Empowering Queer Activism and Leadership (EQuAL)
Generation Equality Conference 2009

Official Booklet (download)

Friday · Saturday · Sunday

Friday, March 27, 2009

4:00 PM—7:00 PM – Registration, outside the Newcomb Ballroom

7:00 PM -7:30 PM: Orientation Session, Newcomb Ballroom

8:00 PM—9:30 PM – Keynote Speaker Suzanne Pharr, Newcomb Ballroom
Suzanne Pharr founded the Women’s Project in Arkansas in 1981, was a cofounder of Southerners on New Ground in 1984, and was the director of the Highlander Center 1999-2004. She is an organizer and political strategist who has spent her adult life working to build a broad-based social and economic justice movement. Suzanne is the author of Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism, and In the Time of the Right: Reflections on Liberation.

11:00 PM—2:00 AM – (FREE) Mixer hosted by Queer Student Union and Queer and Allied Activism, Gravity Lounge, Downtown Mall
Featuring DJ J.D. Samson from Le Tigre/MEN

Attendees can take a free trolley from the University to the Downtown Mall, and a shuttle will be provided by the Conference to take students home at the end of the evening. The shuttle will leave from a bus stop on Water St., near the Omni Hotel on the Downtown Mall. The shuttle will be running continuously from 12 midnight to 2 AM. Please note that the route can take up to 20 minutes.

Gravity Lounge Address: 103 South 1st St, Charlottesville, VA 22903
JD Samson was born August 4, 1978, in Cleveland, OH, under the name is of Jocelyn Samson. She is the androgynous member of the feminist electropunk band Le Tigre. Growing up in Cleveland’s suburb Pepper Pike, Ohio and attending Orange High School, she came out as a lesbian at 15 years old. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY in ‘00 with a degree in film. Samson joined Le Tigre after college, as a replacement for Sadie Benning. She has worked with the New England Roses, Dykes Can Dance, Peaches’ live band, The Herms with Radio Sloan and Samantha Maloney. In 2006, Samson worked with Junior Senior for their song “Can I Get Get Get”. As of 2007, JD and Le Tigre member Johanna Fateman are working in their next project, MEN.

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Saturday, March 28, 2009

8:00 AM—9:00 AM – Continued Registration, outside Newcomb Ballroom
– Breakfast, South Meeting Room

Continued registration for students who arrive on Saturday. Breakfast catered by Bodo’s Bagels, a local restaurant chain. Attendees may show up anytime during the two-hour block.

9:00 AM- 9:45 AM – Opening remarks by Jon Blair and Orientation Session, Newcomb Ballroom

Jon Blair is the new CEO of Equality Virginia (EV), after serving most recently as Campaign Manager for Congressman-elect Martin Heinrich (D-NM) in the 2008 elections, and working withother state and federal officials and organizations. Jon Blair is the first straight ally to lead Equality Virginia.

10:00 AM—10:45 AM – Activist Workshop Session I

In order to reflect the proposed theme and goals of the 2009 Generation Equality Conference, we have chosen to divide Saturday morning and early afternoon into four strategy-focused Activist Workshops. Each attendee will be assigned a color code at registration for the early Saturday sessions (purple, green, pink) and be divided into one of three groups according to that color. Each group will then attend a different Activist Workshop per session.

The four activist workshop topics are:
“Private and Public Pressure: Lobbying and Letter-Writing” – Presented by Seth Croft, this activist workshop will equip attendees with the skills necessary for effective communication with lawmakers at the state and national levels, with particular attention to lobbying and letter-writing. Seth Croft is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he was cofounder and president of QuAA. He has worked as the Field Organizer for Equality Virginia, the statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization and currently works at the Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth (ROSMY), a support organization for LGBTQ youth.
WHERE: Newcomb Ballroom

“The Basics of Community Organizing” – Presented by Hephzibah Strmic-Pawl, this workshop will discuss community organizing strategies. This workshop will also offer insights into volunteer recruitment and retention, ‘supporting your supporters,’ coalition building across movements and strategies for communication with supporters. Hephzibah Strmic-Pawl is a fourth year graduate student and this semester she teaches the course Queer Theory and Civic Engagement at the University of Virginia. Outside of academia, Hephzibah has been trained on how to be an organizer and has experience working with several non-profit organizations in Chicago, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin.
WHERE: Newcomb Commonwealth Room

“Coalition Building” – Presented by University of Virginia alumnus Steph Shaw, this Activist Workshop will teach attendees how to form coalitions with other student organizations at their respective schools and network with other queer organizations across the state of Virginia. Stephanie Shaw is a grassroots organizer with Planned Parenthood in Charlottesville, VA where she helps supporters of women’s reproductive justice and health have their voices heard in government, the media and in their communities.
WHERE: South Meeting Room

“Building Power on Campus: Non-Violent Protesting” – Presented by University of Virginia alumnus Kevin Simowitz, this activist workshop will equip attendees with the skills necessary for effective non-violent protest against the inequalities facing the LGBT community in Virginia and across the nation. Kevin Simowitz is an organizer with the Virginia Organizing Project, a statewide, grassroots, non-partisan social justice group.
WHERE: Kaleidoscope

10:50 AM—11:35 AM – Activist Workshop Session II

11:35 AM—1 PM – Lunch, South Meeting Room

Lunch catered by local restaurant Take It Away. Lunch will include vegetarian options. Attendees may also take this time to explore the University, rest, socialize, or eat somewhere else.

1:00 PM—1:45 PM – Activist Workshop Session III

1:50 PM—2:35 PM – Activist Workshop Session IV;

The afternoon workshops are interest-based to give participants the opportunity to choose which 3 issue workshops out of the 9 they would like to attend. In all there will be 3 sessions, each lasts about 50 minutes. Student will no longer be divided into their 3 groups from the morning, though we encourage students from the same school to go to different workshops.
The 8 issue workshop topics are:

“Addressing Sexual and Relationship Violence and LGBTQ Survivors on College Campuses”
Led by Julianne Koch from Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE), this workshop aims to understand the prevalence of sexual and relationship violence committed by and against LGBTQ individuals; discuss issues unique to queer survivors and common barriers to accessing help faced by queer students in general, as well as certain populations within the community; and identify ways to create and improve policies, resources, and education to address these challenges. Julianne Koch graduated from UVA in 2008 and works at SHE, the local domestic violence agency. While at UVA she cofounded and was co-president of Queer and Allied Activism and was a member of the LGBT Resource Center Operating Board, LGBT Speakers Bureau, Sexual Assault Leadership Council, Sexual Assault Peer Advocacy, and Peer Health Educators. In her fourth year Julianne interned as the Outreach Assistant with the Women Center’s Sexual and Domestic Violence Services, where she created the Survivor Support Network and conducted a survey on “Sexual and Relationship Violence Among LGBTIQ Students at UVA.”
WHERE: Newcomb Boardroom, 3rd floor.

“Oppression and Liberation: What’s Race Got To Do With It?”
Led by Alvin Valdez. This workshop will analyze mainstream queer and allied activism with a critical race lens. In addition, this workshop will provide student leaders with possible resources to create change within their own schools.
Alvin Valdez is a Teaching Assistant for Multicultural Education, intern for the LGBT Resource Center, officer in Queer and Allied Activism and Queer Student Union and finishing his bachelors in History and Foreign Affairs.
WHERE: South Meeting Room, Newcomb 3rd floor. ONLY OFFERED SESSION II.

“Oppression and Liberation: Lets Talk QPOC!”
Led by Alvin Valdez. In order to further the goal of creating queer and allied leaders of color, please note that this workshop is specifically for and open only to people who identify as a person of color, either queer or ally. We hope to foster a frank and open dialogue between people of color about the state of our communities. This workshop runs on the assertion that queer activism and activism by people of color are not mutually exclusive. In addition, this workshop will provide student leaders with possible resources to create change within their own schools.
Alvin Valdez is a Teaching Assistant for Multicultural Education, intern for the LGBT Resource Center, officer in QuAA and Queer Student Union and finishing his bachelors in History and Foreign Affairs.
WHERE: South Meeting Room, Newcomb 3rd floor. ONLY OFFERED SESSION III.

“Safer Sex for ALL”
Led by Radford University students John Brill (CDC Certified Safer Sex Educator) and Katy Griffith, the focus of this workshop is sexual safety and communication. Participants will discuss how to talk to sexual partners about protection and testing as well as how to protect yourself from HIV/STIs.
WHERE: Clemons Library, Room 407
“Speaking Up and Speaking OUT: Creating a Safe Space Program and LGBTQ Speakers Bureau on Your College Campus”
Led by Ed Warwick, this workshop will discuss how to cultivate a strong community of LGBTQ allies. Participants will gain valuable resources on Safe Space/Zone programs, share experiences, and learn from members of the UVA LGBT Resource Center Speakers Bureau. Ed Warwick, M.Ed. currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center in the Office of the Dean of Students at the University of Virginia.
WHERE: Peabody Conference room, Peabody Hall.

“Third Generation: The State of HIV in Virginia’s GLBTQ²” Community”
This workshop will begin with a historical perspective of HIV and AIDS in Virginia and examine the current epidemiological data for the Thomas Jefferson Health District which includes Albemarle County and Charlottesville City. The workshop will explain funding streams available to help those living with HIV in our community, and look at the targeted methods for prevention not only with at-risk groups, but also secondary prevention activities for positives. Led by Adam Thompson, a Board member of the Southern AIDS Coalition and a member of the National Quality Center’s Consumer Advisory Committee.
WHERE: Kaleidoscope, Newcomb 3rd floor.

“Virginia is for Lovers* (* Some legal conditions and restrictions apply.)”
Presented by Patrick Graydon, this Activist Workshop will offer an overview of legislation affecting the LGBT community in Virginia, address recent legislative successes and setbacks, and explain how Virginia state legislation impacts the rights accorded to the LGBT community at the collegiate level. Patrick Graydon grew up in a liberal family in Southern California. One day, he opened a newspaper and read that the Supreme Court had just struck down anti-sodomy laws and thought “some states still have anti-sodomy laws?!?” He then moved to Virginia, where conservative legislators promptly proposed a constitutional amendment to take away his right to equal relationship recognition. Since then he has kept a wary eye on the state and federal capitols and the goings-on within, and has been active in local activist circles.
WHERE: Newcomb Conference Room 389

“Transitioning in College: Passing, Surgery, and Community Support.”
Led by University of Virginia student Alex Lott and Joy Pugh, this workshop will cover the physical process of transition for transmen, and how school policies can influence a transgender student’s life both negatively and positively (issues of housing and bathrooms, for example), and what you can do to make your school more trans­gender friendly policy-wise.
Alex Lott is a transman who has been out to friends and family for almost three years. Since he began his transi­tion, he has been active in several transmen communities, notably those on LiveJournal geared towards transmen beginning their own transitions. He hopes to someday complete his own transition by having genital surgery. Joy Pugh completed her B.A. in Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina Charlotte (2001) and her M.Ed. in College Student Personnel Administration at James Madison University (2005). She currently works in the Office of the Dean of Students at the University of Virginia as an Assistant Dean in Residence Life. Joy previ­ously served as Coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center at U.Va. from 2005 – 2008.
WHERE: Commonwealth Room, Newcomb 3rd floor.

4:30 PM—5:20 PM – Issue Workshop Session II5:30 PM—6:20 PM – Issue Workshop Session III

6:30 PM—8:30 PM – Dinner
For dinner, students will be given the option of joining in on a caucus-like discussion led by the Conference hosts. Each host will lead a group of attendees to a nearby restaurant for dinner; over the meal, the host will initiate an informal discussion on any issue affecting the LGBT community at large or in Virginia. PLEASE MEET IN THE NEWCOMB BALLROOM.
CAUCUS TOPICS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO

- Queer People in the Media
- LGBTQ Health
- Good Gay v Bad Gay, Perceptions of Queer People
- Subtle Homophobia
- LGBT Rights in the International Sphere
- Tensions Between the African American and Queer Community and Ways to Resolve It

8:30 PM—10:00 PM, doors open at 8:15 PM – Live Homosexual Acts!, Newcomb Ballroom

Looking toward the Vagina Monologues as a model, we want to give voice to a truly diverse community that is so often misrepresented or marginalized. The stories are written by students from across Virginia, describing the joys and heartaches, obstacles and self-realizations that come about during the process of self-acceptance. Queer and Allied Activism wanted to provide queer and ally individuals the opportunity to have their personal stories heard by a greater audience. Sharing experiences is one of the most valuable methods to develop and grow.
DOORS OPEN AT 8:15 PM.

We invite you to join us at an after-party at Club 216, our main sponsors!!!
Club 216 is located in the Downtown Mall area. The doors open 11PM, but we will not be providing transportation for this event. Free trolley leaves from the chapel, service runs until 12 midnight. Discounted rate for conference attendees: $5
Address: 216 West Water Street (lot F), Charlottesville, VA 22903

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Sunday, March 29, 2009

9:00 AM—10:00 AM– Breakfast, South Meeting Room

Breakfast catered by Bodo’s Bagels, a local restaurant chain. Attendees may show up anytime during the two-hour block.

10:00 AM—11:15 AM– Effective Strategies for Proposing and Implementing a Curriculum in LGBTQ Studies, led by Network Virginia, South Meeting Room

This session will discuss effective strategies for building campus support for curriculum development in LGBTQ studies, and will provide information on the nuts and bolts of crafting an effective proposal for implementing a minor or concentration in LGBTQ Studies.

Led by co-presenters: Ric Chollar, Associate Director, LGBTQ Resources and Adjunct Instructor, Queer Studies, George Mason University and Christine Robinson, Associate Professor of Sociology & Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, James Madison University.

11:30 AM—12:30 PM – Sunday Keynote Speaker Vivian Page, South Meeting Room

Vivian J. Paige is a graduate of Old Dominion University, and currently the president of Vivian J. Paige, CPA, PC, an accounting firm she established in 1986. She also maintains a political blog, and is a frequent guest on local radio, television and various forum panels as a citizen’s voice on political and racial issues. She has been recognized in numerous publications including Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Women, and 2000 Notable American Women.

12:45 PM—1:15 PM – Different Sized Campuses; Different Types of Activism, South Meeting Room

Led by the Generation Equality Advisory Board, this session will try to explore the different venues for political activism available for the different school communities by dividing into groups. Room will be held open until 3PM, for your convenience. Please do not hesitate to use this time to talk to people from other schools. This will also be an opportunity for conference attendees to give feedback to the hosts of the conference, Queer and Allied Activism.

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