person who is primarily and/or exclusively attracted to members of what they identify as their own sex or gender. ‘Homosexual’ �Homosexual� is a clinical term that originated in the late 1800s. Some avoid the word because it contains the base word ‘sex’�sex�. Orientation has more to do with the issue of love than of sex, and it is believed that the use of ‘homosexual’ �homosexual� devalues the orientation of individuals.

'''Intersex:''' A general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t doesn�t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.

'''Queer:''' Historically a negative term used against people perceived to be LGBT, “queer” �queer� has more recently been reclaimed by some people as a positive term describing all those who do not conform to rigid notions of gender and sexuality. Queer is often used in a political context and in academic settings to challenge traditional ideas about identity (“queer theory”�queer theory�). Used as an umbrella identity term encompassing gay, lesbian, questioning, bisexual, non-labelling, transgender people, and anyone else who does not strictly identify as heterosexual.

'''Sexual Identity:''' This is how we perceive and what we call ourselves. Such labels include “lesbian�lesbian,” “gay� �gay,” “bisexual� �bisexual,” “bi� �bi,” “queer� �queer,” “questioning� �questioning,” “heterosexual� �heterosexual,” “straight� �straight,” � and others. Sexual Identity evolves through a developmental process that varies depending on the individual. Our sexual behavior and how we define ourselves (identity) can be chosen. Though some people claim their sexual orientation is also a choice, for others this does not seem to be the case.

'''Sexual Orientation:''' This is determined by our sexual and emotional attractions. Categories of sexual orientation include homosexuals—gayhomosexuals�gay, lesbian—attracted lesbian�attracted to some members of the same sex; bisexuals, attracted to some members of more than one sex; and heterosexuals, attracted to some members of another sex. Orientation is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics and hormones, as well as unknown environmental factors. Though the origins of sexuality are not completely understood, it is generally believed to be established before the age of five.

'''Transsexuals:''' Individuals who do not identify with their birth-assigned genders and sometimes alter their bodies surgically and/or hormonally. The Transition (formerly called “sex change”�sex change�) is a complicated, multi-step process that may take years and may include, but is not limited to, Sex Reassignment Surgery.

'''Chest surgery:''' Typically refers to when a person is having their chest reconstructed to fit the sex they seek to identify with – � this may mean having fuller breast implants or having breasts removed.

''Penectomy'' – � Removal of the penis, where the shaft of the penis is used to create the neo vagina<BR>''Phalloplasty'' – � Construction of a penis typically using skin from ones forearm<BR>''Vaginectomy'' – � the closing of the vaginal opening from the bottom and opening from the top internally<BR>''Metoidioplasty'' – � Releasing of an enlarged clitoris so that it resembles a penis<BR>''Labiaplasty'' – � Typically done for MTFs when they use the scrotum to construct a new labia<BR>''Hysterectomy'' – � removal of uterus (some states require people to have this procedure in order to legally transition)<BR>''Opherectomy'' – � removal of the ovaries<BR>''Scrotoplasty'' – � construction of the scrotum using labia